Maybe instead of using the current you, let's use the future me as reference . If one had to make a collection of around a 100 favorite classical pieces - including the usual symphonies - Beethoven, Mahler, pieces from Wagner, Bach, vivaldi, etc...some violin concertos...and arias and operatic pieces...is there a good collection available?
My main volumes will come from digital, so long term I will have to choose vinyl or tape only for some of my favorites.
At this point, I think it is wishful thinking with a big dose of hope. Most of the sources (that is Ed Pong and Bob Attiyeh) are doing their own recordings - so they can't afford to do large scale pieces, the ones you are most interested in having. Tape Project, aside from two early Decca albums which they got with their relationship with Winston Ma, have only released Reference Recordings classical issues, which themselves are quite limited in number, especially ones recorded in analogue. The best realistic current hope is Horch House, which has been able to get licenses for some major works (I have Mahler's 1st, and the very fine Herman Prey Mozart Arias albums licensed from Eterna and the Steinberg Also Sprach from DGG). Their earlier symphonic releases (which I also have) were with a lesser regional German orchestra where the licensing was easier, but the playing not as compelling.
Anyway, unless Sony (RCA, Columbia) or Universal (Decca, Philips, DGG, Mercury) or Warner (EMI) open their tape vaults to an interested company with enough capital (hopefully Chad), I don't see enough of a flood of classical orchestral tapes being available. We have to remember that all the big companies stopped doing analogue recording 30+ years ago. If Chad were able to make available tape copies of the RCA Living Stereo albums he has and is planning on releasing, that certainly would go a long way toward the collection you are talking about.
With my new ATR-102 arriving shortly, I am going to experiment with recording some of the stereo DSD files from downloads I have (particularly the 256DSD) to see what they sound like on tape. Not sure why they would sound better than the original files, but the experiment will be easy enough to do.
Mike, what a fantastic evening that was. I almost couldn't leave. Your room is to die for - with the system doing the thing that only the best systems can do. That is to get away from being between you and the music, and being a conduit for the music to flow.
Mike, what a fantastic evening that was. I almost couldn't leave. Your room is to die for - with the system doing the thing that only the best systems can do. That is to get away from being between you and the music, and being a conduit for the music to flow.
I'm glad you could make it, and thank you for bringing that tape. 1/2", 30ips, real deal master.......by Bernie Grundman played on the A-820/King Cello.......is hard to beat. how many have heard that sort of thing?
I appreciate that comment about my system coming from you, as you certainly get around to hear many aspiring systems. getting the reproduction process out of the way of the music completely has been my guiding thought these many years (it's in the header paragraph I wrote 12 years ago for my Audiogon system page).
last night the star of the show was collective enjoyment of the great music. the sound or gear was beside the point.
The music night at Mike's was wonderful, informative and special. When I had the good fortune to sit in the captain's chair the imaging experienced was holographic. I have had glimpses into the evolution of Mike's system and listening room courtesy of our local Pacific Northwest Audio Society. Early on the balances were rough, but every audition has shown improvement. Now there is little to fault. Just need to be in that sweet spot, but that is the way of it with most great music reproducers. Very quiet backgrounds. Great dynamic leap and nuance. Hearing the tapes is exceptional as most folks wouldn't have access to them. Thank you, Mike and Pam.
. If one had to make a collection of around a 100 favorite classical pieces - including the usual symphonies - Beethoven, Mahler, pieces from Wagner, Bach, vivaldi, etc...some violin concertos...and arias and operatic pieces...is there a good collection available?
