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Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
As things are quiet, I was musing on what my Desert Island Disks would
be, and also, what are my best recordings that I use for equipment evaluation. For those not familiar with Desert Island Disks, this is a very long-running series on BBC radio, which supposes you're shipwrecked on a desert island with no hope of rescue, and you have to choose those 8 recordings (and only 8)to take with you. Here are mine in no particular order, what are yours:- 1. Julie London - At home / Around Midnight. Cheating slightly, as this is a single CD with two albums on it. 2. Cream - Reunion at the Royal Albert Hall, May 2005. As good as ever. Jack Bruce's voice is as powerful as ever was, Clapton has slowed down only very slightly. Ginger Baker also on-form. 3. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue. What can I say.... 4. Mozart Clarinet Concerto. Hogwood/Pay. A better recording but not quite so musically satisfying is the Musical Fidelity give-away CD of Robert Bailey conducting Antony Michaelson soloist. 5. Beethoven, Symphony No 9. London Classical Players/Norrington. This recording encapsulates for me everything Beethoven did before. As I can't take more than the 8 records, this one will have to do. 6*. Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending. Musically I prefer the old Boult/Bean recording, but it is hissy and has horrible modulation noise on it. For a good modern version, the BBCSO Davis/Little recording is excellent, and Tasmin Little does a pretty good job of the solo. 7. Elgar, Cello Concerto Barbirolli/Du Pre. I have other versions of the Cello concerto, but none comes close. 8. Eric Clapton - Just One Night. Recorded live in Japan. Clapton at his best, and an excellent recording. * If I could take only one record, this would be it. Best Recordings, again in no particular order. 1. Emiliana Torrini - Fisherman's Woman. Solo voice with sparse accompaniment. Probably the best recording I have. Difficult to categorise this, vaguely pop, vaguely jazz, just nice songs. 2. Jazz at the Pawnshop. Vol 1 (and 2 and 3) Live Jazz recorded in a club in Stockholm, simply miked and mixed to stereo on site. Recorded on a Nagra stereo recorder. Volume 1 is probably the best vinyl I've ever heard. Vols 2 and 3 were released later, possibly not the best musically, (certainly by Vol 3) but all three wonderfully recorded. 3. Valerie Joyce - New York Blue. A naturally recorded Chesky CD, with a most sultry-voiced Japanese-American Jazz singer. The voice and the picture of the singer just don't match, but listen to what she does with Jimmy Hendrix's Little Wing. 4. Jim Tomlinson - The Lyric. British jazz saxophonist Tomlinson with a selection of his own tunes and standards sung by Stacey Kent. 5. Willie DeVille - Assassin of Love from the album "Miracle" Marc Knopfler's guitar and deVille's voice. Good test of stereo, bass and mid-range coloration. 6. Goldfrapp - Black Cherry but any of their albums will do. Synthesiser pop, but with some really hefty bass. Tracks to set up subwoofers to. Also very clean vocals. 7. Tierney Sutton - Dancing in the Dark. Jazz standards cleanly recorded. Very natural sounding. 8. Hildegard of Bingen - A Feather on the Breath of God. Sublime music (almost made my DID list above)recorded superbly. Some acapella, some with medieval accompaniment, all wonderful. All the above are on CD in my case, as I want the cleanest source for system evaluation. For vinyl, I use a variety of test records from the '70s, Willie DeVille's "Miracle" and several Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson and Julie London LPs. Lets see your lists. S. |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
On 2007-02-21, Serge Auckland wrote:
As things are quiet, I was musing on what my Desert Island Disks would be, and also, what are my best recordings that I use for equipment evaluation. For those not familiar with Desert Island Disks, this is a very long-running series on BBC radio, which supposes you're shipwrecked on a desert island with no hope of rescue, and you have to choose those 8 recordings (and only 8)to take with you. Here are mine in no particular order, what are yours:- ... 7. Elgar, Cello Concerto Barbirolli/Du Pre. I have other versions of the Cello concerto, but none comes close. Whilst I think about my list, let me just say that the companion piece on this CD, Janet Baker's performance of Elgar's Sea Pictures, lies unjustly in the shadow of the du Pre performance. For me Baker's performance is musically even better than Du Pre's. Any system on which I could enjoy that disk is probably "good enough." -- John Phillips |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
On 2007-02-21, Serge Auckland wrote:
As things are quiet, I was musing on what my Desert Island Disks would be, and also, what are my best recordings that I use for equipment evaluation. .... Here are mine in no particular order, what are yours:- ... Desert Island disks (in alphabetical order): 1. Bach, Goldberg Variations - Pierre Hantai 2003 (Mirare) but I might still hanker after Gould's 1981 performance (or Hewitt's, or Perahia's, or Hantai's 1992 which is superbly recorded and could go into the next list, or ...). 2. Bach, Mass in B-minor - John Eliot Gardiner (cond.) 1985, D-G Archiv. 3. Bach, Toccatas - Angela Hewitt, Hyperion 2002. A gem. 4. Beethoven, Symphonies 5 and 7 - Carlos Kleiber 1974-1976, D-G. The energy and the drive ... 5. Britten, Midsummer Night's Dream - Britten (cond.) 1966, Alfred Deller et al. Great performance from Deller as countertenor Oberon. Wonderful Decca soundstaging (artificially wide actually but so good nevertheless). 6. Chopin, Nocturnes - Maria Joćo Pires, DG 1996. 7. Mozart, Magic Flute - Georg Solti (cond.), Decca 1990. Great performance (inc. Sumi Jo as the Queen of the Night) and great dynamic range at times (e.g. on Papageno's first entrance which is actually sufficiently quiet that I strain to hear it at a volume where the rest is comfortably quiet). 8. Richard Strauss, der Rosenkavalier - Herbert von Karajan (cond.), Schwarzkopf et. al. ~1958. If ever there is a perfect opera recording this is it. Right down to the sublime conclusion. Oops, that's 8 already. Do I really have to stop? I haven't even got to Messiaen's piano works (Aimard's Vingt Regards) and the Ligeti Etudes (also Aimard) ... Exemplary recordigs for equipment selection: 1. Led Zeppelin, How the West was Won. 2. Ligeti's collected works on Warner Classics' Ligeti Project series (particularly Atmospheres, but many other compositions too, all superbly recorded). 3. Messiaen's complete organ works - Jennifer Bate on Regis. 4. Thelonious Monk, Live at the IT club (early 1960s) - absolutely natural. 5. Wagner, The Ring of the Nibelung - Karl Boehm (cond.) et.al, Bayreuth live 1967 (with stage noises, prompter, and some audience). Despised as too light and too fast by some but such sustained energy and musicality. And such a "genuinely live" recording. This CD set is what sold me on my current 'speakers. (Specifically Siegfried Act 1.) The recording sounds just so genuinely live to me (it's also another desert island disk too, sneaked in). 6. Wagner, Tannhauser - Barenboim (cond,) on Teldec. Truly superb recording. 7. Weber, der Freischutz - Carlos Kleiber (cond.) 1973. The most wonderful soundstaging. -- John Phillips |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
John Phillips wrote:
On 2007-02-21, Serge Auckland wrote: As things are quiet, I was musing on what my Desert Island Disks would be, and also, what are my best recordings that I use for equipment evaluation. ... Here are mine in no particular order, what are yours:- ... Desert Island disks (in alphabetical order): 1. Bach, Goldberg Variations - Pierre Hantai 2003 (Mirare) but I might still hanker after Gould's 1981 performance (or Hewitt's, or Perahia's, or Hantai's 1992 which is superbly recorded and could go into the next list, or ...). 2. Bach, Mass in B-minor - John Eliot Gardiner (cond.) 1985, D-G Archiv. 3. Bach, Toccatas - Angela Hewitt, Hyperion 2002. A gem. 4. Beethoven, Symphonies 5 and 7 - Carlos Kleiber 1974-1976, D-G. The energy and the drive ... 5. Britten, Midsummer Night's Dream - Britten (cond.) 1966, Alfred Deller et al. Great performance from Deller as countertenor Oberon. Wonderful Decca soundstaging (artificially wide actually but so good nevertheless). 6. Chopin, Nocturnes - Maria Joćo Pires, DG 1996. 7. Mozart, Magic Flute - Georg Solti (cond.), Decca 1990. Great performance (inc. Sumi Jo as the Queen of the Night) and great dynamic range at times (e.g. on Papageno's first entrance which is actually sufficiently quiet that I strain to hear it at a volume where the rest is comfortably quiet). 8. Richard Strauss, der Rosenkavalier - Herbert von Karajan (cond.), Schwarzkopf et. al. ~1958. If ever there is a perfect opera recording this is it. Right down to the sublime conclusion. Oops, that's 8 already. Do I really have to stop? I haven't even got to Messiaen's piano works (Aimard's Vingt Regards) and the Ligeti Etudes (also Aimard) ... Exemplary recordigs for equipment selection: 1. Led Zeppelin, How the West was Won. 2. Ligeti's collected works on Warner Classics' Ligeti Project series (particularly Atmospheres, but many other compositions too, all superbly recorded). 3. Messiaen's complete organ works - Jennifer Bate on Regis. 4. Thelonious Monk, Live at the IT club (early 1960s) - absolutely natural. 5. Wagner, The Ring of the Nibelung - Karl Boehm (cond.) et.al, Bayreuth live 1967 (with stage noises, prompter, and some audience). Despised as too light and too fast by some but such sustained energy and musicality. And such a "genuinely live" recording. This CD set is what sold me on my current 'speakers. (Specifically Siegfried Act 1.) The recording sounds just so genuinely live to me (it's also another desert island disk too, sneaked in). 6. Wagner, Tannhauser - Barenboim (cond,) on Teldec. Truly superb recording. 7. Weber, der Freischutz - Carlos Kleiber (cond.) 1973. The most wonderful soundstaging. Interesting choices, thanks. S. |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
http://www.telarc.com/gscripts/title...UA1H2TT368N8WV
some of the tracks carry a warning that they contain high energy subsonic ( 15Hz ) signals, certainly is impressive on my system ( even though Arnie seems to think it's built by an idiot ).............. Pete |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
Pete Cross wrote:
http://www.telarc.com/gscripts/title...UA1H2TT368N8WV some of the tracks carry a warning that they contain high energy subsonic ( 15Hz ) signals, certainly is impressive on my system ( even though Arnie seems to think it's built by an idiot ).............. Pete What *is* your system and who built it? Without this information, how can we judge the validity of Arnie's thoughts? :-) S. |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
"Serge Auckland" wrote in message ... Pete Cross wrote: http://www.telarc.com/gscripts/title...UA1H2TT368N8WV some of the tracks carry a warning that they contain high energy subsonic ( 15Hz ) signals, certainly is impressive on my system ( even though Arnie seems to think it's built by an idiot ).............. Pete What *is* your system and who built it? Without this information, how can we judge the validity of Arnie's thoughts? :-) S. Look at my earlier post, " a couple of things " |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
Pete Cross wrote:
"Serge Auckland" wrote in message ... Pete Cross wrote: http://www.telarc.com/gscripts/title...UA1H2TT368N8WV some of the tracks carry a warning that they contain high energy subsonic ( 15Hz ) signals, certainly is impressive on my system ( even though Arnie seems to think it's built by an idiot ).............. Pete What *is* your system and who built it? Without this information, how can we judge the validity of Arnie's thoughts? :-) S. Look at my earlier post, " a couple of things " I didn't understand exactly what the 'speakers were. The earlier post says ILP TL4, but I can't find any references for these. I know of ILP as amplifier module manufacturers, but not for 'speakers. I also haven't seen anything from Arnie casting doubt on the metal faculties of the builder. Possibly my News server misses the odd post. S. |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
I would just take a bunch of Joyce Hatto CDs.
That should be eclectic enough for anyone. :-) -- Eiron. |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
Eiron wrote:
I would just take a bunch of Joyce Hatto CDs. That should be eclectic enough for anyone. :-) She was the subject of a piece in "Front Row" on Radio 4 a few days ago. Apparently, many of her recordings aren't. There's a piece in The Gramophone about it too. http://www.gramophone.co.uk/newsMain...ewssectionID=1 I don't subscribe to conspiracy theories, but this one is interesting. In particular, who stood to gain from the deception given that Hatto was hardly a household name. It might have been more believable if Hatto had performed and the performance credited to a better known pianist, not the other way round. Strange. S. |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
I didn't understand exactly what the 'speakers were. The earlier post
says ILP TL4, but I can't find any references for these. I know of ILP as amplifier module manufacturers, but not for 'speakers. I also haven't seen anything from Arnie casting doubt on the metal faculties of the builder. Possibly my News server misses the odd post. S. My typo -------- the speakers are IPL Acoustics STL4's Re Arny K, his suggestion that I'd screwed the design up and that National had idiot proofed the new LM4562's gave me the impression he thought I was the idiot, maybe I read too much into his comments. I still say though, these sound much better than the 5532's. Quote " 2. a few yrs back I got samples from Analog Devices of a low noise audio switch and a dc controlled vol chip ( 0.002% thd ) I knocked them together with a couple of 5532's and have been enjoying them since ( from tv/dvd or Technics CD into 4 x 75wrms mosfet amps and onto a pair of ILP TL4's, ground/door and window shaking stuff and very clear, or so I thought..... last week I got hold of samples of National's LM4562 and replaced the 5532's, the attack on drums is now much better and everything sounds tighter. Anybody who thinks that a LM4562 sounds better than a NE5532, both in well-designed circuits, is suffering from specificaion-induced constructor's ear. They are both free of audible distortion unless someone screws up the design. As it was chucked together I used 7815 & 7915 regs, I had a trouble with rf on the -ve rail which could be heard as a faint hiss, so I thought whilst it's in bits I'll go over the power supply , no need! it's now silent, better rejection ? More than likely you screwed up the design by not properly bypassing the 5532 power pins in the origional design. Conventional wisdom is that a suitable cap (classic 0.05 uF ceramic for example) between the power supply pins will settle them down. More than likely National idiot-proofed the 4562s." |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
Pete Cross wrote:
I didn't understand exactly what the 'speakers were. The earlier post says ILP TL4, but I can't find any references for these. I know of ILP as amplifier module manufacturers, but not for 'speakers. I also haven't seen anything from Arnie casting doubt on the metal faculties of the builder. Possibly my News server misses the odd post. S. My typo -------- the speakers are IPL Acoustics STL4's Re Arny K, his suggestion that I'd screwed the design up and that National had idiot proofed the new LM4562's gave me the impression he thought I was the idiot, maybe I read too much into his comments. I still say though, these sound much better than the 5532's. Quote " 2. a few yrs back I got samples from Analog Devices of a low noise audio switch and a dc controlled vol chip ( 0.002% thd ) I knocked them together with a couple of 5532's and have been enjoying them since ( from tv/dvd or Technics CD into 4 x 75wrms mosfet amps and onto a pair of ILP TL4's, ground/door and window shaking stuff and very clear, or so I thought..... last week I got hold of samples of National's LM4562 and replaced the 5532's, the attack on drums is now much better and everything sounds tighter. Anybody who thinks that a LM4562 sounds better than a NE5532, both in well-designed circuits, is suffering from specificaion-induced constructor's ear. They are both free of audible distortion unless someone screws up the design. I've looked up the STL4s, I'm rather a fan of transmission line 'speakers. Generally, they need plenty of power, but I should think you would have good reason to be happy with them. As to the sound of different chips, I'm rather with Arnie on this one. If the design is reasonably sound, and you get low distortion and noise, then I don't think there would be any audible difference. There are well accepted thresholds for the minimum noise, distortion and frequency response variations which are audible. Once two amplifiers are each below the threshold, whatever differences there are between them will not be audible. For example, one amplifier having 0.05% distortion and another having 0.01% won't sound any different, as it is generally accepted that the threshold for distortion on programme material is at least 0.1%. Analogue tape machines' output were rated as standard at the 3% THD level. Typical values were 1% at 0dB and 2-3% at 8dB above 0dB which was considered peak level. At the time, few people complained that the tape machine's distortion was ruining the music, and even today, some artists like the analogue tape sound. My two turntables both had 741s in the RIAA equaliser, which I replaced with TL071s, only because I couldn't stand the idea of 741s. The TL071 is a direct plug-in replacement and the equalisers have their ICs on sockets, so the replacement was easy. I didn't even have to solder anything. I suppose the distortion of the TL071-equipped equaliser could be lower than before (I didn't measure a before and after) but any reduction would be swamped by the inherent distortion of vinyl and the cartridge. I certainly haven't noticed any improvement, I just feel better not having 741s in the signal path. S. |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
As to the sound of different chips, I'm rather with Arnie on this one.
If the design is reasonably sound, and you get low distortion and noise, then I don't think there would be any audible difference. The LM4562's boast 20v/uS slew rate, the 5532's a measly 6v/uS , google for lm4652 and there are a few people saying same as me, there's more detail and bass drums stand out amongst bass lines, I'm convinced they didn't before, I guess I should put the 5532's back in but that's too much messing and I have other fish to fry......... I too would avoid 741's and LF351's too that seem to keep appearing... Pete |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
Serge Auckland wrote:
My two turntables both had 741s in the RIAA equaliser, which I replaced with TL071s, only because I couldn't stand the idea of 741s. The TL071 is a direct plug-in replacement and the equalisers have their ICs on sockets, so the replacement was easy. I didn't even have to solder anything. I suppose the distortion of the TL071-equipped equaliser could be lower than before (I didn't measure a before and after) but any reduction would be swamped by the inherent distortion of vinyl and the cartridge. I certainly haven't noticed any improvement, I just feel better not having 741s in the signal path. Were the 741's used for high-level equalisation or as the input-devices? My phono stage has an LM301, but only as a buffer after the long-tailed pair and current mirror, and still sounds good. I don't see any reason to replace it. -- Eiron. |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
In article , Serge Auckland
wrote: My two turntables both had 741s in the RIAA equaliser, which I replaced with TL071s, only because I couldn't stand the idea of 741s. The TL071 is a direct plug-in replacement and the equalisers have their ICs on sockets, so the replacement was easy. I didn't even have to solder anything. I suppose the distortion of the TL071-equipped equaliser could be lower than before (I didn't measure a before and after) but any reduction would be swamped by the inherent distortion of vinyl and the cartridge. I certainly haven't noticed any improvement, I just feel better not having 741s in the signal path. When I used to do such things I ended up designing a pre-amp using HA12017's for all the gain stages. This despite the IC being intended by Hitachi as an RIAA preamp for MM cartridge. I couldn't hear any real differences between this and other ICs I tried - nor could anyone else I tried the comparisons on at the time. However the HA12017 gave slightly better results in terms of various specs, so coped with a wider range of signals and output loads. Took a little fiddling with the compensation to make it work, but turned out OK. So far as I know, no-one else used the HA12017's like this, and I guess they are long obsolete nowdays! :-) FWIW When I tried using stabliser ICs like the 78/9XX familiy I also found they tended to oscillate at a few MHz, so built PSU regulators with discrete devices. So far as I recall, there were no audible effects I or others noticed due to the oscillations. I had RF decoupled the power lines on each individual IC, though. Just seemed a good idea to make a better PSU. Oh... and I don't really have a 'Desert Island Discs' list as I keep changing my mind about what I am enjoying. Most recent has been the Rubbra Symphonies (Hickock BBCNoW on Chandos) but before that it was a collection of Benny Goodman Sextet on a Vocalion/Dutton CD. Before that I think it was a recording of some Alain organ music from R3 performed by his sister in 1981 and 1986. Before that Pentangle... Special favourites from a while ago include the Uchida sets of Schubert and Mozart sonatas, and some of the re-issues of Duke Ellington with extra tracks. Slainte, Jim -- Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
Eiron wrote:
Serge Auckland wrote: My two turntables both had 741s in the RIAA equaliser, which I replaced with TL071s, only because I couldn't stand the idea of 741s. The TL071 is a direct plug-in replacement and the equalisers have their ICs on sockets, so the replacement was easy. I didn't even have to solder anything. I suppose the distortion of the TL071-equipped equaliser could be lower than before (I didn't measure a before and after) but any reduction would be swamped by the inherent distortion of vinyl and the cartridge. I certainly haven't noticed any improvement, I just feel better not having 741s in the signal path. Were the 741's used for high-level equalisation or as the input-devices? My phono stage has an LM301, but only as a buffer after the long-tailed pair and current mirror, and still sounds good. I don't see any reason to replace it. Both. In the EMT 948, the Equaliser has three stages, all with 741s. The first stage is the equaliser proper, stage 2 is the active rumble filter and stage 3 is an active low-pass filter at 25kHz. The signal is then passed to a balanced line driver with a 741 input buffer, an LM301 driver and gin adjust stage and a push-pull output driver with a balanced output transformer. In the AEG, the first gain and equalisation stage is a TDA2310, then followed by two 741s as an active rumble filter with a further 741 as a gain adjustment stage. The signal then passes to a line driver stage with a 741 as input buffer and LM378 as output driver again driving a balancing transformer. In both cases I have by-passed the rumble filter. S. |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
"Pete Cross" wrote in message
As to the sound of different chips, I'm rather with Arnie on this one. If the design is reasonably sound, and you get low distortion and noise, then I don't think there would be any audible difference. The LM4562's boast 20v/uS slew rate, the 5532's a measly 6v/uS , So what? As long as the op amp's slew rate is far less than the slew rate of the audio signal, no problems. I'll leave it as an exercise for you to calculate the slew rate of a 20 KHz wave at whatever voltage you think there is in your project's circuit. google for lm4652 and there are a few people saying same as me, there's more detail and bass drums stand out amongst bass lines, There are people who will say anything. Apparently there are people who thought that Anna Nicole Smith was beautiful! I'm convinced they didn't before, I guess I should put the 5532's back in but that's too much messing and I have other fish to fry.... That's how everybody who has avoided the obvious pitfalls of sighted evaluations thinks - before they rip out perfectly good 5532s! I too would avoid 741's and LF351's too that seem to keep appearing... It takes a lot of ignorance to compare 741s to LF 351s. There's about a 13:1 difference in slew rate, and a 741 is so slow that it could conceivably get into trouble. You really need to do some good double blind tests. |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
"Pete Cross" wrote in message
My typo -------- the speakers are IPL Acoustics STL4's Re Arny K, his suggestion that I'd screwed the design up and that National had idiot proofed the new LM4562's gave me the impression he thought I was the idiot, maybe I read too much into his comments. You did read too much into my comments. "idiot proofing" is one of those things that benefits all of us because we all mistakes. I still say though, these sound much better than the 5532's. If it gets you through the day... Trust me, better ears than yours have done far more carefully controlled listening tests, and come up empty. Beware of constructor's ear. |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
In article , Pete Cross wrote:
As to the sound of different chips, I'm rather with Arnie on this one. If the design is reasonably sound, and you get low distortion and noise, then I don't think there would be any audible difference. The LM4562's boast 20v/uS slew rate, the 5532's a measly 6v/uS , Erm.. I'm not sure what kind of music you listen to, or what speakers you are using, but if I've estimated it correctly, 6v/microsec translates into a power bandwidth of the order of 95kHz for +/-10V waveforms. :-) google for lm4652 and there are a few people saying same as me, there's more detail and bass drums stand out amongst bass lines, How many recordings of bass drums give transients approaching 6v/microsecond with peak levels of less than 10V? I'm afraid that if you read magazines, forums, etc you will see all kinds of 'opinions' given - often contradictory. FWIW rather than simply comparing raw 'slew rate' values I think it would be better to take note of the load used (as this will have an effect on the slew rate delivered) and the level of distortion for an audible HF test signal of a kind which could be expected to arise in real use. Slainte, Jim -- Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
ok, I'm biased.......
there must be something though....... http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showt...threadid=86276 or maybe my ears are shot as I spent 8yrs working under Hugh Banton ( VDGG ) Pete |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
"Pete Cross" wrote in message
ok, I'm biased....... there must be something though....... http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showt...threadid=86276 Yes, a lot of sighted evaluations and constructor's ear. Ever heard what happens to music after it passes through say 20 TL074 op amp stages, level-matched? I have, and so have a number of others who might have better hearing than I. The answer is nothing. |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
"Serge Auckland" wrote in message ... As things are quiet, I was musing on what my Desert Island Disks would be, and also, what are my best recordings that I use for equipment evaluation. For those not familiar with Desert Island Disks, this is a very long-running series on BBC radio, which supposes you're shipwrecked on a desert island with no hope of rescue, and you have to choose those 8 recordings (and only 8)to take with you. Here are mine in no particular order, what are yours:- I've had a think and conclude it is impossible to choose just 8 recordings from my 'Top Ten' (which numbers probably over a hundred discs anyway) and so would would grab a bunch of discs which I haven't played yet. But...... 6*. Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending. Musically I prefer the old Boult/Bean recording, but it is hissy and has horrible modulation noise on it. For a good modern version, the BBCSO Davis/Little recording is excellent, and Tasmin Little does a pretty good job of the solo. The Boult/Bean 'Larka' would be the disc I would take if I was allowed only *one* - it's almost a daily (post prandial) ritual for me....!! (As you know already! ;-) |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
"Keith G" wrote in message ... "Serge Auckland" wrote in message ... As things are quiet, I was musing on what my Desert Island Disks would be, and also, what are my best recordings that I use for equipment evaluation. For those not familiar with Desert Island Disks, this is a very long-running series on BBC radio, which supposes you're shipwrecked on a desert island with no hope of rescue, and you have to choose those 8 recordings (and only 8)to take with you. Here are mine in no particular order, what are yours:- I've had a think and conclude it is impossible to choose just 8 recordings from my 'Top Ten' (which numbers probably over a hundred discs anyway) and so would would grab a bunch of discs which I haven't played yet. The second 'would' wants to be a 'probably'.... |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
On 2007-02-22, Jim Lesurf wrote:
In article , Serge Auckland wrote: ... Oh... and I don't really have a 'Desert Island Discs' list as I keep changing my mind about what I am enjoying. Most recent has been the Rubbra Symphonies (Hickock BBCNoW on Chandos) but before that it was a collection of Benny Goodman Sextet on a Vocalion/Dutton CD. Before that I think it was a recording of some Alain organ music from R3 performed by his sister in 1981 and 1986. Before that Pentangle... Special favourites from a while ago include the Uchida sets of Schubert and Mozart sonatas, and some of the re-issues of Duke Ellington with extra tracks. Yes - my list is definitely not the same as it was a year (or a few years) ago. I notice my tastes have evolved. For example, I would not have bought some of my contemprary music (e.g. Boulez or Ligeti) when I first started listening seriously. However a few disks have remained on the list for a very long time indeed, or remain on the next level just behind the music I am enjoying right now. Nevertheless it was fun to ask myself just what was the list of things I particularly like at this moment. -- John Phillips |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
On 2007-02-24, Keith G wrote:
"Serge Auckland" wrote in message ... As things are quiet, I was musing on what my Desert Island Disks would be, and also, what are my best recordings that I use for equipment evaluation. ... The Boult/Bean 'Larka' would be the disc I would take if I was allowed only *one* - it's almost a daily (post prandial) ritual for me....!! I am sure I have that in the LP archive which I am unable to play today. I have distant memories of its quality. I must get a CD copy the next time I raid Amazon. (Actually I think I have now got copies of much of what I really liked on LP in the late 1970s - probably a case of the first version you hear defining the reference.) -- John Phillips |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
"John Phillips" wrote in message ... On 2007-02-24, Keith G wrote: "Serge Auckland" wrote in message ... As things are quiet, I was musing on what my Desert Island Disks would be, and also, what are my best recordings that I use for equipment evaluation. ... The Boult/Bean 'Larka' would be the disc I would take if I was allowed only *one* - it's almost a daily (post prandial) ritual for me....!! I am sure I have that in the LP archive which I am unable to play today. I have distant memories of its quality. I must get a CD copy the next time I raid Amazon. (Actually I think I have now got copies of much of what I really liked on LP in the late 1970s - probably a case of the first version you hear defining the reference.) Yes, I believe that entirely - not only music (discs &c.) but kit also, speakers especially! I have had a number of emails (UK and US) from people who are now trying to find the *same* kit they had a few decades ago! (If your Larka LP is the EMI ASD 2329 and you really are not ever going to play it, I would like to buy it off you - my copy has done many *hundreds* of performances over the last few years and still sounds good, but it ain't gonna last forever!! :-) |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
"John Phillips" wrote in message ... On 2007-02-22, Jim Lesurf wrote: In article , Serge Auckland wrote: ... Oh... and I don't really have a 'Desert Island Discs' list as I keep changing my mind about what I am enjoying. Most recent has been the Rubbra Symphonies (Hickock BBCNoW on Chandos) but before that it was a collection of Benny Goodman Sextet on a Vocalion/Dutton CD. Before that I think it was a recording of some Alain organ music from R3 performed by his sister in 1981 and 1986. Before that Pentangle... Special favourites from a while ago include the Uchida sets of Schubert and Mozart sonatas, and some of the re-issues of Duke Ellington with extra tracks. Yes - my list is definitely not the same as it was a year (or a few years) ago. I notice my tastes have evolved. For example, I would not have bought some of my contemprary music (e.g. Boulez or Ligeti) when I first started listening seriously. However a few disks have remained on the list for a very long time indeed, or remain on the next level just behind the music I am enjoying right now. Nevertheless it was fun to ask myself just what was the list of things I particularly like at this moment. -- John Phillips Interesting how tastes change, and also how they don't. Although I am listening to a wider range of music than I was in my youth, my DID selection hasn't changed except obviously for the recent recordings, but in the case of Clapton or Cream, some early recordings would have substituted. My favourites now are still the favourites I had in my late teens and early twenties. Maybe I just haven't evolved. S. |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
On 2007-02-25, Keith G wrote:
"John Phillips" wrote in message ... On 2007-02-24, Keith G wrote: The Boult/Bean 'Larka' would be the disc I would take if I was allowed only *one* - it's almost a daily (post prandial) ritual for me....!! I am sure I have that in the LP archive which I am unable to play today. I have distant memories of its quality. I must get a CD copy the next time I raid Amazon. (If your Larka LP is the EMI ASD 2329 and you really are not ever going to play it, I would like to buy it off you - my copy has done many *hundreds* of performances over the last few years and still sounds good, but it ain't gonna last forever!! :-) I will look the next time I am at my parents' place - the archive isn't here with me at the moment. -- John Phillips |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
On 2007-02-25, Keith G wrote:
"John Phillips" wrote in message ... (Actually I think I have now got copies of much of what I really liked on LP in the late 1970s - probably a case of the first version you hear defining the reference.) Yes, I believe that entirely - not only music (discs &c.) but kit also, speakers especially! I have had a number of emails (UK and US) from people who are now trying to find the *same* kit they had a few decades ago! I have been occasionally listening to new loudspeakers over the 20+ years since the last pair got bought. I kept on deciding that nothing was better until three years ago when it became clear that at least some new speakers were indeed *much* better. They probably had been better for a long time, in spite of my denial. -- John Phillips |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
On 2007-02-25, Serge Auckland wrote:
"John Phillips" wrote in message ... On 2007-02-22, Jim Lesurf wrote: ... Oh... and I don't really have a 'Desert Island Discs' list as I keep changing my mind about what I am enjoying. Most recent has been the Rubbra Symphonies (Hickock BBCNoW on Chandos) but before that it was a collection of Benny Goodman Sextet on a Vocalion/Dutton CD. Before that I think it was a recording of some Alain organ music from R3 performed by his sister in 1981 and 1986. Before that Pentangle... Special favourites from a while ago include the Uchida sets of Schubert and Mozart sonatas, and some of the re-issues of Duke Ellington with extra tracks. Yes - my list is definitely not the same as it was a year (or a few years) ago. I notice my tastes have evolved. For example, I would not have bought some of my contemprary music (e.g. Boulez or Ligeti) when I first started listening seriously. However a few disks have remained on the list for a very long time indeed, or remain on the next level just behind the music I am enjoying right now. Interesting how tastes change, and also how they don't. Although I am listening to a wider range of music than I was in my youth, my DID selection hasn't changed except obviously for the recent recordings, but in the case of Clapton or Cream, some early recordings would have substituted. My favourites now are still the favourites I had in my late teens and early twenties. Maybe I just haven't evolved. I think this is fairly normal. I think tastes or personal references are, as I have said, often set by first experience. But then, for me, it has often been chance which has caused evolution. For example finding a couple of disks in a sale, from composers or performers I didn't know, at a price where I couldn't refuse to try them out. Then there's the radio (and the concert hall to a lesser extent) where more chance encounters happen. I can point to specific examples. These days I often seek such chances, much more than I used to. Almost never, however, has such an evolution caused me to disown earlier favourites - they've just been pushed a little way down the list. (Or, alternatively the list has just grown longer as a result.) -- John Phillips |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
On 26 Feb 2007 10:52:13 GMT, John Phillips
wrote: My favourites now are still the favourites I had in my late teens and early twenties. Maybe I just haven't evolved. I think this is fairly normal. I think tastes or personal references are, as I have said, often set by first experience. But then, for me, it has often been chance which has caused evolution. Some of the stuff I liked then now seems rather trivial. But conversely, I've come to appreciate some of the pop and rock music that previously I'd dismissed as mere noise. |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
"John Phillips" wrote in message ... On 2007-02-25, Keith G wrote: "John Phillips" wrote in message ... On 2007-02-24, Keith G wrote: The Boult/Bean 'Larka' would be the disc I would take if I was allowed only *one* - it's almost a daily (post prandial) ritual for me....!! I am sure I have that in the LP archive which I am unable to play today. I have distant memories of its quality. I must get a CD copy the next time I raid Amazon. (If your Larka LP is the EMI ASD 2329 and you really are not ever going to play it, I would like to buy it off you - my copy has done many *hundreds* of performances over the last few years and still sounds good, but it ain't gonna last forever!! :-) I will look the next time I am at my parents' place - the archive isn't here with me at the moment. Okey dokey! I would be very pleased to have it if you really weren't going to play it again! |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
"John Phillips" wrote in message ... On 2007-02-25, Keith G wrote: "John Phillips" wrote in message ... (Actually I think I have now got copies of much of what I really liked on LP in the late 1970s - probably a case of the first version you hear defining the reference.) Yes, I believe that entirely - not only music (discs &c.) but kit also, speakers especially! I have had a number of emails (UK and US) from people who are now trying to find the *same* kit they had a few decades ago! I have been occasionally listening to new loudspeakers over the 20+ years since the last pair got bought. I kept on deciding that nothing was better until three years ago when it became clear that at least some new speakers were indeed *much* better. They probably had been better for a long time, in spite of my denial. Interesting - what were the 'old and new' speakers..?? I think, out of anything, it's the 'speaker sound' that gets ironed in at an early age - that and the 'sound of vinyl', which I have never been able to shake off!! |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
On 2007-02-27, Keith G wrote:
"John Phillips" wrote in message ... On 2007-02-25, Keith G wrote: "John Phillips" wrote in message ... (Actually I think I have now got copies of much of what I really liked on LP in the late 1970s - probably a case of the first version you hear defining the reference.) Yes, I believe that entirely - not only music (discs &c.) but kit also, speakers especially! I have had a number of emails (UK and US) from people who are now trying to find the *same* kit they had a few decades ago! I have been occasionally listening to new loudspeakers over the 20+ years since the last pair got bought. I kept on deciding that nothing was better until three years ago when it became clear that at least some new speakers were indeed *much* better. They probably had been better for a long time, in spite of my denial. Interesting - what were the 'old and new' speakers..?? Old: Celestion Ditton 25. New: Proac Response D15. The rather large Celestions (12" bass-mid driver, 12" ABR etc.) had a very flabby not teribly extended bass which the somewhat smaller Proacs with a 6.5" (SEAS Excel) midbass driver soundly thrash (actually the Proacs are just much better all round). However in my defence the Celestions were very good on vocal music which is perhaps my personal yardstick for a good 'speaker. That was probably why it took so long to finally replace them. -- John Phillips |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
"John Phillips" wrote in message ... On 2007-02-27, Keith G wrote: Interesting - what were the 'old and new' speakers..?? Old: Celestion Ditton 25. New: Proac Response D15. How very apt, I've just finished this evening's 'Larka' - a particularly sweet rendition tonight, thanks to the V15/III I put on yesterday!! :-) The rather large Celestions (12" bass-mid driver, 12" ABR etc.) had a very flabby not teribly extended bass which the somewhat smaller Proacs with a 6.5" (SEAS Excel) midbass driver soundly thrash (actually the Proacs are just much better all round). And very interesting - a recent visitor here (last Friday) has Impulse 'Lalis' (I forget the model number) with Seas and, I think, Focal drivers. He mentioned that he was seriously considering a pair of Ditton 66s. I said that he might find the bass a bit flabby in comparison, after this period of time!! (But, having said that, he claimed my Fidelios had better bass than the Lalis...???) http://www.acoustica.org.uk/impulse/images/lali1.jpg http://www.acoustica.org.uk/impulse/images/lali2.jpg However in my defence the Celestions were very good on vocal music which is perhaps my personal yardstick for a good 'speaker. That was probably why it took so long to finally replace them. Understood and agreed.... |
Your Desert Island Disks and Best Recordings
Hmmm desert island discs.
1. Dr John - Afterglow 2. Scriabin Sonatas 3,5,etc, Horowitz 3. Donald Fagan - Morph the Cat 4. Chopin Mazurkas etc. Moritz Rosenthal 5. Bach Christmas Oratorio, Munchinger 6. Ahmad Jamal - Poinciana revisited 7. Manuel de Falla - Tricorne, Ansermet 8. Stravinsky Les Noces, Bernstein 9. Wagner - Die Meistersinger, Knappertsbusch 10. Janacek - Jenufa, Jilek |
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