ADVISE TO GET AN OUTSTANDING SOUND QUALITY VINYL

[flavio81]

A series of records I have been using for years to test the sound on a new arm or cartidge, are the EMI issues under the Studio 2 logo. These are mainly "middle of the road" instrumental and band issues, but the early ones, produced in 1967 or1968 were produced to a vert high standard on full 180 gram discs. The early ones can usually be identified by a Large Red 2 in a box on the front cover. They also did a range of samplers to highlight the then new quality stereo recordings, some being later re-issued on cheaper (music for pleasure) labels, but the originals which can usually be found in charity shops for pennies are definately worth a listen, although some of the music might not be to your taste. I have collected many of them over the years. Artists are often Manuel,Wout Steenhuis, Frank Pourcel, Ron Goodwin etc. The quality of the recordings and pressings are second to none.
 

Alan, thank you very much!! I didn't know about that special EMI label.

Studio 2 stereo catalog here:
http://bongolia.org/music/emi_studio_2.txt

I am including a picture of the "Studio 2" logo to confirm (and so everybody can identify them if they're lucky):

[allanvinylman]

Hi Flavio

I just counted , I have 27 of the full albums and 6 of the special samplers. The one in the photo is the second sampler (STWO 2). Some good tracks on there. My favourite is the first Sampler (STWO 1) which has a called Breakthrogh and has a photo of Concorde in a wind tunnel.(Green Background). It was later rereleased on MFP label, but thinner vinyl. The design of the logo on the front changed a couple of times. The logo on the samplers (as per your Photo) is the second type. The first type is larger up to about TWO177. The logo became smaller on the third type around TWO300.

I thought I was the only one collecting these albums. Obviously not!

Allan

[Basite]

All night long and all day long from Kenny Burrell sounds magnificent. it's on the Prestige label...

ECM instantly came to mind too, no specific album, but well, pretty much every record I own that is from the ECM label sounds great.

I also have a Japanese blue note pressing from Kenny burrell's "Midnight Blue", which is noticeably quieter than it's american counterpart, and the new repressing of the same album...

I have some other GREAT recordings, but I'll have to look through them...

Keep them spinning,
Bert.

[Ulf]

Of course a lot will depend on your taste, but as a lover of mainly modern jazz, I really rate the sound of ECM lps, a German label. They have started issuing some new releases on vinyl recently after a 19 year gap of just cds, and there are a thousand vinyl titles out there to pick up second hand. These tend to have well spaced soundstages and are a match for most overpriced audiophile lps, although the music will be modern and cool. This great capturing is often down to the engineer jan Erik Kongshaug who runs the Rainbow studio in Norway. Many of the ECM artists made their way there over the years for his immaculate recordings. Also German MPS lp's are great sounding often, and they are a much broader range of jazz styles. As a rule of thumb, american issues of 1950's and 1960's lps on Mercury, Verve, Roulette are brighter sounding, and the Uk pressings of them are on quieter vinyl. When it comes to Blue Notes, US pressings are the best and the 80's DMM reissues can sound great if you have an adjustable curve phono stage like the graham slee jazz club amp and that beauty Daiwok recently mentioned here from AMR was it?. As another very broad rule of thumb, the majority of 1980's US jazz reissues are a bit thin sounding, and from the 90's on, people like alto analogue, speakers corner, Analogue Productions,  Classic Records and some of the pure pleasure issues are a treat. I am currently writing a book on the sound of records, so any attributable contributions are welcome!.

I agree, I like the ECM productions a lot and when finding out about Oscar Petersons recordings on MPS I´ve bought all I could find, fantastic music and great recordings, recommended.

...Ulf

[Ulf]

Throughout the vinyl era up to about 1981 you could buy English and Dutch pressings of nearly all Philips issues, and there is nothing between the sound quality in my experience after hearing probably thousands of both as a classical dealer. A very attractive and unimposing neutrality to the recording, where some of the sought after early deccas have too wide a soundstage, the Philips tend towards a natural acoustic sound - my exact preference. Interestingly I think they may be the first european company to offer stereo lps in a general issue for the 1956 Mozart jubilee. These have the greatest premium of european stereo that I have sold, several can be sold for healthy four figure sums in pounds.
Incidentally with regard to a previous post, the ECM lp's up until 1991 were pressed by the Deutsche grammofon factory. I nearly fell off my chair when I read that first as DG's sound mainly dull to me, and ECM are consistently fantastic. it has to be about the sound engineering at source.

I agree with you once again, I have bought many very cheap 2:nd hand classical Philips records and I like their sound very much, very consistently good sounding. A safe buy in my mind.

...Ulf

[Ulf]

I have a few lp´s of the Naim label. I´m sure you all know about Naim and their good audio-reputation and I can recommend their music label. One of my absolute favorites is the jazz bass player Charlie Haden and he has made some great recordings on the Naim label. All I can say is, if you like a piano/bass jazz-constellation, YOU MUST HEAR THIS: None but the lonely heart - Charlie Haden & Chris Anderson. Fantastic music and on the first tune, the night we called it a day, haden playes the most beautiful bass solo I ever heard, and Chris Andersons piano is very very good. This is a desert island vinyl in my mind!

...Ulf

[Kent T]

For cheap demo records, I also like the UK Pye 4D releases and love UK Decca Phase 4. I second the EMI Studio 2 series for excellent sonics. US listeners should avoid the US London Phase 4 line and get Deccas. The US issues are very boosted on low and high end. Unlistenable. A note about US Philips issues, most were pressed by Mercury in their Richmond, Indiana plant or by Columbia Records in their plants. As a result, they're a bit noisy.

[worcestermark]

I know for certain that Phase 4 are very heavily engineered (master tapes subjected to studio trickery) for their sound, and I suspect the EMI studio 2 series are EMI's reply to what Decca were doing. The sound of many of these two labels releases is often pleasant, but rarely natural sounding to my ears. They may well  have been aiming at making a fuller sound for mediocre equipment of the era such as music centres and mass market separates, I would speculate. Of course the majority of the material issued is easy listening and popular classics, again aimed at the mature end of the mass market.

[flavio81]

I know for certain that Phase 4 are very heavily engineered (master tapes subjected to studio trickery) for their sound, and I suspect the EMI studio 2 series are EMI's reply to what Decca were doing. The sound of many of these two labels releases is often pleasant, but rarely natural sounding to my ears. They may well  have been aiming at making a fuller sound for mediocre equipment of the era such as music centres and mass market separates, I would speculate. Of course the majority of the material issued is easy listening and popular classics, again aimed at the mature end of the mass market.

I agree. "Phase 4" was an experiment on using a lot of microphones to a 19-channel (or even more) mixing desk. The sound is powerful but not pleasant.

The good thing is that Phase 4 records are very well mastered and excellently pressed, IMHO.

[GP49]

The good thing is that Phase 4 records are very well mastered and excellently pressed, IMHO.

That may be true for you in South America, but not for many in the USA, where most London Phase 4 for USA distribution were pressed.  For the most part they sounded awful.

The "poster child" for this phenomenon is a Werner Muller Phase 4 album, probably the worst sounding, screechiest thing I have in the collection.  It's also loaded with overload distortion and is difficult to track.  Surprisingly the Shure V15 Type IV failed miserably on it. The Stanton 881 and even the Decca do better.  What's worse, I have THREE copies; two of them were sent to me by London after I wrote them and complained.  They are no better.

[flavio81]

That may be true for you in South America, but not for many in the USA, where most London Phase 4 for USA distribution were pressed.  For the most part they sounded awful.

The "poster child" for this phenomenon is a Werner Muller Phase 4 album, probably the worst sounding, screechiest thing I have in the collection.  It's also loaded with overload distortion and is difficult to track.  Surprisingly the Shure V15 Type IV failed miserably on it. The Stanton 881 and even the Decca do better.  What's worse, I have THREE copies; two of them were sent to me by London after I wrote them and complained.  They are no better.

Very interesting, i thought all London Phase 4 records were pressed in the UK. At least the ones i have look like pressed in the UK (the matrix markings are identical to typical Deccas of the eras). Yes, some of them are loud cuts (Beethoven 9th by Stokowski, for example), but i could track them with the V15-IV with no problem.

You did well in complaining with Decca!! Did they answer back?

[GP49]

You did well in complaining with Decca!! Did they answer back?

See the prior post:

"...two of them were sent to me by London (Decca in the USA) after I wrote them and complained (I complained twice).  They are no better."

[Kent T]

Yes, many London Phase 4 titles are UK pressed but with the mastering intended for US listeners (the bad sounding ones with screechy treble and bloated bass). Some were USA Decca made as well. The UK PFS Phase 4 titles were better sounding and mastered.

[txdomer]

I can't speak from personal experience, but isn't the soundtrack from "Casino Royale" (the 60's spoof, not the recent version) supposed to be the be-all-end-all of detail and dynamic range on vinyl?  That's a lot of Burt Bacharach, and maybe that's not your cup of tea, but Dusty Springfield's sultry singing on "The Look of Love" is probably worth the price alone.

[daiwok]

I can't speak from personal experience, but isn't the soundtrack from "Casino Royale" (the 60's spoof, not the recent version) supposed to be the be-all-end-all of detail and dynamic range on vinyl?  That's a lot of Burt Bacharach, and maybe that's not your cup of tea, but Dusty Springfield's sultry singing on "The Look of Love" is probably worth the price alone.

IMHO the recording is not the easiest get the best reproduction from "The Look of Love" you do need a seriously good setup to pick all those micro dynamics and detail. In an average system it can well say average while some audiophile recordings sound great in most systems - this record is not one of them! However if you have a nicely tuned refine system, you can achieve something rather special. I have the re-issue stand alone "The Look of Love" and the Casino Royale as well. It was a reference record for a while in trying to milk out as much as that song as possible as she also shifts around while singing.

Time to get it out again