CJ Shearn

Really? thought that was one of that title. The McMaster is a plain old SBM 20 bit remaster from 1998.

Which version? I have the McMaster, skipped the RVG and didn't buy the SHM b/c the McMaster sounds fine to me. Though I know the SHM is probably great, like the paltry 3 I own.

If the music is killing Scott, it doesn't matter to me either. Though there are people like that Michael Fremer guy who swears anything digital sucks, that's an attitude I can't get with.

Interesting. So when there is a digital recording that sounds "cold", i.e....... an early digital recording, or say Tony Williams "Young At Heart", the first DSD recording released, is that because it's so clear and precise?

Well, yes and no. Our ears find 2nd harmonic distortion to be rather pleasing for some reason. Adding a bit of that into the signal can create a sense of 'excitement'. It's why we still like vacuum tubes. But vinyl is an extremely limited medium, especially in the low-end. Exactly. Second order harmonic distortion is pleasing to the ear. It's an argument I've tried to make in past conversations to no avail here. And it's the main reason why I find the "high resolving" argument when it comes to tubes and LP's so odd. Not to mention the fact that some folks get a little uppity when you mention the distortion that is introduced. I personally prefer the cold, clean sound of digital. Not to mention the wider dynamic range. IIRC, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, vinyl is limited on both the lower and upper ends. I think you are right about that, Scott. Vinyl being limited up at the top and bottom. The distortion is what creates, the sense of "warmth", right? So I think when you read things at the Hoffman forums and here about people who like DCC and CD's like that being warm, they like that distortion being introduced. Interesting. Is distortion always what creates the warmth, whatever stage it is introduced? Recording, mastering or playback through a certain amp or speakers? Like, when Marantz amps are supposed to sound warmer than NAD amps, what creates that extra warmth? I find that my new Dali Ikon 5 MK2 speakers which are supposed to be very good and well integrated in the highs and mids also add a pleasing warmth to those mids when connected to my old NAD amp. More than I remember from my old Tannoy speakers which I got rid of years ago, and so have to go on memory. Not sure erwbol, but what so many people say is harmonic distortion is what adds "warmth", what are the mechanics of that? IDK

Well, yes and no. Our ears find 2nd harmonic distortion to be rather pleasing for some reason. Adding a bit of that into the signal can create a sense of 'excitement'. It's why we still like vacuum tubes. But vinyl is an extremely limited medium, especially in the low-end. Exactly. Second order harmonic distortion is pleasing to the ear. It's an argument I've tried to make in past conversations to no avail here. And it's the main reason why I find the "high resolving" argument when it comes to tubes and LP's so odd. Not to mention the fact that some folks get a little uppity when you mention the distortion that is introduced. I personally prefer the cold, clean sound of digital. Not to mention the wider dynamic range. IIRC, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, vinyl is limited on both the lower and upper ends. I think you are right about that, Scott. Vinyl being limited up at the top and bottom. The distortion is what creates, the sense of "warmth", right? So I think when you read things at the Hoffman forums and here about people who like DCC and CD's like that being warm, they like that distortion being introduced.

Thanks Jim, that's helpful.

It's been mentioned a lot here, what exactly do one of these artifacts sound like?

Great set, glad I decided not to sell mine

Great video, thanks! Billy Kyle and Sid were smoking

There's something utterly hypnotic about the Japanese free scene when I've watched videos of Keiji Haino, so fascinating.

Well, he's passed on his know how to someone, that's important. I just wonder why RVG is so secretive about his methods outside Maureen Sickler. Wonder what his insecurities are/were? And in all honesty his remasters are not the worst out there, it's not like they are early 80's Columbia CD's or Iggy Pop "Raw Power". When I heard a sample of an original RVG deep groove of "Soul Stirrin" at London Jazz Collector, it sounded so similar to one of his CD's. RVG recordings are naturally in your face. I've also learned that wav forms and dynamic range meters are not always a true way of showing compression as a lot of the SH crowd do. Perhaps not the worst out there, but, I'm sorry to say, mostly among the worst out there. You don't need graphs or waveforms. I've never heard a vintage RVG Blue Note LP, and have my doubts over such samples. But put on any Yoshida mastered XRCD24 from Audio Wave followed by the corresponding RVG CD. That will show you the discrepancy between the beauty of what Rudy originally recorded and what he put out as 24bit remastered CD. But if you compare an XRCD24 disc to it's TOCJ counterpart, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. They are nearly identical.

I almost feel, and, I really like the sound, but the HDTracks "Mosaic"to my ear hi res brings out even more of Rudy's engineering flaws like the horns really peaking in a way the CD's don't. I've heard one XRCD, I used to have Miles' "Workin" and I preferred the "Legendary Prestige Quintets" box version, the XRCD seemed a bit harsh up top for me. Was it bad? no, not at all, I just thought it was harsh. To be honest I've been not that into reissues so much like I used to be, unless it really was bad (like the RVG's of "Out To Lunch" and "Empyrean Isles") and I replaced those with the SHM's, I've been receiving so many promos new music to review, I've been more into recent recordings. Perhaps not the worst out there, but, I'm sorry to say, mostly among the worst out there. You don't need graphs or waveforms. I've never heard a vintage RVG Blue Note LP, and have my doubts over such samples. But put on any Yoshida mastered XRCD24 from Audio Wave followed by the corresponding RVG CD. That will show you the discrepancy between the beauty of what Rudy originally recorded and what he put out as 24bit remastered CD. But if you compare an XRCD24 disc to it's TOCJ counterpart, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. They are nearly identical. Very interesting. So, as an hypothetical example, theSpanish blue cover version of Horace's "Further Explorations" I have, which is just the TOCJ repackaged, if that title was on XRCD24 or planned to be, there'd be very little difference, Kevin?

I've seen a few of those XRCD's for cheap on eBay. Down the line I'd like to get one, of an album I don't own in another form, but I'm focusing on moving soon. I liked the way the HDTracks version of Art Blakey's "Mosaic" sounds a lot, the drums really pop.

I'd agree with that, such a nefarious practice.

The thing is when you search OJC's that are now OOP, on eBay with retailers like, oddbanana, moviemars, who "claim" to have certain titles, and also claim brand new, I guess it's up to us to find out if the CD is a silver factory disc or CDR

I understand skeith, no big deal

Me too!

I agree with you Lon, the sound is excellent throughout. In my podcast with the estate I was assured that Cuscuna and Berkowicz listen to multiple sources of the same tapes and choose the best sounding sources.

Nice to hear that the Three For Shepp I also bought is better than the domestic version. That one is long OOP and I could not find a copy for a reasonable price. Three For Shepp is a 20bit K2. Some of the Coltrane 20bit K2s also sound a bit better or no worse than the 90s Labson 20bit US/EU digipaks (At The Village Vanguard Again), but not by a huge margin imo. The last of US/EU digipaks from 2000 (Interstellar Space, Kulu Se Mama, New Thing At Newport, Ascension), however, are by Kevin Reeves and were much better than their predecessors. Indeed the Japanese budget 20bit K2 of Kulu Se Mama from four years ago is not as good as the domestic digipak from 2000. Likewise, I expect the New Thing At Newport from this new budget batch to sound worse than the 2000 domestic digipak. Ascension could be a later Japanese remaster, and thus the exception among the remasters that predate the 2011 SHM editions. I have an edition from 2005 which I slightly prefer to the 2000 digipak. I have the 2000 Reeves digipack, and that has a pressing error I guess. it won't rip "Edition I" or play the very end correctly, years ago originally I exchanged the first copy thinking it was defective but, same thing occurred. Really? I used to own a EU pressing of Ascension and later replaced that scratched disc with a US CD, and both played fine until the end. The Originals is also by Reeves and sounds the same except for the extra treble, compression, harshness, and loudness. I prefer to listen to UCCI-9124 from 2005 (Japan). I don't know if this budget release copies that mastering. It plays fine in my PS3, but ripping the track (I play most of my CD's as ripped WAV's off my laptop) the last 30 or so seconds a bunch of digital clicking, very strange.

Nice to hear that the Three For Shepp I also bought is better than the domestic version. That one is long OOP and I could not find a copy for a reasonable price. Three For Shepp is a 20bit K2. Some of the Coltrane 20bit K2s also sound a bit better or no worse than the 90s Labson 20bit US/EU digipaks (At The Village Vanguard Again), but not by a huge margin imo. The last of US/EU digipaks from 2000 (Interstellar Space, Kulu Se Mama, New Thing At Newport, Ascension), however, are by Kevin Reeves and were much better than their predecessors. Indeed the Japanese budget 20bit K2 of Kulu Se Mama from four years ago is not as good as the domestic digipak from 2000. Likewise, I expect the New Thing At Newport from this new budget batch to sound worse than the 2000 domestic digipak. Ascension could be a later Japanese remaster, and thus the exception among the remasters that predate the 2011 SHM editions. I have an edition from 2005 which I slightly prefer to the 2000 digipak. I have the 2000 Reeves digipack, and that has a pressing error I guess. it won't rip "Edition I" or play the very end correctly, years ago originally I exchanged the first copy thinking it was defective but, same thing occurred.

Right, it's a shame that the addiction really destroyed his voice too.

Really sad news. That family is wrecked by so much tragedy, Bobby Brown has never been able to get it together. Drug abuse is one of the worst things in this world.

Watching on Netflix, will finish the rest later, beautiful film. Clark Terry has always been a hero of mine, what a life he led!

I just wonder why RVG is so secretive about his methods outside Maureen Sickler. Wonder what his insecurities are/were? And in all honesty his remasters are not the worst out there, it's not like they are early 80's Columbia CD's or Iggy Pop "Raw Power". When I heard a sample of an original RVG deep groove of "Soul Stirrin" at London Jazz Collector, it sounded so similar to one of his CD's. RVG recordings are naturally in your face. I've also learned that wav forms and dynamic range meters are not always a true way of showing compression as a lot of the SH crowd do.