My rule is to NOT make a rule. I found over my 20 years of collecting that each album speaks to me differently. There are 100s of lps that to me I must have the original, 100s I must have the reissue, and 100s that I must have both. I kinda hate when people say “x” always sounds better bc to me what rings better in one person’s ear might not in another person’s ear. Not to mention different stereo systems bring different life out of a record. So to me…. I say don’t make a rule, but rather trust your ear and the desire of the collector side of you ( if that matters). And this is not even talking about getting into other non sound tangible things such as packaging, variance, record store day releases, and many other factors are coming to play with making re-issue or originals is very desirable.
I’m sure you know of the Steve Hoffmeyer blog. When I want to investigate a title, I start with Googling, for example “What is the best vinyl pressing of Some Girls.” I always, inevitably end up on the Hoffmeyer site. I may not always be willing to shell out the dough for the consensus “best” (when there is one), but contributions from vinyl fans on that website always inform my decision. My two cents.
I found the original lp Color Me Country by Linda Martell from 1969. Linda was first black female country singer to chart on Billboard. The album was re issued in 2022 on orange vinyl so I also bought a copy of that one.
It is definitely a highly debated topic but I agree with your perspectives. You make great recommendations for new and old collectors. I’m at a point in my collecting where I’m going “deeper” so to speak into the artists/records I’m looking for. Spending $500+ for an original is not always in the budget. So, sometimes getting a reissue is the less expensive route. However, as an experienced collector I more or less know I when I need to jump on purchasing a record. For example, I recently bought a 7” for $150 (obscure artist, obscure label, and obscure song). The likelihood of this particular record being reissued is near zero percent. Also, with the big Universal Records fire in 2008 a huge amount of masters were lost so solid represses may never occur for certain releases.
Thanks for watching! And that’s a great point I missed. Sometimes, an album will never be reissued so you simply have no choice but to track down an original
Hello great videos so far. I agree with you often. I was wondering if you could make a video on some tips of recognizing first issues or the first pressings. There slot of different videos on this but most say different things.
Great idea for sure. Gets quite tricky when trying to nail down a true "first" pressing, versus an original pressing. So much of that depends on the specific title because the identifiers can be very unique on each
I laugh at all the kids saying " I wish I could time travel to the 90s and grab all that rare vinyl". No you don't, finding sealed new vinyl in the 90s was a rare commodity. I can literally tell you time and place I bought the few SEALED new vinyl I got during those dark days, it was so rare. In Europe, vinyl was still widely available a few more years till 1993ish, but then it was almost obsolete there too
@@johnholmes912 I'm a rock fan, so it was slim pickins for me. I got All the promo 12inch clubtracks for free through my company Sam Goody. Rap and club 12inchers were plentiful, but rock was all but gone
I think just about everything you addressed is spot on. The only problem I have had with reissues of late is moderate warpage. I got feedback on a different TH-cam program from a fellow who is tired of this obsession with 180 - 200-gram LP's. He feels that because of the thicker vinyl, they are not being given proper time to cure, are retaining the heat from the pressing process longer and therefore more apt to show subtle forms of warpage. Hey, I find my mint Mobile Fidelity pressing of Led Zeppelin II from 1982 to be just fine. I have heard it up against a VG+ Robert Ludwig. I said: "think I'll keep mine". Got a couple of unmentionable phrases about my hearing ability and mental acuity and he left with his cherished copy, and I retained mine. Oh yes, I have a Linn Sondek LP12 and a Thorens.
I have been collecting vinyl for 1 year now. And I’m thankful for the multitude of vinyl channels I was able to get dictate myself from. And this is my approach now: If you have a favorite artist and you know all their songs, and love their entire body of work, and you want to own all their records? Then buy the first pressings. It’ll be worth your money. And if you like the way the reissues look based on colors and special variants. Buy them, too. Why not? Chances are, the materials used in those editions are better packaging material than the original pressing. If you like an artist, but you don’t really go crazy for them like your favorite artist? Buy it reissue. If you come across a special variant edition, buy that, too. But I wouldn’t get it on first pressing. If the artist don’t matter to you, don’t buy their record at all. That’s been my philosophical approach to collecting vinyl.
Man, great video! You really cleared things up for me; a collector of many years… now I’m much more knowledgeable. Here’s some reissues - 180g records that I got because the OG’s never came down in price: Concrete Blonde - “Bloodletting”, Oingo Boingo - “Dead Man’s Party”, The Cure - “Mixed Up”, The Cure - “Seventeen Seconds”, Nine Inch Nails - “Pretty Hate Machine”. I got tired of waiting & just pulled the trigger on the Re-issues. I love all the LP’s - they sound Fantastic!!
@@NTXVinyl As with books and poster collectors. ITS ALWAYS THE 1ST PRESSING THAT YOU'd WANT. Anything else is bullshit. There's no such thing as being in the middle. There does exist a silver bullet. Otherwise what's the point.
In the 70's and 80's record labels were using low end vinyl ( Cash Grab) , MCA,RCA, Columbia,Blue Note, and Warner Brothers, ( Dyna Flex was a low grade vinyl mix nightmare). European pressings and Japanese vinyl was much better quality and many collectors preferred those records pressed overseas. I know this cause I was there and in the record business (1970-1985).This is the best time to get Classic Rock and Jazz reissues as well as new artists and Classical. Just hope it continues. BTW 42 million vinyl albums were sold in 2021 could have been twice as much but due to shortages on vinyl it slowed growth.
Great channel. Helpful advice on important topic. Maybe you can help us with this. Is there ever a reason for a vinyl enthusiast to buy a DIGITAL remaster of a title on vinyl? Won’t such a product at best sound like a CD because the music will at some point in the process be compressed with some loss in sound quality? Similar question: is there ever reason for a vinyl enthusiast to own digitally recorded titles, pressed to vinyl? Won’t that too, at best sound like a CD?
It really depends on why YOU buy something. For me, sound is only one of many factors when purchasing a record, versus any other format. Yes, I want the best sounding copy as possible. But I also buy for the packaging, nostalgia, bonus material, and to support the artist, etc. I own plenty of LPs that are digitally sourced, sometimes because it's the only version of the music that exists. Will the CD sound the same since if it's the same source? Likely so. But for me, having larger artwork, and getting to add that to my vinyl collection (my personal format of choice) is important. Not to mention that I don't even own a CD player and my primary (and highest quality) sound system is set up for my turntable - nothing else. The ritual of owning and listening to an album on vinyl is very very different for me personally, than streaming music or putting a CD in a player. So again, sound quality is only one (very important) factor.
I have a modest system and enjoy music every day on it. Reissue or original pressing if you are getting joy out of it what’s the difference. At it’s core record collecting is about the bands and music you love
I’m totally with you on this. Some people will have their own agenda clearly. However I just want to know what the best pressing is. I feel for some people, even when the reissue is arguably superior, some will not accept this and still say the original is best. However I do get the original can often be best.
I'm an originals guy, and only buy reissues if they have demos or bonus tracks ( like the new Kiss Destroyer or the 2015 zeppelin). I can see some of these reissues maybe having a better sound, if they spread it out over 2 lps etc, but I own 30thousand vinyl, and only have room for 1 copy of each ( with minor exceptions)
30,000!?!? Wow. Amazing. I’d love to see that. 👀 send us some photos! ➡️ info@ntxvinyl.com
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For me the main reason for getting an original copy is the nostalgia factor. I would much prefer buying an original copy of Born in the USA than the most recent one that celebrated 40 years of its release. Of course, the stores want to sell these reissues and they will, but for people like me that collect old records, it's hard.
Great video!! Sometimes reissues which are released using the “safety tapes” sound better than reissues which are released from the master tape. Also, the Universal Studios warehouse fire a few years ago will impact what titles can be reissued in the future. This probably explains why some reissues in recent years are originating from digital sources, which is probably another video!
The Rhino represses of Alice Cooper and Genesis have been wonderful. I bought a new copy of Houses of the Holy in 1990 or so, most likely the last press from the 80s, it was horrible, the grooves were barely there, the needle started floating.
Cool take on this divisive subject. In your opinion which labels do reissues well? preferably non-audiophile labels i.e. mofi fidelity etc. So labels that do good reissue represses without the high price tag
When a reissue takes an album that compresses 50+ minutes on one album and presses it on two disc it does sound better than the original. I have found that usually the Blue Note OGs from the 50's to mid 60's are some of the most dynamic records I have ever heard even with some pops and clicks. You are correct in which is better be case by case decision.
Sorry to say but youre just plain wrong about Blue Note OGs. Unless all other records you have a compressed to smithereens the BN OGs should be far from the most dynamic as almost every reissue of those albums on vinyl have more dynamic range.
@@leon9021 Not sure about the dynamic range of albums as I don't have the mechanical resources to find out, but my ears are telling me something different. The couple of OGs I have just explode out of the speaker and fill the room. I have many different audiophile pressings from AP, Impex, Tone Poet to name a few and the sound is noticeable. The range might not be dynamic but the sound sure is or maybe I got lucky in the few OGs I got.
@@mattlupu152 Its simply a misunderstanding of dynamic range and its sound. The OG are in fact more compressed and cut louder which is likely why some feel its punchier and more "dynamic". Louder is simply perceived as more impressive to the ear and thus to do a fair comparison one must balance the loudness of the reissues to the OGs.
Pressings directly from the master tapes are the best. Doesn't have to be a 1st press as long as those 1st gen master tapes are used, not copies of the master tapes. For instance Black Sabbath's 70's albums on UK Vertigo are superior to all other pressings because they were cut directly from fresh master tapes whereas all the other countries pressings were cut from copies of the master tapes.
Original album pressings not only contain the best (in some cases) sounding mastering but also the artwork at its best. Compare, for example , the quality of the artwork of the original to the 189gram reissue you just bought. The colors are off, the image not sharp, sometimes cropped off or pixelated. In some extreme cases, they photoshop away any skin blemishes on the face of the original artwork. It’s as if the record label scanned a record sleeve and made that stored file the “master”, instead of tracking down the original negatives or photos for the cover. Also, is your new 180 gram reissue pressed off center resulting in an annoying wow and flutter when you play the album ? Seems to be a common problem nowadays, and a rarity with pressings from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Not always with the artwork. My parents just bought me an original copy (1950s) of Harry Belafonte's Calypso for Christmas because I loved their version (1970s reissue) as a kid, and the artwork is 100% superior on theirs. Mine is a German pressing and the artwork is 12" stickers on a flimsy white (almost paper) sleeve. Theirs in a nice laminated sleeve on good quality card. Sounds amazing though and I still love it
Since you said to ask you at around 13:50, do you know how the Thin Lizzy reissues sound? I need Black Rose (my favorite Lizzy album) in my collection as well as the rest.
I’m not to particular I will take new reissues the only exception I have made are for my 2 favorite bands I guess because they’re a piece of music history it’s just awesome to have one of those 30 yr old albums or if I find some for killer cheap prices I’ll pick them up sound quality difference is not something I nit pick over as long as it plays good and doesn’t skip we’re all good over here
@@NTXVinyl CCR AND SKYNYRD ofcourse lol probably way older than 30yrs lol 😅 the only exception are the colored promos of Skynyrd I have a black one but a complete set can run 1800.00 or more they’re so rare as well ! Not something I could afford anytime soon looking for a sounds of the south 2nd helping album right now and working on a complete discography
Absolutely! I totally failed to address that in the video, but you are correct. Many obscure (and even some popular/known) albums will never be repressed. Just the nature of the business. Your only choice is to chase down an original in these cases, and unfortunately it can be very expensive
Sometimes there isn't a way - not if the pressing plants didn't change plates or alter labels/jackets from one pressing to the next. Many times there are small indicators though that can be found in the dead wax or on the text/details of the disc labels. Check the NOTES section on certain releases in Discogs and people point them out at times. Good luck!
Great question! Yes, the words repress/reissue are pretty much interchangeable. There are some outliers but for the most part they’re the same. As for the audio source, that really differs from one album to the next. Many times it will be highlighted IF it comes from the original masters. Other times you really don’t know.
When buying modern represses make sure to do your homework!! Ensure the plant and label are the right ones, ensure its 100% analog and not a crap transfer or digital. There are many great labels and plants so do your homework
You are so dead on, I’m just getting back into vinyl. I’ve focused on albums that really mean something to me that I’ve been listening to my whole life with very few exceptions. But even with this limited scope trying to find out which pressing to go after requires a lot of digging. Then once you figure out which pressings to go after how do you track them down? It’s unfortunately a lot of trial on your system to find out how they fit to your ear.
BN OG pressing owners want to keep the value of their records, so have a hard time formally admitting recent represses like Tone Poets and CLASSIC SERIES do sound better.
I’ve got a 93 pressing of 2Pac Strictly For My N.I.G.G.A.Z. that sounds like crap (very quiet) but my 2017 reissue is dope AF. Somehow that 93 press goes for around $130 though…
People don't know how it sounds because it's so rare. Most collectors use the "Sneaker rule" where they feel later pressings have more tread on the masters and stampers.
Just because an album was 'reissued' a few years later from its original release date doesn't mean it's remastered does it?....and it likely would come from the original master tape right?
Most of my collection are originals from the 80s but now I prefer to buy represses as the quality seems to be better these days - plus I try to buy 180g versions. Plus the sleeves tend to be in better condition- just my preference
For me, the difficulty of obtaining first issues in great shape is the most off-putting part of the hunt. More often than not, sellers on eBay and even Discogs are passing off rough vinyl as VG+ or better. I received a badly warped Wish You Were Here recently, which was sold as NM, and a badly scuffed, noisy "VG+" Zep IV not long after. Unless you live near a very well-stocked and trustworthy dealer, I have come to expect a success rate of 30% at best.
If a original only cost $20 to $30 bucks more then I’m going to get the og depending on condition,Perfect example for me is that the reissue of slayer south of heaven is well over $100,If you’re willingly to spend that on the reissue then you should just add $40 to that and get the og..
Some of the brand new issues I have purchased don't really sound very good now I seem like you got to clean them because they're crackling and popping kind of a disappointment
Sometimes even reissues can be scarce and expensive. Good luck finding a copy of Astral Weeks (1968), original, reprint or new copy for less than $35-40.
@@NTXVinyl Haha-nice! I might pull the trigger, when I have the money....just bought an original '67 Elektra pressing of Forever Changes and it wiped out my allowance 😀
I think lots of guys want analogue-sourced stuff which is snobbish and then pay big money for a worn out shitty old LP (I know Ive fallen to this trap). I used to be all-analog whatever but truth is the quality of the pressing is the most important thing, and you can make a perfectly good digital master and cut it to vinyl. The way it is approached nowadays (at least it sounds to me) is - lower the levels, then crank the bass to escape the physical limitations. So new digitally sourced vinyl actually is often fat and warm and with maybe better dynamics than the official digital release, couse you cant compress too much on vinyl. Old vinyl is more often bass-shy and mid-rangey, as engineers had a different idea. Maybe old German LPs are closes to how modern vinyl for newer music sounds. So you shouldnt discriminate and its always luck with LPs you buy sealed or online. With new records, I notice on wanted albums they sometimes drop the QC, especially the Holland plant (Im in Europe). Which leads to many defects overlooked, especially my "favourite" offcenter pressings. On the other hand I just got a 2020 Czech pressing of Black Keys - Brothers and it is probably the smoothest LP I have so its all about QC. Sellers online abuse this for old LPs as well - they grade it NM or VG+, and what comes is both sides offset differently so you get the power drill and it becomes ugly and you have to adjust it with every play... Some people are blessed and dont notice speed variations but its driving me mad!
You didn't mention where the album was pressed. Living in Canada, I can tell you most pressings done here in the 70's and eighties were generally mediocre . Vinyl quality was poor too, I wouldn't doubt they just used old vinyl not virgin vinyl. And thin too. Back then if you wanted a good pressing you had to get it from Japan.
That may be true. Never seen a stat on it. The reality is every single title is different. If the highest quality audio that exists for an album are hi-res digital files than that it likely what is used. And many times they can still sound great on vinyl. If analogue masters exist (IF the album was even recorded analogue to begin with) then it's still up to the artist/label if they choose to use them as the source for the vinyl pressing.
Remastered means. Dry. Compressed. Toneless. Lack of clarity among other things. Only advantage is remasterd seems to flesh out some cetain details of instruments. I rarley play remasterd if i want a realistic sound tone of instruments. Old records and old AAD CDs have more tonal color
I've had original 70's pressings or a re-issue from the same year I bought back in the 70's, and bought the album again remastered/repressed as my old copy was worn (or so I thought). Sometimes I've given the new remastered/repressed copies away, taken them back or won't play them. They are either repressed by some bloke in his garden shed, or whoever remastered them didn't care how that translated to vinyl. Some of them are absolute garbage and sound like they have all the detail ripped out of them. On the other hand I've had some which sounded like I always thought it should. The problem is a lot of the kids who are buying vinyl now either don't care because its the in thing to have, have crap gear to play them on and don't know ant better, or have never had an appreciation of vinyl before, so the labels churn it out and make money. I am vary wary buying new vinyl because of this and still buy a CD copy first. If I like it enough I'll shell out what is around $40 - 50 in the UK for a vinyl copy
Is there any good clearing site for what to buy and on what label? A great resource for the quality of pressings; one that isn't kool-aid drinking but down the middle reliable? Michael Kiwanuka 'Kiwanuka" was one of my first newer artists lp purchases and it was god awful. Hopefully I'm not repeating myself. I know I've ranted on this one before. Unlistenable. No skips, record defects other than just sounding terrible with no dynamics. Stones Mono Box wasn't bad(better when i got the correct mono RCA output but nowhere as good as the Bob Dylan Mono Box Set. No comparison and at those prices......come' on! Just got a U2 'War' record Columbia Club pressing form 83' or 84' and it sounds fantastic. A bit better bass would have been nice but overall..... fantastic! I have no idea what the represses sound like....also don't have the money to go down that path. I guess that's why having a good relationship with a record store is important. Just got a Fontaines DC 'Skinny Fia' and a bit underwhelming. Will try cleaning..... I have so many records ,from the day that sound so, so great. I worked at a record store in the mid 80's and saw a number of duds but it usually wasn't a sound quality: vinyl quality, warping, center punch problems.
I have nothing against reissues. Remasters on other hand could be problem. Just take In flameses Clayman where they made joke out of an almost perfect album
If an original is 100$+ and a reissue is ~20$, I’ll take the reissue to hold place until I decide to spend on the original. I love originals but sometimes the price difference is hard to stomach.
The master degrades over time. But wouldn't modern press of the original master with modern materials and technology be better than anything that came out say in the 60's or 70's?
I don't agree at all. I own many first pressings of albums that were poorly mastered or cut when originally released, and don't sound great. Therefore the label/artist has gone back and done a better job, with modern technology, to remaster/reissue the album - the easiest example being audiophile reissues from labels like MoFi or Analogue Productions. Music on Vinyl and Vinyl Me, Please have also worked wonders with older albums that deserved better sound, packaging, and presentation.
@@NTXVinyl Admittedly late to the conversation, but I agree. 1st is not always best. The Beatles Help! is awful in stereo (fake stereo) and mono is acceptable but not great. The US soundtrack pressings are even worse. The US stereo was a bad fake stereo version of British mono, but then against all logic, the US mono is a fold-down of the US stereo rather than just using the mono master. The 2012/2014 stereo reissues are way way better than the OG stereo and the mono pressings are better too. And as NXT Vinyl noted the AP stuff is amazing. Granted in both the case of the Beatles and AP reissues, great care was taken to get the best possible reissue. I can't say that is always the case.
I have only found one of my reissue that sounds bad...Number of the Beast....the repress sounds so bad I thought I blew out my phone amp section in my receiver.
That is simply not correct. Digital files are certainly used these days, but not degraded MP3s. Vinyl LPs pressed from HI-RES digital files can sound fantastic - just ask MoFi.
@@heavymetalgaming6209 How about because an original copy is very difficult to find, and/or too expensive for someone's budget? Many people just want to own the album because they appreciate the music. Not everyone collects for value/rarity or even sound quality. Lots of reasons to buy an album. I own tons of reissues, along side just as many original pressings.
@@NTXVinyl I get it,I’m just not buying them unless it has more to offer than the original,I have reissues like all the Metallica reissued super deluxe boxed sets and all the Black Sabbath super deluxe boxed sets..They actually had something more to offer..
New vinyl sucks! Simple as that. Exceptions are Acoustic Sounds. But generally new vinyl releases from especially Universal are poorly mastered with no quality control at all. Often resulting in clicks, pops and surface noise we never had between the 60’s and early 2000’s.
"New vinyl sucks" is a dumb statement IMO. I buy and own tons of new LPs that I love. Are they all perfect, no. I wish quality control was better too, but that doesn't mean it all sucks. Far from it.
@@NTXVinyl name ONE regular new vinyl release that actually sounds better than the original. New releases use the same master for CD, streaming and vinyl resulting in a loud mess pressed on vinyl lacking any detail, nuance etc.
@@pieterbalk-ht7kq The Blue Note Classic Series is fantastic. I recently grabbed Lee Morgan's Search For The New Land and it sounds great. I don't have a 1966 original, or hundreds to spend on a clean one - but that's ok because this copy from 2024 is beautiful. I could list out plenty of other new albums (actual NEW music recorded and released recently) that sound great. There are no "originals" to compare to...because they're brand new. Yes, they were recorded digitally...and no, that doesn't mean they suck. St. Vincent's All Born Screaming comes to mind. Awesome album, great pressing. Other examples (of reissues): Tom Petty Wildflowers from a few years ago INCREDIBLE! Just grabbed a reissue of Nick Drake - Bryter Layter and it's lovely as well. AIC's Jar Of Flies and Pearl Jam's VS 45rpm cut also sound great. And no, new releases DO NOT use the same master for CD, streaming and vinyl. I own a label, and we remaster specifically for vinyl just like most labels. Different files are exported for streaming/digital services to accommodate the specifics of the format.
My rule is to NOT make a rule. I found over my 20 years of collecting that each album speaks to me differently. There are 100s of lps that to me I must have the original, 100s I must have the reissue, and 100s that I must have both. I kinda hate when people say “x” always sounds better bc to me what rings better in one person’s ear might not in another person’s ear. Not to mention different stereo systems bring different life out of a record. So to me…. I say don’t make a rule, but rather trust your ear and the desire of the collector side of you ( if that matters).
And this is not even talking about getting into other non sound tangible things such as packaging, variance, record store day releases, and many other factors are coming to play with making re-issue or originals is very desirable.
I’m sure you know of the Steve Hoffmeyer blog. When I want to investigate a title, I start with Googling, for example “What is the best vinyl pressing of Some Girls.” I always, inevitably end up on the Hoffmeyer site. I may not always be willing to shell out the dough for the consensus “best” (when there is one), but contributions from vinyl fans on that website always inform my decision. My two cents.
Good call. Need to do that more often. I’m pretty diligent about reading reviews of LPs on Discogs but more sources the better
I found the original lp Color Me Country by Linda Martell from 1969. Linda was first black female country singer to chart on Billboard. The album was re issued in 2022 on orange vinyl so I also bought a copy of that one.
It is definitely a highly debated topic but I agree with your perspectives. You make great recommendations for new and old collectors.
I’m at a point in my collecting where I’m going “deeper” so to speak into the artists/records I’m looking for. Spending $500+ for an original is not always in the budget. So, sometimes getting a reissue is the less expensive route. However, as an experienced collector I more or less know I when I need to jump on purchasing a record. For example, I recently bought a 7” for $150 (obscure artist, obscure label, and obscure song). The likelihood of this particular record being reissued is near zero percent. Also, with the big Universal Records fire in 2008 a huge amount of masters were lost so solid represses may never occur for certain releases.
Thanks for watching! And that’s a great point I missed. Sometimes, an album will never be reissued so you simply have no choice but to track down an original
Hello great videos so far. I agree with you often. I was wondering if you could make a video on some tips of recognizing first issues or the first pressings. There slot of different videos on this but most say different things.
Great idea for sure. Gets quite tricky when trying to nail down a true "first" pressing, versus an original pressing. So much of that depends on the specific title because the identifiers can be very unique on each
@@NTXVinyl - Is there not some detail in the deadwax which helps one to identify which version is which?
I laugh at all the kids saying " I wish I could time travel to the 90s and grab all that rare vinyl". No you don't, finding sealed new vinyl in the 90s was a rare commodity. I can literally tell you time and place I bought the few SEALED new vinyl I got during those dark days, it was so rare. In Europe, vinyl was still widely available a few more years till 1993ish, but then it was almost obsolete there too
Absolutely. I had a few local shops in my area that still carried vinyl in the 90’s, but it was not plentiful at all.
Vinyl never went away in the 90s all the dance tracks were cut to vinyl and they still are
@@johnholmes912 I'm a rock fan, so it was slim pickins for me. I got All the promo 12inch clubtracks for free through my company Sam Goody. Rap and club 12inchers were plentiful, but rock was all but gone
That’s right - no new vinyl! Or very few !
I think just about everything you addressed is spot on. The only problem I have had with reissues of late is moderate warpage. I got feedback on a different TH-cam program from a fellow who is tired of this obsession with 180 - 200-gram LP's. He feels that because of the thicker vinyl, they are not being given proper time to cure, are retaining the heat from the pressing process longer and therefore more apt to show subtle forms of warpage. Hey, I find my mint Mobile Fidelity pressing of Led Zeppelin II from 1982 to be just fine. I have heard it up against a VG+ Robert Ludwig. I said: "think I'll keep mine". Got a couple of unmentionable phrases about my hearing ability and mental acuity and he left with his cherished copy, and I retained mine. Oh yes, I have a Linn Sondek LP12 and a Thorens.
its true thicker LPs more often bend in the plant, but thinner bends easier after that (well it can be fixed tho)
I have been collecting vinyl for 1 year now. And I’m thankful for the multitude of vinyl channels I was able to get dictate myself from. And this is my approach now:
If you have a favorite artist and you know all their songs, and love their entire body of work, and you want to own all their records? Then buy the first pressings. It’ll be worth your money. And if you like the way the reissues look based on colors and special variants. Buy them, too. Why not? Chances are, the materials used in those editions are better packaging material than the original pressing.
If you like an artist, but you don’t really go crazy for them like your favorite artist? Buy it reissue. If you come across a special variant edition, buy that, too. But I wouldn’t get it on first pressing.
If the artist don’t matter to you, don’t buy their record at all. That’s been my philosophical approach to collecting vinyl.
Man, great video! You really cleared things up for me; a collector of many years… now I’m much more knowledgeable. Here’s some reissues - 180g records that I got because the OG’s never came down in price: Concrete Blonde - “Bloodletting”, Oingo Boingo - “Dead Man’s Party”, The Cure - “Mixed Up”, The Cure - “Seventeen Seconds”, Nine Inch Nails - “Pretty Hate Machine”. I got tired of waiting & just pulled the trigger on the Re-issues. I love all the LP’s - they sound Fantastic!!
Love to hear it! Thanks so much for watching. 🙌
@@NTXVinyl As with books and poster collectors. ITS ALWAYS THE 1ST PRESSING THAT YOU'd WANT. Anything else is bullshit. There's no such thing as being in the middle. There does exist a silver bullet. Otherwise what's the point.
It's safer to stick with promos
I have an original “mixed up” I bought when it came out, great album
@@paultuerena Mixed Up album is amazing! The remixes of these tracks are EPIC !!
In the 70's and 80's record labels were using low end vinyl ( Cash Grab) , MCA,RCA, Columbia,Blue Note, and Warner Brothers, ( Dyna Flex was a low grade vinyl mix nightmare). European pressings and Japanese vinyl was much better quality and many collectors preferred those records pressed overseas. I know this cause I was there and in the record business (1970-1985).This is the best time to get Classic Rock and Jazz reissues as well as new artists and Classical. Just hope it continues. BTW 42 million vinyl albums were sold in 2021 could have been twice as much but due to shortages on vinyl it slowed growth.
Thanks for tips your making me a better collector. Clean grooves!
Great to hear!
I couldn't agree more on how you put it you are 100% correct ..but just me personally I like to collect original pressing...great video👍👍👍
Thanks so much for watching! I always try to grab the original too. But have plenty of reissues as “placeholders”
Great channel. Helpful advice on important topic. Maybe you can help us with this. Is there ever a reason for a vinyl enthusiast to buy a DIGITAL remaster of a title on vinyl? Won’t such a product at best sound like a CD because the music will at some point in the process be compressed with some loss in sound quality?
Similar question: is there ever reason for a vinyl enthusiast to own digitally recorded titles, pressed to vinyl? Won’t that too, at best sound like a CD?
It really depends on why YOU buy something. For me, sound is only one of many factors when purchasing a record, versus any other format. Yes, I want the best sounding copy as possible. But I also buy for the packaging, nostalgia, bonus material, and to support the artist, etc.
I own plenty of LPs that are digitally sourced, sometimes because it's the only version of the music that exists. Will the CD sound the same since if it's the same source? Likely so. But for me, having larger artwork, and getting to add that to my vinyl collection (my personal format of choice) is important. Not to mention that I don't even own a CD player and my primary (and highest quality) sound system is set up for my turntable - nothing else.
The ritual of owning and listening to an album on vinyl is very very different for me personally, than streaming music or putting a CD in a player. So again, sound quality is only one (very important) factor.
Dire Straits Brothers in Arms was digitally recorded, but what Bob Ludwig did with the vinyl pressing was magic
I have a modest system and enjoy music every day on it. Reissue or original pressing if you are getting joy out of it what’s the difference. At it’s core record collecting is about the bands and music you love
Well said!
How do you tell if a record is the original, first press or a reissue? Maybe you can make a video about this. Thanks
Just added to the list! Thanks for the idea 👌🏼
You can usually tell by catalog numbers and more importantly the matrix numbers in the run out grooves.
@@bigsweetc6 - Yes, but HOW to tell? Is it a certain letter, a number or a mix? This to me is the question of the century! Thanks.
I’m totally with you on this. Some people will have their own agenda clearly. However I just want to know what the best pressing is. I feel for some people, even when the reissue is arguably superior, some will not accept this and still say the original is best. However I do get the original can often be best.
Hey, I've been to Frisco Texas, for the 2017-18-19 Texas Pinball Festivals. Frisco looks like Brea California.
I'm an originals guy, and only buy reissues if they have demos or bonus tracks ( like the new Kiss Destroyer or the 2015 zeppelin). I can see some of these reissues maybe having a better sound, if they spread it out over 2 lps etc, but I own 30thousand vinyl, and only have room for 1 copy of each ( with minor exceptions)
30,000!?!? Wow. Amazing. I’d love to see that. 👀 send us some photos! ➡️ info@ntxvinyl.com
For me the main reason for getting an original copy is the nostalgia factor. I would much prefer buying an original copy of Born in the USA than the most recent one that celebrated 40 years of its release. Of course, the stores want to sell these reissues and they will, but for people like me that collect old records, it's hard.
Great video!! Sometimes reissues which are released using the “safety tapes” sound better than reissues which are released from the master tape.
Also, the Universal Studios warehouse fire a few years ago will impact what titles can be reissued in the future. This probably explains why some reissues in recent years are originating from digital sources, which is probably another video!
The Rhino represses of Alice Cooper and Genesis have been wonderful.
I bought a new copy of Houses of the Holy in 1990 or so, most likely the last press from the 80s, it was horrible, the grooves were barely there, the needle started floating.
Yup. Can totally be hit or miss.
Cool take on this divisive subject. In your opinion which labels do reissues well? preferably non-audiophile labels i.e. mofi fidelity etc. So labels that do good reissue represses without the high price tag
When a reissue takes an album that compresses 50+ minutes on one album and presses it on two disc it does sound better than the original. I have found that usually the Blue Note OGs from the 50's to mid 60's are some of the most dynamic records I have ever heard even with some pops and clicks. You are correct in which is better be case by case decision.
Sorry to say but youre just plain wrong about Blue Note OGs. Unless all other records you have a compressed to smithereens the BN OGs should be far from the most dynamic as almost every reissue of those albums on vinyl have more dynamic range.
@@leon9021 Not sure about the dynamic range of albums as I don't have the mechanical resources to find out, but my ears are telling me something different. The couple of OGs I have just explode out of the speaker and fill the room. I have many different audiophile pressings from AP, Impex, Tone Poet to name a few and the sound is noticeable. The range might not be dynamic but the sound sure is or maybe I got lucky in the few OGs I got.
@@mattlupu152 Its simply a misunderstanding of dynamic range and its sound. The OG are in fact more compressed and cut louder which is likely why some feel its punchier and more "dynamic". Louder is simply perceived as more impressive to the ear and thus to do a fair comparison one must balance the loudness of the reissues to the OGs.
Pressings directly from the master tapes are the best. Doesn't have to be a 1st press as long as those 1st gen master tapes are used, not copies of the master tapes. For instance Black Sabbath's 70's albums on UK Vertigo are superior to all other pressings because they were cut directly from fresh master tapes whereas all the other countries pressings were cut from copies of the master tapes.
100%
Original album pressings not only contain the best (in some cases) sounding mastering but also the artwork at its best. Compare, for example , the quality of the artwork of the original to the 189gram reissue you just bought. The colors are off, the image not sharp, sometimes cropped off or pixelated. In some extreme cases, they photoshop away any skin blemishes on the face of the original artwork. It’s as if the record label scanned a record sleeve and made that stored file the “master”, instead of tracking down the original negatives or photos for the cover. Also, is your new 180 gram reissue pressed off center resulting in an annoying wow and flutter when you play the album ? Seems to be a common problem nowadays, and a rarity with pressings from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Absolutely!
Not sure you’ve ever seen the artwork on any of Intervention Records releases, they smoke the originals (as does the sound)
Not always with the artwork. My parents just bought me an original copy (1950s) of Harry Belafonte's Calypso for Christmas because I loved their version (1970s reissue) as a kid, and the artwork is 100% superior on theirs. Mine is a German pressing and the artwork is 12" stickers on a flimsy white (almost paper) sleeve. Theirs in a nice laminated sleeve on good quality card. Sounds amazing though and I still love it
Since you said to ask you at around 13:50, do you know how the Thin Lizzy reissues sound? I need Black Rose (my favorite Lizzy album) in my collection as well as the rest.
I’m not to particular I will take new reissues the only exception I have made are for my 2 favorite bands I guess because they’re a piece of music history it’s just awesome to have one of those 30 yr old albums or if I find some for killer cheap prices I’ll pick them up sound quality difference is not something I nit pick over as long as it plays good and doesn’t skip we’re all good over here
Which two bands?
@@NTXVinyl CCR AND SKYNYRD ofcourse lol probably way older than 30yrs lol 😅 the only exception are the colored promos of Skynyrd I have a black one but a complete set can run 1800.00 or more they’re so rare as well ! Not something I could afford anytime soon looking for a sounds of the south 2nd helping album right now and working on a complete discography
Pretty much exactly what I would say, in music its almost always a case by case basis.
Right on. Thanks for watching Leon!
Unfortunately there are many groups/singers who had first time pressings but will never see a repressing, thoughts?
Absolutely! I totally failed to address that in the video, but you are correct. Many obscure (and even some popular/known) albums will never be repressed. Just the nature of the business. Your only choice is to chase down an original in these cases, and unfortunately it can be very expensive
Surprised you didn't mention AAA vs introducing digital steps in the production of reissues. I'd love to hear thoughts on that.
Interesting take considering the recent Mofi news. I am assuming this comment was pre-Mofi-gate correct?
@@jacobmckim1710 it was! Completely forgot about it. 4 months ago!
How do you know which pressing is truly "the first" if it is within the same year?
Sometimes there isn't a way - not if the pressing plants didn't change plates or alter labels/jackets from one pressing to the next. Many times there are small indicators though that can be found in the dead wax or on the text/details of the disc labels. Check the NOTES section on certain releases in Discogs and people point them out at times. Good luck!
Help. I need to buy Exile on Main Street on vinyl. Original or 180g reissue?
if you're in the states we have it avail.
shop.ntxvinyl.com/UPC/602508773211
I love when Mofi introduces a 50 year old album I bought originally for $5 and still own and they want $100.
Ok
Is a repress the same as a reissue?....and do reissues often come from the same master tape as the original release
Great question! Yes, the words repress/reissue are pretty much interchangeable. There are some outliers but for the most part they’re the same.
As for the audio source, that really differs from one album to the next. Many times it will be highlighted IF it comes from the original masters. Other times you really don’t know.
When buying modern represses make sure to do your homework!! Ensure the plant and label are the right ones, ensure its 100% analog and not a crap transfer or digital. There are many great labels and plants so do your homework
Great tips!
my only issue with reissues it makes sorting my library via discogs messy as i go by original release year
You are so dead on, I’m just getting back into vinyl. I’ve focused on albums that really mean something to me that I’ve been listening to my whole life with very few exceptions. But even with this limited scope trying to find out which pressing to go after requires a lot of digging. Then once you figure out which pressings to go after how do you track them down? It’s unfortunately a lot of trial on your system to find out how they fit to your ear.
Cheers my friend, and good luck on the hunt! Appreciate you watching
which u prefer cd or record i like both.
I don’t own any CDs
BN OG pressing owners want to keep the value of their records, so have a hard time formally admitting recent represses like Tone Poets and CLASSIC SERIES do sound better.
I’ve got a 93 pressing of 2Pac Strictly For My N.I.G.G.A.Z. that sounds like crap (very quiet) but my 2017 reissue is dope AF. Somehow that 93 press goes for around $130 though…
People don't know how it sounds because it's so rare. Most collectors use the "Sneaker rule" where they feel later pressings have more tread on the masters and stampers.
Just because an album was 'reissued' a few years later from its original release date doesn't mean it's remastered does it?....and it likely would come from the original master tape right?
Most of my collection are originals from the 80s but now I prefer to buy represses as the quality seems to be better these days - plus I try to buy 180g versions. Plus the sleeves tend to be in better condition- just my preference
I wouldn’t swop my original first pressings of the Beatles for anything
Simple that😁 case by case…(Title.. title)
For me, the difficulty of obtaining first issues in great shape is the most off-putting part of the hunt. More often than not, sellers on eBay and even Discogs are passing off rough vinyl as VG+ or better. I received a badly warped Wish You Were Here recently, which was sold as NM, and a badly scuffed, noisy "VG+" Zep IV not long after. Unless you live near a very well-stocked and trustworthy dealer, I have come to expect a success rate of 30% at best.
trouble with re-issues is that the original master tapes are often so degraded that they can't be used
Differs with every title.
Right in some cases
If a original only cost $20 to $30 bucks more then I’m going to get the og depending on condition,Perfect example for me is that the reissue of slayer south of heaven is well over $100,If you’re willingly to spend that on the reissue then you should just add $40 to that and get the og..
Some of the brand new issues I have purchased don't really sound very good now I seem like you got to clean them because they're crackling and popping kind of a disappointment
Sometimes even reissues can be scarce and expensive. Good luck finding a copy of Astral Weeks (1968), original, reprint or new copy for less than $35-40.
I’ve got a new 180gram reissue in stock! $30 😀
@@NTXVinyl Haha-nice! I might pull the trigger, when I have the money....just bought an original '67 Elektra pressing of Forever Changes and it wiped out my allowance 😀
I think lots of guys want analogue-sourced stuff which is snobbish and then pay big money for a worn out shitty old LP (I know Ive fallen to this trap). I used to be all-analog whatever but truth is the quality of the pressing is the most important thing, and you can make a perfectly good digital master and cut it to vinyl. The way it is approached nowadays (at least it sounds to me) is - lower the levels, then crank the bass to escape the physical limitations. So new digitally sourced vinyl actually is often fat and warm and with maybe better dynamics than the official digital release, couse you cant compress too much on vinyl. Old vinyl is more often bass-shy and mid-rangey, as engineers had a different idea. Maybe old German LPs are closes to how modern vinyl for newer music sounds.
So you shouldnt discriminate and its always luck with LPs you buy sealed or online. With new records, I notice on wanted albums they sometimes drop the QC, especially the Holland plant (Im in Europe). Which leads to many defects overlooked, especially my "favourite" offcenter pressings. On the other hand I just got a 2020 Czech pressing of Black Keys - Brothers and it is probably the smoothest LP I have so its all about QC.
Sellers online abuse this for old LPs as well - they grade it NM or VG+, and what comes is both sides offset differently so you get the power drill and it becomes ugly and you have to adjust it with every play...
Some people are blessed and dont notice speed variations but its driving me mad!
What do you think of Japanese issues?
I honestly own very few, have heard they can be fantastic though
You didn't mention where the album was pressed. Living in Canada, I can tell you most pressings done here in the 70's and eighties were generally mediocre . Vinyl quality was poor too, I wouldn't doubt they just used old vinyl not virgin vinyl. And thin too. Back then if you wanted a good pressing you had to get it from Japan.
There's good and bad in equal measure as regards original and reissue.
Originals from their country of origin are also more sought-after. Generally, British and German vinyl sounds better than their American cousins.
I heard most not all reissues in the last 10 years are just digital pressed on vinyl.
That may be true. Never seen a stat on it. The reality is every single title is different. If the highest quality audio that exists for an album are hi-res digital files than that it likely what is used. And many times they can still sound great on vinyl.
If analogue masters exist (IF the album was even recorded analogue to begin with) then it's still up to the artist/label if they choose to use them as the source for the vinyl pressing.
Remastered means. Dry. Compressed. Toneless. Lack of clarity among other things. Only advantage is remasterd seems to flesh out some cetain details of instruments. I rarley play remasterd if i want a realistic sound tone of instruments. Old records and old AAD CDs have more tonal color
No. That’s not what it means.
I've had original 70's pressings or a re-issue from the same year I bought back in the 70's, and bought the album again remastered/repressed as my old copy was worn (or so I thought). Sometimes I've given the new remastered/repressed copies away, taken them back or won't play them. They are either repressed by some bloke in his garden shed, or whoever remastered them didn't care how that translated to vinyl. Some of them are absolute garbage and sound like they have all the detail ripped out of them. On the other hand I've had some which sounded like I always thought it should.
The problem is a lot of the kids who are buying vinyl now either don't care because its the in thing to have, have crap gear to play them on and don't know ant better, or have never had an appreciation of vinyl before, so the labels churn it out and make money.
I am vary wary buying new vinyl because of this and still buy a CD copy first. If I like it enough I'll shell out what is around $40 - 50 in the UK for a vinyl copy
Is there any good clearing site for what to buy and on what label?
A great resource for the quality of pressings; one that isn't kool-aid drinking but down the middle reliable?
Michael Kiwanuka 'Kiwanuka" was one of my first newer artists lp purchases and it was god awful. Hopefully I'm not repeating myself. I know I've ranted on this one before. Unlistenable. No skips, record defects other than just sounding terrible with no dynamics.
Stones Mono Box wasn't bad(better when i got the correct mono RCA output but nowhere as good as the Bob Dylan Mono Box Set. No comparison and at those prices......come' on! Just got a U2 'War' record Columbia Club pressing form 83' or 84' and it sounds fantastic. A bit better bass would have been nice but overall..... fantastic! I have no idea what the represses sound like....also don't have the money to go down that path. I guess that's why having a good relationship with a record store is important. Just got a Fontaines DC 'Skinny Fia' and a bit underwhelming. Will try cleaning..... I have so many records ,from the day that sound so, so great. I worked at a record store in the mid 80's and saw a number of duds but it usually wasn't a sound quality: vinyl quality, warping, center punch problems.
I have nothing against reissues. Remasters on other hand could be problem. Just take In flameses Clayman where they made joke out of an almost perfect album
If an original is 100$+ and a reissue is ~20$, I’ll take the reissue to hold place until I decide to spend on the original. I love originals but sometimes the price difference is hard to stomach.
Right there with ya. I have MANY placeholders in my collection as well.
The master degrades over time. But wouldn't modern press of the original master with modern materials and technology be better than anything that came out say in the 60's or 70's?
As with books and poster collectors. ITS ALWAYS THE 1ST PRESSING THAT YOU'd WANT. Anything else is bullshit
I don't agree at all. I own many first pressings of albums that were poorly mastered or cut when originally released, and don't sound great. Therefore the label/artist has gone back and done a better job, with modern technology, to remaster/reissue the album - the easiest example being audiophile reissues from labels like MoFi or Analogue Productions. Music on Vinyl and Vinyl Me, Please have also worked wonders with older albums that deserved better sound, packaging, and presentation.
@@NTXVinyl Admittedly late to the conversation, but I agree. 1st is not always best. The Beatles Help! is awful in stereo (fake stereo) and mono is acceptable but not great. The US soundtrack pressings are even worse. The US stereo was a bad fake stereo version of British mono, but then against all logic, the US mono is a fold-down of the US stereo rather than just using the mono master. The 2012/2014 stereo reissues are way way better than the OG stereo and the mono pressings are better too. And as NXT Vinyl noted the AP stuff is amazing. Granted in both the case of the Beatles and AP reissues, great care was taken to get the best possible reissue. I can't say that is always the case.
I have only found one of my reissue that sounds bad...Number of the Beast....the repress sounds so bad I thought I blew out my phone amp section in my receiver.
It happens
Most reissued records are made by using mp3 format..Especially the bootlegs..
That is simply not correct. Digital files are certainly used these days, but not degraded MP3s. Vinyl LPs pressed from HI-RES digital files can sound fantastic - just ask MoFi.
If a reissue has nothing to offer extra,there’s no point in buying it
@@heavymetalgaming6209 How about because an original copy is very difficult to find, and/or too expensive for someone's budget? Many people just want to own the album because they appreciate the music. Not everyone collects for value/rarity or even sound quality. Lots of reasons to buy an album. I own tons of reissues, along side just as many original pressings.
@@NTXVinyl I get it,I’m just not buying them unless it has more to offer than the original,I have reissues like all the Metallica reissued super deluxe boxed sets and all the Black Sabbath super deluxe boxed sets..They actually had something more to offer..
New vinyl sucks! Simple as that. Exceptions are Acoustic Sounds.
But generally new vinyl releases from especially Universal are poorly mastered with no quality control at all. Often resulting in clicks, pops and surface noise we never had between the 60’s and early 2000’s.
"New vinyl sucks" is a dumb statement IMO. I buy and own tons of new LPs that I love. Are they all perfect, no. I wish quality control was better too, but that doesn't mean it all sucks. Far from it.
@@NTXVinyl name ONE regular new vinyl release that actually sounds better than the original.
New releases use the same master for CD, streaming and vinyl resulting in a loud mess pressed on vinyl lacking any detail, nuance etc.
@@pieterbalk-ht7kq The Blue Note Classic Series is fantastic. I recently grabbed Lee Morgan's Search For The New Land and it sounds great. I don't have a 1966 original, or hundreds to spend on a clean one - but that's ok because this copy from 2024 is beautiful.
I could list out plenty of other new albums (actual NEW music recorded and released recently) that sound great. There are no "originals" to compare to...because they're brand new. Yes, they were recorded digitally...and no, that doesn't mean they suck. St. Vincent's All Born Screaming comes to mind. Awesome album, great pressing.
Other examples (of reissues): Tom Petty Wildflowers from a few years ago INCREDIBLE! Just grabbed a reissue of Nick Drake - Bryter Layter and it's lovely as well. AIC's Jar Of Flies and Pearl Jam's VS 45rpm cut also sound great.
And no, new releases DO NOT use the same master for CD, streaming and vinyl. I own a label, and we remaster specifically for vinyl just like most labels. Different files are exported for streaming/digital services to accommodate the specifics of the format.
@@NTXVinyl I agree on the Tom Petty Wildflowers. That indeed was an exception.