The very best sound: Direct to Disc

I agree that the Mapleshade CDs are similar to the Ref Rec LPs (also available on HDCD, SACD, and I guess downloads) in that they are recorded to tape in a purist microphone setup and then the production to CD is tightly controlled. The sound is good, but the groups recorded may not be to everyone's taste.

I have most all of the D2D mentioned, but feel I should submit some other great LPs. The OPUS 3 are fine recordings with special mics in defined acoustical spaces. They issued a series of system setup discs: imaging, dynamics, timbre, etc. Even better are the Pierre Verany LPs. The Mamba Percussions is amazing!

OPUS3 is recorded with a single point Blumlein microphone. they will not have the hyped dynamics of many D2D recordings which may have been multi-miked through a mixer with the microphone right at the instrument. They do convey IMHO the sound of real instruments in a real space often better than most D2D. The notes for the set up discs explain the space in which they were recording, details about the instruments, and what you should hear. I have found them to be very useful tools in evaluating changes in my system. They are now very difficult to find as LPs, but as they were recorded to tape, most of them have been reissued as CDs, and a few SACDs. Again the quality is very good, and I highly recommend them.BTW the microphones and placement by Doc Johnson make the RR recordings, for me often more realistic and enjoyable than all but a few D2Ds, and again, since recorded to tape they are available digitally. The 45 RPM LPs are really good.