Mono collectors (not illness related)
spelunk
3,400 Posts
I know that a lot of the more typical collector types tend to dig OG mono copies of records, even in instances where Stereo was a viable option when the album was recorded. Happens a lot with 60s British stuff, Beatles, etc. I'm not talking about those "electronically fucked with to simulate stereo" records, because a lot of those really do sound like junk. To my ears the mono mixes of these records almost always sound muddy, and I almost always prefer having the record in stereo, but I grew up with things that way and listen a lot on headphones so I'm biased.Are there reasons people prefer mono mixes, or is it just a general collector oddity?
Comments
People with ears pick and choose. For example early US Capitol Beatles and Beach Boys records often have complete seperation, lead and bass left, drums & rhythm right voices in middle. Same for many other early Capitol records. Echo was also often added to the stereo mix.
In classical collecting RCA and London Stereos was the big thing a number of years ago.
In the case of Blue Note, I think the mono mix was done by Rudy Van Gelder.
As for things like records from 67'-'70 it's just that the mono mix is raer.
Referring to the differences in how they are pressed (i.e. better tracking on a mono record)? Cause I've heard this argument and it makes sense until I listen to the actual record. I'd actually say that because of the low signal to noise ratio & limited EQ techniques of the era, stereo is crucial because it allows for separation. I think my ears are just trained in stereo though, I like being able to pick out instruments as part of a mix.
After Bathing at Baxters
Out of Our Heads
Angry Young Them
Are You Experienced?
Roger the Engineer
yes. huge difference.
I have a tube powered mono record player and I play 78s using the mono needle. Some early R&B, country and hard bop titles are the best sounding records I own.
But...
they have noticeable wear out after about 20 plays and will break when you simply look at them.
I'm surprised.
add to this list:
Remains - s/t (Epic)
You've never heard the mono mix? Much like TheMack's secret santa package SHIT IS HEAVY.
Byrds "The Notorious Byrd Brothers" sounds a lot better than the stereo ones...
I recently had the pleasure of listning to a Mint OG Mono "Workin with the Miles Davis Quintet" and it was unbelievable...well, any mint mono Van Gelder is going to be the queen's tits.
I have been wanting a mint Beatles "Paperback Writer" 45 for the longest time as it is one of my favorite Beatles tunes and the Stereo LP version sounds like pooh...the mono one is like a kick to the chest...really great..
speaking of mono, I recently had a big "dumbass" moment..I save all my music files on my computer as WAVs, well because MP3s sound like ass...so for the last few years I have been digitizing vinyl (using Soundforge) but I have been recording the mono records in stereo, not thinking to record them in mono, which would make the files half as big, thus more room on the hard drive(s)...DOH!
I'd also like to hear about this... Experiences, pros/cons?
All i know is that they aren't cheap.
Hell, a VG- will do the job. Them shits can take a hella beating and still play nice. Like the Volvo 240s of records.
I bought a pretty damn scuffed Riverside mono LP yesterday. Sounded ruff on my portable, but after a cleaning and using a good needle properly balanced tonearm sounds perfect.
you know you can go back and reformat them to mono quite easily, right? In case you don't, I think it's alt+enter and then format tab and click the mono button and choose a channel.
this gives a whole new meaning to
The station wagon is the realz. You can fit a complete single mattress up in that bitch with the back seat down.
I always wondered what that greamlin meant? Volvo jazz? Is that like those 32 jazz comps: Jazz for Sunday Brunch shits? Nora Jones? Or who's that other bitch that was supposed to be hot, but ended up fucking Elvis Costello?
I was lucky enough to find a clean copy of this recently. I was so familiar with the stereo version, it was like hearing it new again.
Like a virgin, touched for the very first time (by Jimi Hendrix)
My dad gave me a 1983 Volvo 240 when I turned 16. Drove it for about ten years and I sold it for $1000. It had 370,000 miles on it. I did this to buy a 1988 240 for $800. I drove that car for 8 years and sold it for $600. Best cars evar.
A friend of mine had a beater 240 that we really wanted to get on that Pimp My Ride show, but you gotta live in LA apparently, and there was no way that thing was gonna make it down the Grapevine. A pimped out Volvo would be so ill though.
People's comments about mono pressings make a lot of sense now that I really start to think about it, especially given all the phase issues that stereo introduces, and the limited resources of that era to deal with such things. I guess I've just never really had the chance to A/B stuff like that. The mono stuff of that era that I do own does play damn nicely.
There's also the fact that for years, only a mono mix had been created and a stereo mix for songs from the 50's and 60's weren't done until the 70's or 80's, so if you're wanting to get technical, those stereo mixes aren't true to what happened during post-production when the song was being recorded. When a stereo mix is made, that becomes what everyone ends up hearing on the radio.
After 1968, most albums came out in stereo only. However, labels did release promo mono pressings, but these were all "fold downs", meaning that all they did was combine both channels. The mono mixes are not unique, and aren't of too much value except for completists. These mono mixes were for AM radio airplay, but when it became obvious that AM radio wouldn't be playing Blind Faith, Yusef Lateef, or Herbie Mann, promo mono LP's were stopped. The 45's kept on going, with stereo/mono mixes, and most of the mono mixes were fold downs. One exception I know of is the Mystic Moods' "Cosmic Sea", as the mono mix is unique and has extra things that aren't heard in the stereo mix. This is due to producer Brad Miller (r.i.p.) being an audiophile and mix freak, so he went out of his way to satisfy those who paid attention.
Early Mothers Of Invention albums have a lot of different things going on in the mono mixes, same for The Who (find a mono pressing of The Who Sell Out[/b]). Or listen to the mono mix of Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive".
For years, Both Sides Now (or what we know as bsnpubs.com) would emphasize the importance of stereo mixes, I remember reading somewhere that on major labels, one stereo album was made for every 40 copies in mono. As people started upgrading their stereos, and as stereo equipment became more affordable, there was the gradual move from mono to stereo, and as people began to hear with two ears, mono seemed disposable. Years later, collectors would realize that some of the more desirable mixes were on the mono pressings. Now you have labels like Classic Records and Sundazed that will have new pressings of certain albums in mono, which in turn makes those original pressings more desirable too.
I forgot what label it was, but I was told that in the early 60's, one label simply folded down their stereo mixes for the mono versions, which was once considered uncommon since most labels made two distinct mixes. If I remember, I'll come back and post it.
LOL... indeed.