Direct-to-Disc
Printed From: Graham Slee Hifi System Components
Category: Music
Forum Name: Music!
Forum Description: Because it's #AllAboutTheMusic
URL: https://www.hifisystemcomponents.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=151
Printed Date: 27 Mar 2026 at 2:11am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Direct-to-Disc
Posted By: Analog Kid
Subject: Direct-to-Disc
Date Posted: 07 May 2008 at 1:57am
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Does anyone here have any Direct-to-Disc (D2D) recordings in their music collection? I only have two: *Lazy Lester (33 1/3 rpm 180-gram LP / Analogue Productions / 2000) -Cutting lathe: Neumann VMS70 with Ortofon cutter head *Laurindo Almeida: Virtuoso Guitar (45-rpm white LP / Crystal Clear Records / 1977) -Cutting lathe: Neumann VMS70 with Neumann SX74 cutter head Both were cut live direct to lacquer by Stan Ricker. The purity of sound, the clarity and the sense of realism is exceptional in these two recordings and is better than anything I have ever heard before. Direct-to-disc is the most challenging way to record but also the best sounding. All music should be recorded this way. Recording to tape is the second-best option and digital the worst. If any of you have any D2D albums you can recommend, let's hear from you. More information about the D2D process here: http://www.auldworks.com/AESDD/dd1.htm - http://www.auldworks.com/AESDD/dd1.htm |
Replies:
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 07 May 2008 at 9:49am
Hey, didn't they used to do that with 78s?  "So much behind us, still far to go" (Gilmour) ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: stuxter
Date Posted: 07 May 2008 at 12:25pm
I have `Jazz at The Pawnshop`, although i wouldnt say it was one of my best sounding LP`s 
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Posted By: Analog Kid
Date Posted: 07 May 2008 at 3:49pm
Eh? "Jazz at The Pawnshop" is not a D2D recording. It was recorded live direct to 2-track analog tape and then mastered for vinyl and later on for CD. |
stuxter wrote:Posted By: Analog Kid
Date Posted: 07 May 2008 at 3:53pm
Yes, and they should keep on doing it with 33s and 45s. Unfortunately your average band today is a bunch of worthless talentless hacks and they would ruin two dozen blank lacquers before they would get it right. Acoustic music should always be recorded direct-to-disc but for hard rock and metal tape is a better option since you simply need the warmth and fatness you get in those genres from analog tape. |
Posted By: stuxter
Date Posted: 07 May 2008 at 4:45pm
| its still dont sound amazing whatever it was mastered on ! |
Posted By: Analog Kid
Date Posted: 07 May 2008 at 4:55pm
What does that have to do with the D2D recording process? I never said it was amazing, and since this is not a D2D recording and we are discussing D2D recordings here, this discussion is null and void, don't you think?  Just to clarify: this thread is about albums recorded live direct to lacquer disc and "Jazz at the Pawnshop" was NOT recorded direct-to-disc, so whether that album sounds amazing or horrible is irrelevant as far as this topic is concerned. On topic: recording direct-to-disc is of course no guarantee for great sound if the live mix being fed to the cutting lathe is not of high quality or the musicians are poor performers. But as far as purity of sound and sense of realism, to my ears, nothing captures sound the way same as the D2D process. |
Posted By: Cyreg
Date Posted: 07 May 2008 at 8:30pm
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I own 3 real D2D LP's, all 3 sound very full, warm, realistic and detailed.
1978 on DIRECT-DISK LABS, Nashville: the new BRUBECK quartet/ A CUT ABOVE !
1976 on Sheffield Lab-5, California: Dave Crusin/ Discovered again
1973 on Sheffield Lab-1, California: Lincoln Mayorga/ Volume III
I have more LP's from MFSL, ATR, ECM etc that also sound very good.
I also must say that I own 30-50 LP's from the Rockjazz begin/mid-70's era and most of them sound very good too.
Weather Report, the first 5 albums
Return to Forever,
Chick Corea/Stanley Clark
Billy Cobham,
BackDoor etc.
Well I'm going to listen again! Have fun Han ------------- TecnoDec/RB250/MP110>GramAmp2C/PSU1; Cyrus CD8SE; > Exposure 3010S2D INT > Harbeth C7ES-3 '35th Anniversary' cabling: IC 2x DNM V3; LScable Exposure DMF-two; Furu TP60 + MWaY and BlackCable pc's |
Posted By: stuxter
Date Posted: 08 May 2008 at 11:25am
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@ analog kid
i prefer to listen to music i like , rather than high-brow audiophile recordings
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Posted By: Analog Kid
Date Posted: 21 May 2008 at 6:12am
Maybe if you listen to your "Jazz at the Pawnshop" LP using a 20,000 GBP K Crimson cartridge with a Lark's Tongue stylus, it will improve the sound.  |
Posted By: stuxter
Date Posted: 22 May 2008 at 8:36am
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im gonna start saving for one
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 24 May 2008 at 8:42am
A slight change of direction, but I will be watching and listening to the European Song Contest tonite
I will thoroughly enjoy it
 It's so crap it's brilliant  Adrian.
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Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 24 May 2008 at 11:41am
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One of the reviewers I often read often seems to use the Sheffield Labs recording of Harry James - The King James Version, as a reference recording - accordingly I sourced a copy for myself some time ago (I also have the Lincoln Mayorga that Han mentioned and a Blue Grass recording on Sheffield Labs D2D). I read some of the recording notes from the Harry James album and the recording process was quite a logistic exercise from that account so it is fairly easy to see why it is not done more often. I have generally found them to be rather special and enjoyable, but a couple of recent tweaks and a rather more liberal twist of the throttle really brought Harry James off the deck and into the living room today and I could hear what the reviewer was on about. Very exciting - wonder what it would sound like on top shelf gear - never mind, it was pretty awesome on mine, thanks to one GS, manufacturer and purveyor of fine audio products for the importunate and the discriminating. (free plug!) Do not adjust your mind - normal programming will resume shortly. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 24 May 2008 at 11:18pm
Well done Belgrade 
Adrian.
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Posted By: Analog Kid
Date Posted: 26 May 2008 at 12:33am
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European Song Contest = East European Baltic Pop Contest or maybe: European Dance Contest. For the first time ever since I started watching it in 1988, I forgot about it this year and missed it. There is nothing unique or original about the contest anymore. Ever since they allowed all countries to sing in English the quality went down the drain. The music is not even performed live. You have a bunch of monkeys that look like baboons on drugs jumping around dancing to a backing track. It has nothing to do with singing or music. It has become a purely eastern European dancing competition. Then there is the farcical voting system with everyone voting for their neighbors. In the past they used to have a panel of judges giving the points but not so anymore. Every year the performers are nothing but totally worthless and talentless hacks. Utterly pathetic show. No surprise that Russia won. I don't understand why western European countries even participate. They should stay out and let the Baltic gangsters run their own show. |