[jaghouse]

I got the RVG remastered Birth of the Cool from Best Buy for $10. Sounds pretty good for a 1949 recording.
Does anyone have other RVG remasters, Japanese 20+ bit remasters or XRCDs? Red Trumpet has a crap load of these.
Just wondering if they were worth the high prices.

 

[SEK]

There has been lots of discussions about U.S. and Japanese RVGs on the Blue Note bulletin board:

http://www.bluenote.com/bulletinboar...Ultimatebb.cgi

Opinions are divided. What is generally agreed upon is that the recording levels on the RVGs are significantly higher than previous CD versions (remastered usually by Ron McMaster) - some may be too high, according to some reports.

My experience is mixed. And I have too many McMastered recordings to replace, even if my experience with the RVGs was uniformly positive.

My two most recent RVG purchases were of recordings that I had previous CD versions of. I bought the Japanese RVG version of Jackie McLean's "Demon's Dance ". Japanese RVGs come in cardboard sleeves that duplicate, in miniature, the original record jackets. Pretty nostalgic, but I prefer jewel boxes, because sliding a CD in and out of those sleeves inevitably scratches it. Compared to the McMastered version, the Japanese RVG is significantly louder (so I equalized the volume when I made other comparisons), but the separation is reduced. Trumpet and saxophone come more from the middle, rather than from different speakers, as on the McMastered version and my recollection of the original LP. The piano is a bit clearer on the Japanese RVG. I'm keeping the McMastered "Demon's Dance" and someone's got a holiday gift.

I am keeping the American RVG reissue of Wayne Shorter's "Speak No Evil", however. The separation is not as compressed as the Japanese "Demon's Dance" RVG, relative to the McMastered and LP versions. Also the overall sound is a little bit clearer, and there's an extra track.

In my opinion, one should not assume that the new RVGs are better. It varies by the recording and personal preference. Rudy Van Gelder is a terrific engineer, but not always as skilled in remixing.

Also differences are sometimes reported between RVGs from Japan and the United States. However, those reported differences have not been consistent either.

 

[BenG]

I have many US RVGs and I believe they are good for the money and are of generally excellent music(how did Blue Note put out so many good records?)

But...as SEK pointed out, alot, if not all of them, were re-mixed to sound nearly mono(original Blue Note albums of the 50s and 60s had a wide stereo spread). Also, the transfers don't have alot of depth to them. If you compare them to the original Lps or some of the Blue Note MoFi releases you'll hear what I mean. The original recordings were and still are excellent sounding though.

But, I still think there is alot of good music to be found on the RVGs, and the price is good. Birth of the Cool is an essential album, and the RVG was transfered from the original tapes for the first time on CD.

Earlier Mc Master CDs are sonically bad in their own right too - a little flat sounding w/ little low bass.

XRCDs are probably some of the best sounding CD re-issues around. I have a few and they are all top notch transfers. If you like Birth of the Cool, then you should get either Miles Davis - Cookin', Workin', or Relaxin'(all from the same session and recorded by Rudy Van Gelder). You can also get two of them as domestic K2s for half the price of XRCDs and they should sound nearly as good(XRCDs use the K2 mastering process). I have the K2 of Cookin' and it sounds pretty damn good.

The new Japan Verve & Impulse CDs are supposed to be much better than the previous US releases, and most of the music is pretty essential for jazz collections. Trouble is they're also pretty expensive. (I already have too many of the US versions)

The Blue Note BBs are a good place to investigate further.

 

[jaghouse]

Thanks for the info.
BenG, where can you get domestic KR2s?

 

[BenG]

You should be able to find "K2s" at any major online retailer like Amazon or directly from Fantasy Jazz.(I really meant K2s when I said KR2s

)

Fantasy jazz has put out some its greatest recordings using the K2 mastering process(same as used on the XRCDs) from the Riverside, Prestige, and Pablo labels. Some titles are called "Prestige 50th Anniversary Special Commemorative Editions" released in 1999.

All of theses releases are limited to something like 10,000 pressings so get them while you can, especially the first rounds of K2 releases and the 50th Anniversary ones.

Here's the fantasy records site, just scroll down to where it says "20-bit mastered Cds" and click on the links.

 

[BenG]

You can also get those Miles CDs as DCC Gold Discs for about the price of the XRCDs. I haven't heard the DCC versions but they should sound really good too. I have some other DCC CDs that sound great - Steven Hoffman who does the mastering has quite a reputation. Audio Asylum or the Blue Note BBs are where you could get some opinions on the DCC vs. XRCD vs. K2.