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Reversed Polarity LP Cuts - Examples?

I recently bought a custom made phono stage equipped with a three-position polarity switch on the front panel with the positions "+", "mute", "-" and, so far, have not had occassion to use the "-" function. I found an old UK pressing of the Stones "Sticky Fingers" at a garage sale Saturday and, after a thorough cleaning, found that a few tracks sounded a bit "flat", for lack of a better term. Recalled the polarity switch and snapped it to "-". Huge improvement.

I have heard vague mention of LP's or tracks of LP's being recorded "in reverse" before but am wondering how commonly this is found. Can anyone give specific examples of what they've discovered (not including intentional phase shifting done for particular efffect, such as used by the Beatles and others). Thanks.
4yanx
cmk
397 posts
 
Last nite had a listen to a couple of LPs and this time, I took the extra step of reversing polarity using the spk terminals. I have to say that reversing polarity with LPs IS audible. If its out of phase, the music appears to be disoriented, veiled, or somewhat odd.

I might try it out with some CDs later to see what happens.
richingoth
326 posts
 
I found this in the January 2002 Stereophile analog corner where Mike Fremer tells that he purchased a mint second pressing-the desireable one-of Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland (Reprise RS 6307). And I quote: this pressing (all-mustard-colored Reprise label without the "W7" logo) is the one to have: engineer Eddie Kramer told me that when he and Hendrix mixed the album, they included all kinds of out-of-phase material designed to create a surround-sound effect from two speakers-especially in the whirring sound effects at the beginning and end of this two-LP set. When the mastering enginners at Reprise in L.A. got the tape and put it up on an oscilloscope, they were horrified to see all of the out-of-phase information and, without asking anyone, "fixed" it. When Hendrix and Kramer heard the first pressing (orange-mustard "W7/Reprise" label), they went nuts and demanded it to be restored to their original intent for the second pressing. Un-quote. Rich
zaikesman
3,017 posts
 
Rich, I'm sure you realize that this a different scenario and question. I can't see what "fixing" the master in this regard after mixdown could entail except by selectively using info from only one of the channels as necessary to cross-feed into a new panned-'stereo' mix...
rcrump
427 posts
 
Gad, half of the CDs out there have reversed phase and a good 1/3 of the vinyl have reversed phase....For those without phase switches the Reference Recordings final movement of Symphony Fantastique is duplicated on an extra disc which is out of phase with the same cut on the remaining disc........A friend of mine is into classical recordings and says that virtually all the old Mercury's and RCAs that are poorly reviewed are reversed phase.....
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