Master
tapes, real and imagined
February
16, 2021
Marc,
I've
been listening to my Miles Davis second-quintet MoFi and Esoteric SACDs in order to figure
out if I need any of them on MoFi 45rpm LPs once they are repressed -- before they become
discontinued. However, I do not have any copies of ESP. I noticed the MoFi copy
is the only one that does not state "Original Master Recording" on the top. And
yet the Impex LP describes it as mastered from the original master tapes. Strange, but I
suppose not uncommon.
What
do you think? How good is the recording and which version should I get if it's worth it?
Jeff
Levine
I
completely understand your wanting the best copy of any Miles Davis LP, but the question
underlying your main question is one that baffles many people, even ones with ample inside
info. That is, when is the tape used to reissue an album the master tape? I'm
afraid there's no definitive answer. Some reissue labels, principally Music Matters and
Mobile Fidelity, indicate when they definitely are using the master tape, not a backup or
safety copy. Music Matters has included photos of the tapes used, and, as you indicate,
Mobile Fidelity changes the wording of their identifying ribbon from "Original Master
Recording" to "Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab" when they did not use the master
tape. Most labels do not make this distinction, even when it's nearly impossible for them
to have used the actual master tape (I doubt that in the past the actual master tapes of
iconic recordings were routinely sent to Asia or Europe, for instance). Still, so many
reissues sound very good, even better than original pressings, and the reason is the
remastering itself. This is done for modern equipment and ears, not tailored to make
records sound more lively on lower-fi vintage systems. Ultimately, the only way to know
you have the best-sounding copy is to hear them all for yourself, although Mobile
Fidelity's One-Step releases, as well as any from Music Matters, sure seem to be
universally the best-sounding copies to my ears. -Marc Mickelson
"Please
add me"
February
1, 2021
Marc,
Please
add me to the list.
George
Radulesk
You
have been added. To join TAB's e-mail list and find out about new articles first,
send e-mail to rl@theaudiobeat.com.
-Marc Mickelson
