Direct Cut Metal Mastering vinyl - the best I've heard

Dear @williewonka : I don’t know the quality level on Parlophone recordings because I never had the opportunity to listen a DMM from that label but the best overall quality level DMM LP recordings came/comes by Stockfish label.

I own several from Teldec but are not good enough as from other labels too. As a fact was Teldec along Neumann whom started DMM LP recordings.

I think that Stockfish DMM is the name of the " game " for me due that I don't own to many DMM from other labels as could be BN and others.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.

@rauliruegas - thanks for the feednback. I took a look at stockfish and they seem to take great care in their master production processes, which should provide a great pressing.

I’ll keep my eyes open for them - we have a very good vinyl store close by, with a very good selection of labels

I do have a couple of Teldec recordings myself and I agree, they are well produced and pressed

Jeton is another label that excels in producing a very well recorded/engineered pressing.

But one thing I find strange, is when a company like Tacet, puts an amazing amount of effort into the recording/mixing of the music and selecting the best location for a recording, but then fails to produce a good vinyl master...

• their attention to detail in the mastering of the recording is second to none, by using the best microphones, analog reel-to-reel recorders and pre-amplification
• While the pressing quality is very good from a surface noise and lack of warp perspective, they fail to deliver as follows...
  • it seems that they try to get too much music onto each side of the album,
  • the grooves are too close together and as such in the quieter parts of a track, you can actually hear the music "bleeding through" from the adjacent groove..
  • unfortunately, this becomes very annoying once you experience it. because you know its coming so you listen for it
  • and because theri surface noise is so low, the amount of  bleed through seems to be accentuated
• I can only summize that their primary playback medium is the CD - very sad

The best regular, i.e. "normal weight" pressings, I have are from Deutsche Grammophon, who seems to be very consistent at producing a well engineered/mixed quality pressing without the need for going to the expense of thicker vinyl - why can’t other labels do this?

Regards - Steve

Dear @williewonka  : Here some history of the DMM recording proccess that could explain something on your last post. Even that your question is why not?:

https://www.gammaelectronics.xyz/audio_04-1987_dmm.html

R.

@williewonka    I think that that at  the end almost all today LP labels take advantage of the " desperation "  of audiophiles waiting for the next version of MUSIC they like it from the same artists.

In the DG recording times exist only one version for each title/artist/orchestra when today you can find out 6-7 versions on each same recording. But quality level of the last versions do not means true best quality sound that the first ones, sometimes are better but normally are not.

Labels make what audiophiles are asking for at the end for the labels all is about $$$$ and nothing wrong with that because it's a business.

Btw,, i found out this list of some old DMM recordings and it's not limited because exist even Beatles DMM versions or Madonna and the like:

Cheap Trick-Lap of Luxury, 1988
OMD-We love You Extended, 1986 UK Townhouse
REM-Eponymous, 1988
Boxcar-Insect/Freemason, 1989
Pet Shop Boys-Introspective, 1988
Pet Shop Boys-Domino Dancing, 1988
Pet Shop Boys-Left To My own Devices, 1988
Rush-Hold your Fire, 1988
New Order-Low Life, 1985 UK MPO
New Order-Substance, 1987
XTC-Oranges & Lemons, 1989
Eurythmics-We Too Are One, 1989
Chicago-18, 1986
Toni Halliday-Hearts And Handshakes, 1989 Germany
Toni Time Turns Around, 1989 UK Townhouse
Steve Winwood-Chronicles, 1987
Fleetwood Mac-Tango In The Night, 1987
Ratt-Reach For The Sky, 1988
Bruce Hornsby & The Range-Scenes From The Southside, 1988
Xymox-Twist Of Shadows, 1989
Duran Duran-Notorious, 1986
Duran Duren-Decade, 1989
Carly Simon-Coming Around Again, 1987
Book of Love-Lullaby, 1988
Yes-Big Generator, 1987
Winger-S/T, 1988
Whitesnake-S/T, 1987
Tracy Chapman-S/T, 1988
Replacements-Don't Tell A Soul, 1989
The Psychedelic Furs-Midnight To Midnight, 1987
The Outfield-Voices Of Babylon, 1989
The Outfield-Bangin', 1987
The Mighty Lemon Drops-Laughter, 1989
The Cult-Sonic Temple, 1989
The Cult-Electric, 1987
The Cars-Door To Door, 1987
Robert Plant-Now And Zen, 1988
Rush-Presto, 1989
Nitzer Ebb-Belief, 1988
Julian Lennon-The Secret Value Of Daydreaming, 1986
Johnny Hates Jazz-Turn Back The Clock, 1988
Frazier Chorus-Ray, 1991 UK Townhouse
Figures On A Beach-Standing On Ceremony, 1987
Erasure-Wild!, 1989 UK
Erasure-I Say, I Say, I Say, 1994 UK
Roxette-Joyride, 1991 Germany

There are too several LP digital recordings ( mainly classical scores. ) of those times that are DMM from Philips, Telarc, Denon,  obviously Teldec and many more.

Btw, I own several of that DMM LPs that I bought in those times but I really don't know if my samples are DMM or not because I don't touched by years and in those times I bougth LP not looking for the kind of mastering and the like but I bougth just because I like the recorded MUSIC.

R.

In my last sentecces I was refering to : " that DMM LPs LIST ", not about the digital ones.

R.

Not to be obtuse, but how is this different from the direct-to-disc recordings in the 1970's by Lincoln Mayorga?

Cheers!

DMM reduces the steps required to make the record stamper by avoiding the need to make lacquer discs.