Spinning on the Turntable now...

[edisonbaggins]

I was going to ask if it was a Wally. Almost all the Don't Look Backs were Wally, but the first album is out there in a variety of cuts.

Recently unsealed my Don't Look Back!

 

[Gimme 4]

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Damn the Torpedoes

 

[jefe1]

The label says mastered at half speed.
Does it sound kind of slow?

 

[John Svensson]

You are KILLING ME WITH YOUR LP COLLECTION!
was just dusting my BD discs of the series….

Great show indeed.

 

[Gimme 4]

The label says mastered at half speed.
Does it sound kind of slow?

Just have to play it at twice the speed!

Half speed mastering, an offshoot from CD-4 record mastering.

 

[marcb]

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Damn the Torpedoes

View attachment 79869

I have that one too - no shrink but the hype sticker is on the cover. I probably haven’t played in decades, but my recollection is it was just okay sounding (like many half-speed masters).

 

[Gimme 4]

I have that one too - no shrink but the hype sticker is on the cover. I probably haven’t played in decades, but my recollection is it was just okay sounding (like many half-speed masters).

Yeah I think the record and mastering companies were trying to find a way to put the obsolete CD-4 equipment to use, and have a new gimmick to sell the same recordings twice. Some sound good, some like the CBS "Mastersound" records sound a little thin and bright to me, not all of them. The quality of the vinyl used to press those probably made more difference than half-speed mastering.

 

[Gimme 4]

Rush - Moving Pictures

My personal favorite Rush album.

Not half-speed but an import on good quality vinyl.

 

[Quad Linda]

I bought several of the MCA half-speed masters. IMHO, none were bad, neither did any of them sonically wow me, including the Pettys.

In '80, CBS began pressing 1/2 speeds. Vinyl was ok, mastering was ok, DR was ok. IMHO, few if any in that series sounded fantastic. I bought most of them. Boston, Memories, Guilty, Streisand Hits II, The Way We Were, Stranger, 52nd, Born to Run, Darkness, Miles' Man w/Horn, Daniels' Million Mile, Tony Williams' Fear of Flying, Heavy Weather, Chorus Line, and mono Yardbirds' Roger the Engineer. 3rd World's You've Got the Power was digital Mastersound release, not 1/2 speed. It sounds far better on regular vinyl. Regular LP had better bass, but noisier PVC.

MoFi and Nautilus 1/2 speeds had far better vinyl. Far better mastering, too, albeit not a flat transfer by any stretch. Direct Disc Labs vinyl sounded like popcorn. Several titles had manufacturing defects.

Moby Grape (1st) UK mono
Super Sonic Sounds - Sun Ra
Notorious Byrd Bros. & Sweetheart of the Rodeo - Byrds UK 2 LP BEST ANALOG!
California Soul - Tamba 4 unreleased LP by Brazilian jazz band, record store day exclusive

 

[Gimme 4]

Pink Floyd - Wish you Were Here

This Master Sound worked quite well. I recall reading some complaints about it too. Unless they re-did it. Deep bass, crystal clear highs, and a dead silent pressing.

 

[jefe1]

Thank you QL for that info on half speed recording. I have Boston and some Nautilus dbx records which you know sound good.

 

[kap'n krunch]

Rush - Moving Pictures

My personal favorite Rush album.

Not half-speed but an import on good quality vinyl.

View attachment 79893

I have the Dutch pressing of "2112" and , unfortunately was below par compared to the Japanese pressings...

 

[Gimme 4]

Jeff Beck - Blow by Blow

 

[PurpleMoustache]

Fresh arrivals!

 

[Gimme 4]

A couple of more Master Sound half speeds

Jeff Beck - Wired

A little thin on the bass and bright treble. Some judicious use of the Treble control made it better.

Pink Floyd - The Wall

Very nice, not bright at all, somewhat warm actually, and solid bass.

 

[Gimme 4]

And this... Amazing! The quality of the pressing and the details that come through in the music, likely doesn't get any better. Bought it almost 40 years ago.

The Moody Blues - Days Of Future Passed

 

[marcb]

Yeah I think the record and mastering companies were trying to find a way to put the obsolete CD-4 equipment to use, and have a new gimmick to sell the same recordings twice. Some sound good, some like the CBS "Mastersound" records sound a little thin and bright to me, not all of them. The quality of the vinyl used to press those probably made more difference than half-speed mastering.

Actually I think it’s sort of the other way around. Half-speed mastering existed long before CD4, but in order to cut CD4 high frequency carriers without frying cutter heads, half-speed mastering was sort of a necessity.

However as you allude to and as I understand it, Stan Ricker liked the results of half-speed mastering - so when there was a use it or lose it with the JVC equipment when the CD-4 plug got pulled, he repurposed and customized the equipment and started the cottage industry of half-speed mastering.

Many of the early CBS Mastersounds were cut without a corresponding adjustment in EQ, so they can sound tinny. And, yes, the quality of the JVC vinyl used by MFSL was superior - and I’m assuming was chosen by MFSL because it had been able to handle the playback of CD-4 high freq carrier without immediate wear.

 

[Gimme 4]

Actually I think it’s sort of the other way around. Half-speed mastering existed long before CD4, but in order to cut CD4 high frequency carriers without frying cutter heads, half-speed mastering was sort of a necessity.

However as you allude to and as I understand it, Stan Ricker liked the results of half-speed mastering - so when there was a use it or lose it with the JVC equipment when the CD-4 plug got pulled, he repurposed and customized the equipment and started the cottage industry of half-speed mastering.

Many of the early CBS Mastersounds were cut without a corresponding adjustment in EQ, so they can sound tinny. And, yes, the quality of the JVC vinyl used by MFSL was superior - and I’m assuming was chosen by MFSL because it had been able to handle the playback of CD-4 high freq carrier without immediate wear.

I had never heard of half-speed mastering until the earliest days of quadraphonics and CD-4, and reading about how they cut 30 kHz and upward deviation toward 50 kHz. I had read that some of the early CBS Mastersounds didn't have properly compensated EQ. Why the engineers didn't know what would happen when played at normal speed with standard RIAA EQ is beyond my imagination.

 

[marcb]

I had never heard of half-speed mastering until the earliest days of quadraphonics and CD-4, and reading about how they cut 30 kHz and upward deviation toward 50 kHz. I had read that some of the early CBS Mastersounds didn't have properly compensated EQ. Why the engineers didn't know what would happen when played at normal speed with standard RIAA EQ is beyond my imagination.

It wasn’t widely used, but I think it dates back to the 50s.

 

[Gimme 4]

Steely Dan - Katy Lied