Spending some time last week with more UltraAnalogue Recordings. What a week.

audioguy1958

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2015
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I was sitting beside Ed at the back of the room, and I remember grabbing Ed's arm and looking at him in disbelief. Watching the video brings back the other-worldly sensation I felt at the time. When Tatsuki finished the caprices the audience took 15-20 seconds to begin to respond. We were stunned, I think. It took that long to realize what we had just witnessed! I think the tape will be great, and students of classical music will especially appreciate a detailed recording of this performance, not just audiophiles.
 

Edward Pong

Industry Expert
Jun 24, 2013
386
195
348
Locust Hill, Ontario
Recently I sourced a pair of vintage NOS WE300b (1956 with square getters) & placed them into the microphone pre-amp.... the earliest part of the signal chain to have the biggest effect on the sonic character...

I was not prepared for what I heard.... incredible resolution of the violin highs, with utterly natural timbres & extreme soundstage depth.... after hearing just a few notes, in the Stax headphones while recording Tatsuki's Paganini Caprices... These tapes are ready & will be on the website soon... you will hear a very special performance with stunning sound to match...
 

Nevillekapadia

VIP/Donor
Aug 30, 2010
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My only regret with all of this is that alas I do not have an open reel setup although it is my favourite of all formats and I follow open reel and tape forums avidly.

If you are based in Sydney, I can play you one of Tatsuki's earlier tape that Ed had kindly made and sent to me.
 

Edward Pong

Industry Expert
Jun 24, 2013
386
195
348
Locust Hill, Ontario
pls notify me when ready...
best
Leif

I'm happy to announce Tatsuki Narita's 24 Paganini Caprices (Live in Concert) tapes have been released on the website.. I will be including a Blu Ray video of the live concert for people who order all 3 reels at 1 time... You will be able to order the 3 reels separately http://ultraanaloguerecordings.com/wpsite/store/?cat_product=tatsuki-narita

Here is a Youtube link to the video of the concert.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WsBYBtzum4&t=126s

I will release the studio recordings of the 24 Caprices later when I have recorded another work to fill the 3rd reel....

I'm releasing 2 versions because, the Live has an emotion & drive only a live performance can have... the studio version is more relaxed & has a more resonant soundscape...(he's facing the microphones more...) Both were recorded with the same positions for him & the mics.. In the Live version, he turned about 30 degrees to face the audience....

One last note... these recordings are my 1st to have the vintage 1956 NOS WE300b tubes in the microphone pre-amp.... amazing resolution of violin timbres...
All my earlier recordings had the later new production WE300b tubes in the mic-pre... no slouches
Enjoy
Ed
 
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astrotoy

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May 24, 2010
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I received the 3 Paganini Caprices recital tapes last week. All I can say is WOW! First, in my 50+ years of concert going, I have never heard the complete Paganini Caprices ever played in one concert. Typically in a violin recital, a group of three of the caprices are featured as one of the pieces, or sometimes one of caprices is played as an encore. So playing all 24 in one live concert is a monumental accomplishment. The caprices range from being difficult to almost impossible to play. Paganini wrote them over a period of years in three groups - 6, 6 and 12. And this is how the recital was arranged, as well as the three tapes. The first two tapes are around 25 minutes long each, and the last one is over 30 minutes long, making the total recital over 80 minutes in length. Narita is a fabulously talented violinist, with both extreme technical chops and an expressiveness that comes out in this playing. You can feel the tension in the room as he plays one after another - almost like movements in a sonata. It is like a high wire act without a net.

If the price of three tapes is too steep in one go, I would recommend starting with the last reel, Caprices 13-24. This contains his last and most famous caprice #24. This was the basis for several very famous workes, including two sets of Brahms piano variations and the ultra popular Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by Rachmaninoff, for piano and orchestra.

Ed has continued to incrementally improve his already fine recording and duplicating electronics, which you can read about in his post above. The sound is even more palpable with the WE 300b's in the chain.

I compared Narita's traversal of the Caprices with my two favorite versions - the Itzhak Perlman from the '70's and the Michael Rabin from the '50's. I find the emotion and subtlety of Narita's playing to surpass both Perlman and Rabin, which were both studio recording. The sonics, in these 15ips 2 track tapes are in another league, of course.

Buy at least reel 3, then you will want the other two.

Larry
 

audioguy1958

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2015
139
45
160
I received the 3 Paganini Caprices recital tapes last week. All I can say is WOW! First, in my 50+ years of concert going, I have never heard the complete Paganini Caprices ever played in one concert. Typically in a violin recital, a group of three of the caprices are featured as one of the pieces, or sometimes one of caprices is played as an encore. So playing all 24 in one live concert is a monumental accomplishment. The caprices range from being difficult to almost impossible to play. Paganini wrote them over a period of years in three groups - 6, 6 and 12. And this is how the recital was arranged, as well as the three tapes. The first two tapes are around 25 minutes long each, and the last one is over 30 minutes long, making the total recital over 80 minutes in length. Narita is a fabulously talented violinist, with both extreme technical chops and an expressiveness that comes out in this playing. You can feel the tension in the room as he plays one after another - almost like movements in a sonata. It is like a high wire act without a net.

If the price of three tapes is too steep in one go, I would recommend starting with the last reel, Caprices 13-24. This contains his last and most famous caprice #24. This was the basis for several very famous workes, including two sets of Brahms piano variations and the ultra popular Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by Rachmaninoff, for piano and orchestra.

Ed has continued to incrementally improve his already fine recording and duplicating electronics, which you can read about in his post above. The sound is even more palpable with the WE 300b's in the chain.

I compared Narita's traversal of the Caprices with my two favorite versions - the Itzhak Perlman from the '70's and the Michael Rabin from the '50's. I find the emotion and subtlety of Narita's playing to surpass both Perlman and Rabin, which were both studio recording. The sonics, in these 15ips 2 track tapes are in another league, of course.

Buy at least reel 3, then you will want the other two.

Larry



I just finished listening to Tape 3, and as Larry says it is an amazing performance and recording! The recording is so clear, it immediately takes me back to being at the performance. There are passages that are so dense with notes, that you really wonder if its humanly possible to play all of them. The young Mr. Narita is up to the challenge!
 

Cincy2

VIP/Donor
Jun 2, 2016
116
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Tampa, Florida
Does anyone know if these recordings will be offered as FLAC or similar format files that can be downloaded? If not, I'd be happy to buy a CD and rip it for my use. My most cherished files/CD's are Mapleshades. They are all Redbook and yet they sound more lifelike than any other recording i have ever owned. If you guys say these are comparable then I definitely want them!

Cincy
 

Cincy2

VIP/Donor
Jun 2, 2016
116
183
220
Tampa, Florida
Does anyone know if these recordings will be offered as FLAC or similar format files that can be downloaded? If not, I'd be happy to buy a CD and rip it for my use. My most cherished files/CD's are Mapleshades. They are all Redbook and yet they sound more lifelike than any other recording i have ever owned. If you guys say these are comparable then I definitely want them!

Cincy
 

Edward Pong

Industry Expert
Jun 24, 2013
386
195
348
Locust Hill, Ontario
I'm sorry, currently, I have no plans to offer them on any other format other than 15 ips 2 track tape...

One really needs tape to "hear" all the beautiful things tape brings to the sound - dynamics, ultimate transparancy, naturalness & all the nuances in live sound..... I would not go to the crazy lengths, in the signal path, to capture the absolute best in sound & not offer that in the end product...

please consider to get a tape deck! Life is too short... IMHO

This is not to knock any other format... just to my ears, tape gets the sound closer to the live event...

Edward
 
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rockitman

Member Sponsor
Sep 20, 2011
7,097
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Northern NY
I'm sorry, currently, I have no plans to offer them on any other format other than 15 ips 2 track tape...

One really needs tape to "hear" all the beautiful things tape brings to the sound - dynamics, ultimate transparancy, naturalness & all the nuances in live sound..... I would not go to the crazy lengths, in the signal path, to capture the absolute best in sound & not offer that in the end product...

please consider to get a tape deck! Life is too short... IMHO

This is not to knock any other format... just to my ears, tape gets the sound closer to the live event...Edward

+1. I can't wait for my first tapes...finally !!! :D
 

tony ky ma

Industry Expert
Aug 21, 2010
630
5
930
Whitby Ontario Canada
battery vs voltage regulator

when live master tape recording, the quality of mic's pre amp is more important than the recording amp, but doing the master copy the repro amp is most important that make copies sound closer to the master tape quality, in this Paganini caprices recording we replaced a pair WE 300B 1956 NOS in mic pre amp that reach a level which we near had before, and in master copy, we used a battery power supply to the Studer A80's repro amp instead of the stock voltage regulated power supply for master tape play back. people who have the Paganini tape can compare to other of our recordings will under stand what I try to say
tony ma
 

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Edward Pong

Industry Expert
Jun 24, 2013
386
195
348
Locust Hill, Ontario
Just finished - DC battery supply to the record & playback boards of the Studer A80s....

They combine to create an incredibly beautiful, refined, natural soundscape....

New recording session with Tatsuki & Yun-Yang, in a few days, from Feb 9-12 will be using these!

Ed
battery1.jpg battery2.jpg
 
Jan 18, 2012
2,322
2,407
1,475
Drobak Norway
very cool
so much fun to try, but too little time......should just retire really...
presently I have some down time, due to installation of Rod Coleman 300B filament regulators
 

tony ky ma

Industry Expert
Aug 21, 2010
630
5
930
Whitby Ontario Canada
Do audiophile really need recording by themselves today ?

Audiophiles in today looking for tape because some thing vinyl does not have, but quality of recording is the first issue , if copy by themselves from digital or vinyl or other tape will not be the point , should be to make your own live master recording or just listen other master dub . We started this hobby by a Studer A80 in stock amp (both record and repro) but found improvement by modification (sorry to Studer fins) which include redesign by tubes in circuits and replaces by high quality caps in stock circuit too, and finally found battery power supply also doing the best job.
Last Saturday We did a Tatsuki Narida and YY Li concert live recording which is the first master tape in battery power supply recording after we listen to the tape and noticed that is the highest quality which we don't have before, also the programme is supper ( Beethoven violin sonata no. 3,5,8, Hungarian Dances no.5,6, Zigeunerweisen, and encore end by Medetation ). watch the copies coming out you will love them no matter you are a classical music fin or not
tony ma
 

Edward Pong

Industry Expert
Jun 24, 2013
386
195
348
Locust Hill, Ontario
I can't wait to hear those new upcoming performances. Thanks Ed !

I've just released 3 new tapes which had their masters recorded with the DC battery supply... results in a very beautiful soundscape with very natural timbres & overtones of the violin & piano..

Tatsuki Narita & Yun-Yang Lee - LIVE in concert...

1) Beethoven Violin Sonata No.3 & Sarasate Zigeunerweisen
2) Beethoven Violin Sonata No.5 & Brahms Hungarian Dances No.5&6
3) Beethoven Violin Sonata No.8 & 2 Encores - Sarasate Zapateado, Massenet Meditation

Ed BatteryRecordPlayback1.jpg
 

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