Should this jazz fan go analogue...?

[pedalhead]

Hi all.

As a jazz fan who is currently digital-only, the thought of hearing my favourite albums in pure analogue appeals to me hugely. So naturally I've been researching and learning lots about turntables both vintage and modern.

Somewhat stupidly, the bit I hadn't yet considered was the source material - the records themselves. I already have a really nice digital headphone setup (~80% of my listening is on headphones), and I'd hate to buy a nice turntable only to find that many or most of the LPs I want to hear are sourced from a digital master. My (admittedly uneducated in the ways of vinyl) concern is that I'd most likely just end up with an inferior version of my digital source in terms of noise & resolution.

Is this a valid concern, or are most jazz LPs out there likely to be mastered from the original analogue? I'm mostly talking about post/hard/bop etc including the likes of Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Coltrane, Bill Evans, Ornette Coleman, RRK and indeed some more modern stuff from Dave Holland, Keith Jarrett etc.

Any thoughts appreciated!

Cheers. Mark.

[struth]

I buy a lot of 180gm jazz reissues and try to get analogue remastering like when it came out. they are available and the good ones are very good indeed. Sinatra, Basie, Armstrong and Ellington are all done well. sometimes you get lesser digital ones but even those can sound damn good with the right equipment. lots of good original vinyl out there too...have a look on discogs etc...beware it is an expensive, slippery slope:doh:

[pedalhead]

Excellent, thanks Grant. This sounds promising, if a little expensive. Do you find that labels are generally up front about the source for the pressing or does it take some digging (as is often the way with new hi-res digital releases)?

[twotone]

Excellent, thanks Grant. This sounds promising, if a little expensive. Do you find that labels are generally up front about the source for the pressing or does it take some digging (as is often the way with new hi-res digital releases)?

As Grant said Mark go to Discogs and research there, I buy all of the Jazz artists that you list and most of my records are second and third pressings from when they were released, I mean an original mono KOB or Blue Train will set you back about a grand but you can buy decent pressings for about £20-ish.

I rarely buy new vinyl though unless it's from the original mastertape, no point buying a digital re-master for something that really needs to be heard as it was recorded in vinyl's heyday there are some very good recent Blunote re-issues though, Pinkfish Media has a load of guys who are very very knowledgable with a lot of these artists and you can search through the threads to find out some decent advice regarding pressings and so forth.

However as Grant also pointed out it is a very slippery financial slope.

Tony

[Gordon Steadman]

My digitally remastered vinyl copy of Time Out sounds much better than the CD I have!!! I have no idea why but then the CDs I have ripped from vinyl sound better than the CD version too.

I reckon I would try and get someone to let you listen before you start investing loads on specialist vinyl.

[pedalhead]

Thanks chaps, much appreciated. I've only had brief pokes around Discogs in the past but it's clearly a hugely detailed resource. For example, 52 versions :stalks: of one of my favourites, Ellington & Coltrane (http://www.discogs.com/Duke-Ellington-John-Coltrane-Duke-Ellington-John-Coltrane/master/32305). I presume it's a case of going through the various versions in the hope of finding some reference to what you're after...? Eg, analogue master, or mono, or remastered etc etc.?

[twotone]

The recent 75th anni Bluenote re-issue of Blue Train is very very good Mark as is the recent 2014 US RSD re-issue of KOB (mono) both can be bought for about £20 each.

Personally, regarding certain issues on Discogs, I tend to stick to records releases/re-issues from the sixties and seventies, the Japan re-issues are often very good from those periods.

[Clive]

Original mono jazz lps are mostly sublime. Whether they suit headphone listening is another question but noise is much reduced when using a mono cartridge. My 50s and 60s jazz lps are my favourite and most musically satisfying albums.

[Macca]

You will have to spend serious money on a turntable and cartridge plus a proper record cleaning machine as well. Otherwise you will just find yourself going back to digital. I'd really question if it is actually worth it - I understand the idea of wanting to listen in 'all analogue' but really this is a bit of a fetishistic thing rather than it actually sounding any better. Not that I'm knocking fetishism....;)

[daytona600]

AAA 100% Pure Analogue jazz labels Analogue Productions , ORG , Speakers Corner . Music Matters , Pure Pleasure

[Haselsh1]

As Martin and others have already stated, this is a difficult situation because to equal what you are already getting you are going to have to invest a significant amount of money. Even buying everything secondhand it is going to cost an awful lot of money. If you have a want or a need then it is justified. Beware though, it is highly addictive :)

[Listener666]

As a seasoned jazzer I really like vinyl. I changed tact a while back........after years of buying downloads from Emusic I now only buy vinyl and use tidal (subscription) for everything else. CDs......mmmmmeeerrrr.....ditched them quite a few years back whenI realised a good adc gets a better copy from vinyl than the cd version. I have to rip them sometimes of course as not all is available on vinyl.....or far to expensive..For some reason I dont like classical on vinyl.....not sure why...
A lot of ecm stuff is available sh on vinyl...but as said prev...some of the old blue note and prestige recordings are big money...same as the brit jazz stuff..from the 60s and 70, s...and some of the recordings are crap.....but great music,

[Jimification]

So....did you go analogue?

[Mika K]

Indeed would be nice to know the outcome.. :)

[Light Dependant Resistor]

About 18 years ago, I was fortunate to hear comparison of
a three Blind mice LP and the same material on CD. Replay
system included ESL63's The CD was unanimously agreed as better
in two areas no surface noise, and bass reproduction. Other than those
two areas improving, reproduction was agreed to be otherwise the same.

Over many years I have perfected my digital replay system, a large
part of which is using companding and dither and a LDR preamp. At the same time
I have not given up on LP. But CD happens to be very capable indeed
more so than LP, if companding, accurate clocking and using dither are all addressed.
There is a lot to do in digital, and just accepting a CD player to provide
everything - just does not happen. There are better CD players, and
many DIY methods to improve their replay.

Your interest in Jazz is very much what I enjoy as well, and ECM made
the right decision to future proof their catalogue by moving to CD
and making recordings in Digital only formats.

To move back to analogue and have to buy LP's and somehow
sidestep many recordings now that are not available and likely never will be
in LP, is a backwards mission. Perfect your CD replay would be my advice.

If you cannot, then certainly get the most from LP that you can.
As a suggestion, the best of both formats might be the right direction to take.

Cheers / Chris