DizRotus Posted April 28, 2010 Share Posted April 28, 2010 In the 70s I had several Sheffield Labs direct to disc recordings, including King James Version with Harry James, I've Got The Music In Me with Thelma Houston & Pressure Cooker and a recording by Lincoln Mayorga. Unfortunately, I got rid of them the same time I got rid of my vinyl and my AR turntable with an SME 3009 arm and Shure V15 III. That was a mistake! Who is familiar with Sheffield Labs? Are CD versions of the direct to disc vinyl available? I used the Thelma Houston record in my mobile DJ business. The dynamics were awsome. The four Speakerlab SKhorns never sounded better than when that record was playing at live concert levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted April 28, 2010 Share Posted April 28, 2010 Who is familiar with Sheffield Labs? Are CD versions of the direct to disc vinyl available?Yes and yes (CD versions). However, the Harry James stuff is only available on vinyl. I've been (re)collecting the CD versions (I don't know about you, but my vinyl always develops dusk and other issues over time, so I usually get CDs for those items that I play a lot--and CDs are easily resurfaced using a good polishing machine, of which I own one.) I think that the Tower of Power "Direct" and Thelma Houston & Pressure Cooker CDs are wonderful. The Lab series (Lincoln Mayorga and his Distinguished Colleagues) are also outstanding recordings, but the musical style is becoming a little dated. The most widely owned CD among my acquaintances here is the James Newton Howard and Friends CD---that one is used by Roy D. and others to do critical listening tests on speakers. All of these are available on Amazon on the "preowned" marketplace. Glad you asked? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted April 28, 2010 Share Posted April 28, 2010 However, the Harry James stuff is only available on vinyl. I beg to differ. I purchased the KJV on CD under the Sheffield label in Singapore in 1986...after hearing it on K'horns in a store there. I have at least one Sheffield vinyl but don't recall being as impressed as I expected to be. Moscow Symphony, I think. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted April 28, 2010 Share Posted April 28, 2010 I beg to differ. I purchased the KJV on CD under the Sheffield label in Singapore in 1986...after hearing it on K'horns in a store there. I received a brochure in one of the jewel boxes of a Sheffiled Labs CD that indicated the earliest recordings (and maybe the lower volume sellers) were only available on vinyl. My memory served my incorrectly on that one Harry James, but I think that the other Harry James album is vinyl-only. Anyway, I also found that the Sheffield Labs web sites have gone dark. Apparently the owner (Doug Sax) has moved onto other things in Goleta CA, such as just mastering now. Sax is famous for "The Mastering Lab" and other stuff, and is apparently a staunch "analog only" kind of guy. In fact, I wonder how the CDs got manufactured at all? [*-)] Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ69 Posted April 28, 2010 Share Posted April 28, 2010 I have "Pressure Cooker" on CD and I had it on vinyl. The vinyl is better. Sheffield Labs is kaput and I know the guy that liquidated the entire Sheffield Lab inventory. If you want them, buy them off of Amazon while you can. Thanx, Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted April 28, 2010 Share Posted April 28, 2010 The Sheffield KJV CD is remarkable and holds up incredibably well considering that so many of those early CD efforts are awful from transcoding and other processes we later found to be poor mastering procedure. In fact, poor results were almost guaranteed at the time as the very finest ANALOG engineers were usaully involved as it was assumed that, since the "new" process was expensive and had such promise of improving the state of the art, you wanted the best available. Unfortunately, these analog experts often used techniques that, while producing legendary vinyl, produced painfully poor digital. It's taken a couple of generations to realize that just because you are Casey Jones on a steam locomotive that doesn't guarantee you can get a diseel engine to the station on time...or even in one piece. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted April 28, 2010 Share Posted April 28, 2010 I know at least one guy that bets on jockeys, not horses... The analogy here is that the format (CD, vinyl, etc.) is more like the horse, and the recording/mixing/mastering engineers are more like the jockey. When I look for good recordings - I tend to look for "jockeys", not "horses". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted April 28, 2010 Share Posted April 28, 2010 I know at least one guy that bets on jockeys, not horses... The analogy here is that the format (CD, vinyl, etc.) is more like the horse, and the recording/mixing/mastering engineers are more like the jockey. When I look for good recordings - I tend to look for "jockeys", not "horses". The British say: "Horses for courses," in other words, don't run a mudder on a dry track. If you want great analog, use a great analog engineer. If you want great digital, use a great digital engineer. As far as the mike to pre out, there is no difference whatsover...but after that, there is little in common. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted April 28, 2010 Share Posted April 28, 2010 Mostly very good stuff and pushed the envelope at the time. Yes - for some of us this is music of early adulthood. I don't necessarily listen to it because it's the best recording on my shelf (although they are very good in some cases), but because it brings back thoughts and experiences. Sheffield Labs recordings were one such experience for me. For instance, I listen to Amanda McBroom recordings because of a distant social connection between her mother and my folks during the 1950s in Dallas (SMU). Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted April 28, 2010 Share Posted April 28, 2010 I have the Sheffield Labs version of "I've Got The Music In Me" by Thelma Houston & Pressure Cooker on vinyl, and it is indeed outstanding! Highly recommended! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted April 28, 2010 Author Share Posted April 28, 2010 It was probably I've Got The Music In Me that convinced one of my customers that there had been a live drummer in addition to 4 SKhorns and 600 watts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebes Posted April 28, 2010 Share Posted April 28, 2010 I've got a bunch, all on wax: Amanda McBroom and Lincoln Mayorga "West of Oz" and "Growing Up in Hollywood Town" Lincoln Mayorga and Distuingished Collegeagues "Volume III" Tower of Power "Direct" (really good) Thelma Hosuton and Pressure Cooker, "I've Got the Music in Me" The McNeely-Levin-Skinner Band, "After Midnight" Harry James and HIs Band, "The King James Version" Harry James, "Comin' From A Good Place" All very well recorded using direct to disc techniques rather than tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winchester21 Posted April 28, 2010 Share Posted April 28, 2010 Wish I had Tower of Power- Remember them from the early 70s- one of my vinyl must haves As far as CDs- check out Telark- excellent quality also Highly reccomend George Lucas- Luke and the Locomotives- XRCD- 14 bucks new off E bay- demo quality killer CD sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebes Posted April 28, 2010 Share Posted April 28, 2010 Big fan of that Luke pressing. Get it on wax, it will blow you away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxx Posted April 28, 2010 Share Posted April 28, 2010 In the 70s I had several Sheffield Labs direct to disc recordings, including King James Version with Harry James, I've Got The Music In Me with Thelma Houston & Pressure Cooker and a recording by Lincoln Mayorga. Unfortunately, I got rid of them the same time I got rid of my vinyl and my AR turntable with an SME 3009 arm and Shure V15 III. That was a mistake! Who is familiar with Sheffield Labs? Are CD versions of the direct to disc vinyl available? I used the Thelma Houston record in my mobile DJ business. The dynamics were awsome. The four Speakerlab SKhorns never sounded better than when that record was playing at live concert levels. I bought this album back in the late 70's without really knowing what a prize it would be now. As a 2nd generation recording it is outstanding. I have two other direct disc recordings that are equally as good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted April 28, 2010 Share Posted April 28, 2010 I found one of the Harry James Sheffield Labs LPs at the thrift store for a buck. Outstanding for a buck.[] Not quite as good as many of my MFSLs (also half-speed) or newer reissues but I'm guessing it's way better than the original. I do listen to it once a year or so when I'm in a big band kind of mood! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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