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UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads (Read 1779 times)
Ed Pong
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UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
05/21/20 at 14:27:11
 
I've been recording classical chamber music on 15 ips tape for about 10 years. And offering only tape copies...

I'm happy to announce UltraAnalogue Recordings is releasing selected tapes for digital download in 2 formats:

DSD128 and 24/192kHz FLAC

This is to give audiophiles who do not have tape decks a chance to hear these wonderful recordings...

These are 1st generation 2xDSD recordings of the 15 ips analogue master tapes. The PCM FLAC files are derived from these DSD128 copies.

IMHO I feel 2xDSD comes closest to the analogue master tape character...
The only thing better is an analogue tape copy from our website!

Please have a look:
https://ultraanaloguerecordings.com/new/shop-digital-downloads/

There are 4 Free Sample downloads - please have a listen...
Opening of Danse Macabre & Paganini Caprice No.5

Here are Steve's comments on these & the downloads from the analogue tape section of this Forum: https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl?num=1587948130

I hope you will enjoy this timeless music!

Ed
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hells
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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #1 - 05/21/20 at 18:10:31
 
I bought a couple (Tatsuki Narita and Beethoven Violin Sonata No.5) and can attest that the quality of both the musicianship and the recordings are great. Would definitely recommend!
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Steve Deckert
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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #2 - 05/22/20 at 05:14:14
 

The quality of these recordings are especially important to hear if you aren't into classical music...  try one and see if you can figure out why I would make such a comment.

Steve

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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #3 - 05/22/20 at 06:40:49
 
I agree! My favorite so far is Tatsuki Narita. The violin is just haunting.
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Ed Pong
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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #4 - 05/22/20 at 13:56:03
 
I'd like to share something with you all, I shared with Brandon yesterday... I think he was moved by Tatsuki's playing... so I wanted to give him the background to the recording that he's taking about..."Tatsuki Narita"

Just a bit of insight into this young Japanese virtuoso... his career is mainly in Japan & the Far East. I met him a couple years after he came 2nd in the QE Comp in Belgium... many thought he should’ve won... He's a passionate artist & once told me the only person who can rehair his bows is a bow maker in Paris, so every 3 months he goes to Japan to atelier of Alain Herou. So a few years ago, I met Tatsuki in Paris just after the new year to meet Alain.... well, it was so obvious Alain’s talent... Tatsuki was playing a concert in my place in March & Alain said, “I’m coming!” Never did I think he was serious... but he came & spent 1 week with us! This is where the story gets very interesting... I have a rare bow which was not so much liked by many violinists I showed it to... Alain after looking at it said, "let me rehair it, do some adjustments & you will see, this is one of the best bows I have ever seen".... This was Friday before the concert on Saturday.... Tatsuki played this bow just before -  We all heard, OK, but nothing special... then we went to my basement workshop (I also make violins..) Alain rehaired & adjusted slightly...
We came upstairs, he handed Tatsuki the bow & after the 1st stroke, we all looked at each other in astonishment... there was so much depth, texture & dynamics to the sound... in audio. It’s like we got new tube amps! Tatsuki was shocked & so happy... with Alain sitting at the back of the hall, we decided to record these 5 pieces to commemorate our 4 yrs of making music together. They are literally 1st takes one after the other... the Saturday concert program was completely different!
First the key is really, not recording equipment are we using...(that is very important) but what are we recording? What is the source? It's the combination of the artist, violin & bow that creates the sound & almost no one is aware of the importance of the bow in this equation!
The magic in these sounds is captured by the signal path we have built, literally we built everything from the microphone cable to the record & playback amps for the Studers. The microphone pre-amp is the magic piece that lets all of the low level signals thru which creates the naturalness & air in the recordings...

This is the background story about those 5 tracks...
Magic happens rarely & I was so happy to capture it that afternoon!

Thank you Brandon for trying my recordings!

Ed
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Lonely Raven
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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #5 - 05/26/20 at 23:43:28
 
Is that "Digital Download: Beethoven Violin Sonata No.5, Op.24" You're talking about? I'm tempted to buy it after hearing the backstory.
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hells
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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #6 - 05/26/20 at 23:50:45
 
Nope it’s Tatsuki Narita.
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Ed Pong
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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #7 - 05/26/20 at 23:54:26
 
Thanks, for your question!

That story is the background behind the download "Tatsuki Narita"
There are 5 tracks, Danse Macabre, Ziguenerweisen, Nigun, Introduction & Tarantella, & Meditation.

I'm sounding like a salesman, but this is an amazing 5 tracks... (if you like violin music...) I was told, some software puts these tracks in alphabetical order... not good.. Play them in the order I listed here.

I'm sure you will enjoy it..
Ed
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Ed Pong
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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #8 - 05/30/20 at 18:31:34
 
I've just uploaded 8 tapes/downloads by star cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan... have a look at his management webpage: https://www.intermusica.co.uk/artist/Narek-Hakhnazaryan

amazing video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJkIsdDG2Rk

He won the Tchaikovsky Comp. 9 years ago & has an international solo career!

There are also 2 new Sample downloads:   Please have a listen...
1) Brahms Hungarian Dance No.5
2) 2nd Mov't of the Shostakovich Cello Sonata - Narek is playing this with Danill Trifanov in Carnegie Hall, Jan 2021.

https://ultraanaloguerecordings.com/new/8-new-digitial-downloads-with-star-celli...
st-narek-hakhnazaryan/

Enjoy!

Ed
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Ed Pong
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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #9 - 06/05/20 at 13:26:28
 
I just uploaded a great 24/192 kHz FLAC Sample track to the website:

It's a piece by Nicolo Paganini. As the story goes, he was in jail & all the strings on his violin were broken except 1.... so it's a piece all played on only the e string (high) of the violin... except here it's played on only the high string of the CELLO... Paganini - Moses Variations from an opera by Rossini...

My sense is, it sounds even better on cello... have a listen...
https://ultraanaloguerecordings.com/new/shop-digital-downloads/

Ed
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Ed Pong
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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #10 - 06/06/20 at 14:20:54
 
This Covit time has allowed me to make the 2xDSD recordings, transfers & upload 41 of my current tape catalog...

Just doing the math... for the price of 7 tapes, one could have all 41 downloads...

These digital downloads are as close as you can come to the 15 ips tape copies...

Enjoy!

Ed
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Steve Deckert
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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #11 - 06/08/20 at 02:20:15
 

See, something good did come as a result of this virus!  Ed's been busy!

Just a reminder for those not familiar with Reel-to-Reel tape, the only way to convert tape to digital is in real time, one at a time.  41 reels would be a solid week of 8 hour days if everything went perfect.

Smiley

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Ed Pong
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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #12 - 06/08/20 at 13:28:54
 
It's been a fascinating 1.5 months to do these digital transfers... a chance to "listen" thru many of my early studio recordings. It brought back memories of my 1st recording project, to record the Beethoven Cello Sonata No.3 & Rachmaninov Cello Sonata with Sietse-Jan Weijenberg & Yun-Yang Lee. We spent 10 days & when I listened to them, it brought back so many thoughts to those days 9 yrs ago!

Seitse-Jan is now the principal cellist of the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra in Amsterdam. I met him at the Rostropovich Cello Competition in Paris... over 10 yrs ago. He didn't win, but I felt he was the most musical...
I remember approaching him as the crowd was streaming out of the hall... luckily he's Dutch & 6'8" so he literally stood out above all of the crowd....
We went for a coffee & the rest is history....
We recorded together for 4 years - time goes fast when you're having fun...!

The earlier recordings did not have the 1956 NOS WE300b in the microphone preamp, nor the battery supplies to the record & playback amps for the Studer, however, I was still struck by the beautiful timbres & naturalness of the recordings... it just goes to show, how much low level information is on the master tape & by using the battery supply in the playback now, we're able to delve deeper into the recording & hear detail that was unresolved before...

I'm sorry to say, I'm starting to sound like a salesman now... better stop here..

Ed
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Ed Pong
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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #13 - 06/11/20 at 21:29:22
 
I just got this from Matej Isek of Mono and Stereo Hi-End Magazine... it's from the Music part of his review of a speaker...

https://ultraanaloguerecordings.com/new/review-digital-downloads/

Ed
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Steve Deckert
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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #14 - 06/12/20 at 04:43:16
 
Congratulations Ed, that's some great praise from someone well versed in the appreciation of music done right. I think your digital experiment will launch a whole new chapter for you.  

My struggle with digital since 1981 when I got my first CD player, was the CD format.  In my album collection there are many Telarc and GRP and similar labels that used 20 bit digital mastering machines.  I believe those machines weighed several hundred pounds and had wheels. (JVC and Soundcraft?)  It simply replaced the tape machine.  Albums still sounded good, like albums.  You could hear a difference between it and real analog but it was small enough to go unnoticed.  

Fast forward to the last 10 years.  I purchased a master tape from a well respected European company and enjoyed it very much.  I then purchased the DSD of the tape.  It sounded better than your average CD enough that anyone could notice, but it paled in comparison to the tape.  Then I got curious.... and purchased my first digital recorder, that I turned into the ZDSD.  I used it to create a direct 1 to 1 dump from the master tape to DSD and then compared my DSD to the master tape and was shocked to find it was 90% as good, good enough to fool serious audiophiles.  

I then compared my DSD to their DSD and it completely killed it.  The only speculation I can come up with is that their DSD got loaded onto a computer, opened by some software (like prostools) and got manipulated either directly or unintentionally by the software.

My guess is the majority of the industry trusts computers (mistake) and this is why going direct from hardware to memory card with no software and no computer is so rare.  I do it.  Ed does it.  Who else is doing it?  Anyway this is the difference you hear stacked on top of the insanely good triodes involved in the recording path that other vendors are not going to be able to match in my opinion.

Again, congratulations Ed, and I think todays hi-end 24 bit digital is up to the task to let audiophiles hear what tape is all about when it's done like this.  You're a real gift to the audio community and we appreciate you.

Steve
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Ed Pong
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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #15 - 06/16/20 at 01:27:46
 
Steve, you're too kind! Thank you always for your insight!

It's interesting comparing say YouTube sound to these downloads. I think we all get "used to" hearing MP3, Youtube etc & it becomes kind of "normal" in our minds... When one hears more detail, dynamics, life... it can be quite an eye (ear) opener!

Case in point is, I’m happy to release a digital download of 2 recordings I have not released on tape yet... these are 2 of my most recent recordings from a concert on March 7, 2020, just before the world shut down... These were live recordings of Beethoven Violin Sonatas No.3 and 4 by star violinist Alena Baeva & Van Cliburn winner, Vadym Kholodenko. They will not both fit on one 34min tape reel so I am waiting to record 2 short pieces to complete those reels. But they are here together as 1 larger download. https://ultraanaloguerecordings.com/new/shop-digital-downloads/

Here is the link to the Youtube video with digitally recorded sound of the same concert. It pales compared to the tape & this digital download of those tapes...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMAP18JwC5o&t=405s

Both are amazing pieces of music & here Alena & Vadym bring them vividly to life... there are many beautiful moments in both sonatas but I especially love the 3rd movement of No.4... the harmony & rhythmic drive as only Beethoven can write...

It is slightly more expensive because, like the Beethoven Archduke Trio & Kreutzer Sonata, it's longer than 1 tape...

Hope you can taste this...

Ed
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Ed Pong
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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #16 - 06/16/20 at 15:36:18
 
I've just added a Free Sample track from Allegro molto of Beethoven Violin Sonata No.4..
Please have a listen...
https://ultraanaloguerecordings.com/new/shop-digital-downloads/

Ed
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Reply #17 - 06/28/20 at 17:47:00
 
I've now bought a handful of downloads from Ed, and each one is fantastic!

My favorite recently has been the Beethoven Piano Ghost Trio No.4 Op.70 No.1. Another haunting performance, and the quality is great. I really recommend if you haven't yet, giving Ed's downloads a shot. They're really great sounding!

I've also really been enjoying Ravel Violin Sonatas No. 1&2 and Violin Favourites. So hard to choose between all of these. A lot of great musicality is present in these, the musicianship is just a joy to hear!

Thought I'd pop in and bump this thread, everybody needs to give Ed's recordings a shot Wink

- Brandon
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Mike_L
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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #18 - 01/27/21 at 13:34:16
 
I certainly agree regarding the quality of these downloads. After listening to the DSD128 version of a sample (link was embedded in one of Steve's reviews of Ed's digital downloads) I ordered Bach Cello Suite No.1 in G major played by cellist Sietse-Jan Weijenberg, a wonderful experience to be sure played through the ZDSD. Well done Ed!
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Ed Pong
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Re: UltraAnalogue Recordings & Digital Downloads
Reply #19 - 06/06/21 at 14:38:59
 
Sadly, Covid has stopped all new recordings, for the past 1.5 years, but these vaccines give us hope for more music later in 2021 & 2022 for sure.

I have a session booked with Alena, Vadym & hopefully Narek in Nov. 2022 to record the Beethoven Archduke Piano Trio!

I did release an earlier recording of 2 classic clarinet pieces... an instrument with a full spectrum of colours... it's paired with Beethoven's popular Moonlight Sonata:
https://ultraanaloguerecordings.com/new/shop/digital-downloads/musician-digital-...
downloads/julio-elizalde-musician-digital-downloads/digital-download-beethoven-m
oonlight-sonata-debussy-rhapsody-for-clarinet-weber-concertino-for-clarinet/

Enjoy

Ed
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