Murky and grey at best.
USing the highest available resolution masters would be a start but that alone does not assure better sound in the end.
At least there seems to be some attention to QA in the vinyl manufacturing process. That might at least help assure the product is not inferior to what was available prior. |
I picked up the Japanese Parlophone remastered box set from the dhgate.com site for less than $100. They are the best Beatles remasters I have heard, much better than the Capitol remasters in my system. |
Here is the skinny from MF website, make sure to read the comments at the end of the piece.
http://www.analogplanet.com/content/beatles-vinyl-remastered-finally-coming-shipping-mid-november
C |
Any idea how much the new lp set is going to cost? |
For the sake of value, I would hope that some different mastering that might break some new ground would be applied specifically for a new vinyl release. I would not expect just putting the existing CD mix on LP to break any real new ground and could even be a step backwards for those with less than stellar vinyl rigs.
For the record, I will probably have little interest other than curiosity regardless of what they do with new vinyl releases despite being a big time Beatles fan. I have most original albums on vinyl + two CD versions already.
A good quality vinyl packaging job might help sweeten the package for Beatles + vinyl fans who do not own good copies of the original vinyl releases. |
The Beatles LP box set just got announced, release date is November 2012, unfortunately not in mono. Anyone know if they are remasters for the LP or are they using the cd mix.
Thanks,
C |
Get Revolver! Better on vinyl, but I have both because I don't like cleaning records. I don't like cleaning anything! |
The Beatles Yellow Submarine Soundtrack is available on vinyl as an import. It is a recent remaster and is in my opinion the best example of how good The Beatles can sound on vinyl. I like it better than all my MoFi's, mono imports, etc.. |
The fab four do carry a premium price on wax...especially for mono...if u must go vinyl....abbey road on capital new...or used red or blue comps on Apple...these are dbl lps |
My suggestion is to get The Beatles in Mono, the recent reissue (09/09/09) box set, which received great reviews even from analog enthusiasts. I count myself in that category and I really enjoy this set. This set does not include Abbey Road and Let it Be since they didn't have a mono master, but Apple/EMI released good stereo CD remasters at the same time as the mono box set.
If you want vinyl, then I highly suggest finding a good set of BC-13, "The Beatles Collection", on eBay which might run you $250 - $350. These are stereo and they were mixed from the original analog masters. That works out to around $20 - $25 per disc which is not bad considering what you're getting.
The MFSL box runs around 3 to 4 times as much (!) and based on what I've read, a lot of people actually prefer BC-13 to MFSL. I had the MFSL on Rubber Soul and it was good but I wouldn't pay that much to get it when I can get BC-13 for far less.
I have both the mono CD box set and BC-13 and I enjoy them both but I often finding myself favoring the monos on CD (gasp!) because I like the mono mix better. You can read a ton on the mono-vs-stereo debate. My take is that the Beatles, like many rock bands and jazz combos in the 1960s, overdid early stereo with too much of the stereo ping-pong effect and too much split (one instrument totally on the left, another instrument totally on the right). As stereo matured, recordings had a more natural blend between channels with less left/right extreme, but unfortunately I don't hear that on the Beatles catalog. So, for that reason, I prefer the monos because the stereo mixes are too unnatural sounding to my ears.
If your main objective is musical enjoyment (as opposed to the hunt for collectible original releases), then the recommendations above will serve you well.
If you spend enough time researching this, you'll find people who recommend original releases over the above, but you'll have a hard time searching for these in excellent condition and you'll pay a lot more and spend a ton of effort to get what might not be a very substantial improvement. If you enjoy the quest, then go for it, but I take it from your original post that you just want to listen to the music. |
Lucky you! You get to begin a fantastic voyage. When I started out I was a teenager too. My advice is to go to your local indoor flea markets, outdoor flea markets, thrift stores such as goodwill, and small town antique stores. Explore places where records are not the main draw for business. At your age I had amassed quite a collection I had better records than most of the adult audiophiles. It will take time and patience. Also don't pass up an imperfect copy of something, you can always replaceit later. Right now records are glutting many of these stores. I recently picked up the first two Jimmy Hendrix records in fantastic condition for ten bucks each. Some time back got a mint English copy of Pink Floyds Nice Pair for 15 bucks. These came from a local indoor flea market. Happy hunting!! |
I just bought a sealed copy of "Abbey Road" at Best Buy. It was $12.99. I always check them out, they usually have a dozen or so different albums at any one time and the prices are very low. Along with Abbey I boughr Radiohead "Rainbows" for $12.99 and Springsteen 2- album gatefold 180gr with MP3 download- Working On A Dream for 19.99. |
Beatles blue box, best value out there |
I have heard, (whether true or not is still up in the air), that the newly remastered Beatles catalog will be mastered from digital copies. Given this, and the cost, (which will probably run around $30 a title), it makes getting the box sets on CD look a bit more attractive, at least from a monetary standpoint.
I have the mono CD box set myself, and I must admit that they sound really good. (I do have a few of the LPs in both stereo and mono, and I feel that CD box set did a very good job, better than the stereo box set did, IMHO.)
I recommend getting the UK parlaphone blue box if you can. They are priced reasonably well, (a few hundred dollars for a dozen albums), and they sound very good. (I agree that the MFSL set also sounds good, albeit different than the Parlaphone set does, but they are priced out of reach as they are all OOP and have a name recognition that the Blue Box lacks, luckily for all us!!!)
My two cents worth. |
Perhaps patience will be rewarded. Looks like finally the remasters which were previously released will be made available on vinyl during the upcoming Christmas season. Amazon's UK site is taking pre-orders for a September 11th release. |
I disagree with the "just play then new remasters on CD". I have those, both, and they are good, but not as good as the vinyl.
I have run through many of the EXCELLENT Beatles pressings including some mono Parlaphones, a couple of awesome Japanese pressings (not the great colored vinyl mono's which I have heard, but never owned), and I also finally found a pristine (vinyl) MOFI box, which is my reference now. Many collectors don't like the sound of these, but they are my favorites.
I have yet to hear any pressings that did not blow away the remastered CD's. Those are a huge upgrade over the original digital offerings from the 80's, but they are not nearly as good as the vinyl you can find. |
As somebody with a large (probably stupid large-500 total pieces) Beatles vinyl/digital collection, I agree with Musicslug and look for good digital copies.
The very best Beatles vinyl is clearly superior to the best digital but great original copies of the rainbow Capitol, yellow/black Parlophone, and Apple releases are both difficult to find and expensive. Original UK copies of Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road can be breathtaking.
I purchased all of the MFSL vinyl on release but would not purchase them at current prices. They simply aren't that good, the best being Rubber Soul and Revolver.
Have fun but don't get caught up in some of the outrageous prices. |
Ebay is my record store of choice. Expect to pay big (relatively) for NM or sealed copies of famous band albums. I renewed my vinyl odyssey in February of this year.
For beatles I found a mint MoFi Beatles collection, a Mint Beatles Blue Box (parlophone pressings).
Rolling Stones (MoFi) Collection
Pink Floyd DSOTM 0rginal Mofi and Japanese first pressing
I have found virtually everything I ever wanted in my collection from ebay. |
All the Beatles albums are execellent if you can get a copy that is in good condition. For an original look on eBay for s MFSL Original Master recording of Abbey Road. For a new release absolutey pick up a new copy of the Love album; it is excellent! |
Thanks for the responses. Any feedback on the Beatles "1" album on vinyl? |
YEs, you will pay a premium for original Beatles albums in good shape more for collectability reasons than inherent sound quality.
I have the recent Beatles mono box set and would say that is a very good place to look to get a full BEatles catalog with good (remastered) sound that may be better than many original vinyl issues even.
Or teh stereo box set. Take your pick.
I have not had a reason to pull out the old BEatles vinyl these days anymore since acquiring the box set, even the several prized Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs versions I have. |
Try getting the "Love" album that was put together from the original tracks and remastered by the son of the original producer. Sound quality is very good. |
the Beatles are one group that it might make more sense to buy in CD form - the recently remastered sets (stereo + mono) get high marks while the vinyl has never been the 'grail' of any audiophiles. you're right about the availability of indie vinyl but, as the previous post pointed out, buying Beatles vinyl means paying a premium that only makes sense if you're a 'collector'. |
Beatles catalog is currently not available on new vinyl. Since they are the best selling group of all time, there is a lot of used vinyl available, but most is in surprisingly bad shape. Beatles albums in good shape start at about $20/record. I suggest hunting your local vinyl shops, but Beatles albums always get a premium.
I keep hearing they are going to reissue the entire catalog on vinyl, but nothing announced yet.
Good luck. |
