How to make record albums

I hope you do not mind I would like to add to your question. Why they cannot use the same EQ setting as in the old days. Didn't they write down what those settings were. The new guy's like Steve Hoffman do a good job but I wound like to hear it on the new vinyl mixture with the original settings.

With an equipment investment of at least $100K, and maybe more. That will get you to the final master analogue tapes. From there it is best to out source the cutting and disk mastering. There are always vintage recording studios going out of business, that can sell you the mics and tape machines you will need to recondition, very expensive.

Steve Hoffman does do great work, no doubt about it. What did the Decca engineers of the 50's and 60's do to make such amazing recordings? The mics, the equipment, the hall? What was it? This is just an example of a team of engineers that really made excellent recordings. There are many more but what was so special about what they did that nobody else can do? I would think some modern orchestras would welcome such an undertaking especially with the right marketing. Records recorded like the old Decca's would probably make an orchestra very popular as they would be recorded so well without the digital edge. I can tell from listening on my modest system that there are some good things that have come along with new technology less inner groove distortion is one of them. How does one attain high quality virgin vinyl. If 160 gram virgin vinyl was used instead of 180 gram, which would sound better? Those old Deccas/Londons, Mercury pressings had plenty of bass and I still prefer many of them to the newer 180 gram releases.

The Buddy Holly on MCA is the most "you are there" reissue in my collection, which includes quite a few 180gram efforts and some 45rpm reissues. I suspect that the original tapes were simply recorded live band performances, and the lack of analog processing was another key ingredient. Analog tapes have hiss and EQ problems and the more tracks and mixing the worse they get.
When I was young and worked in a recording studio this was well known and serious recording engineers tried to keep it simple. A big problem was that the "live take" of the group was not as profitable as the individual take of each performer, who began to take for granted that he could show up whenever he liked because it was just a track recording. From then on, quality took a back seat to the production costs of studio time and the convenience of all concerned.

A lot of these great old recordings were done with only two
mikes from what I understand.Some chat on the net about the
old Living Stereo etc.[http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/239796/0/]