From the Dutch label STS Analog come in regular intervals tape delicacies. The title "A Lazy Afternoon" is a current in-house production, which is also released on LP and CD. For each format a separate mastering is done. One of the main focuses is the tape. This was mastered from a Studer A800 with 24 tracks on a two-track NAGRA T. The fact that there are no limiting factors in the production chain up to the finished master tape copy can be heard immediately in this production: In the sound image there is a captivating calm and clarity, yes, just a sheer beauty. The tonality is very well balanced, from the deep bass basement all the way up to the treble. There is a delicate melting in all coherence that immediately makes my thoughts fly while listening. In the foreground is the singer André Rabini, accompanied by a selected orchestra. We hear piano, guitar, bass, drums, violins, viola, cello, cornet and tenor saxophone.
After reading through the enclosed information sheet, I consider when the songs were actually composed. The research shows: They are hits and standards that started their triumphal procession between 1912 and 1968, i.e. in a period of 56 years of the last century, and have not lost their topicality until today: Of course, the question arises whether it is now right to venture cover versions in 2018. I am open to this topic for two reasons:
First, there are already countless reinterpretations of most songs. Often we hardly know the original, but one of the popularized other releases. If then a really good recording of twelve songs on a common sound carrier is to be had, as with this tape, I find that extremely remarkable.
On the other hand, it is the peculiarity to get these pieces of music in a stunning quality. That is unique and with that I think that the owner of the company STS ANALOG, Fritz de With, has succeeded with this master tape a very big hit.
Album: André Rabini with Strings - A Lazy Afternoon
Label: STS Analog - T6111185
Playing time: 46 min
Specifications: half track ¼“, stereo, RTM LPR35, 1 metal reel, CCIR, 320 nWb/m, 38 cm/s
Songs:
What A Difference A Day Made, María Grever, 1934
For Once In My Life, Ron Miller, 1965
The Very Thought Of You, Ray Noble, 1934
The Days Of Wine And Roses, Henry Mancini, 1962
Two For The Road, Henry Mancini, 1967
One Morning In May, Hoagy Carmichael, 1934
Bésame Mucho, Consuelo Velázquez, 1941
My Melancholy Baby, Ernie Burnett / Maybelle Watson / George A. Norton, 1912
(Our) Love Is Here To Stay, George Gershwin, 1938
Dancing On The Ceiling, Richard Rodgers, 1930
All Of You, Cole Porter, 1954
What A Wonderful World, George David Weiss, 1968
For decades of the last century, tape technology was the only way to record music. After the advent of digital technology, the medium of tape became very quiet in the 1990s. Fortunately, some studios held on to the technology during this time and continued to produce in analog. For some years now, tape has been celebrating its comeback. Master tapes from the 1940s to the 1990s are still available in large numbers in the archives and are often so well preserved that they can either be copied directly or are available again in their best sonic form after remastering.
Many tape recorders could be saved over the decades and are available in best condition after maintenance. New manufacturers are on the market with machines. Some companies produce accessories such as tape reels, adapters and devices that allow connection to a modern stereo system. There are also brand new tapes for sale.
Master tape copies allow you to hear the uncompressed music signal exactly as the studio produced it. From the tape, you hear two true stereo channels directly, so they don't have to be generated from a digital data stream or from the groove of a record. Master tape copies are the pinnacle of music listening.
The look and feel of tapes make a valuable contribution to the music experience, and of course it's also about revering the technology from the past. It's great to hear the rich sounds of operating the buttons on the tape recorder and watch the spinning reels. Many publishers package the tape reels lavishly and include special photos, booklets or other material with them.
By Claus Müller - audiotapereview.com
