Upcoming Analogue Productions Ultra Tape releases for 2018

[esimms86]

Obviously, this is CA, however, there are some R2R enthusiasts who are forum members and have an interest in this type of information.

 

Acoustic Sounds has announced four 2018 Ultra Tape releases, with more as of yet unspecified releases to come later in the year:

 

Folk Singer/Muddy Waters

Keep It To Ourselves/Sonny Boy Williamson

New York Album/Art Pepper

Once In My Life/Johnny Hartman

 

Prices will be $500 apiece

[sphinxsix]

3 hours ago, esimms86 said:

Prices will be $500 apiece

A reel errr.. real steal.!

[tmtomh]

5 hours ago, esimms86 said:

Obviously, this is CA, however, there are some R2R enthusiasts who are forum members and have an interest in this type of information.

 

Acoustic Sounds has announced four 2018 Ultra Tape releases, with more as of yet unspecified releases to come later in the year:

 

Folk Singer/Muddy Waters

Keep It To Ourselves/Sonny Boy Williamson

New York Album/Art Pepper

Once In My Life/Johnny Hartman

 

Prices will be $500 apiece

 

I just saw the catalogue when I was visiting my father over Thanksgiving. And I definitely noticed the $500 price. Insane IMHO. But I'm sure they'll sell a few. If someone is a RTR enthusiast and has lots of disposable income, then more power to them. But it seems silly to me to pay $500 for a 15ips safety of (if you're lucky) the master tape. I know analogue is analogue and all that, but I'll take a $15-$25 high-res digital copy of the master over a $500 analogue dub any day.

[esimms86]

No one is asking anyone to open up their wallets or debate the value of such a purchase. I’m simply putting out information for the admittedly niche group of people who are interested in R2R Tape. Personally, I applaud Chad Kassem for going through the trouble of getting the rights for and producing such a high quality product.

[tmtomh]

2 hours ago, esimms86 said:

No one is asking anyone to open up their wallets or debate the value of such a purchase. I’m simply putting out information for the admittedly niche group of people who are interested in R2R Tape. Personally, I applaud Chad Kassem for going through the trouble of getting the rights for and producing such a high quality product.

 

I hear what you are saying, and again, if folks want to buy these, I hope they do, and that they enjoy them. But with respect, it's not reasonable, especially here at CA, to post information and expect people not to comment on the value proposition of a purchase.

[esimms86]

Point taken. BTW, an upside for many of us non-R2R folks is the fact that, after doing all of this work, Acoustic Sounds also puts out hi res versions of the same recordings for far less expensive download purchases.

[CatManDo]

There have been similar R2R reissue projects before recently, and the price of the tapes was always above $200, i.e. way more than most audiophiles are willing to pay for an album reissue. That's because these tapes are copied in real time, individually, and the numbers sold are very low.

 

As many people are still fascinated by the mechanics of R2R machines (it was always my dream as a young audiophile in the 1980's to own a Revox or Teac machine), there is a market for maybe a hundred such copies, because owners of these great machines will want one or a few top sounding tapes to demo the machine, and are willing to pay that much.

[Elon]

On 11/29/2017 at 12:07 AM, esimms86 said:

Point taken. BTW, an upside for many of us non-R2R folks is the fact that, after doing all of this work, Acoustic Sounds also puts out hi res versions of the same recordings for far less expensive download purchases.

 

This.  While I understand the reactions that this is too expensive, folks need to read up on price discrimination. It is a benefit for those of us further down the income scale.

 

Also, my understanding of the R2R thing is that just the blank tape stock is expensive ($150 per album or something, iirc), so that is a major price driver.  I suppose when it is cranking away at 15ips, you burn through it quickly. I have no clue how these rigs sound, but with vinyl, there is something to the ritual and tactile nature of it all. 

 

I also will not give up my 1k album mpd archive either.

[Nikhil]

On 11/29/2017 at 11:37 AM, esimms86 said:

Point taken. BTW, an upside for many of us non-R2R folks is the fact that, after doing all of this work, Acoustic Sounds also puts out hi res versions of the same recordings for far less expensive download purchases.

 

+1 to this.  Just heard the DSD64 version last night of a tape transfer of Julie London's "Julie Is Her Name Vol 2"

DSD download from Acoustic Sounds online is $24.98

[firedog]

On 11/29/2017 at 8:07 AM, esimms86 said:

Point taken. BTW, an upside for many of us non-R2R folks is the fact that, after doing all of this work, Acoustic Sounds also puts out hi res versions of the same recordings for far less expensive download purchases.

Only sometimes. They don't always want or get the rights to put out a remaster in multiple formats. Rights to one format does not necessarily mean rights exist to put out the album in another format.

Just speculating, but i'd guess there are cases where to keep something exclusive they purposely limit the formats. 

[esimms86]

15 hours ago, firedog said:

Only sometimes. They don't always want or get the rights to put out a remaster in multiple formats. Rights to one format does not necessarily mean rights exist to put out the album in another format.

Just speculating, but i'd guess there are cases where to keep something exclusive they purposely limit the formats. 

However, every single Analogue Productions Reel to Reel release thus far has also made it to an AP SACD release as well. The limitation there is DSD64 after conversion with an OPPO device, etc. 

[esimms86]

Correction: only 9 of the 12 are available as an Analogue Productions(AP) SACD release. Of the remaining three, one of them is available as a non-AP Living Stereo SACD.