I was present, and probably some of you, for the recording session for The Paul Sawtelle Big Band Live at Pacific Audiofest. This is a limited release of 3000 albums by Hyper Analogue Productions, Brilliance Music and Studios, and Genesis Advanced Technologies (BMS-016-45).
The Paul Sawtelle Big Band Live at Pacific Audiofest is an ultra-premium one-step vinyl pressing on two 45rpm 180g LPs, that was recorded and mixed direct to 2-track tape, and mastered by Bernie Grundman.
In case you were wondering, a one-step record is a type of vinyl pressing that bypasses two steps of the traditional three-step pressing process, with the aim of producing higher sound quality by reducing generational loss and enhancing musical detail. If they are not sold out yet, you can get a copy at Elusive Disc.
The M8 RIAA/AN-S8L SUT transported me back in time to the Pacific Audio Fest recording venue, with the album sounding extremely natural and live-like, like what I had heard sitting in the audience.
The all-silver circuitry of M8 RIAA/AN-S8L SUT let an abundance of musical information through, resulting in an exceptionally high level of resolution, revealing a wealth of meaningful musical nuances. I even heard myself in the recording, cheering the performance during the audience applause, with a "woo-hoo" at the end of track 1.
The M8 RIAA/AN-S8L SUT pairing tracked the expressiveness of the dynamics of the performance with great realism, making the album both realistic and intimately engaging, while conveying the powerful presence of the big band in a way where I could feel that power flowing over my body. On the big dynamic peaks, the M8 RIAA/AN-S8L SUT pairing were completely unruffled, presenting the big swings with utter naturalness and maximum impact.
The audience was close to the band at the venue, which is just how the album sounded in my living room, with a realistic room-width soundstage, and soundstage depth matching that of the live performance. I felt immersed into the performance. I was there.
The timbral realism, low-level musical nuance, and "flesh and blood" presence of the musicians in my living room, especially the vocalist, were exceptional. It's one of the best live big band recordings I've heard, courtesy of the M8 RIAA/AN-S8L SUT.
The M8 RIAA/AN-S8L SUT beautifully revealed the harmonics of the brilliance region, the sparkle and air in recordings, while never accentuating hiss in recordings, and without even the slightest hint of being fatiguing. The "shimmer" of cymbals, for example, were conveyed with the smoothness, brightness, and clarity I heard during the concert.
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