Opus, Premonition, and now Groovenote on Reel

[Fast/Forward]

I came across this on another forum.

Groove Note Records is proud to announce its first series of audiophile true studio
master quality reel to reel releases. The first three titles will be launched during the
forthcoming June 2013 THE Show at Newport Beach.

The titles are:
1. Jacintha - Here's To Ben (GRV1001)
2. Roy Gaines - I Got The T-Bone Walker Blues (GRV1002)
3. Anthony Wilson - Jack of Hearts (GRV1046)

All the Groove Note releases will be true 2nd generation masters and will sound as
close to original master reference quality as possible. The original analogue masters
(1/4 or 1/2 inch 30 ips) will be replayed off the highly modified and rebuilt Studer A80
in the Bernie Grundman mastering room via the Grundman EQ board direct to ATR102
reproduction machines (rebuilt and customised onboard electronics) running in slave at
1/4 inch 15 ips.

The mastering and EQ of all the reel to reel titles will be done by Bernie Grundman. All
tapes will include reproductions of the original cover art and a 1K alignment tone.

The SRP of each set of tapes is $600.

So who's next? Could Mobile Fidelity get into this as well? I'm going to keep my fingers
crossed despite the fact that it will make the opening of my wallet difficult!

 

[Ki Choi]

Thanks and wow... As soon as I get over the stick shock...

I can't believe how music reproduced via Tape is expanding. Yes, we live in a good time and life is indeed good.

Did you read if the tapes will be in IEC EQ?

Ki

 

[mep]

That is cool, but paying $600 for an album isn't cool. How many albums can you afford to buy at $600 each? The raw tape is around $100. Do you really need to pay $500 for labor and royalty fees? And this is why I laugh when people complain about paying $20 for a digital hirez download.

 

[Bruce B]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm..... not a 1:1 transfer..

Remastered by Grundman.... No telling what you might get??

 

[andromedaaudio]

Why was minidisk abandonded anyway , lets say 1000 slave machines running from a mastertapemachine
At 20 $ per minidisk and you got tape quality in small format ???
Am i missing something here

 

[Fast/Forward]

Thanks and wow... As soon as I get over the stick shock...

I can't believe how music reproduced via Tape is expanding. Yes, we live in a good time and life is indeed good.

Did you read if the tapes will be in IEC EQ?

Ki

I was unable to access the Groove Note website for more info.
"You don't have permission to access / on this server."

 

[Ki Choi]

I have five titles of Ed and Tony's tapes in NAB EQ because they were originally recorded in NAB EQ but know Bruce, TP, and others like IEC EQ at 15ips.

After considering many tape head preamp designs and implementation of EQs, I came to conclusion - IEC EQ @15ips makes more sense because it applies less EQ to the original signal especially for record side with no EQ in LF.

 

[groovenoter]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm..... not a 1:1 transfer..

Remastered by Grundman.... No telling what you might get??

I'm not sure what you mean. First, they're not being remastered. Bernie
mastered this tape for me back in 1998. It's always been his EQ.

Secondly, these copies are being replicated direct off the original masters.
They still need to be EQ-ed but buyers will be getting a true 2nd generation copy.
In fact, I'm very nervous about making such a high resolution copy available.

You may disagree (obviously you do) but I believe Bernie Grundman is one
of the top mastering engineers working today and the Groove Note label has built
a reputation for excellent sounding albums and Bernie mastered almost all our titles.

Perhaps you're one of those audio purists who thinks that no master tape ever needs EQ.

 

[groovenoter]

I was unable to access the Groove Note website for more info.
"You don't have permission to access / on this server."

These titles will be offered through our US distributor The Elusive Disc. Please check their website
for more details.

The Groove Note Records web site is scheduled to reopen later this year.

 

[Bruce B]

I'm not sure what you mean. First, they're not being remastered. Bernie
mastered this tape for me back in 1998. It's always been his EQ.Perhaps you're one of those audio purists who thinks that no master tape ever needs EQ.

"All the Groove Note releases will be true 2nd generation masters and will sound as
close to original master reference quality as possible. The original analogue masters
(1/4 or 1/2 inch 30 ips) will be replayed off the highly modified and rebuilt Studer A80
in the Bernie Grundman mastering room via the Grundman EQ board direct to ATR102
reproduction machines (rebuilt and customised onboard electronics) running in slave at
1/4 inch 15 ips.

The mastering and EQ of all the reel to reel titles will be done by Bernie Grundman. All
tapes will include reproductions of the original cover art and a 1K alignment tone."


That in bold, says REMASTER..... I don't care how you spin it.

And yes, every tape I transfer is 1:1 directly from Studer -> Studer. No Ampex coloration or "special EQ" You'd really be amazed at what you could do.

Remember.... Bernie Grundman mastering says if you transfer a file from one hard drive to another you loose reverb and spaciousness..... !!

 

[tony ky ma]

Hobby vs Commercial

We are one of the non-pro group to produce 15ips tapes, we started recording before Tape Project appear in the market, at the beginning we only wanted to keep something from our concert and found there are still have a long way to do the best for Hi Fi, we began in side by side analog and digital recording, maybe equipment's quality level difference ( but paid money are not too big different), since that we nonstop to upgrade system and performers also instruments till we can compare to commercial quality then started to make master duds. but we don't have a idea to make money on this hobby because $210/reel is far far away to the cost of the processing the blank tape is RMG SM900 top of the line, 1 to 1 dud, charge of the performers etc. our target is to share what we did the best in hi fi repro to others who has same hobby and make friends, thanks to the internet that we can share to the whole world otherwise we can only in local , it is also nice to see more and more commercial to join in $600/reel is a reasonable price for commercial people can have a choice.
we like all kind of feed back
tony ma from ultraanaloguerecordings

 

[groovenoter]

Hi Bruce,

We must have a different approach to mastering. My original masters (great as they are) all
need EQ and I think my co-producer Joe Harley and recording engineer Mike Ross would be the
first to agree with me.

Additionally, I've been reissuing back catalogue titles since I co-founded Classic with Hobson back
in 1993. With very very rare exceptions, almost every master I've worked on with Bernie needed
some kind of EQ including dozens of the great LSCs, LSPs, Decca/Londons, Columbia and Epic jazz,
EMI ASDs, Capitol, Blue Note, Warner, Chess etc.

I wouldn't dream of making flat 1 to 1 transfers of those masters and offering them for sale. I
just find it ironic that this suggestion comes from a mastering engineer. If you're down at THE
Show in Newport Beach in June Philip/On A Higher Note will be playing these in his room. Please
do swing by and give them a listen. You might be pleasantly surprised.

"Remember.... Bernie Grundman mastering says if you transfer a file from one hard drive to another you loose reverb and spaciousness..... !!"
I don't think they're talking about analogue tape here.

Thanks.

 

[Bruce B]

I'm not sure what you mean. First, they're not being remastered.

We must have a different approach to mastering. My original masters (great as they are) all
need EQ and I think my co-producer Joe Harley and recording engineer Mike Ross would be theThanks.

If you need to EQ.... then you're REMASTERING my friend...... simple as that!

What you don't realize is if you must make a simple gain change, then it's a "remaster". Once you print with EQ or whatever, you can't go back. That's why we do a 1:1 dub and work from that. THEN, once you know what settings to use, THEN you can play from the original master. Why take the chance of ruining an original master trying to decide on what EQ, COMP or favorite box to use.

I started doing this in '83 when the CD first came out. "IF" you're in Newport, come listen to OUR tapes. Our tapes are played by Nick Doshi, Greg Beron, Jonathan Tinn, Jonathan Valin and Joe Skubinski.

We have mastered tapes for HDtracks, Peter McGrath, Dave Wilson, FIM and every other label you already mentioned. I've also been called to testify as an expert witness in regards to tapes and their production, so don't try to "sharp shoot" me.

BTW... an ATR-102 is great for recording pop/rock.... not so much jazz/classical

Great 1st, 2nd and 3rd post BTW...... what an introduction!

 

[Peter Breuninger]

If it's OK to ask, who is groovenoter in real life? I didn't know Mike Hobson had a partner

 

[puroagave]

If it's OK to ask, who is groovenoter in real life? I didn't know Mike Hobson had a partner

Ying Tan. Welcome to WBF

 

[Bruce B]

Ying Tan. Welcome to WBF

Oh... a Producer.... that explains it.

Ying Tan

 

[groovenoter]

Hi Peter,

It's really not a big secret. I founded Classic together with Hobson in late 1993 and left
the company in 1996.

I started up Groove Note in 1997 and our first release was Jacintha Here's To Ben (1998).

Ying Tan, Groove Note Records

 

[groovenoter]

Hi Rob and thank you!

 

[groovenoter]

Hi Bruce,

I look forward to visiting your rooms at Newport 2013 and listening to your tapes!

 

[c1ferrari]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm..... not a 1:1 transfer..

Remastered by Grundman.... No telling what you might get??

Bruce,

Upon perusing this thread, I sought clarity -- no, not Korg ;-) -- with respect to this post and post #1.
Informative replies, indeed.

Much obliged.