Entertainment For Lively Minds
John Mellencamp's new CD - re-igniting the analog vs digital debate?
Here's an interesting conundrum via the wonderful NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129303836
John Mellencamp has recorded his new album live with ONE MICROPHONE, and in places like SUN STUDIOS. Searching for the motherlode of recording heaven.
While I have never had any particular interest in him I have to say that even through my Mac compressed audio I can hear a listenable sound - the vocals are clear and the reverb on everything else sounds pleasing - ie a bit more open and natural than you usually hear from current studio recordings.
The silly thing is most of his audience will listen to this immaculately recorded material through crappy digital media.
I have to say I am impressed that he seriously did it the "old way" - ie using one microphone, and it sounds really good.
But then I'm just an old poof.
Anyone else?
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Presumably
no autotune then??!
Listening in analog
With Amazon selling the vinyl at £32.99 I'm not surprised.
For what it's worth
that's about double the cost of the new pressings on 180 gramme vinyl of
Art Pepper meets the rhythm section
Chet Baker sings
and West Coast Jazz
while the double LP Koln Concert goes for about 26.
I'd actually be interested to know what folk here pay for their vinyl habits---
Since getting partner's Sansui turntable going again I have sprung for
record cleaner fluid £10 (AT, last bottle lasted about 20 yrs so seems OK ..)
new AT95 cartridge (£30 odd, previous one was 20 years old and stylus well used), will be moved to Systemdek when we get that serviced.
Mint, sealed, copy of Don Juan's reckless daughter (£28)
VGC copy of Paul Simon's "There Goes ...", looks to me to be 70s era copy, nice thick card, old-style (?) orange CBS label (fiver in Oxfam).
but have passed on obviously marked/scratched Court & Spark at a tenner, and Yes (1st album) at £20, both in Oxfam. I knew it would be a slippery slope ;-)
Having narrowly resisted lure of that Art Pepper LP
was amused to read this on back of a recent CD purchase of "meets the rhythm section" bundled with 3 more albums:
"[meets] is a stereo recording, the original of which suffers from a serious out-of-phase problem. This remastered version has compensated for this as much as possible, creating a more natural sound"
Definitely a bargain at £5 or so on Amazon for all 4 albums:
http://www.avidgroup.co.uk/acatalog/AVID_Jazz.html
and for a reimagining:
Yes
Oxfam's prices are ridiculous. Try your local second hand shop or eBay instead.
More facetiously
I am finding doing most of my listening with analogue ears, and my data storage with digital media (Spotify's cloud), is working remarkably well with these 4 toys in the chain:
IBM X31
DAC magic
Arcam A18 [bottom]
& Mission 770s [why are they facing a firing squad ?]
Seems the trick is to use ultra modern DAC, "old" laptop, "old-style but new" amp, and retro antique speakers ;-). The sound waves get nicely aged as they pass down the chain ...not to mention my marinated brain cells ...