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Analogue Productions announces May 21st release of ultimate Kind Of Blue LP

What makes this version the ultimate Kind Of Blue?

- Source is the 3-track master tape.

- The three songs recorded at a slightly incorrect speed (the multi-track recorder, unbeknownst to the recording engineer, was running slow!) have been speed-corrected. The speed issue was not noticed until Classic Records did their release of the album, back in the 1990’s. All pressings prior to that have the three songs playing slightly out-of-tune!

- Mastering done by Bernie Grundman.

- Analogue productions owner Chad Kassem acquired the rights to the UHQR name and process from MoFi awhile back. This LP is manufactured in the UHQR fashion at QRP, each LP being 200 grams of Clarity vinyl. Clarity vinyl LP’s have a opaque milky white appearance, the vinyl being 100% free of the carbon element in non-Clarity vinyl. The quietest LP’s in the history of LP manufacturing. The LP pressing cycle is a very long (by LP manufacturing standards) 1.5-2 minutes, allowing the warm vinyl to cool before being removed from the press. That time minimizes the chance of warped LP's.

- The album is a single disc that plays at 33-1/3. Hallelujah! I think breaking up an LP side into two halves destroys the flow of the music as it was meant to be heard. I prefer to sacrifice the small increase in sound quality that 45 RPM affords to keep the music intact.

- The LP is packaged in a deluxe box (each copy numbered), with a booklet containing historical information about the album.

The album is limited to 25,000 copies worldwide. MoFi’s 1-Step pressing of Carole King’s Tapestry album, announced a coupla months ago at a retail price of $125.00, has sold out prior to release date. Kind Of Blue is a much more sacred album in the minds of many music lovers, so if you are interested in this new AP pressing of the album, I wouldn’t wait too long to order it. It is listed on the Acoustic Sounds and Music Direct websites, but not on Elusive Disc.
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bdp24's avatar
bdp24 OP
9,510 posts
 
We learn one thing in the interview: my guess that the tape source for this AP reissue of KOB was the mix done in 1995 by Kevin Gray for Classic Records was indeed correct. The mastering was done at the same time. Chad says he has been asked why AP didn't do a new mastering, and the answer is simple: 1- Sony will never again let the 3-track master tape leave it's vault; and 2- There is no way to improve on the job Gray did in 1995. It's as good as it gets.

Michael is hosting a live stream on his YouTube channel this Saturday at 12 noon CST. Joining him will be Analogue Productions owner Chad Kassem, Michael Hobson of Classic Records, Kevin Gray, the guy in charge of LP pressing at QRP (Quality Record Production, AP's in-house LP manufacturing plant, one of the three best in the world), and Michael Fremer. Submitted questions will be answered by the assembled panel. Be there or be square.
audioquest4life
727 posts
 
Watched the Miles Davis Kind of Blue live panel today. Very interesting discussion about the source of the new UHQR. Michael Hobson spoke at length for the first hour or so and provided some insight on the origination of Classic Records production process and how Chad at Acoustic Sounds has taken it to another level with the UHQR pressings. It was engaging enough for me to stay on the entire session. I also ordered my copies a few days ago. 
simao's avatar
simao
1,758 posts
 
Boomers with money will buy audio artifacts that can help them show off their systems to other boomers with money
perkri
896 posts
 
Very curious to hear it. 

When the industry decides to do a "best" version of something, its always interesting to hear what they do. If nothing else, it gives one an idea of what can be done, and if it's worth it in the future to pursue getting "upgraded" versions of favourites if they get released.

And what is it with all the negativity??? Doesn't matter where you go on this forum. When something that is "better" gets discussed, all the cretins come out in full force spewing the all so predictable negativity. Why is it so inconceivable that someone will buy this because they can/will  appreciate the SQ with which the music is being presented? 

For what a bottle of wine will cost at dinner out, you can get something that you will be able to enjoy for the rest of your life.

People just love to dump on stuff, don't they.


bdp24's avatar
bdp24 OP
9,510 posts
 
@perkri: Amen, brother! Seems like there’s nothing a person can say that won’t elicit an argument from someone.

As audioquest4life says above, the panel discussion on YouTube today was just great. In it Chad Kassem was asked how many of the 25,000 copies of his KOB have already been purchased. The answer was 16,000, in two days! At this rate, they’ll all be gone in a few days. As Chad says, buy now or cry later.

The Clarity vinyl being used for all the UHQR releases is the way forward for audiophile pressings. If you watch the panel discussion video on YouTube (just do a search for "45 RPM Audiophile"), you’ll learn why. You'll also get the answer as to why standard original record company LP pressings vary so much sample-to-sample in sound quality. The guys on the panel are experts in the field, Bernie Grundman being a mastering engineer for over fifty years.
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