Insuring the Blue Note tapes

[hvbias]

I had a nice chat with Ron Rambach from Music Matters, the company that reissued Blue Note albums at 45 rpm and now doing twelve titles at 33 rpm. Ron is the one responsible for the painstaking detail to the jackets and now working with Kevin Gray in remastering the new releases. He told me an interesting bit- the Blue Note master tapes are insured for one million dollars each. It's extremely unlikely future vinyl reissues after Music Matters will get to use the master tapes since EMI is archiving them to hi-res digital.

 

[MylesBAstor]

I had a nice chat with Ron Rambach from Music Matters, the company that reissued Blue Note albums at 45 rpm and now doing twelve titles at 33 rpm. Ron is the one responsible for the painstaking detail to the jackets and now working with Kevin Gray in remastering the new releases. He told me an interesting bit- the Blue Note master tapes are insured for one million dollars each. It's extremely unlikely future vinyl reissues after Music Matters will get to use the master tapes since EMI is archiving them to hi-res digital.

Interesting but not surprising! Glad I bought them all!

 

[Asamel]

To change the subject a bit - do 45 rpm albums sound that much better than 33? Are they worth the cost?

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

To change the subject a bit - do 45 rpm albums sound that much better than 33? Are they worth the cost?

IMHO....not always.

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours left me cold.
Rickie Lee Jones - Debut album was excellent.
Aaron Neville - Warm Your Heart is outstanding.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

To change the subject a bit - do 45 rpm albums sound that much better than 33? Are they worth the cost?

short answer yes.

long answer......

if you are comparing a 45 and 33 reissue, the 45 is 99% reliably better.

if you are comparing a 45 and a random earlier copy again the 45 is reliably better almost always.

if you are comparing a 45 to an original pressing or very early pressing (of a 50's or 60's (or even 70's) recording) then it's a crap shoot and trade-offs are many times involved. however; in these cases the 45 is likely cheaper (and often much, much cheaper as the best original 'mono' pressings can go for over $1000 up to $3k to $5k) and more reliable as to playability. and the 'chase' to find the right 'original pressing' takes much time and has a steep learning curve. it's easy to buy the 45's and just enjoy them.

in the case of Music Matters the 45's are consistently excellent sounding in any case. I've got them all, but have not purchased any of the MM 33's.

if you like golden era jazz music then the MM 45's are a no-brainer good value (as are the AP's too if not quite as consistently fine sounding). if you have not developed a taste for the music buy a few and try them. it's the best you will likely ever hear this great music and as time goes by the price will only increase for these.

the only good reason not to buy these is if you have a phobia against having to turn the 45 over sooner than a 33, and I know some feel that way. YMMV.

 

[garylkoh]

I had a nice chat with Ron Rambach from Music Matters, the company that reissued Blue Note albums at 45 rpm and now doing twelve titles at 33 rpm. Ron is the one responsible for the painstaking detail to the jackets and now working with Kevin Gray in remastering the new releases. He told me an interesting bit- the Blue Note master tapes are insured for one million dollars each. It's extremely unlikely future vinyl reissues after Music Matters will get to use the master tapes since EMI is archiving them to hi-res digital.

I am not surprised. The owner often insists that the re-issue producer personally pick the tape up from the vaults, hand-carry them, and return them the same way. No FedEx, no courier, not even check-in luggage. That was the way we had to bring the Cantate Domino and Jazz in the Pawnshop tapes back to Seattle from Sweden for the FIM LPs.

Winston Ma with the original Cantate Domino tapes.

 

[garylkoh]

When I last visited him, he had a stack of original Decca mastertapes...... watch out for Decca classical re-issues from FIM

 

[microstrip]

I am not surprised. The owner often insists that the re-issue producer personally pick the tape up from the vaults, hand-carry them, and return them the same way. No FedEx, no courier, not even check-in luggage. That was the way we had to bring the Cantate Domino and Jazz in the Pawnshop tapes back to Seattle from Sweden for the FIM LPs.

Winston Ma with the original Cantate Domino tapes.

View attachment 16102

I was lucky to get the K2 HD long ago. A good friend who loves the music always complained that the recording sounded much better in my system than in his, until one day he found that his version was the standard CD.

 

[garylkoh]

I was lucky to get the K2 HD long ago. A good friend who loves the music always complained that the recording sounded much better in my system than in his, until one day he found that his version was the standard CD.

Haha!! The secret weapon you have is the source!

I have every version of the LP as well, including the original pressing and the ATR. Winston's latest is the best of the lot.

 

[MylesBAstor]

To change the subject a bit - do 45 rpm albums sound that much better than 33? Are they worth the cost?

The new 33 rpms from MM will sound better than the early 45 rpm reissues.

 

[MylesBAstor]

When I last visited him, he had a stack of original Decca mastertapes...... watch out for Decca classical re-issues from FIM

That's how The Tape Project got their first two 15 ips Decca tape reissues. Maybe they can do the same thing when Winston gets the next series of Decca tapes!

 

[rockitman]

The new 33 rpms from MM will sound better than the early 45 rpm reissues.

why is that ?

 

[MylesBAstor]

why is that ?

Because Joe and Ron made several changes in the mastering chain that they feel supersedes the advantages of 45 rpm. You heard the results in the later MM 45 rpm BN releases. I'm not sure what all the changes were but one definitely was swapping cables (not sure what for AudioQuest) in the studio.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Because Joe and Ron made several changes in the mastering chain that they feel supersedes the advantages of 45 rpm. You heard the results in the later MM 45 rpm BN releases. I'm not sure what all the changes were but one definitely was swapping cables (not sure what for AudioQuest) in the studio.

i think that Music Matters has earned the benefit of the doubt (i think very highly of Joe and Ron). so when they say that they think that the 33's better their own earlier 45's we must take it at face value. OTOH since they are only doing 33's now and would like to sell them one could wonder otherwise. i don't have any of the 33's so have no experience about this. maybe someone has compared the them and can share.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Because Joe and Ron made several changes in the mastering chain that they feel supersedes the advantages of 45 rpm. You heard the results in the later MM 45 rpm BN releases. I'm not sure what all the changes were but one definitely was swapping cables (not sure what for AudioQuest) in the studio.

I have great respect for you, but really...a cable change that is evident between the 2?

 

[MylesBAstor]

I have great respect for you, but really...a cable change that is evident between the 2?

I said one of....

But yes you can hear a cable change. People such as the well respected Bob Ludwig select the cables used in their mastering chain. If cables makes a difference in your system, why shouldn't they in the studio?

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

I said one of....

But yes you can hear a cable change. People such as the well respected Bob Ludwig select the cables used in their mastering chain. If cables makes a difference in your system, why shouldn't they in the studio?

That's true enough. It just confused me as it's not a direct comparison.......you're talking 33 vs 45. I would think there are other factors, perhaps even including that cable change you suspect might be it.

 

[MylesBAstor]

i think that Music Matters has earned the benefit of the doubt (i think very highly of Joe and Ron). so when they say that they think that the 33's better their own earlier 45's we must take it at face value. OTOH since they are only doing 33's now and would like to sell them one could wonder otherwise. i don't have any of the 33's so have no experience about this. maybe someone has compared the them and can share.

Yes but MM made and told me about the changes in studio years ago. In fact, Joe bemoaned the fact then that the later releases were better than their earlier 45 rpm. So it's not new news.

I have all of the MM 45 and 33 rpm releases (don't ask me why but just did) but haven't actually compared the two speeds yet. (And I'd have to look on MM website to see which were the earliest releases and if they've been released at 33 rpm.) I will say thst the 33 rpm version of Midnight Blue is amazing sounding and really does justice to the tape. Everyone should have it, especially if you don't have the 45 rpm release. 'Course that depends on the cartridge (especially) and the rest of the front end. Records played back with the Atlas are scarily close to the sound of tape.

 

[DaveyF]

I just bought the MM33rpm of Midnight Blue. Compared to my original Deep Groove Stereo pressing, it is 'slightly'...actually very 'slightly', better in all aspects. However, my original pressing is a VG+ and so there are some passages that are a little noisy. Interestingly, I can hear the tape noise in the background on both pressings. I guess MM decided to leave that alone??
The record is still a no-brainer recommendation of the highest order.

 

[rockitman]

Yes but MM made and told me about the changes in studio years ago. In fact, Joe bemoaned the fact then that the later releases were better than their earlier 45 rpm. So it's not new news.

I have all of the MM 45 and 33 rpm releases (don't ask me why but just did) but haven't actually compared the two speeds yet. (And I'd have to look on MM website to see which were the earliest releases and if they've been released at 33 rpm.) I will say thst the 33 rpm version of Midnight Blue is amazing sounding and really does justice to the tape. Everyone should have it, especially if you don't have the 45 rpm release. 'Course that depends on the cartridge (especially) and the rest of the front end. Records played back with the Atlas are scarily close to the sound of tape.

so where is the cut off point for the better vs no so good 45's ?