The Beatles remastered on vinyl. Yes or no?

[Clarkey_71]

So the recent CD box set has now found its way on to the hallowed black stuff.

I should be jumping for joy, I really should. But I'm not.

It seems it's not a true analogue release but a digital to analogue release.

It might be me, but that just doesn't feel right to me.

Apparently, EMI couldn't get agreement from the (fab) four estates with regards to analogue releases. Those pesky multi millionaires.....

Are these going to sound any better than my 80's and 90's reissues?

Do I have to accept that digital is finally going to take over my listening World? (A bit dramatic I know!)

Here are a couple of links with extra information.

http://www.whatrecords.co.uk/live/landing/landing344.asp

http://www.analogplanet.com/content/beatles-vinyl-remastered-finally-coming-shipping-mid-november

 

[MajorFubar]

I don't think an analogue-sourced set was ever on the cards. From what I've read in various places, several of the tapes had to be digitally repaired in places due to deterioration over time. Vinyl cuts from the original tapes would therefore potentially sound worse than the repaired digital releases.

Though the implication of that is that the new vinyl pressings will be a compromise: not truly analogue like the original LPs (which I expect will continue to bring a premium price) nor as good as the 192/24 digital masters they are being cut from, which is surely what many people would like to get their mits on.

 

[MajorFubar]

Just looked at the pre-order price on Amazon: £445.40! :O

The chances of me being able to sneak that 'little' purchase past SWMBO is next to nil.

 

[MajorFubar]

...and six days later it's down to £299. It's also now appeared in the Beatles' website store, also at £299.
I hope anyone who pre-ordered last week it on Amazon for knocking-on-the-door-of £450 get charged the new price.

 

[DandyCobalt]

...and six days later it's down to £299. It's also now appeared in the Beatles' website store, also at £299. I hope anyone who pre-ordered last week it on Amazon for knocking-on-the-door-of £450 get charged the new price.

Amazon have some sort of guarantee about pre-order pricing . I've been eventually charged less than the pre-order price for quite a few things, and Amazon even send an email to point out the difference. So should be ok.

I've pre-ordered/reserved mine through https://diversevinyl.com/ (they go out to the shows and local places like Audio T - next one will be Tonbridge Audiojumble http://www.audiojumble.co.uk/ this Sunday 7th October...so they can have my business).

 

[MajorFubar]

Ah that's good to know.

So you bit the bullet then? I'm still umm'ing and ah'ing about it. Half of me says go do it, other half of me says what on earth is the point of buying vinyl pressings of digital masters.

 

[DandyCobalt]

I reckon this purchase will be justified under the label "Heirloom" - it's not for me darling, it's for our children, our grandchildren...

Far more likely that vinyl will still be around when CDs and downloads/ipods have been consigned to the "where are they now?" file.

("Wifi Streaming granddad? Your generation used to put up with broken up signal/buffering? Put that great Beatles vinyl back on... this spaceship has ionic dilithium stabiliser thrusters...better support than the floor of the what hifi testing room

)

 

[Clarkey_71]

Half of me says go do it, other half of me says what on earth is the point of buying vinyl pressings of digital masters.

My point exactly.

I am tempted, but...............

 

[DandyCobalt]

Half of me says go do it, other half of me says what on earth is the point of buying vinyl pressings of digital masters.

My point exactly.

I am tempted, but...............

Is this the best they will ever be? In which case, no choice but to go for it. All in one place (including Magical Mystery Tour)... >)

 

[MajorFubar]

Well theoretically the best they'll ever be as new purchases would be downloads of the digital masters which these LPs are being cut from. And there's the rub. If the hires digital files ever become available, those are what I'd really want, because obviously the LPs can't ever be as good as the masters used to cut them.

 

[Alantiggger]

Please excuse my ignorance... but do you not like the Beatles (in whatever format) that you have now ...2012 ?

 

[moriarty]

... but 2013 will see the release of the MONO remasters on vinyl! Think I'm going to wait.

 

[MajorFubar]

Please excuse my ignorance... but do you not like the Beatles (in whatever format) that you have now ...2012 ?

I do, but it interests me when they become available in a fresh format which offers to give me better SQ than I already have. Ideally I'd go and hunt down some EX+/M- early pressings on vinyl, but collectors have ensured that such examples are priced way above what I could ever afford.

It's all about clever marketing. The Apple USB stick they launched in 2010 could so easily have contained FLACs of the full-res digital masters, which I understand from reading the engineers' interviews are 32 bit 192kHz. But no, they gave us downsampled 24/44 FLACs instead, with the spare space (or some of it) padded with some lousy MP3s. But they knew that if they offered us the best they had, there was nothing left to give. Like for a start, who would want these vinyl transfers if the full-res digital masters had already been made available.

 

[Alantiggger]

Ahh, makes sense, save well and buy when you can then I guess

 

[Clarkey_71]

So what's the general consensus?

Suck the lemon and put a few on my Christmas list or stick with what I know?

It's a tough one.

 

[MajorFubar]

What have you already got?

As I said in the other thread, anything post-87 is probably from a digital master to start with, and I'm prepared to bet that these new LPs will sound better than any Beatles reissue since then.

If you've got the MFSL collection or some really good early pressings, I wouldn't waste your time on this new batch. But for people like me who can't afford the £1,000+ price the MFSL collection often brings, these are probably as close as I'll ever get, unless one day they offer us the 24bit 192kHz digital masters.

 

[DandyCobalt]

Three days to go !!!!

 

[DandyCobalt]

Got the email that I should receive it tomorrow. Getting almost excited

 

[micks_address]

be very interested to hear what you think of the set, i', dropping some serious hints for this for christmas, but maybe i should be just asking for the post 68 individual releases from this set and getting the mono set next spring? has the mono set been confirmed? Is there really 'that' much of a difference between the mono and stereo recordings?

Cheers,
Mick

 

[DandyCobalt]

Got back from work today and there it was, waiting for me...an extremely tatty amazon outer box - big but torn at the corners. Worried? Of course.

But I shouldn't have been - inside was its own "outer" box, then inside that was the real thing. Here's a few pics of the unveiling.

Only managed to listen to one side so far - Sgt Pepper Side 1. I'm not a Beatles version expert, the last vinyl versions that I listened to were over 30 years ago, and they were pretty worn. But comparing this one side with other vinyl, and my Beatles CDs, the instruments all seem to be very distinguishable and the bass lines are very defined - a really enjoyable listen so far. Seemed a pity to open the plastic on the first record, but hey ho!

 

[MajorFubar]

I'm not finding it online now, but I read a very interesting review last night where someone blind-tested the new remasters with both the 1979 box set and the 1982 half-speed MFSL pressings. The results were mixed, overall as a package iirc the new remasters came out top, but it wasn't consistent album by album.

I wonder what the side-effects are of half-speed cutting, and why isn't it used as a matter of course when cutting so-called definitive audiophile pressings such as these? I understand that at least they were DMM.

 

[micks_address]

Hi guys,

Could someone post links to the individual releases on amazon? I want to buy the individial releases that arent included in the 'mono' set. I'm not sure if a mono set has been confirmed for vinyl yet, but i dont have the money for the full stereo set at the moment, so would like to pick up the post 68 releases now, and then maybe get the mono set if its released or if it isnt pick up the remaining stereo albums down the line.

Am i right in thinking i'm after

Abbey Road
Let It Be
Yellow Submarine

Cheers,
Mick

 

[MajorFubar]

Hi Mick, you may want to add "Past Masters" too. The stereo "Past Masters" and the mono "Mono Masters" (which I'm assuming will be in the 2013 mono vinyl box set) are different. Sadly I can't link to Amazon for you, it's a blocked site on my current work server. Also have you tried The Beatles own website? You can buy direct from there as well.

 

[micks_address]

Thanks, we are blocked here at work also its such a pain! Actually its only half blocked.. we can get to amazon but can see any pictures which makes it a little trickier!

Cheers,
Mick

 

[matthewpiano]

Just playing the new LP of 'Abbey Road'. Sounds superb. Quite a warm sounding pressing but really brings the music into the room - better overall than the CD of the remaster. Only got this one so far. Can't afford the box set at present so will be collecting them one by one.