Hi Gav - any problems with your copy? Mine jumps (!) on a couple of tracks on Side 2
Mike, Jim - my copy tracks perfectly on my two decks. I don't hear any non-fill either. I do think the trumpet was possibly recorded a bit on the hot side but that's on the tape and not a mastering problem. I've inspected the digital file too and it's clean. I'm pretty sure that Mike has been unlucky with his copy.
I said to Mike and Gavin who commented on Picture of Heath & Bringing it Home to Me about pressing problems in the ‘What are you listening to’ thread that I would make further comment here so as to keep the TP thread on track.
POH I played with both my Cadenza Mono in my L-07D’s arm and side two this plus my Stereo Cadenza Bronze on the same turntable, but in my SME V arm. I listened very carefully throughout and especially to side two where not only Mike, but also now many on the SH TP Forum are complaining about problems (mainly skipping) on side two. I can just about make out in a strong light a very slight mark on track side two track two, but it was completely inaudible both before and after a clean and disappeared after one. No skipping, clicks, plops or signs of non fill with either cartridge on my copy that is also completely flat and the SQ on this is fabulous (see below). So Mike worth holding out for a a better pressing.
My Blue Mitchell has a surface mark over the first track but luckily, again, it's inaudible. There's also slight edge warp. I wonder if RTI is over doing things...
Gav, My copy had about a 1/4” v shaped mark/scratch at the end of track one side one that did not clean off. It looked quiet bad and I would probably rejected the LP if I saw it in a shop. Again though it was completely inaudible even though this is where the music fades out on this track so at a low level. Again my copy is perfectly flat so no problem there either. It also sounds great. If I was being hyper critical what I would say is that many recent TP’s no longer have that completely quiet, inky blackness in the dead wax that they used to have. I only hear it in the dead wax though with no affect at all when the music is playing even in quiet passages.
A bit more about these two, especially POH. I still can’t believe that mono recordings from 1956 sound so good. This is Audiophile demonstration quality stuff. The frequency range and dynamics are out standing. I can hear that some tracks are a little hot, but I’m not hearing any mike overload or mis-tracking. If anything would mis-track it would be Larance Marable’s drum kit. The recording of this especially during his solos is outstanding particularly on C.T.A. Wow it’s like I am sitting 3 feet in front of a real kit that is exploding in my room. I sounds very good with my Stereo cartridge, but if anything can so clearly show what a decent mono cartridge can do on a decent mono recording it is this one. It is in a different league like a whole system step up on all instruments. Carl Perkins Piano sounds wonderful as well, the engineer on this could certainly teach RVG plenty about how to get a live sounding piano.
Sorry to go on so much about the sound quality rather than the music, that is good with some nice soloing from Pepper, Urso and Perkins. I particularly like C.T.A and Minor-Yours. Well worth having musically, but a little unadventurous for my tastes on the whole. Musically I prefer Mitchell’s Bring It Home To Me. Really swinging Blues hard bop throughout with great solos from Mitchell and Junior Cook. I loved Mitchell’s subtle and nuanced trumpet playing on the Ballard - Portrait Of Jennie and Cooks infectious use of vibrato on some of his very ‘blusey’ tenor solos. Sound is great on this record as well. Live and room filling.