As luck would have it, the Delmark Sampler tape arrived and I had a chance to listen to it last night.
While I enjoyed listening to the Sampler, my overall feelings on the sonic quality haven't changed. I suspect that, like others have said, this is a function of the recording and/or condition of the original. There are times when instruments are heard like only tape can reveal them but other times when things sound muffled and recessed. There are also strange stereo (mixing?, mic-ing?) decisions where the guitar is panned hard to the right while other tracks sound mono-like by comparison.
Candidly, I felt like I was listening and remembering something my grandfather would play back when I was young. From this perspective, it was rewarding.
In conclusion, this tape is not the the one to own if you are looking to impress your friends on the merits of tape. The music is great, however, and may appeal to you as long as you can get past the the fact that it's not the last word in fidelity.
While I enjoyed listening to the Sampler, my overall feelings on the sonic quality haven't changed. I suspect that, like others have said, this is a function of the recording and/or condition of the original. There are times when instruments are heard like only tape can reveal them but other times when things sound muffled and recessed. There are also strange stereo (mixing?, mic-ing?) decisions where the guitar is panned hard to the right while other tracks sound mono-like by comparison.
Candidly, I felt like I was listening and remembering something my grandfather would play back when I was young. From this perspective, it was rewarding.
In conclusion, this tape is not the the one to own if you are looking to impress your friends on the merits of tape. The music is great, however, and may appeal to you as long as you can get past the the fact that it's not the last word in fidelity.
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