SA-CD.net - John Coltrane: Giant Steps

add to wish list | library

5 of 7 recommend this,
would you recommend it?

yes | no

Support this site by purchasing from these vendors using the paid links below. As an Amazon Associate SA-CD.net earns from qualifying purchases.

CDJapan

Post by tmcevoy November 14, 2011 (1 of 3)

Can anyone tell me if this disc was done from the original master tapes? I have searched everywhere for an answer. Thanks

Post by Claude November 15, 2011 (2 of 3)

Not sure. It could be a tape copy made for Japan in the LP years.

But the most important information about this SACD is that it uses a mono tape, while the recording was made in stereo.

In the 1960s, there were seperate mono and stereo LP releases, because not all turntable cartridges could play stereo LPs. Some mono LPs used a seperate mono mix made during the recording (interesting for collectors), while others just used a fold-down of the stereo recording.

Post by Polarius T November 15, 2011 (3 of 3)

Claude said:

But the most important information about this SACD is that it uses a mono tape, while the recording was made in stereo.

This is the case of also at least some other of these Warner SACD releases, incomprehensible as it may seem. At the time, the mono tapes were often run parallel to the primary stereo setup and as a rule were vastly inferior in quality as you imply (not just because they were mono but because they were mono done badly).

Not sure how this helps the cause of SACD or the artists in question. Why on earth would they opt for those low-quality mono tapes?? (Unless it's a licensing issue of some kind.) Hard to see that there would be so many diehard mono fanatics to constitute a market for these releases. In their case, the monos weren't even the iconic originals (unlike with some pop titles) but a clear and unattended second thought entertained more or less as a backup-of-a-backup just in case or for the sake of the few among the prospective buyers who were lagging behind in techological development and thus could be counted not to be able to tell or care much about the difference anyway.

PT