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I remember it with relish because it was a sonic blockbusting demo. It sounded far better on the $50k McIntosh components in the well set up room than it did in my home system of those days. I can’t remember the TT or cartridge they used, but it was probably the top of the line Denon model of the day with a Shure flagship cartridge.
It was cut direct to disk in 1973. Lincoln Mayorga was a fanatic about the idea that the only way to get true high end reproduction was to use simple miking techniques with specially designed microphones and to cut direct to the master disk, bypassing all the distortion of tape and editing.
The musicians had to be ready to cut a whole side at one sitting.
Music critics were often unimpressed. They said that the whole process put undue stress on the musicians, and since the musicians were not famous in their own rite, the performances were considered uninspired.
But audiophiles loved this series, and later Lincoln was able to do some direct to disk recordings with established famous musicians.
I’ve not listened to this record in at least 30 years, but I cleaned it tonight and stuck it on the platter.
It is sonically excellent. Very stable image. Wonderful sparkle and presence. It impressed me as a worthy recording for showing off a system. The program is quite enjoyable too.
The direct to disk format limits the length of each side. The goal was to present incredible dynamic range. I would count it as a howling success. If it’s available in a streaming format, it may not be as impressive … though it’s hard to say. There was no master tape for remastering or digitizing.
After listening to this disk, I’m going to run through the whole Sheffield Lab series. I’ve had them all since they were released.
