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Classic records reissue - very disappointing

I have finally decided that Classic records reissue vinyl has a lot to be desired. The last copies I bought were horrible. The vinyl is not very well pressed and the sound is strident and irritating.

I put the Chesky version of the Reiner Sound and then the Classic reissue. There is no contest. It sounds like the Chesky was mastered with tubes and the Classic with solid state electronics. The Chesky is also pressed much better than the Classic. The mids sound very "not natural" on the Classic, almost overemphasized and pinched in the mids. The Chesky sounds natural with lots of air. The Chesky just sounds more right to me. I have found this to be the case with many of the Classic reissues and I am just using this one as an example.

Does anybody press vinyl the way they used to?

I am finding myself gravatating to CD more these days.

The only vinyl that sounds the way I like it is the older records. The problem with this is that the condition of many of these are not very good.

If the investment is being made to reissue music on vinyl, can't they do it with so it sounds like the old vinyl?

I am not sold on the thick vinyl either. I have heard lighter weight vinyl that knocks the socks off of the 200 grams.

Maybe I am not cleaning my new vinyl properly. Is there a coating of some kind on the new vinyl? If so, how do I get it off?

The real kicker is the price we pay for these audiophile reissues. It is ridiculous. I keep hoping for that old magic and I am constantly disappointed.

I also have a reiisued Art Pepper on Analogue and the original on Contemporary. Again , no contest, the Contemporary blows it away in every way.
tzh21y
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
Talent, and production values have dropped.
The skilled record pressers are all retired. The new guys have no one to learn from. The machines are all old, No one is building a new Lp pressing plant! Not any new machines. The vinyl is probably harder to get as they would want it. And the folks who KNEW what it should be are gone too.
Then the pressure to produce is higher. I am certain all the crappy stuff with fingerprints, warps, the push to make more, faster, instead of better is all there is. then who cares about a quality product.
Not the minimum wages workers. And probably not even the managers. What counts is the bottom line.
How much product made in how long a time.
When was the last time you heard of a job where they were looking for someone who is going to make certain the product is made right, even if it takes a little longer?
Nowhere in any area of work except perhaps top tier luxury goods. And Lps are not that sort of product. (As much as one would wish they were treated like one)
The last big company was Saturn, and they dropped that idea.. then went belly up.
rshak
309 posts
 
Elizabeth wrote:

"The machines are all old, No one is building a new Lp pressing plant! Not any new machines. The vinyl is probably harder to get as they would want it. And the folks who KNEW what it should be are gone too."

Acoustic Sounds made this announcement last week:

http://qualityrecordpressings.com/

Their reissues are pricey but generally excellent in quality - - as evidenced by their recently completed traversal of 50 Blue Note reissues, their on-going reissue of 25 Impulse! titles, and many others.

As for folks who knew (know) about mastering, Steve Hoffman, Kevin Gray, Stan Ricker and a few others are still at it. Let's hope they take on some bright, young understudies/apprentices to keep the flame glowing!
rshak
309 posts
 
The link I posted should be:

http://qualityrecordpressings.com/

Sorry for the error.
tzh21y OP
1,377 posts
 
I really hope they can start to make records sound like they used to. No digital processing. If I wanted that I would buy the CD.

I was going to invest in a new table, Why bother? For what, this garbage? I can try to convince myself as much as I want that this new stuff is going to get better. I am starting to give up hope. I will continue to buy the older stuff. Once in a while, I get a good one.

The Lyrita's have a nice sound and you can still get them. I just wish they offered more than just English artists. They did a good job and their vinyl is consistently good quality.

I just cannot figure out how some of those Classic reissues made it to TAS list. They are not what I expected for the price tag. They sound very digital in many respects. They never answer their emails either. I just cannot figure out that they had or have access to those historical moments, completely blow it and then are rewarded by TAS. Maybe my ears are deceiving me but I don't think so.

So far the only Classic that sounds decent is the Carmen, Faust RCA Living Stereo Reissue. I bought it because I cannot get the original, just like the others I bought for the same reason.
learsfool
1,206 posts
 
The Classic reissues I have heard of orchestral music all sounded terrible, FWIW. And unfortunately, I agree 100% with Elizabeth when she says "The skilled record pressers are all retired. The new guys have no one to learn from." One can also substitute "recording engineers" for "record pressers". It is truly shocking to realize how little training modern recording engineers have.
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