I happen to think the OG German DSOTM pressings beat the pants off the UK, especially for the money. I own a German 2nd pressing and it beats the 30th Anniversary (IMHO).
Yeah, Michael. Nice! I’m glad you had the same reaction as I did with the DSOTM German 1st pressing. It really is spectacular sounding record, and as you know, my favorite also. The midrange really does shine on that one, which I especially like. Thanks.
It was interesting that you mentioned Black Sabbath because I went looking at UA-cam videos and watched Thor talk about the German pressings and how much he loved them. It is such a wide range of possibilities across the globe with very subtle nuances depending on where you live. I grew up in Canada so all my Rush albums are Canadian pressings and I find it odd when someone says they prefer the American pressing. I think a lot of this may be tailored to the environment, and it is an interesting subject.
Hi! I had the German SWIRLS for all the first 4 Sabbaths. They sound fantastic and are a great value for money, but then I got the first 4 as UK OG SWIRLS. They win hands down.
Interesting video 45. Your approach is always interesting and unique. You provide useful insights and your enthusiasm for music is infectious. Danke. Shawn.
This is absolutely fascinating. I'm not an audiophile yet I find all the various differences very interesting and educational. Thank you for this awesome video!
Great video Michael. One of my cherished first pressings is my UK Pink Floyd - The Wall, mainlly because I picked it up 2nd hand in near mint condition. When you find a album like this, you are hoping on first play it not going to suddenly start clicking or even worse, get stuck or jump.When it plays beautifully, and particular on this album where the sound seems to float in mid -air, you think, 75 pounds , I would have been happy to pay more ! I will look out for a German 1st DSOM
British or UK vinyl releases almost always have a sharper sound because in the UK at the time they had carpets on the walls and carpets on the floor from wall to wall. In other words, their rooms were sonically quite "dead".
I have Pink Floyds - Wish you Were Here AMIGA 1983 GDR pressing, and in my opinion its the best pressing of this record. You can get NM copy for 20 euros.
I compared a German A-2 B-2 to my UK A-3 B-3, and its absolutely true. The UK shines in the bass for sure, but the German copy has so much more clarity in the overall presentation (definitely noticeable in Gilmour's vocals) definitely seeking out a German A-1 B-1. Thanks for all the great content Michael, always love seeing shootout videos.
Excellent video. I totally agree with DSOTM and I even like the German Wall 1st better than my UK 1st. The German DSOTM is the 1C 062…. Incredible sound.
You have to try the Canadian and Hollans editions of The Wall album. The Canadian edition is probably the best in the world, but Holland's is the coziest, most romantic and sweetest.
Let me ask something. When it comes to midrange frequencies which are going to all be there in any pressing, whereas you cannot replace or "fix" missing Highs, or Lows, with midrange you can simply use a 1/3 octave EQ and boost the frequencies of the British first pressing of DSOTM to the same levels as the German pressing and wouldn't they be the same sounding at some point? I realize some purists think EQ's are rubbish in the signal path, but I guarantee you they were used in the mastering and duplication processes. So people can scoff or run away from EQ's in their audio gear, but believe me, they have been used in the making of all the records you love and cherish. They are on the Mixing Boards, they are on the inline gear to the Reel to Reel tape masters, and they are even used sometimes when cutting the lacquer masters used to make the pressing plates.
@@Michael45RPM I thought that there is a way to check it. So, OG without inserts casts about 2 times less than full package. And people pay 2x more for possibly non-original inserts. We are talking about 600-800£ difference. That’s crazy. Hope to see a new TT review soon.
I know this is not what this video is about but I would love to know your opinion on the 30th Anniversary pressing of DSOTM. Available and relatively affordable in good condition.
Just ordered the German 1st press of the wall, will get a DSOTM at a later date. Can't believe what good value the wall is, there's absolutely no reason for me not to get it. Really excited. German pressings in general seem an absolute steal.
I was under the assumption that for The Wall you needed to look tor TML in the deadwax for a stellar sounding copy. These are mastered at The Mastering Lab by Doug Sax and also used for may European (1st) pressings, UK, Germany, Holland, France... I had a German TML copy which sounded fantastic! Sold it due to condition and now have a 1st pressing from the Netherlands, without TML unfortunately, but still sounds awesome.
US early promo copies of the Wall sound better than any audiophile pressing ever or any other pressing I have ever heard, including early UK copies for some reason. Not sure why. Maybe because it was mastered here in the US?
My US promo has the gold stamp on the back and the white pasted on with track listings on the front and destroyed UK early and 180 gm along with the CBS 1/2 speed along with Japan 1st press, etc. How is the miitary stamp different?@@Jamko1970
Interesting take I’ve never heard a OG UK or German 1st press of DSOTM I have to seek the German pressing. Out of the first and 2nd pressing UK are tough to find for a reasonable price . As far as the Wall I have a the 1st press US mastered at TML I believe it’s very close to the UK and German.
Great info, Mike. Thank's a lot. It's always a great advantage to can compare more and more editions to find the best one regarding price and quality. I have many versions of Dark Side and still German's one missing to listen and compare it. Can you tell which exact matrix you mean, because there are too much editions with different matrix for 73's
Hmmm, it's interesting that you did not include the 1st US pressing of The Wall which in a lot of discussions on the Steve Hoffman Forums is considered the best sounding pressing... Actually, I feel this is an excellent idea with these specific comparisons because that would really help us know which ones sound better and maybe the lesser expensive pressing might sound better. I happen to have many German pressings, so this will be a very interesting series, thank you Michael!
I think more clarity is warranted as to exactly what meet the definition of "country of origin" because this album was not recorded in the UK, and it wasn't cut in the UK either. It was cut at the Mastering Lab in the USA so what say you Michael? I am confused. The only real semblance of country of origin would be that the band is from the UK.
hi michael. another great video! which german pressing do you have of dark side? there are several first pressing variations with different printings on the rear cover. for example, do you have the dmm first german pressing?
Nice comparison on this video! Another situation where the German press beats the OG is with Magical Mystery Tour, especially verses the American LP. The German MMT is the only True Stereo pressing to my knowledge. I've A/B the US and the 1973 German Club Edition and the definitely steals the show on the last 3 songs of side B but also with other tracks I notice more vocals clarity and better instrument separation. Would love to hear you opinion on this pressing!
The Horzu has always been the only real dynamic version and it is one of the best sounding Beatles original lps. It was not released in the UK - there were 2 EPs
Such a cool topic Michael. Something we have both found so interesting these past few months the more we dig into theses originals. I have the 2 German pressings of DSOTM 1C 062 1st pressing I also have the German 2nd 1C 064. Both incredible sounding 1C 062 is the best but not by far. The 2nd press 1C064 is very close & offers amazing value for a NM copy. Certainly this version is like a best kept secret. I have a German Wall ,unbelievable sound stage,I agree Michael a darker version. Funnily enough not heard original Uk of these albums. No need now so happy with my German . Love these videos Michael, Take care 👌✊
True Liam, our discussions have been very important on how this video came to be, and the others that will follow And yes you can be satisfied with the Germans for sure :-)
What is country of origin for you? Brothers in Arms was recorded in the Caribbean (Air Studios, Montserrat) and was mastered by Bod Ludwig at Masterdisk in NY (USA). So....Country of Origin for Brother in Arms is U.S.A? It is important to understand this.
An example of where country of origin failed: Genesis' The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The German early pressings are much better than the original UK, which was not a very good sounding pressing.
Are you doing these blind? Are you volume matching? Also, you should do this with two turntables with the same cartridge, etc... going between both at the same time? You could do so with a mixing board.
Thanks! I get that.. I'm also curious about the cover types. There are apparently three with the same serial number - with no symbol in front of the serial number, with a circle and the third one is with a star. Any info on that?
Michael, it is hugely important that you state the mastering of the LPs you are comparing. Are they all cut from the same source. I have an original UK pressing of The Wall mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab and a US pressing mastered by Doug Sax. It is not always the case that the same masters will be used for all the different countries. One example... David Bowie's Let's Dance was originally mastered in the US by Robert Ludwig and the US LP has MASTERDISK RL in the run out grooves and is credited in the original sleevenotes. The original UK pressing was cut by Nick Webb at Abbey Road, it has Nickz in the runout grooves, but he is not credited anywhere. So please state the mastering information of each LP you have listened to, otherwise it is a waste of time.
I always want good sounding music but I think a lot of audiophiles always searching for the BEST sound forget to just enjoy the music It’s a never ending journey Does anyone need 10 recordings of the same album?????
Comparing two closely produced records is definitely my cup of tea; most interesting and just a cool way to review. . DSOTM was a surprise and another reason this makes sense to review Country of Origin comparisons. Thank You ! Michael !
Thanks for another great video! It's fun learning about these original pressings (even though I'll never be able to afford them, except maybe an original pressing of Kenny G's first record).
There is a flaw in your logic, 2 near mint pressings can look identical BUT sound totally different as you have no idea how often they were played and with what cartridge and setting. I have found this again & again over the last 40 years. Sadly this means I have have many duplicate copies of these records
Very right, I recently bought a nm Strawberry Fields Forever 7". It arrived with no scratches but it was played in a jukebox that cause deep groove wear. Sounded absolutely horrid lol
Thanks Michael. Could you also please tell us how these comparative pressings differ: 1). imprints/ lacquer numbers at dead wax and 2). distances between end grooves and centre labels? Many thanks!
Thanks for the excellent video my fine German Friend! I miss the large amount of short videos you used to post. But I understand your priorities need to shift from time to time. It's all good!
How can you say a record is significantly better when you only barely mention one detail? A vague mention of the midrange Some german pressings used the same metalwork or pressed smaller first run numbers I have always had a fondness for German pressings - their pressing plants did a meticulous job You can get a German LZ ii with RL on side one only (taste the experience) for a lot less money
I had exact the same experience with the first Dutch pressing compared to the UK of Dark Side of the Moon. Besides that the Dutch version sounds better it's less more expensive
Please do a comparison of some different Nico - Chelsea Girls pressings. The sound quality will never be great but I haven't seen anyone comment on this one.
I happen to think the OG German DSOTM pressings beat the pants off the UK, especially for the money. I own a German 2nd pressing and it beats the 30th Anniversary (IMHO).
Yeah, Michael. Nice! I’m glad you had the same reaction as I did with the DSOTM German 1st pressing. It really is spectacular sounding record, and as you know, my favorite also. The midrange really does shine on that one, which I especially like. Thanks.
This was so informative, as always, thank you Michael! Love watching your shootout videos.
It was interesting that you mentioned Black Sabbath because I went looking at UA-cam videos and watched Thor talk about the German pressings and how much he loved them. It is such a wide range of possibilities across the globe with very subtle nuances depending on where you live. I grew up in Canada so all my Rush albums are Canadian pressings and I find it odd when someone says they prefer the American pressing. I think a lot of this may be tailored to the environment, and it is an interesting subject.
The canadian Rush Permanent Wave / Rays cut Is great
Hi! I had the German SWIRLS for all the first 4 Sabbaths. They sound fantastic and are a great value for money, but then I got the first 4 as UK OG SWIRLS. They win hands down.
Interesting video 45. Your approach is always interesting and unique. You provide useful insights and your enthusiasm for music is infectious. Danke. Shawn.
England england England! Hahaha
I'm open to surprises for what lies ahead. :-)
❤Heike
This is absolutely fascinating. I'm not an audiophile yet I find all the various differences very interesting and educational. Thank you for this awesome video!
My pleasure Retro
Great video Michael. One of my cherished first pressings is my UK Pink Floyd - The Wall, mainlly because I picked it up 2nd hand in near mint condition. When you find a album like this, you are hoping on first play it not going to suddenly start clicking or even worse, get stuck or jump.When it plays beautifully, and particular on this album where the sound seems to float in mid -air, you think, 75 pounds , I would have been happy to pay more ! I will look out for a German 1st DSOM
This was a great video. Very interesting. Thank you.
British or UK vinyl releases almost always have a sharper sound because in the UK at the time they had carpets on the walls and carpets on the floor from wall to wall. In other words, their rooms were sonically quite "dead".
Interesting points that make a lot of sense
Thanks. This was quite interesting!
I have Pink Floyds - Wish you Were Here AMIGA 1983 GDR pressing, and in my opinion its the best pressing of this record. You can get NM copy for 20 euros.
This is the content that I love.
All German 1'st pressings I got, sound great!. Songs From The Wood for example came out in Germany before UK and is phenomenal.
I compared a German A-2 B-2 to my UK A-3 B-3, and its absolutely true. The UK shines in the bass for sure, but the German copy has so much more clarity in the overall presentation (definitely noticeable in Gilmour's vocals) definitely seeking out a German A-1 B-1. Thanks for all the great content Michael, always love seeing shootout videos.
Thank you, really enjoy your videos.
Excellent video. I totally agree with DSOTM and I even like the German Wall 1st better than my UK 1st. The German DSOTM is the 1C 062…. Incredible sound.
Any theories on why a German 1st would be better than the UK 1st?
Subjective taste@@austinhunt4260
You have to try the Canadian and Hollans editions of The Wall album. The Canadian edition is probably the best in the world, but Holland's is the coziest, most romantic and sweetest.
I've always thought my US first pressing of The Wall (no barcode) sounded fantastic, so I'd love to hear these sometime.
Let me ask something. When it comes to midrange frequencies which are going to all be there in any pressing, whereas you cannot replace or "fix" missing Highs, or Lows, with midrange you can simply use a 1/3 octave EQ and boost the frequencies of the British first pressing of DSOTM to the same levels as the German pressing and wouldn't they be the same sounding at some point? I realize some purists think EQ's are rubbish in the signal path, but I guarantee you they were used in the mastering and duplication processes. So people can scoff or run away from EQ's in their audio gear, but believe me, they have been used in the making of all the records you love and cherish. They are on the Mixing Boards, they are on the inline gear to the Reel to Reel tape masters, and they are even used sometimes when cutting the lacquer masters used to make the pressing plates.
How can you be sure that all the inserts from the OG DSOTM are not from later releases? Thanks for the video.
i can not be 100% sure
@@Michael45RPM I thought that there is a way to check it. So, OG without inserts casts about 2 times less than full package. And people pay 2x more for possibly non-original inserts. We are talking about 600-800£ difference. That’s crazy.
Hope to see a new TT review soon.
I know this is not what this video is about but I would love to know your opinion on the 30th Anniversary pressing of DSOTM. Available and relatively affordable in good condition.
Just ordered the German 1st press of the wall, will get a DSOTM at a later date. Can't believe what good value the wall is, there's absolutely no reason for me not to get it. Really excited. German pressings in general seem an absolute steal.
I was under the assumption that for The Wall you needed to look tor TML in the deadwax for a stellar sounding copy. These are mastered at The Mastering Lab by Doug Sax and also used for may European (1st) pressings, UK, Germany, Holland, France... I had a German TML copy which sounded fantastic! Sold it due to condition and now have a 1st pressing from the Netherlands, without TML unfortunately, but still sounds awesome.
wow thx for this informations Michael
US early promo copies of the Wall sound better than any audiophile pressing ever or any other pressing I have ever heard, including early UK copies for some reason. Not sure why. Maybe because it was mastered here in the US?
For the Wall it’s the US military gold stamped issue. Nothing else comes close.
My US promo has the gold stamp on the back and the white pasted on with track listings on the front and destroyed UK early and 180 gm along with the CBS 1/2 speed along with Japan 1st press, etc. How is the miitary stamp different?@@Jamko1970
@@michaellourie4252 The US military issue uses better quality vinyl also mastered by Doug Sax "TML". It's that good!
Interesting take I’ve never heard a OG UK or German 1st press of DSOTM I have to seek the German pressing. Out of the first and 2nd pressing UK are tough to find for a reasonable price . As far as the Wall I have a the 1st press US mastered at TML I believe it’s very close to the UK and German.
never listened to the 1st Us press, would love to though
@@Michael45RPM I believe you will love it I had and OG Japanese sold it after I heard the 1st US .
Woran erkennt man das ob es eine originale erstpressung ist.? .. Ist das der Zahlen code oder was anderes...?
Man muss DISCOGS konsultieren. Du checkst die Zahlen in den Leerlaufrillen am Ende. DISCOGS sagt dir dann, zu welcher Pressung sie gehören.
is it possible to sign up for OBC at the moment? what do i have to do?
Ok, then join via the channel Membership. That also will give you acess to the Member Discord. Ask if you have further questions.
@@Michael45RPM but i can‘t find that channel anymore :( and i also can‘t find the domain where i can place my order/wishlist
Great info, Mike. Thank's a lot. It's always a great advantage to can compare more and more editions to find the best one regarding price and quality. I have many versions of Dark Side and still German's one missing to listen and compare it. Can you tell which exact matrix you mean, because there are too much editions with different matrix for 73's
Hmmm, it's interesting that you did not include the 1st US pressing of The Wall which in a lot of discussions on the Steve Hoffman Forums is considered the best sounding pressing... Actually, I feel this is an excellent idea with these specific comparisons because that would really help us know which ones sound better and maybe the lesser expensive pressing might sound better. I happen to have many German pressings, so this will be a very interesting series, thank you Michael!
I think more clarity is warranted as to exactly what meet the definition of "country of origin" because this album was not recorded in the UK, and it wasn't cut in the UK either. It was cut at the Mastering Lab in the USA so what say you Michael? I am confused.
The only real semblance of country of origin would be that the band is from the UK.
hi michael. another great video! which german pressing do you have of dark side?
there are several first pressing variations with different printings on the rear cover.
for example, do you have the dmm first german pressing?
I wonder what Mike from the In Groove has to say about the 1st German pressing sounding better than the 1st UK version! ;-)
Nice comparison on this video! Another situation where the German press beats the OG is with Magical Mystery Tour, especially verses the American LP. The German MMT is the only True Stereo pressing to my knowledge. I've A/B the US and the 1973 German Club Edition and the definitely steals the show on the last 3 songs of side B but also with other tracks I notice more vocals clarity and better instrument separation. Would love to hear you opinion on this pressing!
Thx Meo... there is so much to dig into!
The Horzu has always been the only real dynamic version and it is one of the best sounding Beatles original lps. It was not released in the UK - there were 2 EPs
Such a cool topic Michael.
Something we have both found so interesting these past few months the more we dig into theses originals.
I have the 2 German pressings of DSOTM 1C 062 1st pressing I also have the German 2nd 1C 064.
Both incredible sounding 1C 062 is the best but not by far.
The 2nd press 1C064 is very close & offers amazing value for a NM copy.
Certainly this version is like a best kept secret.
I have a German Wall ,unbelievable sound stage,I agree Michael a darker version.
Funnily enough not heard original Uk of these albums.
No need now so happy with my German .
Love these videos Michael,
Take care 👌✊
True Liam, our discussions have been very important on how this video came to be, and the others that will follow
And yes you can be satisfied with the Germans for sure :-)
The German 2nd pressing of Wish You Were Here sounds absolutely amazing and is not expensive to source!! Happy hunting.
Has your german the wall „tml“ in the matrix? Tml = the mastering lab (doug sax)…
Mandatory
What is country of origin for you? Brothers in Arms was recorded in the Caribbean (Air Studios, Montserrat) and was mastered by Bod Ludwig at Masterdisk in NY (USA). So....Country of Origin for Brother in Arms is U.S.A? It is important to understand this.
An example of where country of origin failed: Genesis' The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The German early pressings are much better than the original UK, which was not a very good sounding pressing.
I’m not a big fan of post Syd Pink Floyd but interesting nevertheless. And I appreciate the honest take on this.
Bee flys past the microphone
Are you doing these blind? Are you volume matching? Also, you should do this with two turntables with the same cartridge, etc... going between both at the same time? You could do so with a mixing board.
Is the first German press with the star on the back?
THe catalog number should start with 1C 062….
Thanks! I get that.. I'm also curious about the cover types. There are apparently three with the same serial number - with no symbol in front of the serial number, with a circle and the third one is with a star. Any info on that?
@@dusanradojevic9442 One of them is a Club edition
1-1 so a penalty shootout. and we all know how that'll end 🙂
ahhh you got it :-.)
Michael, it is hugely important that you state the mastering of the LPs you are comparing. Are they all cut from the same source. I have an original UK pressing of The Wall mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab and a US pressing mastered by Doug Sax. It is not always the case that the same masters will be used for all the different countries. One example... David Bowie's Let's Dance was originally mastered in the US by Robert Ludwig and the US LP has MASTERDISK RL in the run out grooves and is credited in the original sleevenotes. The original UK pressing was cut by Nick Webb at Abbey Road, it has Nickz in the runout grooves, but he is not credited anywhere. So please state the mastering information of each LP you have listened to, otherwise it is a waste of time.
I always want good sounding music but I think a lot of audiophiles always searching for the BEST sound forget to just enjoy the music It’s a never ending journey Does anyone need 10 recordings of the same album?????
Sorry do you have a video of the two records actually being played? Otherwise this video is slightly pointless?
Something is wrong with your equipment,you should change everything.Try to listen on another high-end chain.
I really regret selling my German first pressing when I moved to a different continent many years ago. It was so good.
Comparing two closely produced records is definitely my cup of tea; most interesting and just a cool way to review. . DSOTM was a surprise and another reason this makes sense to review Country of Origin comparisons. Thank You ! Michael !
Thanks for another great video! It's fun learning about these original pressings (even though I'll never be able to afford them, except maybe an original pressing of Kenny G's first record).
Really interesting, Michael. I think there will be some surprising results in the future.
oh thats for sure. I love doing this, its so interesting to see how different countries mix records.
There is a flaw in your logic, 2 near mint pressings can look identical BUT sound totally different as you have no idea how often they were played and with what cartridge and setting. I have found this again & again over the last 40 years. Sadly this means I have have many duplicate copies of these records
good point, but my grading for the records in this video is playgrading. Yet still you have a valid point here
Very right, I recently bought a nm Strawberry Fields Forever 7". It arrived with no scratches but it was played in a jukebox that cause deep groove wear. Sounded absolutely horrid lol
Thanks Michael. Could you also please tell us how these comparative pressings differ: 1). imprints/ lacquer numbers at dead wax and 2). distances between end grooves and centre labels? Many thanks!
Michael, have you heard the ‘73 Quadraphonics (UK or German)? If so, how would they compare to the German OG you like?
I have the UK Quad. My favorite version…then the German 1st, then the UK A3 B3.
@@thoronmetal108 Thanks Thor... Is your system/cart the standard two-channel stereo?
Yes@@austinhunt4260
The Quad still sounds fabulous@@austinhunt4260
Thanks for the excellent video my fine German Friend! I miss the large amount of short videos you used to post. But I understand your priorities need to shift from time to time. It's all good!
How can you say a record is significantly better when you only barely mention one detail?
A vague mention of the midrange
Some german pressings used the same metalwork or pressed smaller first run numbers
I have always had a fondness for German pressings - their pressing plants did a meticulous job
You can get a German LZ ii with RL on side one only (taste the experience) for a lot less money
I had exact the same experience with the first Dutch pressing compared to the UK of Dark Side of the Moon. Besides that the Dutch version sounds better it's less more expensive
wow, need to listen to the Dutch too now... :-) thx for your information Marcella
Michael you need to pick up a US military gold stamp issue of the Wall. Many say that’s the best sounding issue ever-done. It sounds amazing!
Wow never heard of thi pressing thx for sharing Jamko
I have that Military US, the German 1st and the UK 1st. Germany wins.
Michael, is there still a chance of finding a great NM German pressing of DSOTM through OBC?
for sure, it will show up eventually
How does one join?
@@austinhunt4260 just go to membership here on the channel and choose obc
if you are at instagram contact me over there for further information if you want to Austin
@@Michael45RPM Found it and joined! Thanks.
Please do a comparison of some different Nico - Chelsea Girls pressings. The sound quality will never be great but I haven't seen anyone comment on this one.