Reference Recordings 16-Bit Downloads

[astrotoy]

I just took a look at the HDTracks catalogue of RR downloads. A quick perusal shows the many of the 44/16 downloads are from the pre HDCD era. Except for a few that were converted to 176/24 later on, they would be 44/16 only in digital, in addition to analogue. However there are also quite a few that are available as HDCD CD's from Reference directly. Not clear what the master was recorded at, but those should be at least 20 bits or from the analogue tape converted to HDCD by the Pacific Microsonics Models One or Two that KOJ and Pflash Pflaumer developed.

 

Looks like most of the more recent 176/24 masters are available in 176/24, although there are some 176/24 master recordings that are only available in lower resolution downloads from HDT (like the Percy Grainger Lincolnshire Posey and Respighi Belkis albums). I have both of those in 176/24 bought directly from Reference in their HRx series, but they are only available as 88/24 or 44/16 downloads from HDT.

 

Keith Johnson started releasing HDCD encoded CD's in the early-mid 1990's. Before that point Keith used his focused gap tape recorder for analogue recordings (most of which were released in vinyl and CD by converted to ADD CD's). He then did parallel recordings in analogue tape and digital. I believe those were released as vinyl and DDD CD's. In the early mid 90's he started doing HDCD which led to the development of the Pacific Microsonics Model One and then Model Two. PM was eventually sold to MS, but there are still around 150 or so machines. The Model Two (of which I own one) can do up to 192/24 and Keith uses it for his recordings making 176/24 masters. Both Model One and Two do HDCD encoding and decoding and those machines were developed so that others interested in producing HDCD could have a machine to do it. If a file is HDCD encoded then a special light turns on in the Model Two (and One) indicating HDCD encoding.

 

Catalog and Track Listing

 

If you look at the RR CD catalogue, you will see that CD's released before around 1992 (up to about CD-50) are not HDCD.

 

I have all of the RR recordings that Keith did in vinyl from analogue tape masters (until they ended in the the mid '90's). I also have all but one or two of the more recent vinyl releases, mastered by Paul Stubblebine from digital masters (I believe all of those were 176/24 masters), and almost all of the RR HRx series of 176/24 master discs. I even have all of the Tape Project master dubs that Paul Stubblebine did of Reference Recordings analogue releases from the original master tapes.

 

Larry

[astrotoy]

These are the ones that I am referring to: originally released as HDCD-encoded CD's and now available as 16/44.1 downloads. The front of the CD booklet states that they are 24-bit recordings. I have several of these recordings on CD which I have ripped. I no longer have the ability to decode HDCD and the rips just don't sound as good as they should: increased background noise, restricted dynamics. I would love to have a higher resolution format for these and I suspect that a "straight" 16/44.1 file would even sound better than the non-decoded HDCD rip. I find it strange that these particular recordings have not been made available in higher resolution format. Even stranger is how hard it is to find out what it is that is being sold.

 

If you haven't checked at the RR website, they do have 30 of original master files available in their HRx series. They are all 176/24 and on disc, which you can download to your computer. A few were derived from analogue tape, but most are the digital master recordings that KOJ did. They are $30 each (down from $45 which I paid), and are the real masters. Not sure whether the those albums that HDT offers as downloads at 176/24 are identical, but I would guess they are. However there are many HRx albums are not available as HDT 176/24 downloads. Of course these are all 24 bit and not HDCD. The HDCD CD's that RR has released of these albums are derived from these masters.

 

Reference Recordings HRx Order

 

Larry