Special edition CDs and Vinyl releases - how much is too much?
Posted by: Timjoebill on 20 July 2017
With Mobile Fidelity releasing The Nightfly next week with a price tag to put many into a cold sweat (£146), I wonder if there's a point when the asking price becomes too absurd. A rare, collectible album may warrant a steep price due to its cachet, but new remastered releases?
I am a sucker for these types of new products, so will be grabbing my hand away from the order button when it's on sale next week. But I bet at some point I'll find a good reason to justify splashing out on the new version and convincing myself I did the right thing ;-)
However you reason it out, it is too much to pay...
I'd have a look at discogs. Plenty of original NM LPs as well as NM 2010 and 2012 180-gram vinyl re-releases available in the $15-$30 range. Then if you're still inclined to pay £146 for the new MoFi release I'd say you have your answer.
Most of MoFi releases appear to be sourced from digital re-masters. This is not bad in itself.
But I would also search Discogs for the original NM version. That's how I source and fill gaps in my older recordinga - simply hunting down NM versions of original LPs.
Adam Zielinski posted:Most of MoFi releases appear to be sourced from digital re-masters. This is not bad in itself.
Surely, in the case of The Nightfly, a digital source is unavoidable?
Richard Dane posted:Adam Zielinski posted:Most of MoFi releases appear to be sourced from digital re-masters. This is not bad in itself.
Surely, in the case of The Nightfly, a digital source is unavoidable?
Donald Fagen 'The Nightfly' ? That's a 1982 issue, so I assumed it was still recorded in an analogue domain. Could have been wrong though...
As per Wiki:-
The Nightfly is one of the earliest examples of fully digital recording in popular music. Katz and Fagen had previously experimented with digital recording for Gaucho, which ended up entirely analog.
The UK price for the MoFi is unfortunately much higher than the US price ($99). However, these "UltraDisc One Step 45RPM " remasterings are special. I have the Santana and Bill Evans and they are the most remarkable LPs, in terms of pure sonics, that I have ever heard. The lacquer made from the master tape becomes the stamper, eliminating some intermediate stages in pressing. "Sunday at the Village Vanguard" was always a great album, but the piano sounds a bit murky on all other versions. The MoFi is like a time machine, taking you back to 1961. Spooky.
The Nightfly is a marvellous album. I've got it and love it. For £146 I can get at least ten new albums, and I'll still love my CD rip of The Nightfly. There is a fine line between music lover and obsessive geekery, and this release probably crosses it.
I'll play my original LP I bought at Amoeba SH, a few clicks I'll clean it again
Their Satanic Majesties Request 50th Anniversary Edition
OK, so heretically this is my favourite Stones album and this is remastered by Bob Ludwig, so probably as good as those Stoned hippies are going to sound outside the original pressing (which I have), but apparently you can only buy the thing as a double vinyl SACD release - mono and stereo versions with not a single out-take or even We Love You/Dandelion for £62.
Maybe a Hi-Res download will appear eventually, but this can take a hike.
Possibly the ultimate too much must be the Devialet lacquers, I was told they are £6300 and you can only play them once.
Timjoebill posted:With Mobile Fidelity releasing The Nightfly next week with a price tag to put many into a cold sweat (£146), I wonder if there's a point when the asking price becomes too absurd. A rare, collectible album may warrant a steep price due to its cachet, but new remastered releases?
I am a sucker for these types of new products, so will be grabbing my hand away from the order button when it's on sale next week. But I bet at some point I'll find a good reason to justify splashing out on the new version and convincing myself I did the right thing ;-)
yes, too expensive....mobile fidelity releases on 45pm are fabulous sounding but the price is ridiculous.
Richard Dane posted:Adam Zielinski posted:Most of MoFi releases appear to be sourced from digital re-masters. This is not bad in itself.
Surely, in the case of The Nightfly, a digital source is unavoidable?
mobile fidelity uses only transfer from master tapes, if the original recording is analog. Nightfly was analog.
AndyP19 posted:As per Wiki:-
The Nightfly is one of the earliest examples of fully digital recording in popular music. Katz and Fagen had previously experimented with digital recording for Gaucho, which ended up entirely analog.
i think you are right, i was persuaded before that it was an original analog recording. I have a 1982 copy on lp, the sound is so "analog like".