Vinyl Me Please Essentials

@Mather - Even though OutKast is pressed at GZ, the pressing details are great! Lacquers cut by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound and plated at QRP! Jacket is gatefold and I think the colour variant looks nice! Beautiful package!

Are you going to grab this or wait to see what others say about the sound quality of the pressing? My prediction is that this pressing will sound more dynamic than the MOV pressing!
 
Selaws said:
Managed to control myself even though its a killer month, I have just gone with Gábor Szabó. I already have an OG Stankonia and although my mate loves Redman, I just can't see myself spinning it that much.
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I think that’s good you’ve stuck to just Gábor Szabó! It’s an amazing album and I know this pressing the VMP pressing is going to sound incredible, just from those pressing details!

I’m guessing you’re going to grab both the Essentials and Classics ROTM’s for November? That Erykah Badu album is amazing and apparently this VMP pressing is mastered from the original tapes!
 
Does anyone think the VMP Stankonia will be that much better than the RSD Stankonia? I've got the RSD, and although I adore Outkast, I'm not sure I need two copies of this one. Fantastic pick, though.

I'd be all over O.S.T. as a swap right now (gotta keep Badu), so right now that JLH is catching my eye.
 
duke86fan said:
what is the difference between plating at QRP and plating at Gz
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Just based on their reputation it makes me more confident that GZ has a somewhat lower chance of screwing it up. I trust QRP to do a better job QC wise in general. Not sure if that is certainly well founded or not playing wise, though, as it isn't always clear when something is a result of substandard playing.
 
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jbspaulding said:
Does anyone think the VMP Stankonia will be that much better than the RSD Stankonia? I've got the RSD, and although I adore Outkast, I'm not sure I need two copies of this one. Fantastic pick, though.

I'd be all over O.S.T. as a swap right now (gotta keep Badu), so right now that JLH is catching my eye.
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GZ DMM vs Sterling cut. I'd put my money on a engineer cut generally, but the proof will be in the pudding.
 
jbspaulding said:
Does anyone think the VMP Stankonia will be that much better than the RSD Stankonia? I've got the RSD, and although I adore Outkast, I'm not sure I need two copies of this one. Fantastic pick, though.

I'd be all over O.S.T. as a swap right now (gotta keep Badu), so right now that JLH is catching my eye.
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The VMP pressing of Stankonia will sound better than the RSD pressing, but I’m not sure about how much better it will sound!

The VMP pressing of Stankonia is also a gatefold! Is the RSD pressing at gatefold?
 
jbspaulding said:
Does anyone think the VMP Stankonia will be that much better than the RSD Stankonia? I've got the RSD, and although I adore Outkast, I'm not sure I need two copies of this one. Fantastic pick, though.

I'd be all over O.S.T. as a swap right now (gotta keep Badu), so right now that JLH is catching my eye.
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I meant to also say, if I were you and I was happy with the copy I have, would definitely stick with it. Since I don't have one, the sterling stamp gives me more confidence to go with this one, but I'll be very interested in reading comparisons.
 
NathanRicaud said:
I think that’s good you’ve stuck to just Gábor Szabó! It’s an amazing album and I know this pressing the VMP pressing is going to sound incredible, just from those pressing details!

I’m guessing you’re going to grab both the Essentials and Classics ROTM’s for November? That Erykah Badu album is amazing and apparently this VMP pressing is mastered from the original tapes!
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I am tempted. I have to admit that I have never really clicked with Erykah Badu but I don't actually think I have heard this one in its entirety so I might stream it first and see. Definitely up for Billie Holiday!
 
I asked in private about some mastering details for some of these.
For essentials they said Stankonia was cut digitally because there are no tapes. Its a digital recording, With RKS doing this and plating at QRP I can 100% guarantee you that this is going to be an upgrade over the RSD/MOV.

Erykah is cut from the OG tapes, he didnt say AAA or if they were cut from hi rez from the OG tapes but im assuming that whatever they did its probably exactly the same as Bernie Grundman did or better. Seeing as Erykah was involved the whole way

Billie Holiday is indeed AAA which is wonderful and should be a delight.
 
spankrock said:
I asked in private about some mastering details for some of these.
For essentials they said Stankonia was cut digitally because there are no tapes. Its a digital recording, With RKS doing this and plating at QRP I can 100% guarantee you that this is going to be an upgrade over the RSD/MOV.

Erykah is cut AAA from the OG tapes which probably Bernie did as well

Billie Holiday is indeed AAA which is wonderful and should be a delight.
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This is all wonderful news! I’m so happy! So happy to replace my Stankonia and Mama’a Gun pressings with these definitive pressings! Mama’s Gun being AAA is awesome! It’s going to sound great, as will the Billie Holiday! 😍
 
NathanRicaud said:
@Mather - Even though OutKast is pressed at GZ, the pressing details are great! Lacquers cut by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound and plated at QRP! Jacket is gatefold and I think the colour variant looks nice! Beautiful package!

Are you going to grab this or wait to see what others say about the sound quality of the pressing? My prediction is that this pressing will sound more dynamic than the MOV pressing!
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I trust RKS and Sterling and QRP to do a good job. I don't trust GZ to not screw it up BUT I think it'll beat the MOV, so yes I will pick this one up. Hopefully GZ don't screw it up.
 
Mather said:
I trust RKS and Sterling and QRP to do a good job. I don't trust GZ to not screw it up BUT I think it'll beat the MOV, so yes I will pick this one up. Hopefully GZ don't screw it up.
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Hopefully they don’t! I imagine this pressing will have a really nice soundstage like the Prince Paul ROTM, which was also pressed at GZ (and that one wasn’t even played at QRP or mastered at Sterling)!

Also, the fact that it’s gatefold is a bonus too!
 
keylime_5 said:
I think Mamas Gun might be in the same boat as Spiritualized though where there is digital in the mixing stage probably so it’s cut from tape but not AAA
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Yes im sorry i edited my original post to state that he never said specifically AAA. Getting definitive answers from them at times is not the easiest thing. Go figure. But still Mama's Gun certainly if not better will be on par with the previous release.
 
keylime_5 said:
Billie being AAA is awesome though!!!!
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I expected it because it’s a Classics type of ROTM and Aretha Franklin’s December Essentials ROTM was also AAA. If Billie Holiday wasn’t AAA, I would’ve been a bit letdown as it is an Essentials ROTM on top of all the Classics being AAA - Essentials always has the most effort put into it!

With Erkyah Badu and OutKast, they’ve gone the extra step with the pressing/mastering. Erykah Badu is from the original tapes and OutKast is plated at QRP and is mastered by Ryan Smith and cut at Sterling! I imagine Mama’s Gun to have great pressing details as well when it gets released!

If VMP is not doing a new release as an Essentials ROTM, I expect the sound quality and pressing details to be impressive! The only letdown this year in terms of sound quality for the Essentials ROTM was The White Stripes, which was pressed at Third Man Records and is inferior sound quality wise to previous pressings!

The John Mayer sounds superb, as does the Buena Vista Social Club! From what I gather, the Spiritualized sounds excellent too; there are just some copies that have distortion; just like with the Joe Henderson Tone Poet release (sounds superb but there are a lot of defected copies with pops/clicks on it that cannot be removed).
 
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