Living Stereo SACD Releases

Fatparrot...Sorry to tell you, but compression and peak limiting can and was implemented with tube equipment. It is almost manditory when cutting an LP. You are right that early multitrack mixing was not the greatest idea, but it made the recording session a lot easier for the technicians and musicians. "Get it down on tape, several times, and we'll fix it later". The multitrack approach is much better when implemrented with modern digital recording tracks, where timing is exact and proper phase relationships can be maintained.

Unfortunately not all the master tapes "stand the test of time"...in some cases they have turned to dust and 7.5ips copies of the original 30ips masters, made several decades ago, were used to make the SACDs.

I repeat, these are interesting discs, but don't expect an audiophile's dream.

Eldartford, Eddaytona was liking the RCA Living Stereo Reissues. All we are saying is he would have appreciated the Mercury Living Presence even more. Frankly, I haven't listened to any MLP SACD that I didn't like, both in sound and performance. They make the RCA's sound almost "less smooth".

Were not some of these Mercury recordings done originally on 35mm. film stock so there was no compression..Tom

Or was it was Everest? I know I have some of these LP's around here that were recorded on film...They had the most glorious and extended highs..Tom

Tom, they were recorded using 35mm film stock. There's some interesting articles on the MLP website. I think they (the engineers) used Wilma Cozart-Fine's Ampex equipment to remaster the SACD's.
It's all there on the website.
..and yes, the highs are very extended but not edgy. The dynamic swings are also incredible.