What was going on at Decca in the 1960s?

[Digby]

I was just listening to this amazing recording (which is actually from 1959):

of Alfredo Campoli playing and Adrian Boult conducting the Bruch Scottish Fantasia. Beyond the awesome fiddle playing and even better orchestration, I have to ask, what were they doing at Decca to get that sound? It sounds so alive, vibrant and convincing - is this the effect of the Decca tree in action?

Just listen to the horns in particular, they sound like horns. Horns in many recordings today sound like they have been castrated and cut off at the knees.

This was all the way back in 1959, think of the rudimentary technology they were using, yet they could get this sound...just incredible.

There are, sadly, many other great performances from this era, not done by Decca, that sound much closer to 78rpm shellac from the 1940s, than this which could be mistaken for a present day recording (except with more oomph, recording and musicians alike).

How were their recordings head and shoulders above the rest?

 

[Jmudrick]

I was just listening to this amazing recording (which is actually from 1959):

of Alfredo Campoli playing and Adrian Boult conducting the Bruch Scottish Fantasia. Beyond the awesome fiddle playing and even better orchestration, I have to ask, what were they doing at Decca to get that sound? It sounds so alive, vibrant and convincing - is this the effect of the Decca tree in action?

Just listen to the horns in particular, they sound like horns. Horns in many recordings today sound like they have been castrated and cut off at the knees.

This was all the way back in 1959, think of the rudimentary technology they were using, yet they could get this sound...just incredible.

There are, sadly, many other great performances from this era, not done by Decca, that sound much closer to 78rpm shellac from the 1940s, than this which could be mistaken for a present day recording (except with more oomph, recording and musicians alike).

How were their recordings head and shoulders above the rest?

Worth a read.

The Decca Sound: Secrets Of The Engineers

In 1984, Mike Gray helped assemble a discography of Decca’s classical releases, giving him access to their engineers and recording logs, and a valuable insight into how their records were made. He reveals the truth about the famous Decca tree and the creation of the label’s unique sound.

polymathperspective.com

Not sure head and shoulders above the rest would be consensus opinion, Mercury and RCA certainly have their fans.

 

[Digby]

Thank you, I will give that a read. White text on black background does funny things to me eyes though, why do people design sites like this?

 

[Jmudrick]

Thank you, I will give that a read. White text on black background does funny things to me eyes though, why do people design sites like this?

Chrome has a simplified view setting if you prefer.

 

[Digby]

Is that possible on desktop too? Can seem to find a setting for it.

Edit: Looks like you can, trying to get it sorted now.

 

[DVDdoug]

Is it stereo? Some quick Internet research says the first stereo records were introduced in 1959.

It might just be the producer and engineer, and perhaps they "just happened" to be in a studio (or hall) with good acoustics. And, yes it all starts with good music and a good performance.

Recordings did pretty-much improve continuously, at least until digital was introduced. And it seems to me that there was a lack of "care", especially in record production until CDs were introduced. The average radio or record player wasn't that good so most listeners didn't care. There were some good sounding vinyl records but most were mediocre, at least the rock recordings I was listening to. The rumor was that jazz & classical records were better.

The actual studio recordings were better... I have lots of CDs from 1960s recordings and the sound is generally good. Earlier than that and somehow they don't seem to be as good. I don't know if it's distortion or lack of frequency range, or what, but I can't EQ a 1950s recording to make it 'sound good". So to me it seems there is some kind of "dividing line" around 1960 where the studios got better.

 

[Jmudrick]

Is that possible on desktop too? Can seem to find a setting for it.

Edit: Looks like you can, trying to get it sorted now.

In windows it requires you to enable it through:

chrome://flags/#enable-reader-mode

 

[Jmudrick]

RCA and Decca began stereo recording in 1954, Mercury in 1955.

Is it stereo? Some quick Internet research says the first stereo records were introduced in 1959.

It might just be the producer and engineer, and perhaps they "just happened" to be in a studio (or hall) with good acoustics. And, yes it all starts with good music and a good performance.

Recordings did pretty-much improve continuously, at least until digital was introduced. And it seems to me that there was a lack of "care", especially in record production until CDs were introduced. The average radio or record player wasn't that good so most listeners didn't care. There were some good sounding vinyl records but most were mediocre, at least the rock recordings I was listening to. The rumor was that jazz & classical records were better.

The actual studio recordings were better... I have lots of CDs from 1960s recordings and the sound is generally good. Earlier than that and somehow they don't seem to be as good. I don't know if it's distortion or lack of frequency range, or what, but I can't EQ a 1950s recording to make it 'sound good". So to me it seems there is some kind of "dividing line" around 1960 where the studios got better

 

[Digby]

In windows it requires you to enable it through:

chrome://flags/#enable-reader-mode

I've tried this with both "enable" and "enable in settings" options, but it doesn't seem to change anything. nothing in address bar and nothing on right click.

 

[digitalfrost]

That is some really impressive sound quality for the time. I'm not into classical but I'm gonna check out some Decca stuff.

 

[Digby]

That is some really impressive sound quality for the time. I'm not into classical but I'm gonna check out some Decca stuff.

I never used to be into it either, and now it is 90% of what I listen to. What music are you into, maybe we can suggest something that will be to your tastes?

 

[Jmudrick]

I've tried this with both "enable" and "enable in settings" options, but it doesn't seem to change anything. nothing in address bar and nothing on right click.

Once enabled , you should see reader mode toggle in Settings-Appearance

I've tried this with both "enable" and "enable in settings" options, but it doesn't seem to change anything. nothing in address bar and nothing on right click.

Yeah for that page I don't get the notification to switch to reader mode when the webpage loads like I do on my phone. Got me.

 

[Digby]

Yeah for that page I don't get the notification to switch to reader mode when the webpage loads like I do on my phone. Got me.

Thanks for trying all the same. Odd that it would appear on mobile, but not desktop. I know that dark mode is a thing these days, but I can't say I appreciate it on a large screen.

 

[digitalfrost]

I never used to be into it either, and now it is 90% of what I listen to. What music are you into, maybe we can suggest something that will be to your tastes?

I come from a metal/punk background, but I also enjoy synthwave.

 

[Digby]

This would be a good start. Perhaps as close as you will get to that kind of music in classical IMO:

Maybe Jmudrick has some suggestions too.

 

[Jmudrick]

This would be a good start. Perhaps as close as you will get to that kind of music in classical IMO:

Maybe Jmudrick has some suggestions too.

For a sampler try The Decca Sound: The Analog Years 1954-1968. 30 hours of music.

https://tidal.com/album/22629027

 

[Robin L]

Worth a read.

The Decca Sound: Secrets Of The Engineers

In 1984, Mike Gray helped assemble a discography of Decca’s classical releases, giving him access to their engineers and recording logs, and a valuable insight into how their records were made. He reveals the truth about the famous Decca tree and the creation of the label’s unique sound.

polymathperspective.com

Not sure head and shoulders above the rest would be consensus opinion, Mercury and RCA certainly have their fans.

The Decca Mike Tree sound was a different sort of sound than "Living Stereo" or Living Presence", the sound image of these early stereo recordings being the audio equivalent of wraparound Cinerama rather than the more "normal" lateral spread of instruments in the other two---RCA/ORTF center pair + what ever else is needed, MLP/three onmi's spread wide, that's it---approaches to recording an orchestra. Later, Decca still did well with the microphone tree, but learned to add microphones. Decca was one of the first majors to really develop digital sound, what with in-house 18-bit recorders in the early 1980s. One of my favorite is Antal Dorati's re-make of Stravinsky's Le Sacre du printemps with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, 1981:

 

[Loathecliff]

RCA and Decca began stereo recording in 1954, Mercury in 1955.

Alan Blumlein was making stereo recordings in the 1930s; but he was one of the few true geniuses.

Edit:- & EMI recorded a Beethoven 3 with Klemperer in 1953. - Walter Legge did not approve.