Direct to CD?

Posted by: Chayro on 09 April 2006

Reference Recordings has put out two "Direct to CD" recordings of Dick Hyman on the Bosendorfer Reproducing Piano, which records the artist as they play and then plays it back "perfectly" according to the artists themselves.

In any case, these two CDs, one of Ellington and one Fats Waller, are cut directly to the glass master as the Bosendorfer is playing, and is not cut from some previously-stored digital source. According to RR, these are supposed to have an unprecidented purity, as a generation of digital transfer is eliminated. The cost is approximately $30 USD, as opposed to the same release done Reference's conventional way, which costs about $15 USD

Dick is a great player and the music is really worthwhile, so, sonics aside, there is a lot of meat here, if you go for solo piano of course. Sonically, I have not compared them to the conventional versions, but, as with all Reference Recordings, the quality is superb.

Just mentioning this for those of you who may be interested in such things. BTW, I believe you may be able to purchase the Fats Waller recording on Vinyl if you look around. Cheers.
Posted on: 10 April 2006 by Richard AV
Good call. Any idea where one might be able to purchase a copy from within the UK?
Posted on: 10 April 2006 by NM99
I'm with Richard....where can we a get a copy in the UK ?
Posted on: 11 April 2006 by Chayro
No idea. I would search for any dealer carrying Reference Recordings. I got mine at Music Direct

Just FYI, in case you didn't know, Prof. Johnson of RR is also the head of Spectral Audio and the inventor of HDCD. I was at my dealer, buying some Naim of course, and we listened to the recording on a full-blown Spectral rig to hear it as Johnson envisioned it to be heard. Pretty damn good.
Posted on: 11 April 2006 by Cosmoliu
Because I like to support RR directly, I have always ordered direct from their web site. However, I don't know if they ship overseas. Worth dropping them an email, I would think.

Norman
Posted on: 11 April 2006 by Analogue
Try
www.vivante.co.uk
I have found them to be a good source for both cd and vinyl.
Chris N
Posted on: 13 April 2006 by gjw111s
I have several jap LP's from the 70's which were direct cut, the clarity and sound is just unbeatable. I would be very interested in CD cut the sam way, the LP's were around £20 each in 1977 as they were jap imports.

So $30 is a steal, how many recordings are being offered this way.

Gerald
Posted on: 13 April 2006 by Chayro
Only the 2, so far as I know. BTW, the direct versions are numbered and limited, so if you need to have it, consider moving sooner than later. Funny, the Ellington is HDCD and the Fats Waller isn't. I wonder why.