Playing Mono LP's

[Trebdp83]

@Trebdp83 , is that "mono movie" function colored somehow for optimal movie sound rather than music? There is no doubt that mono music in all channels sounds better. Playing the Beatle's White Album in mono from the 2014 Mono Box Set and the swirling piano on "Dear Prudence" sounds amazing on all channels but it doesn't cut so much on just the center.
edit: putting my ear close to the center, flipping back and forth, it does sound similar, if not the same in that speaker. Maybe it just sounds more clear since you get 7 speakers going, so more volume. That's probably it.

The Mono mode is not better or worse for mono movie signals vs mono music signals. The Mono Music mode sends a Mono signal to each speaker in the entire configuration. It is the same Mono signal sent to each speaker as when it is sent just to the Center channel speaker. The perceived enhancement in sound comes from the fact that it is coming from all directions and often times the Front speakers used by many are better the speakers used for the Center channel speaker.

Onkyo’s Mono mode should not be confused with Denon/Marantz Mono Movie sound mode still available on some models which attempts surround sound from mono signals. There are digital discs out there of old mono movies with DD 1.0 tracks. The newer Dolby Surround up mixer works on those discs. With some newer units of various makes, the DTS Neural:X up mixer will be unavailable for selection when playing DD 1.0 tracks.

 

[Squishman]

I think my Infinity surrounds/heights were a fine choice. They are very, very good. So good in fact, that they are the reason I parted with my vintage Klipsch set up. Comparing each set one to another, it threw me for a loop, bigtime. They sounded better, actually, not even close! Then I brought my Heresies in from the bedroom system to compare and I had the same result which blew my mind again.

I was watching Parlogram's newest video and he mentioned that the only early Beatles album worth hearing in stereo is "Beatles for Sale". He said that the Beatles need to be heard in mono up until the White Album with the one exception of B4S. He said that the mono of that album just doesn't cut it compared to the stereo, which is far better. He was not referring to the mix, but the sound.
So when he said that, I realized I did not have one. I found a still-sealed DeAgostini club issue of it shipping within the USA, those were never sold or shipped here I do not believe at the time of the issues. They are 180 gram and very good sounding. Each album comes inside a sealed package that contains a magazine and a back card. Mine has all that, never opened. So anyway, getting a great sounding stereo one which to me is almost as collectable as an OP. Not quite, but still pretty cool

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www.discogs.com

 

[Squishman]

So I got that DeAgostini club release of the stereo Beatles for Sale. The first thing I noticed was that the cover was constructed differently. It is supposed to be a gatefold with the flipbacks on the inside, the LP inserts in the inside gatefold and the front part of the cover is one-ply so it's thinner. This one is a normal gatefold that has none of those aspects. Right away, I suspected it was from the 2012 stereo, which is digital. And yep. In tiny font, it says it is digital. A CD on vinyl! I should have guessed since this club release was in 2017. OP are well over a C-note for anything VG+ or better and shipping within the USA.... good luck with that. I can sell this but I'll lose a little dough. It's just not what I wanted and it's my fault!
I found a 1969 stereo Japanese re-issue in VG+ from a multi-thousand FB seller on Discogs, shipping within the USA for $21. So I am not getting an OP, but heck, that's fine. At least I did proper research for this one and it's a great price.

 

[TLS Guy]

So I got that DeAgostini club release of the stereo Beatles for Sale. The first thing I noticed was that the cover was constructed differently. It is supposed to be a gatefold with the flipbacks on the inside, the LP inserts in the inside gatefold and the front part of the cover is one-ply so it's thinner. This one is a normal gatefold that has none of those aspects. Right away, I suspected it was from the 2012 stereo, which is digital. And yep. In tiny font, it says it is digital. A CD on vinyl! I should have guessed since this club release was in 2017. OP are well over a C-note for anything VG+ or better and shipping within the USA.... good luck with that. I can sell this but I'll lose a little dough. It's just not what I wanted and it's my fault!
I found a 1969 stereo Japanese re-issue in VG+ from a multi-thousand FB seller on Discogs, shipping within the USA for $21. So I am not getting an OP, but heck, that's fine. At least I did proper research for this one and it's a great price.

When was the master recording made? Prior to 1969 Abbey road were using the four track Studer J27. In 1969 they switched to the 3M M23 8 track machines, which were made right here in the Twin Cities. I suspect the masters were digitized at some point due to analog tape degradation. In the seventies there were a lot of tape binder problems with shedding of the oxide layer.

There was no digital recording until 1982, and these were magnetic tape with stationary heads (DASH). Spinning heads could not be edited with any precision. Hard drive recording started to slowly creep in in 1995, but it was early 2000s before it was common place. I built my first DAW in 2002, but hard drive space was limited. Things progressed very quickly after that.

 

[Squishman]

When was the master recording made? Prior to 1969 Abbey road were using the four track Studer J27. In 1969 they switched to the 3M M23 8 track machines, which were made right here in the Twin Cities. I suspect the masters were digitized at some point due to analog tape degradation. In the seventies there were a lot of tape binder problems with shedding of the oxide layer.

There was no digital recording until 1982, and these were magnetic tape with stationary heads (DASH). Spinning heads could not be edited with any precision. Hard drive recording started to slowly creep in in 1995, but it was early 2000s before it was common place. I built my first DAW in 2002, but hard drive space was limited. Things progressed very quickly after that.

The matrix in the run-out is the same as the 1964 original stereo on Parlophone. YEX 142 and YEX 143. So 1964 is the way I interpret that. The Japan 1969 is on Apple Records with an Apple label.
I just got a message from the seller (Mion.USA) and they have over 200,000 listings on Discogs. They said they will ship to the USA warehouse and then from there, to me. Probably see it it 10-14 days.

 

[Squishman]

(continued) .... So perhaps they are located in Japan. I didn't peruse their listings to see if everything is Japanese or not. I had assumed they were here in the Colonies somewhere. But they had 7 or 8 of this issue. I thought that was interesting. Mine is missing the obi and has a hairline. Not too shabby for the price I paid.

 

[TLS Guy]

(continued) .... So perhaps they are located in Japan. I didn't peruse their listings to see if everything is Japanese or not. I had assumed they were here in the Colonies somewhere. But they had 7 or 8 of this issue. I thought that was interesting. Mine is missing the obi and has a hairline. Not too shabby for the price I paid.

In 1964 the tape machine could have been the Studer J27 or the legendary Studer A80 they were replacing the J27s with.

 

[Squishman]

The Mono sound mode can be set to output audio to the Front Left and Right speakers rather than the Center Channel speaker when selecting it for playback. The setting to change it can be found in the Setup menu under “3. Audio Adjust.” Change the Mono Output Speaker from Center to Left/Right.

Oh geez! I missed this part that you said. I'll be trying that! Very happy to see this.

 

[Squishman]

Oh geez! I missed this part that you said. I'll be trying that! Very happy to see this.

Sounds great this way in mono! Thx @Trebdp83.

 

[Squishman]

My stereo Japanese issue of Beatles for Sale looks like it might arrive tomorrow. It has a couple of stellar reviews on Discogs. One says: "it sounds fantastic - very vivid, rich, crisp, and lively, with a warm, wide soundstage." And another: "It has that warm-sparkly-tube quality to it. This stereo pressing rocks! (The mono cut sounds much more somber). It’s an unpopular album, but it’s one of my favorites; a dark and dirty downer album from the weary Beatles. If it were produced in the 90s it would’ve been a grunge record."

 

[lovinthehd]

My stereo Japanese issue of Beatles for Sale looks like it might arrive tomorrow. It has a couple of stellar reviews on Discogs. One says: "it sounds fantastic - very vivid, rich, crisp, and lively, with a warm, wide soundstage." And another: "It has that warm-sparkly-tube quality to it. This stereo pressing rocks! (The mono cut sounds much more somber). It’s an unpopular album, but it’s one of my favorites; a dark and dirty downer album from the weary Beatles. If it were produced in the 90s it would’ve been a grunge record."

Some write the same thing about differences in cables....

 

[Squishman]

Some write the same thing about differences in cables....

Some are idiots

 

[Squishman]

So it was delivered. I rushed home in the middle of my route to get it inside just in case if he left it in the sun. I decided to open it and play it. First, the cover has obviously been in a poly outer for its lifetime. Unreal. Perfectly glossy, no bends and barely any ring wear. Real thin and flimsy covers those Japanese. That's fine. Pretty cool actually. Vinyl was glossy, barely a mark, except several spindle trails. Sounds crystal clear too, but some barely audible background noise. Whoever had this for the last 56 years, knew how to care for his records. $21, not too shabby. I'll analyze this stereo over the mono later. I just wanted to check it out quickly.

 

[Squishman]

Andrew at Parlogram is right. The stereo mix is so crystal clear compared to the mono. The difference is quite astounding. "Everybody's Trying to be My Baby" is playing now and I have to check and see if Beatle George is playing that Gretsch right in my living room! I wonder if this sounds better than an OP. I've never heard an original U.K. pressing but the matrix is the same. I wonder, do they, or did they in 1969, use better plastic in Japan? It is an Apple label, manufactured by Toshiba Musical Industries, LTD.

 

[TLS Guy]

Andrew at Parlogram is right. The stereo mix is so crystal clear compared to the mono. The difference is quite astounding. "Everybody's Trying to be My Baby" is playing now and I have to check and see if Beatle George is playing that Gretsch right in my living room! I wonder if this sounds better than an OP. I've never heard an original U.K. pressing but the matrix is the same. I wonder, do they, or did they in 1969, use better plastic in Japan? It is an Apple label, manufactured by Toshiba Musical Industries, LTD.

Everybody used better vinyl than the US!

 

[Squishman]

Everybody used better vinyl than the US!

I have never had any interest in the Beatles on Capitol Records. Maybe when I was 13 years old and wasn't aware of the Parlophone stuff. So how did the UK issues sound compared to Japan's?

 

[TLS Guy]

I have never had any interest in the Beatles on Capitol Records. Maybe when I was 13 years old and wasn't aware of the Parlophone stuff. So how did the UK issues sound compared to Japan's?

I don't think I have any Japanese pressings. The vast majority of mine are European, from the UK, Holland and Germany. If I do have a Japanese pressing then I have no idea which.

 

[Squishman]

I have at least one other Japanese release. McCartney's "Venus and Mars". I have multiple German pressings and one or two from Holland. My George Harrison Live in Japan is German pressing.