The very best sound: Direct to Disc

here are some direct to disc labels that are very good.....i have some of each of these.

http://www.directgrace.org/Catalog3.html

https://store.acousticsounds.com/l/4857/Berliner_Meister_Schallplatten

also a recent full orchestral Bruckner 7th direct to disc from DG......

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/berlin-philharmonics-direct-disc-bruckner-symphony-7-box-set

to order....

https://www.berliner-philharmoniker-recordings.com/bruckner-haitink.html

then there is the whole Toshiba Pro Use Direct Cut series.....i have all of these.....

https://www.discogs.com/label/299515-Pro-Use-Direct-Cutting-Series

and the Jeton direct to disc series....i have all of these....

https://www.discogs.com/label/300900-Jeton-GmbH

that ought to keep you busy for awhile.

Check out 2L for great sounding digital

i do have maybe 10 2L high rez files on my server. they do sound very good.

have not acquired any in a while. i'm streaming new music mostly, or acquiring vinyl. not much actual digital media ownership pondering.

Are Mapleshade recordings the digital equivalent of Direct to Disk recordings?

not really, since they are mastered to tape, then CD’s cut from tape. but Pierre’s process is very pure so is his sound on his CD’s. the result is quite ’like’ direct to disc.

CD’s analagous to ’direct-to-disc’ would be where the recording format is 16/44 and the CD is a direct result without a higher rez step in between.

i have a Starbucks CD called ’Artist Confidential’ that is a collection of acoustic versions of pop songs that was recorded to 16/44 and then a CD made from this. it’s very good and one of the better digital recordings i own.

better yet woutd be owning a higher rez file the same as the source file; like the Reference Recordings HRx’s. they are the source file 176/24 and you can buy that source file. i have many of those.

the lesson learned is to get as close to a native format as you can. but still......the musical performance is still king. great music has to come first, then we hope it sounds good. if the recording process stifles the musical flow then it’s just sound. but mixed into all those direct-to-disc are some magical performances. so the process does allow for more music to come through.

I was also wondering if anybody else finds 45 RPM albums to be too noisy?

i’d say you have to be more specific about 45rpm albums. and not all turntables are created equal.

i likely own 95-99% of all the 45rpm albums out there (1500+) produced in the last 25 years, as well as most from earlier eras, and they are very quiet as a group. OTOH since the record is traveling at a higher speed, the lead-in grooves and between cuts will have slightly more ’noise’. but the signal to noise ratio of the musical data is better than 33rpm since there is ’more’ data. the noise recedes farther into the background, more detail and nuance emerges, and more music comes out.

but if your turntable is not quiet (more rumble and flutter or actual motor noise) at 45rpm, which some are not, then, of course, that is what you will hear. obviously the better turntables will be quieter at the higher speed.

and........if you are referring to the 70’s and 80’s 12" singles and ’dance’ re-mix 45’s, those are a crap shoot as the quality is all over the board. many are a mess and noisy. they were generally not mastered and pressed with great care. a few though, are very quiet.