Patricia Barber, Clique!. HQ180 33.3 LP: $39.99 MSRP. Patricia Barber patriciabarber.com. Impex Records impexrecords.com
Patricia Barber's Clique! was released to great fanfare by Impex Records in August, 2021. I had the good fortune to review the DXD (Digital eXtreme Definition) 32-bit/352.8kHz digital download files of the album at that time, and you can read my review from Positive Feedback Issue 117 HERE. I won't rehash my all-out rave on the artistic and technical merits of the album; suffice it to say that besides being exceptionally well-recorded, Patricia Barber and company on Clique! provide us with a performance that is both a musical and artistic tour-de-force. And besides being the most musically detailed digital format file to occupy my music server, the Clique! DXD file is also beyond doubt the most analog-sounding digital file there as well. Feel free to read my original review to get the full scoop.
Clique! was originally scheduled for release in a variety of audio formats, which would include standard Redbook and MQA compact discs, SACDs, digital downloads, and eventually HQ-180 LPs in 33.3- and 45-RPM options. With the ongoing pandemic and its undeniable impact on many businesses—including those that press vinyl LPs—the release of Clique! in any LP format was unfortunately delayed for over a year. I was reading a really interesting article online recently that talked about record pressing plant delays during 2022. Apparently, with the multiple cover options and multitude of colored-vinyl variations made available for Taylor Swift's multi-million-selling Midnights LP, much of the available pressing plant capacity was sucked bone-dry. Leaving many other notable releases in the lurch as they awaited getting on pressing plant schedules. I wouldn't be surprised at all if that in any way impacted the time frame for Clique! finally making it to 33.3 RPM LP, but it's thankfully here now!
Some Recent Changes to My Audio Setup
The new analog room allows me to effortlessly spin and listen to LPs, and often directly compare them to SACDs!
I very recently moved from the Atlanta, Georgia area to very near Charleston, South Carolina—and I have unexpectedly ended up with the most ambitious home audio setup of my career. I'll offer more details on how that all played out in an upcoming article for Positive Feedback. I ended up with a much larger suite of rooms dedicated to audio at the new house than I expected, with two rooms set up with very different systems and focuses. One that's designed predominantly for digital audio playback and one that's focused on playback of analog sources. It's taken about six weeks of tweaking, but I now feel that I have both rooms completely dialed-in musically. And I'm convinced I'm experiencing the best sound quality yet of any system setup, ever!
The new equipment setup in the analog room eliminated the need to constantly move heavy equipment in and out of the system. And the squirrel wallpaper adds much needed color—while reviving an old tradition of squirrels inside the house!
The new analog room is where I did all my listening to Impex's new LP release of Clique!. Whereas at my old location, I regularly hoisted ("hoisted" is a complete understatement!) the near-80 lb PrimaLuna EVO 300 tube integrated amplifier in-and-out of the system, it now provides dedicated amplification for the analog room. That room also hosts the KLH Model Five loudspeakers, which provide a perfect match to the PrimaLuna tube amplification. As well as my ProJect Classic EVO turntable, which is fitted with a Hana SL moving coil cartridge; phono preamplification is provided by a Musical Surroundings Phonomena II+ that's powered by its matching Michael Yee linear power supply. There's also a Yamaha BD-A1060 SACD player, which allows for easy comparison between SACD discs and LPs. Audio system power is provided by AudioQuest's Niagara 1200 Low-Z Noise Dissipation System, and all AC power and interconnect cables are also from AudioQuest.
Using Digital Recordings to Press LPs?
Clique! was recorded and mixed by Jim Anderson in High Resolution DXD (Digital eXtreme Definition) 32-bit/352.8kHz using the Horus/Pyramix recording system in combination with the Merging Technologies' Merging+Clock U (which provided state-of-the-art, ultra-low noise synchronization for the digital system). The sessions took place in January, 2019, at the Chicago Recording Company, Studio 5, and were produced by Patricia Barber and Jim Anderson. Mixing of the album for stereo and 5.1 surround was later done by Jim Anderson at Skywalker Sound in California, where he was assisted by Skywalker's own Dann Thompson. Abey Fonn served as executive producer for Impex Records, and Martha Feldman and Ulrike Schwarz were associate producers. The album was mastered for LP and SACD by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering.
Jim Anderson at the controls of Chicago Recording Company's Studio 5.
First of all, a few words about digital sources being used for the production of LPs: vinyl LPs are considered by many audiophiles to be the sanctimonious pinnacle of pure analog playback. That thought process was made manifest last year during the whole Mobile Fidelity debacle—which has yet to reach its conclusion—by many audiophiles who were outraged to discover that MoFi had been mastering many of their audiophile LPs from DSD sources. I've encountered this train of thought from many audiophiles, who consider anything digital to be an abomination, and that only pure analog sources are capable of rendering perfect audio fidelity. I fall into a camp somewhere in between; I love the warmth and liquidity of vinyl—warts and all—but I also feel that current digital done well gives analog a run for its money. And that's especially true when DSD and DXD are part of the equation; good sound is good sound, regardless of the source.
The original master tapes for many classic recordings are quite literally crumbling from both poor storage of the tapes and/or inferior tape formulations (in the first place). It's often an untenable situation to attempt to remaster LPs as purely analog from start to finish, and it's the rarest of LP reissues that actually arrives as a AAA, all-analog production. In a world where the line between digital and analog is becoming increasingly blurry, LPs that are mastered from ultra-high-end digital sources don't present a problem for me, nor should they for anyone! When high resolution digital is used to master LPs, the end result of the transfer is essentially analog anyway, so why not press LPs for those who prefer LP playback?
Clique! On 33.3 RPM HQ 180 Vinyl
My review copy of Clique! arrived in perfectly pristine condition, as is typical from everything that ships from Elusive Disc, Impex Records' partner and distributor. I've said this before, and it's not a stretch to say that Impex LPs are among the ne plus ultra of reissue albums. That extends not only to the incredibly detailed and musical sound of Impex LPs, but to the impressive LP jackets and associated packaging as well. Impex's Robert Sliger has again done an impressive job with the jacket and packaging for Clique!. From the heavy card stock, tip-on style gatefold jacket and the use of high-gloss varnishes in the printing process, the LP package simply exudes quality and excellence. Sliger's craftsmanship shows through in the meticulous level of detail found in every aspect of the finished product, and Impex LPs are easily among the finest in my collection.
The 180 gram HQ LP was pressed at RTI in California, and is perfectly flat, with exceptionally glossy, pristine surfaces that displayed no scuffs or marks of any kind. In fact, the surfaces are so very glossy, that I was unable to take a decent picture of the LP on the turntable platter, because it reflected everything around it to the point of making it almost impossible to see clearly. Now, that's what I call glossy! I don't own a record cleaning machine, although I do manually clean and brush even new LPs prior to playback, and I'm used to encountering the occasional tick or pop on the first few LP plays. That was the case here, where a few clicks that were initially present vanished after about the third play; from that point, the sound coming from the LP was perfectly quiet, and there was nearly no trace of inner groove noise. My system presented Patricia Barber and her group with stunning realism and fidelity. I had the SACD disc on hand for quick comparison with the LP; other than the slightest trace of hiss from the moving coil cartridge through the analog phono stage during LP playback, there was no appreciable difference between the sound of the LP or SACD.
Conclusion
I love listening to a great LP; the best analog albums exhibit warmth, extreme musicality, and an ethereal quality that only the finest high-resolution digital can approach. That said, in this age where digital playback equipment is approaching its zenith, and the differences between great analog and great digital are blurred at best, it's just plain crazy to not embrace them both. The HQ180 pressing of Patricia Barber's Clique! is a shining example of what can happen when seemingly divergent technologies (that some feel are completely at odds with each other) come together to produce results that are supremely musical. And isn't listening to great music what it's all about, anyway? Patricia Barber's Clique! is a superb album of sometimes offbeat but always inspired performances that demand to be heard, and if you're into analog, you can't go wrong with this outstanding LP. Congrats to Abey Fonn and everyone involved at Impex Records for yet another reference quality album. Very highly recommended!
All images provided by the author, Shorefire Media, and Impex Records
