Decca Get It WRONG!
Today, when you sample vintage recordings on CD, some of the classic Decca recordings now seem a bit over-lit and rather obviously multi-miked. They’re still very exciting to listen to, but the engineering seems a wee bit obtrusive and gimmicky. Conversely, recordings which on LP once seemed slightly reticent and understated, now sound vivid yet truthful and natural – detailed, yet smooth and integrated – with good presence and immediacy.
So – the old vinyl LPs never did the original master tapes full justice? Perhaps. But take care – so much depends on your turntable/arm/cartridge here. Using a top modern vinyl front-end, some older LPs that failed to impress at the time now sound fabulously vivid and natural. Only now can you hear all the subtle delicacy and fine detail captured. There really was so much more in the grooves than most of us ever realised at the time.
