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 5 responses by qdrone

Is anyone taking into account that most of the RVG remasters are reproducing ACOUSTIC BASS not electric? Most of the one's on my system sound fine and as far as fiddling with the knobs what you are doing is replicating the old loudness switch that was on so many stereo's back in the day. If I want golly gee wiz bass I just turn it up or purchase amps that have enough current to move the woofer speakers at low volumes.
Anyway we slice it when alot of this stuff gets re mastered it sounds different. I mean there is at least 4 different remasters of some of these CD's. I have some recordings of original Eric Dolphy on Vinyl and compared to the Out There and Outward Bound 24 bit remasters the sound has lost some of it's throatyness,some warmth. But they still sound good and if the word sterile is used I prefer cleaner.
Another thing, many of these early recordings 1956-59 were Hi Fi NOT stereo. Instead of adjusting or contouring your system see if it isn't recorded in stereo and just switch your system to MONO. I just did this with Lush Life by Coltrane and the sound is fuller. It is a Hi Fi recording,
Hedgehog,
They are re-mastered by Rudy van Gelder and for those who live in California, CD trader in Reseda has been dumping the RVG re-masters along with the 20bit k2's at 7.99 or 8.99 a piece. They have a wide selection.
It amazes me that 60 minutes hasn't done a segment on Rudy,I've been waiting for years for it.