Vinyl Me Please (store, exclusives, swaps, etc)

dhodo said:
My issue is, they've proven they can deliver the quality at the same price point with Classics, so now it just seems lazy that they don't try to meet the same (I know AAA is less likely to be possible, but still) standard for Essentials or RHH.
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I hear yah, it annoys me to no end as you know from our exchanges here!

I think volume and lead-time is the real problem. The better plants, like RTI, QRP, Pallas, and sometimes Record Industry probably can't handle the volume and turnaround that GZ, United and Rainbo can. If they used QRP for everything I would be much happier, but it's probably just the business reality of the industry for the volume the insist on making.

Agree with your points on untapped potential. The issue is there really aren't any audiophile labels that give a shit about hip-hop, or indie rock, or most alternative rock. Even the more interesting audiophile labels like Pure Pleasures, Tone Poet or Speaker's Corner still stay relatively within audiophile approved genres like jazz, classic soul and rock. Sure they dig deeper than the banal crap that MoFi sees fit to regurgitate, but they still don't seem to have the taste for great music that VMP does.

I just wish VMP would really follow through with their quality promise. Like sure maybe something like Tical sounds like crap and only exists digitally, but why not give the files to a top hip-hop mastering engineer? Why not get it pressed at the quietest best plants if you really want it to shine? Essentially what bothers me is they do exactly what they've professed not to, reducing hip-hop and indie rock to second class citizens.
 
zombie.modernist said:
I hear yah, it annoys me to no end as you know from our exchanges here!

I think volume and lead-time is the real problem. The better plants, like RTI, QRP, Pallas, and sometimes Record Industry probably can't handle the volume and turnaround that GZ, United and Rainbo can. If they used QRP for everything I would be much happier, but it's probably just the business reality of the industry for the volume the insist on making.

Agree with your points on untapped potential. The issue is there really aren't any audiophile labels that give a shit about hip-hop, or indie rock, or most alternative rock. Even the more interesting audiophile labels like Pure Pleasures, Tone Poet or Speaker's Corner still stay relatively within audiophile approved genres like jazz, classic soul and rock. Sure they dig deeper than the banal crap that MoFi sees fit to regurgitate, but they still don't seem to have the taste for great music that VMP does.

I just wish VMP would really follow through with their quality promise. Like sure maybe something like Tical sounds like crap and only exists digitally, but why not give the files to a top hip-hop mastering engineer? Why not get it pressed at the quietest best plants if you really want it to shine? Essentially what bothers me is they do exactly what they've professed not to, reducing hip-hop and indie rock to second class citizens.
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Speaking as a hardcore hip-hop head.. there really isn't anything the best engineer in the world could do with the masters for Tical. They were pretty trash from the get-go. It's the same with the first Wu record.. the idea that people want audiophile pressings of these is insane to me. They will never meet that quality because they were never recorded in that quality. Some early hip-hop was and some in the 90s definitely was.. but I don't think anything in the last 20 years beyond mega productions by the likes of Dre or whoever have had top quality engineering on them.
 
Clint Howard said:
Speaking as a hardcore hip-hop head.. there really isn't anything the best engineer in the world could do with the masters for Tical. They were pretty trash from the get-go. It's the same with the first Wu record.. the idea that people want audiophile pressings of these is insane to me. They will never meet that quality because they were never recorded in that quality. Some early hip-hop was and some in the 90s definitely was.. but I don't think anything in the last 20 years beyond mega productions by the likes of Dre or whoever have had top quality engineering on them.
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I dunno man. I totally get your point that it will never sound audiophile, but I think good mastering can still make a difference.

For Tical it is a moot point for me, because I'm not remotely interested in paying a premium for an existing press with a VMP foil stamp on the back. I'm more critical of them choosing to do DMM at GZ when they can have a record cut by a real engineer.
 
Clint Howard said:
Speaking as a hardcore hip-hop head.. there really isn't anything the best engineer in the world could do with the masters for Tical. They were pretty trash from the get-go. It's the same with the first Wu record.. the idea that people want audiophile pressings of these is insane to me. They will never meet that quality because they were never recorded in that quality. Some early hip-hop was and some in the 90s definitely was.. but I don't think anything in the last 20 years beyond mega productions by the likes of Dre or whoever have had top quality engineering on them.
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I empathize with that to a certain degree, but I think it's misguided to assume that investing in mastering is an exclusively "audiophile" endeavor. For vinyl mastering, the point of having a real person cut the lacquer is to have them sort out how best to take the source and translate it to the format. It's really the technical failings and the EQ sacrifices of a volume mastering studio like GZ's in house gig that causes the issues for me.

The first Wu album is a perfect example of an album that actively sounds better on CD than the current common pressing cut at NRP and pressed at United. Obviously we could debate all day if CD is just objectively better, but really IMO the vinyl should be able to just be somewhat competitive to the CD's sound. The fact that it's not is pretty pathetic IMO, and the face that the album sounds poor to begin with doesn't make me psyched to hear it sound even worse.

Perhaps I shouldn't have even invoked Tical since I agree it sounds like shit in the source. For recent hip-hop nonsense, how about the OutKast release not getting a dedicated cut? That album is known to sound excellent. Similar shame with the Veedon Fleece situation earlier this year on the Essentials track.
 
also i get people being bugged by the hatchie situation... i would be bugged too.. but they are definitely improving over what happened last time with weyes blood... instead of randomly choosing when someone gets what they actually are fully refunding everyone and giving them a free copy of an also colored vinyl version of the same album. they know the distribution system messed up hard, which they absolutely have to fix (if they can)

but im very helpful that they are actually improving instead of still doing all the fuck ups we saw in the last 2 months
 
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If you were VMP and you see how many packages are seriously bent to hell aka crushed, wouldn't you take a peek into the shipping part of the operation to see what the blazes is happening? That Stella Donnelly pictured above-something massive had to be set on top of it or Patches is throwing wrenches at the packages in the VMP warehouse. I accidently ended up with 5 items all shipping this month and I know something's going to arrive damaged...has every month the past 3 months.
 
Melancholy_Melody said:
I grew up with these albums! I’m glad that they are doing Mariah, but I personally would have preferred “Music Box” or “Butterfly”. I’m also a little bit surprised at the colour. Mariah is so over the top, the gold seems understated!

Mary J Blige would be amazing! Particularly My Life or No More Drama.
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I think Storf implied on Reddit that they were considering Mariah for Essentials, and they might be saving either “Music Box” or “Butterfly” for that sub, tho I could be wrong.

And I would also love to see a Mary J Blige exclusive! VMP or not, I’m hoping there’s a 25th anniversary pressing of “My Life” coming up soon!
 
I've said it once and I'll say it again, GZ is the Walmart of Vinyl cutting.

More and more I become less of the DeadwaxDude I'm suppose to be, because everything I buy I assume is GZ DMM, and 9/10 times it turns out to be just that.

What I loved about vinyl, seems to be fading day by day. There was something really exciting to me about finding different scribbles in the vinyl itself, doing my research, and learning to appreciate that particular sonic signature, and learn more about the engineer.

Personally, overtime I've learned to not knock GZ cuts as much as I use too. Because they're relatively accurate, and honest to the source... But they're also all the same. I feel like if I wanted that, I'd just buy Cd's (which I've been doing more of lately)

I think I'm starting to drift into the camp of @High Rant District
Preferring Originals over most reissues, because at least they're unique, and there's a story to them, and they've got a unique signature. Not so much with modern vinyl. (also more points than just that, but I digress.)

That being said, I have no issue with GZ for R&HH, mainly because it's what I expect now. I just find it baffling they've had Lil Wayne, Open Mic Eagle, and Denzel Curry all given the Proper Mastering treatment, when literally (in my opinion) every other album in the sub should have recieved that over these 3 picks. People glamour over the Sonics of these releases and the fact we don't get them for everything else... Well it should be surprising... But it's not.

When I was in my late teens/early twenties I thought young engineers would be the future of this format. More and more I think I'm wrong, labels seem to choose convenience in mastering for vinyl, and that's not the point of vinyl for me..

Also couple drinks with the lady tonight, so I hope this all made sense.


GIVE ENGINEERS JOBS, THEY'RE AWESOME, AND FRANKLY, DYING!

*GLUG GLUG*
 
mitchwagz said:
I forgot how stacked the front half of Daydream is. The sound of my early childhood circa top 40 radio, 1996 :LOL: Also, Old Town Road very well might best One Sweet Day in the coming weeks for longest consecutive run at #1 o_O
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duke86fan said:
the question is more "what the hell is gonna kill old town road... it just wont leave"
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O god please don't let that happen haha how many weeks away is it? And yeah, if Taylor couldn't knock it off with two attempts, what will?!
 
DeadwaxDude said:
I've said it once and I'll say it again, GZ is the Walmart of Vinyl cutting.

More and more I become less of the DeadwaxDude I'm suppose to be, because everything I buy I assume is GZ DMM, and 9/10 times it turns out to be just that.

What I loved about vinyl, seems to be fading day by day. There was something really exciting to me about finding different scribbles in the vinyl itself, doing my research, and learning to appreciate that particular sonic signature, and learn more about the engineer.

Personally, overtime I've learned to not knock GZ cuts as much as I use too. Because they're relatively accurate, and honest to the source... But they're also all the same. I feel like if I wanted that, I'd just buy Cd's (which I've been doing more of lately)

I think I'm starting to drift into the camp of @High Rant District
Preferring Originals over most reissues, because at least they're unique, and there's a story to them, and they've got a unique signature. Not so much with modern vinyl. (also more points than just that, but I digress.)

That being said, I have no issue with GZ for R&HH, mainly because it's what I expect now. I just find it baffling they've had Lil Wayne, Open Mic Eagle, and Denzel Curry all given the Proper Mastering treatment, when literally (in my opinion) every other album in the sub should have recieved that over these 3 picks. People glamour over the Sonics of these releases and the fact we don't get them for everything else... Well it should be surprising... But it's not.

When I was in my late teens/early twenties I thought young engineers would be the future of this format. More and more I think I'm wrong, labels seem to choose convenience in mastering for vinyl, and that's not the point of vinyl for me..

Also couple drinks with the lady tonight, so I hope this all made sense.


GIVE ENGINEERS JOBS, THEY'RE AWESOME, AND FRANKLY, DYING!

*GLUG GLUG*
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I’ve also been scaling back on my purchases from places like VMP, and buying a lot less at my local new stock store due to mediocre sound and pressing quality. GZ does a fine job for the hundreds of small bandcamp labels they service, but most of their cuts do nothing to improve the sound of a digital source on a decent setup. And as you point out many CDs can sound quite good, some mastering even walk all over the vinyl copies. I have plenty of access to good used stores here, enough to avoid the risky online used vinyl market. There’s plenty of issues buying used in-person as well, but overall I’m a usually much more satisfied buying well-mastered used records and new high-quality reissues than I am with some GZ crap from VMP.

This is all due to the new state of the reissue world, it’s being driven by over-consolidated major labels who don’t give a crap about sound or really even the music itself. They’re pulling licenses from smaller boutique labels, sometimes mid-production just so they can release more of the same colored vinyl in-house cut garbage. And with this kind of risk in the business I almost wonder if this is a major factor in labels like VMP not investing in quality lacquer cuts?

As for young engineers, there’s obviously some younger folks working like Joe Nino-Hernes at Sterling and Josh Bonati at his place, even Ryan K Smith is relatively young. They all seem plenty busy, but GZ’s automated process seems to be the biggest name in the game these days.
 
dhodo said:
I don't know if I'd go that far, but I certainly wish that a larger percentage of collectors cared about sound/pressing quality as much as color/manufactured scarcity.
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I’d go further..

I’m a music fan first and I have little or no time for collecting that isn’t based around music that you like/want to listen to. I kind of get buying to sample if you can afford it but if it turned out no good I’d sell/PIF it...
 
Lee Newman said:
So what was supposed to be my last VMP package is out for delivery, but since VMP is really an acronym for some foreign language phrase meaning “we fuck up regularly”, I have at least two more coming one day.
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What the hell is going on with my package? My Swaps are still open! Meanwhile people have already received their packages. I know there is a lag sometimes, but this is a stretch.
 
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