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Beating the RVG Horse

I wanted to throw yet another question out there related to the Rudy Van Gelder re-masters.

If you read any of the previous threads on this topic you might recall that I'm not a huge fan of the sound quality, generally finding the recordings to sound thin and tinny.

Ordinarily I try to stay away from the tone controls on my pre-amp, or as Rotel calls it “tone contouring” (I guess it’s sort of an internal EQ with four pre-set levels plus neutral). I try to stick with the sound as originally recorded on the grounds of trying to get a sound as true to originally played as possible. I do confess that this position is born out of some sort of ‘don’t mess with mother nature’ philosophy rather than any consideration to whether or not it sounds any better. Neurotic or not, I generally equate these things to touching up the Mona Lisa because you don’t like the color of the dress.

On the other hand, I have recently started playing around with the tone control on my pre-amp and found that –particularly with some of these thin RVG recordings, they do help to fill out the sound, even if it is by artificially boosting the bass.

Anyone have any thoughts on this kind of fiddling?
grimace

Showing 3 responses by davemitchell

davemitchell
253 posts
 
Edle- the original post is about the RGV remasters done in the last few years specifically, not the original recordings or LPs or previous CD issues. Many of the original and reissue LPs are sonically fantastic.

Zaik- Like the original poster, I have found the RGV reissues to sound "thin and tinny" and much less smooth than the 1980s CD issues. I wonder if we are talking about different things? Maybe you are comparing to some different CD versions?

On recordings I really like musically but dislike sonically because they sound anemic and thin, I use a digital EQ on my computer to re-master the recording myself and bring up the bass range a little bit. It works pretty well.
davemitchell
253 posts
 
The best sounding Blue Notes are from the end of the 1500 series around 1957. Try any of the following:

Coltrane - Blue Train
Lee Morgan - The Cooker
Cliff Jordan - Cliff Craft
Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin'
Lee Morgan - Candy
Lou Donaldson - Takes Off
Lou Donaldson - Blues Walk
Cannonball Adderly - Somethin' Else

davemitchell
253 posts
 
03-01-07: Qdrone
Is anyone taking into account that most of the RVG remasters are reproducing ACOUSTIC BASS not electric?

I would assume that anyone into 1950s-60's jazz knows that these recordings feature acoustic bass. The criticisms of the remasters have nothing to do with that or with any desire to to try to make electric sounding bass out of these by "fiddling". It's about comparing the recent RGV remasters to previous CD releases and the original LPs. The sound of the remasters is noticably sterile compared with all previous releases.
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