Meet VPI’s Model One Turntable, the First Entry in Their New Forever Series

In our humble opinion here at AP, turntables are forever. VPI Industries clearly agree with that statement, as they’ve just announced the Model One turntable, the first entry in their new Forever series. Read on to see all the features and specs of the Model One, along with its cool new 10in S-shaped tonearm. . .

Toronto Audiofest Show Report, Part 2: Oracle Audio and Stable 33.33

We’re back onsite at Toronto Audiofest, which was held during the weekend of October 18-20, 2024. Read Part 2 of Shanon McKellar’s TAF show report to see her firsthand experience with the turntable setups from two stellar companies, Oracle Audio Technologies and Stable 33.33. . .

Halloween Spooktacular Round Robin Review of Frank Zappa’s Apostrophe (’) at 50: Our Collective Reflections, Recollections, and Reconsiderations Revolving Around Its Newly Expanded 180g 2LP Yellow Snow Splatter Vinyl Reissue

Primary Category: 
Category: 
Artist: 
Frank Zappa
Album: 
Apostrophe (’)
Cred Label: 
Zappa Records/UMe
Cred Prod: 
Frank Zappa (original album); Ahmet Zappa, Joe Travers (reissue)
Cred Eng: 
Steve Desper, Terry Dunavan, Barry Keane, Bob Hughes, Kerry McNabb
Cred Mix: 
Kerry McNabb (remix); Original LP's 1974 mixes cut directly from Dolby encoded 1/4-inch Stereo Analog EQ master created at Artisan Recorders in 1974 (designated cutting master for vinyl)
Cred Mast: 
Bonus disc tracks mastered by Bob Ludwig, 2014 (Side Three, Tracks 1-3 & John Polito, 2024 (Side Three, Tracks 4-6 & Side Four, Tracks 1-4); lacquers cut by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering; vinyl likely pressed at Optimal

If it’s Halloween, then it must mean it’s Frank Zappa time. Rather than don our respective Zappaween masks, we are instead here to scare up another tag-team review of an important reissue of one of FZ’s most cherished LPs — namely, the recently released Apostrophe (’) 50th Anniversary Edition 180g 2LP set. Read on to see how AP editor Mike Mettler, Mark Smotroff, and Ken Micallef collectively feel about this new pressing of FZ’s March 1974 solo cosmic classic, plus its included bonus material. . .

Toronto Audiofest Show Report, Part 1

This year’s Toronto Audiofest couldn’t have had a better backdrop for the October 18-20, 2024, weekend — and AP was on hand and onsite to take it all in. Read Part 1 of Shanon McKellar’s TAF show report to see which rooms and companies displayed some of the best turntable setups of the entire show. . .

VPI Scout 21 Turntable

As we await the wide-sharing of VPI’s latest new-product news, we just couldn’t pass up testing out their Scout 21 turntable — the successor to their well-loved Prime Scout model — in the interim. Red Ken Micallef’s review to see if the Scout 21 measures up to VPI’s longstanding top-shelf turntable standards. . .

The dB’s Jangle-Rich Sophomore Indie-Rock LP, Repercussion, Gets Long-Overdue First American Vinyl Pressing From Propeller Sound Recordings

There are probably many behind-the-scenes reasons why indie-rock/power-pop legends The dB’s just could not get their first two albums released by an American record company back in the early 1980s. Whatever the cause or the case, that outright crime for fans of all things jangly power pop and indie rock has long been overdue for amending. Thankfully, a new reissue series by independent record label Propeller Sound Recordings has gone a long way to make up for that unfortunate ’80s misstep.

Primary Category: 
Category: 
Artist: 
The dB's
Album: 
Repercussion
Cred Label: 
Propeller Sound Recordings
Cred Prod: 
Scott Litt (original LP); Jay Coyle, Jefferson Holt (reissue LP)
Cred Eng: 
Scott Litt (original LP); Neil Hornby, John Rhodes ("additional engineering," original LP)
Cred Mix: 
Scott Litt (original LP); Steve Churchyard ("additional mixing," original LP)
Cred Mast: 
2024 remastering by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Services (with “very clear and careful direction" from bandmembers), lacquers cut by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Services, stampers made at Gotta Groove, LPs pressed at Third Man Records, Detroit

There are probably many behind-the-scenes reasons why indie-rock/power-pop legends The dB’s just could not get their first two albums released by an American record company back in the early 1980s. Whatever the cause or the case, that outright crime for fans of all things jangly power pop and indie rock has long been overdue for amending. Thankfully, a new reissue series by independent record label Propeller Sound Recordings has gone a long way to make up for that unfortunate ’80s misstep. The second entry in The dB’s vinyl reclamation series is their 1981 sophomore LP, Repercussion. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see why Propeller’s truly wonderful Repercussion LP reissue belongs on your turntable today. . .

Beatles For Sale: Completely Restored EMI TG12345 Abbey Road Recording Console Could Soon Be Yours, Courtesy Its Official Reverb and MJQ Ltd. Sales Listing Starting on October 29

The music you make is equal to the console you make it on — or something like that. To that end, mega online gear retailer Reverb has just announced that the EMI TG12345 recording console used by The Beatles to record September 1969’s seminal Abbey Road LP is going up for sale through MJQ Ltd., their official artists partner, starting on October 29, 2024. Read on to see how you might be able to get your hands, and ears, on a true piece of recording history. . .

Revox B77 MK III Reel-to-Reel Stereo Tape Recorder

Good things come in threes — or, in this case, in III. What I mean by that is, Revox have seen fit to announce their new B77 MKIII reel-to-reel stereo tape recorder, and we couldn’t be more pleased to hear all about it. Read on to see all the specs and features of the mighty Revox B77 MK III. . .

Tale of the Tape: Spotlight on Maxell, the Origin of the Blown-Away Guy, and the Comeback of Cassettes

Cassette tapes are in the midst of enjoying a major comeback — and perhaps it has been a somewhat unexpected development, at least to some. Read Leslie Shapiro’s insightful feature on the history of the longtime leading cassette manufacturer Maxell, the true origins of the infamous Blown-Away Guy, and the bigger-picture reasons for why the cassette format lives on (and on). . .

In Review: Albert King With Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Complete December 1983 In Session Performance in Ontario to Be Released as Complete 180g 3LP Set on October 18

File this one under, “Reborn under a good sign.” Craft Recordings recently announced a Deluxe Edition release of In Session, the legendary December 1983 collaboration between the late, decidedly great blues guitar icons Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan, as an expanded 180g 3LP set on October 18, 2024 — as in, tomorrow! This historically important live performance — culled from King and SRV’s early-1980s joint TV appearance together in Canada — will be available in its entirety in various formats, but the best way to cue this one up is most definitely on vinyl. Read on to see AP editor Mike Mettler’s listening impressions of this new collection, what its three first-time-on-vinyl tracks are and how they sound, and what the SRP is for this new tri-gatefold set. . .

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