Vinyl [unscrupulously] cut from CD masters

Golucid

Golucid

Taking a break
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For newer vinyl pressings, how does one do the research before buying vinyl to determine if the vinyl is cut from a CD master versus the high-resolution master?
 
I wish there was full disclosure on master recordings and master transfers also.
 
Steve said:
I wish there was full disclosure on master recordings and master transfers also.
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+1.

Since the vast majority of new recordings are digital, we can assume new vinyl pressings are cut from the digital masters. Blasphemy! :)
 
Steve said:
I wish there was full disclosure on master recordings and master transfers also.
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From another forum a few moments ago, I was given a tip:

"Read reviews when available because sometimes the label lists this info as part of the promo effort. However reviews are not always consistent.Also, to check Discogs because they often list a lot of information, though not always what one is looking for."
 
Buy music that you know was originally mastered and recorded on tape....older stuff. No guarantee, but if you buy from known reissue labels, they will be true analog the majority of the time. You can usually tell digital to vinyl from analog to vinyl..the digital being dry, strident with a collapsed sound stage....one exception Brothers In Arms...Dire Straits.
 
The worst example was The Great Gatsby Soundtrack comes to mind. It's terrible.
 
rockitman said:
Buy music that you know was originally mastered and recorded on tape....older stuff. No guarantee, but if you buy from known reissue labels, they will be true analog the majority of the time. You can usually tell digital to vinyl from analog to vinyl..the digital being dry, strident with a collapsed sound stage....one exception Brothers In Arms...Dire Straits.
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In other words, you can't tell at all, since Brothers In Arms's digital recording system is substantially worse than pretty much any in use today.
 
Golucid said:
For newer vinyl pressings, how does one do the research before buying vinyl to determine if the vinyl is cut from a CD master versus the high-resolution master?
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There have been numerous threads on here I thought where we discussed this issue. You can trust QRP and a few others. Look for words on the reissue that says something to the effect of "cut directly from the original master tapes" vice "sourced from the original master tapes" as they sometimes use weasel words to try and trick you. If they don't tell you loud and proud in the description of the LP that it was cut directly from the original master tapes, there is a reason why.
 
rbbert said:
In other words, you can't tell at all, since Brothers In Arms's digital recording system is substantially worse than pretty much any in use today.
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Not true. It just so happens some LPs cut from digital files sound pretty damn good (Live at the Cellar Door is a recent example though the original source was analog tape). Listen to Donald Fagen The Nightfly and you can tell it's a digital LP.
 
Milsap195 said:
The Rolling Stones DSD vinyl is very nice.
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Which version is that? I have a Stones collection that was cut from digital and it sounds OK (kinda-sorta), but they don't sound like analog.
 
The 2003 vinyl remasters that came out after the sacds. Are they perfect no but they are pretty good. I also like the 1986 reissues from Sticky Fingers up to Some Girls which are nice and smooth. That is just my opinion.
 
I’ve been asking this question too, just for curiosity as I can't really afford new records.

For what I listen to mostly in this medium, I feel it’s better to stick with original pressings or original first reissues from back in the day for now, at least as far as I'm concerned.
I'd love to learn more about this, specifically what reissue labels are generally consistently good for future reference if nothing else.
 
Mike said:
+1.

Since the vast majority of new recordings are digital, we can assume new vinyl pressings are cut from the digital masters. Blasphemy! :)
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Will I forever be held in purgatory for saying, I appreciate both platforms? :doubtful: :olga: :hide:
 
mep said:
Not true. It just so happens some LPs cut from digital files sound pretty damn good (Live at the Cellar Door is a recent example though the original source was analog tape). Listen to Donald Fagen The Nightfly and you can tell it's a digital LP.
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My post was more a point of logic than anything else; if the OP is looking for a way to identify LP's cut from CD masters, then the suggested discrimination characteristics aren't very useful if an LP cut from an old, very "digital" CD master lacks those characteristics. So on to more constructive suggestions.
 
For new release music I buy music that I like.
If there is a choice of pressings in the US or Europe I will buy based on a combination of where the artist and record label is from and what pressing plant might be involved. Generally the Euro pressings are better than the US plants.


For reissues, you need to be a bit more careful. Generally original pressings will sound better if they are available. Popping into music forums like Steve Hoffman generally will give you an idea of the sound quality of re-issues with quite a few people giving their opinions.
 
Mike said:
+1.

Since the vast majority of new recordings are digital, we can assume new vinyl pressings are cut from the digital masters. Blasphemy! :)
Click to expand...

The one thing about that is when working with the master file, it often sounds better than a CD might, simply because its in a robust format and these days often at a higher scan frequency or word length as well. I much prefer to get the analog tape when doing LP mastering, but they are few and far between.
 
As a general rule most albums after the advent of CD (1982) were recorded and mastered digitally (although not exclusively true, as a general rule, that is a safe assumption), so for "modern day" albums, the trick will be to make sure they cut and mastered the vinyl from the hi-res digital master files. You don't want an LP cut from a red book digital file. And as has been said earlier in the thread, for pre-1982 albums, then look at a lot of the reissue labels (APO/QRP, Music Matters, Mobile Fidelity, ORG, Speakers Corner,...) and make sure it says "cut from Original Master Tapes," or obviously, buy used records from that era that will have been recorded and mastered in analog.

In terms of pressing plants, in the US QRP and RTI and in Europe Pallas typically have high quality pressings.
 
David- what I do is read the online articles published by mix magazine or similar publication , read about the engineers involved with the recording, and read music reviews.

Lots of research that points to facts. There are no hard and fast rules, i.e. "After the CD was born.." Or the idea that digital has never touched any part of the art of music in the last 40 years.

Then in the end, the LP could be sourced from 24bit / 48Khz master that's been dithered and truncated into a 16bit/44Khz... and it still enjoyable. Vinyl has a euphonic sound. Coming from Generation Y, I also find the ritual of putting on a record a unqiue thing. In the end it is a preference. That is unless someone can come up with a study and a report that has facts that it is unscrupulous to transfer CD to Vinyl.
 
I think there can be a big difference between the OP title and what some labels are doing today. For example, Paul Stubblebine has been cutting recent releases for Reference Recordings from the original digital masters that Keith Johnson recorded at 176/24. No subterfuge. I've been quite happy with the results. comparing with the digital originals.

Larry
 
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