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Feeling Guilty? ...about Music On Vinyl reissues..

patient_ot said:
MOV will tell you what the sources are for a specific release if you contact them. Typically it is a digital file and that is cut via DMM by an in-house cutting engineer at the plant (Record Industry - Netherlands) in owned by the same parent company.

MOV is really just a licensing operation. They don't do audiophile grade reissues as a general rule. They aren't going the extra mile to source the best analog tape, they aren't working with "name" engineers and so on. Many of their releases have pixelated covers that are just cheap scans given to them by the license holder and they use whatever source they are given (typically hi-rez digital).

I've purchased a couple but likely won't buy anything else from them. Not worth it IMHO.
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pp


My eyes must be going...I've hardly ever seen such nice graphics and packaging...among the best IMHO...in fact the Bond I mentioned is clearly to me the very best packaging and graphics I've ever encountered...#1 of any ever..and I've got over 10k LPs.

Curious which titles you purchased?
 
Supercool! said:
pp


My eyes must be going...I've hardly ever seen such nice graphics and packaging...among the best IMHO...in fact the Bond I mentioned is clearly to me the very best packaging and graphics I've ever encountered...#1 of any ever..and I've got over 10k LPs.

Curious which titles you purchased?
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Scanner - Hypertrace and another I can't remember offhand. It's pixelated. Nearly every MOV I've seen in local stores is also pixelated, e.g. the Swerdriver reissues they did. Like other reissue outfits they will sometimes use photoshop to shade the cover to hide pixelation, but it's still there if you look closely. I can't speak to the Bond LP you are referencing because I have not seen it. I usually don't give a toss about contemporary movie soundtracks so it's not something I'd look for. I get an eye exam once a year...not sure about you...
 
I've ordered a couple records online that were supposed to be Sony/Legacy and when they arrived they were MOV. I thought they were in bed with each other.
 
Supercool! said:
@patient_ot ...pretty damn good..

To each his or her own...I've learned a long time ago that the opinion that matters most is the one I have to live with..mine...You are entitled to yours as well!
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I am specifically talking about albums that are reissues of things originally released in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Often the original printing negatives or files were lost by the license holder, which is going to create a challenge for any company doing a reissue. MOV will half-ass this IME, and just blow up the file they are given and add some shading to hide the pixelation the best they can. Other companies do a bit better job, but often have to get creative or do extra work to make the covers look good.

If you are talking about an album released a year or two ago or whatever where the source material for the cover art still exists that is an entirely different story.
 
No, both...I've had a 90s Groove Armada, the first Golden Earing, the Shocking Blue, but I'm only going from the end product, you seem to have a lot of definitive inside info about how they do them.

Net, net you might like one pizzeria and I might like a different one...all good...folks should try for themselves...
 
Supercool! said:
pp


My eyes must be going...I've hardly ever seen such nice graphics and packaging...among the best IMHO...in fact the Bond I mentioned is clearly to me the very best packaging and graphics I've ever encountered...#1 of any ever..and I've got over 10k LPs.

Curious which titles you purchased?
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I've got several, none of them have pixilated sleeves. Dolly Parton, Harry Nilsson, Shocking Blue, maybe more. I looked at a Captain Beefheart MOV reissue (should have bought it) in my local records store, no pixilated sleeve.
Honestly, it wouldn't matter to me if it did, as long as the product inside the sleeve was worth the money. So far, I haven't been disappointed.
 
There are a number of labels like this, and they all tend to be of excellent quality regardless of the source. I have:

MOV: Dream with Dean (cover is kind of pixelated)
Jazz Wax: Mingus Ah Um, Chet Baker Sings (the Chet Baker one is spooky good),
Waxtime in Color: Cannonball Adderly Somethin' Else (incredible sounding orange vinyl, totally quiet from leadin to leadout)
Waxtime 500: The Trumpet Artistry of Chet Baker
Waxtime: Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants, Sketches of Spain (not so good, different cover)
Jazz Images: Sunday at the Village Vanguard (excellent, different cover)
DOL Vinylogy: Mingus Blues and Roots, East Coasting

Somehow the Europeans have mastered (no pun intended) the art of record pressing as they all tend to be flat, quiet, and great-sounding.
 
Aerobat said:
There are a number of labels like this, and they all tend to be of excellent quality regardless of the source. I have:

MOV: Dream with Dean (cover is kind of pixelated)
Jazz Wax: Mingus Ah Um, Chet Baker Sings (the Chet Baker one is spooky good),
Waxtime in Color: Cannonball Adderly Somethin' Else (incredible sounding orange vinyl, totally quiet from leadin to leadout)
Waxtime 500: The Trumpet Artistry of Chet Baker
Waxtime: Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants, Sketches of Spain (not so good, different cover)
Jazz Images: Sunday at the Village Vanguard (excellent, different cover)
DOL Vinylogy: Mingus Blues and Roots, East Coasting

Somehow the Europeans have mastered (no pun intended) the art of record pressing as they all tend to be flat, quiet, and great-sounding.
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Jazz Wax, Waxtime, DOL, etc are European public domain labels. Not the same thing as MOV. MOV actually pays licensing fees. Those others do not. They are often nothing more than CD rips or torrented files pressed to vinyl courtesy of GZ in house DMM cutting. Without paying for licensing, you don't get access to masters or even a digital copy thereof. MOV pays, but mostly gets digital copies from the license holder.
 
I have only purchased about 5 or 6 reissues and while they are definitely quitter they seem to fall short of original releases. I also have some pre bankruptcy MOFI that are always excellent. Last purchase was RUSH Moving Pictures and on that reissue the highs are rolled off pretty bad and I found myself having to concentrate to hear some of the Pearts ghost strokes on cymbals. Another was a Little Feat album that sounds more digital than the analog goodness on original pressings. I think I am done with reissues on vinyl.
 
I have a few MOV LPs and they all sounded superb: well pressed, quiet vinyl, well engineered,etc. My only complaint is the vinyl formulation seems to generate a LOT of static.
 
Glad you are enjoying the spins I have always going to record shows for a lot of reasons THAT SAID I am affaid those days may be over now. Jezz I hope not learned more about music in general, met more musicians who just do there thing at home now and just a great time. If it is over it will hurt more then some of the sports that will die off due to the current situation. Thanks for the post and well hope not a permanate memory.
Take it light,
 
Here is some background on Music On Vinyl, which clears up many of the rumors circulating about their sources:

https://theaudiophileman.com/music-vinyl-prolific-vinyl-reissue-label-world/

I have to say that just about every MOV title I've purchased has been of the highest pressing quality--dead quiet, flat, spindle hole precisely centered. I was worried about the red vinyl used in their reissue of the West Side Story soundtrack but it, too, is just as quiet. (I've typically found colored vinyl over the years to be noisier than the black equivalent.)

Wolfie62 said:
Herb Alpert’s Rise LP was digitally recorded (sourced!) on all tracks except the first one. The remainder were recorded on the 3M 32-bit system.
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Recorded on the 3M, mixed down to 2-track analog. This was released in September 1979.

The first digital recorded popular major label album was Ry Cooder's Bop Till You Drop, which came out in July 1979. I believe the 1977 Fresh Aire II LP by Mannheim Steamroller might have been digitally recorded, but my copy is buried somewhere in storage. American Gramophone wasn't a major label, though. :D

grillebilly said:
I've ordered a couple records online that were supposed to be Sony/Legacy and when they arrived they were MOV. I thought they were in bed with each other.
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MOV's pressing plant is the old CBS pressing plant in Holland, so there are some deep ties there.
 
@Wildcat thank you very much for the link. Nothing like facts over conjecture..sounds like a company that actually cares about what they do and is honest about it. It sounds like a middle ground where quality is valued but doesn’t result in $70 records. I like them even more now!
 
Supercool! said:
@Wildcat thank you very much for the link. Nothing like facts over conjecture..sounds like a company that actually cares about what they do and is honest about it. It sounds like a middle ground where quality is valued but doesn’t result in $70 records. I like them even more now!
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No problem! I agree--even if the sources aren't perfect, buying a new MOV record vs. buying half a dozen used records to find one in acceptable condition means I come out ahead in the end. I still enjoy the occasional premium product from Analogue Productions (the old RCA titles cut at 45 RPM are sublime) and consider them a rare treat for me, but for the most part MOV's reissues are plenty good enough. Some bands/labels even use MOV for their official reissue projects--I believe MOV may have pressed the Depeche Mode vinyl for the European market (where WEA handled their US releases, which were different pressings and not as good).
 
Just saw a video from a very cool lady on youtube who says she's got a lot of records from MOV, and they all sound very good, except one : Quiet Riot's Metal Health.

She also shared that one of her Record Store Day exclusive record sounds abysmal and is probably sourced from a VHS. Yikes, now that really has me cautious about getting Record Store Day exclusives. Let's say I'll do a research before picking one up...
 
yet - don't wanna start a big thing, but yeah, thinking the comments re: pixelated covers are based on an impression/assumption of what MOV is - granted , I am only talking of the records I have AND my own experience and evaluation - I will never say my opinion is the truth - BUT - just went thru all my MOV releases, 17 of them with a magnifying glass - no pixelation. Seems like standard quality printing - I mean is not Music Matters, but definitely standard quality - cannot ask for more at the price. Sure, they are from Digital, but they do sound different from DOLs and WaxTraxes - so guess official sources and whatever they do to cut makes all the difference.

Just my $0.02 pesos

v
 
Remember its all about enjoying the performance. It doesn't matter if the source is an 8 trk, cassette, Lp, or streaming. If you like the sound and it makes you happy thats the bottom line. So enjoy enjoy enjoy. Have an adult beverage and put your mind at rest.
 
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