thanks @lewm it's 33s. I guess this is not my kind of sound.
RCA Victor records' quality
I just bought three old records, I guess all the way from the mid and late 1950s. They each sound very harsh and "shrieky". I wonder if it's the way they were meant to sound? The records themselves are in great shape.
Should I rely on tone controls or is it how music was produced and published back then? Namely Elvis' first few albums?
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RCA Victor is the budget RCA label. RCA IN LIVING STEREO recordings are the only good RCA recordings, which are mostly late 1950’s and very early 1960’s, as in the early 1960’s RCA went budget with their pressings, and used poor quality materials and engineering. You can try buying Japanese RCA pressings of the later recordings, which are quite a bit better. |
@drbond 1+ Early rock and blues where not taken seriously and given short shrift in the quality department. Kids bought mostly 45s. Classical and some jazz were given much more attention in terms of quality. The early stereo mixes of rock recordings could be comical if it was not so sad. Stuff like all the instruments on the right and vocals on the left were not uncommon. The production of rock and blues records was not taken as seriously either. My Dad's classical RCA Red Labels were pristine but The early Jefferson Airplane RCAs were terrible in all regards. In time recording of modern music improved but the quality of popular music pressings did not. They were never as good as the European classical records or older RCAs. In the mean while American Classical deteriorated. London pressings were never as good as Decca, same company. |
thank you guys @drbond @mijostyn , I noticed significant differences between the same albums from different labels but never such a unique and annoying sound as RCA Victor. Instruments just sound like throwing forks together. I somehow thought old and major label meant decent quality as they didn't yet know how to screw it up |
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