A New Believer in Ed Pong

jdcolombo

Well-Known Member
Oct 29, 2017
22
2
68
After reading several outstanding reviews of Ed Pong's recordings, I decided to dip my toe in the water and ordered his tape of the Schubert Grand Fantasy and Saint-Saens' The Swan with Xiang Yu, violin and Yun-Yang Lee, piano.

The recording and performance are phenomenal. I loved the Schubert, but The Swan literally brought tears to my eyes with its beauty.

I decided to get "back into" RTR tape because of the various "you'll never believe how good this stuff is" reviews I read here, on other RTR forums, and in Stereophile and TAS. At first, I mostly thought of it as a way to re-live my college days with a Revox A77 recording Chicago Symphony concerts off of WFMT. But the quality of what I've acquired - tapes from Acoustics Sounds, Yarlung, Jonathan Horwitz's jazz stuff from International Phonograph, and now one from Ed, is just unbelievable.

I hear things on this tape from Ed that I've literally never heard before in a violin recording. The "air" (I guess that's what you call it) and harmonics of the bowing of a pianissimo note on the violin - it's almost like you hear the string vibrating before the note sounds. And you can hear quite literally how the violinist and pianist adjust to each other's playing to maintain tonal balance. The "you are there" realism is almost . . . unsettling . . .

Thanks, Ed, for your dedication to producing these recordings. I can already see where a chunk of my federal tax refund is going to end up: in Canada!

John C.
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
After reading several outstanding reviews of Ed Pong's recordings, I decided to dip my toe in the water and ordered his tape of the Schubert Grand Fantasy and Saint-Saens' The Swan with Xiang Yu, violin and Yun-Yang Lee, piano.

The recording and performance are phenomenal. I loved the Schubert, but The Swan literally brought tears to my eyes with its beauty.

I decided to get "back into" RTR tape because of the various "you'll never believe how good this stuff is" reviews I read here, on other RTR forums, and in Stereophile and TAS. At first, I mostly thought of it as a way to re-live my college days with a Revox A77 recording Chicago Symphony concerts off of WFMT. But the quality of what I've acquired - tapes from Acoustics Sounds, Yarlung, Jonathan Horwitz's jazz stuff from International Phonograph, and now one from Ed, is just unbelievable.

I hear things on this tape from Ed that I've literally never heard before in a violin recording. The "air" (I guess that's what you call it) and harmonics of the bowing of a pianissimo note on the violin - it's almost like you hear the string vibrating before the note sounds. And you can hear quite literally how the violinist and pianist adjust to each other's playing to maintain tonal balance. The "you are there" realism is almost . . . unsettling . . .

Thanks, Ed, for your dedication to producing these recordings. I can already see where a chunk of my federal tax refund is going to end up: in Canada!

John C.

Glad you're smitten like all of us who order from Ed as one doesn't know how truly exceptional they are until you play one in your system

Think of it this way John, the American dollar is worth $1.25 CAD so you can buy 5 of Ed's tapes for the price of 4 :)
 

Edward Pong

Industry Expert
Jun 24, 2013
386
195
348
Locust Hill, Ontario
John
Many thanks for your kind words!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the music!
I just had dinner with Xiang Yu - the violinist on your Schubert tape!
I’m in Denver to see him play the Vivaldi Four Seasons in 3 concerts with the Colorado Symphony this weekend..!

Ed
 
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astrotoy

VIP/Donor
May 24, 2010
1,547
1,017
1,715
SF Bay Area
Glad you're smitten like all of us who order from Ed as one doesn't know how truly exceptional they are until you play one in your system

Think of it this way John, the American dollar is worth $1.25 CAD so you can buy 5 of Ed's tapes for the price of 4 :)

Ed tape's are great. However, his prices are in US Dollars. Postage is in CAD. Larry
 

Edward Pong

Industry Expert
Jun 24, 2013
386
195
348
Locust Hill, Ontario
I’ve just finished another recording session with Tatsuki & YY.
The exciting “upgrade” this time was all in the instruments...
The Steinway B was voiced to be warmer as we were recording French chamber music.
Tatsuki’s violin had a new sound post placed in Boston & both his bows were rehaired at my place by legendary French bow maker Alain Herou with incredible results. The timbre, depth & resonance of the violin was stunning...

I hope to have some new tapes soon...
Ed
 

awsmone

Well-Known Member
Apr 6, 2014
1,616
513
435
Canberra Australia
Why did you not use a Bechstein for French chamber music ?
 

awsmone

Well-Known Member
Apr 6, 2014
1,616
513
435
Canberra Australia
I agree, a Bechstein is wonderful, but I don’t have one...
Ed
Ah

Yes well they went out of business , but for French chamber ....woohoo

What music is on this recording can u say ?
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,601
5,411
1,278
E. England
That’s spooky, me and my GF have just returned from a concert featuring Ravel, Debussy and Chausson.
 

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