NewsGreg Lake on why ELP reissues won’t be on heavyweight 180g vinyl
BMG’s Emerson Lake & Palmer reissues are due next week and as well as two-CD deluxe editions, the group’s first three albums, Emerson Lake & Palmer (1970), Tarkus (1971 and Pictures At An Exhibition (1971) are scheduled to be reissued on vinyl. However, these won’t be ‘heavyweight’ 180g pressings and Greg Lake explains why…
“To all friends of vinyl.
Ever since producing and recording with King Crimson and ELP, it has been my personal goal to achieve the best possible sound quality and that remains true to this day.
Regarding the audio reproduction quality on vinyl, the popular perception for some time has been that the best sound quality is achieved by using 180gsm weight. The reality, however, is that particularly when using modern decks, the best audio quality is actually achieved using the lighter 140gsm weight. I am honestly not sure why this trend of using heavyweight vinyl came about? Probably because of the ‘more equals better’ in the world we live in. However, in the interests of delivering the best quality audio to our fans we have decided to go for quality rather than quantity.
Just to underpin the above vinyl quality issue, here below is a short explanation/statement from Mr. Helmut Brinkmann of Brinkmann Audio, a leading authority on this subject.”
Greg Lake, 2016
“180 or 200 grams records often don’t sound as good as the thinner ones. In my opinion this comes from the massive acrylic material. As this is plastic of quite some softness, it reacts in the form of resonances during the tracking process.
As good as the recorded music may sound, the plastic sound of vinyl does not…. the music is disturbed by those resonances.
Though the thicker record may be stiffer than a thinner one, the resonances are heavier because of the sheer mass of the material (which is not that stiff compared to the dynamic tracking forces).
We know that the needle is accelerated to a few G gravity, and that causes back force resonances in the vinyl material. The more vinyl is under the needle the more these resonances can arise.”
Helmut Brinkmann, 2016
www.brinkmann-audio.de
What are your own personal views on this? Leave a comment and let us know.
The CD deluxe editions (more here) and vinyl are issued on 20 July 2016.
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Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson Lake & Palmer [VINYL]
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Compare prices and pre-order
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Tarkus [VINYL]
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Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Pictures At An Exhibition [VINYL]
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