A must for all Ben Webster fans! The nickname “The Brute and the Beautiful” was aptly given to Ben Webster. He became famous for his beautiful sound which gave his ballad playing a unique touch of tenderness, while his playing in faster tempos was virile and filled with growl.

Webster is among that exclusive hierarchy of jazz artists to whose consistent excellence there can never be an over-abundance of recorded testimony. He is regarded as one of the three foremost swing-era tenor saxophonists – the two others being Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young.

NUMBERED DELUXE TWO TAPES EDITION

From original analogue masters (AAA)

IN STOCK! ORDER NOW - ESSENTIAL ANALOGUE RECORDINGS

Album: Ben Webster – Stardust
Label: 2xHD - 2XHDST-TD1246
Format: 2xReel-To-Reel, 15 ips, ¼", 2-Track Stereo, 10.5" NAB Reel, Compilation, Deluxe Edition
Country: Canada
Released: 2030
Genre: Jazz
Style: Bop

Tracklist:

Tape One:
1. Stardust - H. Carmichael
2. Cry Me A River - A. Hamilton
3. Willow Weep For Me - A. Ronell
4. Old Folks - Robinson, Hill
5. My Romance - R. Rodgers, L. Hart

Tape Two:
1. Going Home - Traditional arrangement N.J. Steen
2. Cottontail - D. Ellington, arrangement N.J. Steen
3. Come Sunday - D. Ellington, arrangement Ray Pitts
4. Our Blues - B. Schaerff, B. Webster
5. Sonday - J.Styne, B. Krueger
6. For Heavens Sake - S. Edwards, E. Bretton

Musician:
Tenor Saxophone – Ben Webster
This is a historically significant album. Recorded - Cafe Montmartre - Copenhagen - August 17, 1971

Original Recording Format: Analog Tape

Analog Recording Equipment: Nagra-T Tape Recorder modified with high-end tube playback electronics, wired with OCC silver cable from the playback head direct to a Nick Doshi tube head preamplifier.

For the recording on this tape, the original 1/4" 15 ips NAB or CCIR master tapes were played on a Nagra-T tape recorder, modified with high-end tube playback electronics, wired with OCC silver cable from the playback head directly to a Nick Doshi tube head preamplifier. The Nagra T, with its four direct drive motors, two pinch rollers and a tape tension head, is one of the best transports ever made. A custom-built carbon fibre head block and a head damping electronic system permit 2xHD FUSION to obtain more transparency and better 3D imaging. This copy was recorded on a Nagra IV-S 1/4" at 15 ips.

• Deluxe Double Edition Tape
• From The Analog Master Tape
• On Two SM900 RTM Tapes
• Pure Analogue Tape Copy at 15 ips, CCIR EQ
• Two Balanced Metal Reel Spools
• Elegant Booklet
• Clamshell Box
• Made in Canada

The package includes two audiophile SM900 tapes recorded at 15 ips in CCIR (also available in NAB), on two balanced aluminium reel spools manufactured in Germany and an elegant album booklet.

Compatible Tape Recorders to play master tape copy today:
3M, Akai, Ampex 350, 351, 354, 440, MR70, ATR 100, 102, Ballfinger M063H1, M063H3, M063H5, M063H1IX, Crown, Denon, Fostex, Lyrec, Magnecord, Marantz, MCI, Mitsubishi, Nagra T, Nagra IV-S/QGB, Otari, Philips PRO35, PRO36, Pioneer RT707, Scully280, Shure, Sony, Stellavox, Studer B67, C37, A80, 810, A820, ReVox A77, C260, G36, PR99, Tandberg, Teac X2000, Tascam, Technics RS1500, Telefunken M5, M10, M12, M15, Thorens TM1600, United home audio and more.

The numbered package includes two audiophile SM-900 tapes recorded at 15 ips in CCIR Eq. (also available in NAB Eq.), on two balanced metal reels manufactured in Germany and an elegant booklet.

Feel The Warmth!

The multi-award-winner 2xHD label is reputed as one of the world’s finest producers of audiophile albums on reel-to-reel tape. Analogue audio tapes offer a warm, rich, immersive listening experience to make you feel as if you’re in the studio, sitting right next to the recording artist. 2XHD Fusion reel-to-reel tape recordings are sourced from first-generation analogue recordings without any digital corruption. The mastering transfer chain is as short and pure as possible using the best OCC silver cables and high-end vacuum tube electronics professionally customised to get the most transparent and realistic reproduction available today. Each reel-to-reel tape release is treated with individual attention to the choice of analogue equipment. 2XHD is an accurate musical mastering system, earning recognition from peers and specialized trade media around the world.

2xHD Fusion reel audio tapes available in CCIR Or NAB Equalization, please send us a message after your order. The Deluxe editions by 2xHD Fusion include Two SM900 premium high-output studio audio tapes recorded at 15IPS in CCIR Or in NAB, on two balanced metal audiophile reels manufactured by Feinwerktechnik Allgäu in Germany.

A World Of Music At Your Fingertips: The 2xHD proprietary mastering provides a unique listening experience as the process digs deep in original recordings to bring out all hidden information, without altering the music in any way, uncovering and bringing out nuances, warmth, depth of field and even the air around the musicians.

AAA Quality Reel Tape Recordings: Analogue Components Only from The Original Master Tapes. Pure analogue transfer from the original master tape - The entire tape mastering analogue domain chain was kept analogue from start to finish. There are no compression or limiters used. Audiotapes from 2xHD guarantee that ultimate quality is preserved from the original master in contrast to LP vinyl, CDs or other formats. Exceptional Audiophile Analogue Sound - Master Quality Reel To Reel Recording On RTM SM900 Tape.

Sound experience: All 2xHD audiotapes are from the original master and transfer in the analogue domain using a Nagra-T tape recorder, modified with high-end tube playback electronics, wired from the playback head. In the high-end audio world, René has carved out a reputation for the definition of excellence and uses his knowledge and unfailing instinct to match various audio components to create the best all-encompassing sound experience.

Alchemy Tape Mastering: These tapes are the best pure AAA sound copy master tapes you will hear. Audiophile quality microphone designer and 40 times winner of "Best sound in the show" at high-end audio equipment conventions, Laflamme uses his knowledge and unfailing instinct to match various audio components to create the best all-encompassing sound experience. The exclusive 2xHD system is the fruit of Laflamme's total experience and imagination.


The ultimate reel-to-reel tape is the latest retro-trend for audiophiles, it has the greatest dynamic range, is capable of producing extraordinary sound for the treble and bass and there is less signal processing which is the enemy of a hi-fi extraordinaire. Listening to music on reel-to-reel tape will allow you to discover details in the music you were never able to hear before.

The audio reel tape is now making a comeback in the world of music. As the highest quality medium for analogue recording and playback, magnetic tape technology has not only returned: after more than 30 years during which the technology was almost completely displaced by digital technology, it is now receiving the appreciation it deserves thanks to a small group of enthusiasts who are keeping it alive.

As a result, this technology occupies a whole new, special place among the various sound recording formats. For enthusiasts and audiophiles, this evolution is long overdue and is considered the analogue sound source par excellence.

Feel The Warmth - Long Live Analog and Music On Audio Tape!