Ask Mikey

Hi MF: Recently UMG reissued the Mercury Living Presence Box Set, which consists of 6 LPs. Many websites including elusivedisc.com stated the LPs were pressed in Germany by Optimal. I have pre-order one set at Amazon.com before its release in the US market, the doubt part is the box set I received is pasted with small sticker indicating that it was “Made in Czech Republic”. Another doubt issue, since UMG have a ultimate pressing facility in Hanover, why they pressed this set title at Optimal ?

Appreciate if you could advice, thank you.

Regards,

KT CHOO

Dear KT CHOO:

UMG's Berliner facility in Hanover has a mastering suite but not a pressing plant. Once we get our gallery functioning I'll post some pictures of my visit to the Hanover facility. If the set was pressed at the GZ plant in the Czech Republic, I wouldn't be concerned. Their pressing quality has proven to be uniformly high if the two Rolling Stones box sets pressed there are any indication.

However, if the discs don't have a "320" stamp in the "dead wax" area (indicating they were cut at the Berliner mastering suite) or at that of some other known mastering facility and just have the "GZ" stamp, I would be concerned because to the best of my knowledge, GZ does not have an analog playback chain and cuts exclusively from digital sources.

They certainly did a good job on the ABKCO box set using high resolution digital files, but I think people buying a Mercury Living Presence set are expecting analog, but with major label involvement, I wouldn't count on it!

-Mikey