I think recording fits here to some extent, especially with the emphasis on bit rate and recording quality by UE and Capitol for their new monitor. There's exceptions to every rule along with weakest link philosophy but master tapes sent overseas were dubs (of dubs), often played on different decks.
And also analog. I do also have to emphasize that the game has changed since most of the world has gone digital. I am not only complaining about pressings that are from 45-years ago, but also the mysterious decision to take these dubs of dubs and subject them to further processing such as the addition of reverb and delay. They did sound kind of cool (but not clean nor accurate) in my car stereo in the 70s, but I did prefer the German and British pressings - which were not a Capitol product.
What I do remember is that RCA and Capitol pressings at the time would have horrible surface noise - a low frequency whoosh - and I could see the subsonic distortion in my woofers, sucking out the power from my Japanese receiver with wood-grained panels. Other offenders were Atlantic and Atco and all the companies that contracted out to them. I didn't seem to get that from Polygram or Warner pressings. Granted I'm also talking about mainstream releases that were $5-$8. I remember using cartridges by Shure, Grado, and Grace - so my equipment was also mainstream. I also used that clamp device that attempted to remove warps from pressings. However, most of my RCA Dynagroove pressings seemed to warp no matter what I did. RCA offended worse than Capitol. The German and British pressings always sounded better and had less surface noise.
I'm sure Capitol studios is very different from the way it was back then. Most of the recordings I'm talking about were made on 4-16 track analog tape. At the time, it was only major studios where someone could get this professional sound. Now the game has changed, and for less than it cost me to buy my playback equipment back then, these days almost anyone has access to equipment that is capable to producing sound that is better than what was possible back then.
However, talent and know-how are still a very valuable commodity that no technology can make up for. . .Autotune (arg) included.
What I should realize is that so-called tainted opinion of Capital is 45-years out of date and I should get over it. All the reasons why I disliked Capital are gone. But that red label with Capital at the bottom or the black label with the rainbow perimeter brings back memories of recordings that could be bested by imports. . .even collecting music has changed.
Damn, I'm old!
