First LP - sound quality on early pressings

[velvetfan]

[/quote]


I look forward to anyone who can make an original stereo rip available.[/quote]

I have a copy of the Japanese Mono 1st LP replica that has never been played. If someone knows the source, and it is worth the trouble, I would be willing to send it for conversion.
Verve V-5008, 1997

Side 1: V6-5008A
Side 2: V6-5008B

Japanese replica of original US mono pressing with blue/silver T Verve label, in a gatefold sleeve, with banana sticker, and without Emerson.
come to think of it I also have the 3rd lp and it's never seen a needle either. I'd be willing to submit both.
MGM SE-4617, 1997

Side 1: SE4617A
Side 2: SE4617B

Japanese replica of the original US pressing with Lou Reed's closet mix. Blue/gold MGM label which even mislists What Goes On as 3:35 as on original US copies...

[schnittstelle]

That looks very promising and thank you very much for your offer velvetfan.
I'll try to find out more about the matrix numbers.

Anyone in here who has the gear & knowledge of doing the transfer?

[lurid]

I listened to "Run Run Run" on my mono "1st pressing/east coast variation" and it sounded great. But I listened to the same song on the mono "deluxe edition" CD and it sounded even better. The bass is especially different - on the CD version it is much more prominent. It seems to be more "buried" on the vinyl.
That set me thinking: Side 1 of the LP is over 25 mins long. I think it is more difficult to get high levels of bass when so many extra grooves have to be cut in the same width of vinyl. So it could be that the CD version is actually closer to the sound on the master tape than the vinyl. (This problem would not of course not apply to either the cassette or 8 track versions!)

Is there anyone on this forum who has a first pressing (or even a test pressing/DJ promo) of the banana album? If so, do you have any views on what the sound is like compared to the currently available CD versions?

I've developed the possibly misguided notion that an East coast, blue/silver label V6-5008 is, in theory, as close to the original master tape as you can get. The master has almost certainly degraded in the past 40-odd years, so by the time it was pulled out for the current CDs it potentially wasn't in as good shape as it was when it was used, new and fresh, to cut the virgin run of LPs in 1967.

I could be entirely wrong about this, but just wondered if anyone with an original LP (espcially a stereo one) had compared it to the CD versions and could say whether this theory stands up?

[gibson343]

My first copy of the Banana disc, with Eric et al, had a massive rumbling bass. I didn't notice
this until I bought a replacement copy when my first copy wore out. I bought the replacement copy
in 1970 and found Run Run Run to be thin sounding.
Now if someone out there has a turntable that plays 16rpm and vinyl copies of the VU's
Banana and third lps, could you record Black Angel's Death Song, European Son
and I'm Set Free at 16 rpm onto a digital format and upload it somewhere for me.
My turntable plays only 33 and 45 rpm and I miss hearing those songs at that speed.
As for that matter Lou's Rock and Roll Animal version of White Light White Heat
at 16 rpm will let you know what that special place in hell reserved for Adolf, Joseph,
Heinrich and the rest of that crew, sounds like. So an up of that would be fine.



[I listened to "Run Run Run" on my mono "1st pressing/east coast variation" and it sounded great. But I listened to the same song on the mono "deluxe edition" CD and it sounded even better. The bass is especially different - on the CD version it is much more prominent. It seems to be more "buried" on the vinyl.
That set me thinking: Side 1 of the LP is over 25 mins long. I think it is more difficult to get high levels of bass when so many extra grooves have to be cut in the same width of vinyl. So it could be that the CD version is actually closer to the sound on the master tape than the vinyl. (This problem would not of course not apply to either the cassette or 8 track versions!)]

[

[lurid]

I saw your previous comment to that effect and that's why I listened specifically to "Run Run Run".

All I can say is that my "1st pressing east coast variation" doesn't have the same massive bass as the mono "deluxe edition" CD version. My LP sounds just as thin as you describe, but it's an "Emerson" with the big black sticker on the back.

My first copy of the Banana disc, with Eric et al, had a massive rumbling bass. I didn't notice
this until I bought a replacement copy when my first copy wore out. I bought the replacement copy
in 1970 and found Run Run Run to be thin sounding.
[

[iaredatsun]

My first copy of the Banana disc, with Eric et al, had a massive rumbling bass. I didn't notice
this until I bought a replacement copy when my first copy wore out. I bought the replacement copy
in 1970 and found Run Run Run to be thin sounding.
Now if someone out there has a turntable that plays 16rpm and vinyl copies of the VU's
Banana and third lps, could you record Black Angel's Death Song, European Son
and I'm Set Free at 16 rpm onto a digital format and upload it somewhere for me.
My turntable plays only 33 and 45 rpm and I miss hearing those songs at that speed.
As for that matter Lou's Rock and Roll Animal version of White Light White Heat
at 16 rpm will let you know what that special place in hell reserved for Adolf, Joseph,
Heinrich and the rest of that crew, sounds like. So an up of that would be fine.


[

The deluxe CD has those Run Run Run rumblings. The first time I ever heard them was on the CD.

As for 16rpm versions. Can anyone make a 16rpm mp3 player or an iTunes 16rpm plug-in button? But seriously, I wonder would a half-speed mp3 work?

I think that multispeed CD players should be standard.

[PlanckEra]

The problem with multi-speed CD players is you can't really "stretch out" digital sound like you can with analog sound. There are programs which attempt to do this, but if you stretch it (or shrink it) too far it starts to sound jittery and weird. I'm pretty sure slowing 33 1/3 rpm down to the equivalent of 16 rpm would cause this. A fun thing to do with digital audio, however, is to change the tempo without changing the pitch, or vice versa! This can also only be done to a point before it starts sounding strange.

~Adam

[DavidH]

I slowed down Metal Machine Music to the equivalent of 'half speed', and it sounded quite good - the source was WAVs from a rip of the CD, and the output was also WAVs which went onto a CD. I think I used Nero sound editor, but most sound editors should have that capability.

[iaredatsun]

The problem with multi-speed CD players is you can't really "stretch out" digital sound like you can with analog sound. There are programs which attempt to do this, but if you stretch it (or shrink it) too far it starts to sound jittery and weird. I'm pretty sure slowing 33 1/3 rpm down to the equivalent of 16 rpm would cause this. A fun thing to do with digital audio, however, is to change the tempo without changing the pitch, or vice versa! This can also only be done to a point before it starts sounding strange.

~Adam

I slowed down Black Angel, European Son and I'm Set Free as gibson343 suggested. Soundbooth can do a half speed copy with and without pitch change. I did both. Somehow the one without pitch compensation sounded better. This may be because I'm expecting it to sound lower and/or with the pitch adjustment is slightly unnatural. Although very good quality compared to what Peak could have done, the conversion is a little harsh and I'd prefer to hear it done directly from vinyl. Anyway I listened on the way to the supermarket and felt like I was walking through jelly. I'm planning to do my whole CD collection.