Mike Mettler

Analog Gear News
Revox and Deep Purple Partner Up to Offer Limited-Edition Band-Branded Tape Player, Turntable, and Speaker
Mike Mettler  |  May 11, 2026  |  First Published: May 11, 2026  |  comments

Revox have teamed up with Deep Purple to jointly present exclusive, limited, and signed special editions of the venerable Swiss manufacturer’s B77 MK III tape recorder and T77 turntable, as well as the STUDIOMASTER A200 loudspeaker. Read on to see more about the features and specs, and just how limited each of these DP-branded models is. . .

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Album ReviewsVinyl Reports
Mobile Fidelity’s UltraDisc One-Step 180g Editions of Michael Jackson’s Career-Defining Albums Off the Wall and Thriller Are Both Stunning Upgrades, and the 180g 2LP Original Master Recording Edition of Dangerous Is Right Behind Them
Mark Smotroff,  |  May 08, 2026  |  First Published: May 08, 2026  |  comments

In the wake of the success of Michael, the recent biopic that focuses on Michael Jackson’s extraordinary musical career, we here at AP wanted to recommend his best work on vinyl. Thankfully, Mobile Fidelity has a trio of audiophile-level MJ releases all worthy of our needle-drop attention. Read on to see Mark Smotroff’s review of the MoFi One-Step versions of Off the Wall and Thriller, while AP editor Mike Mettler tackles the Original Master Recording version of Dangerous (and offers his thoughts on the other two MoFi MJ releases in his footnotes). . .

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ALBUM RELEASE NEWSNew Wax WednesdayVinyl Reports
Peter Frampton Shares His Latest, and Most Intimate, Personal Vision on New Carry the Light 180g 1LP on May 15
Mike Mettler  |  May 06, 2026  |  First Published: May 06, 2026  |  comments

Carry the Light, Peter Frampton’s 19th studio album and his first collection of all-new rock material in 16 years, will be released by UMe in various formats on May 15, 2026 — but of most import to we analog planeteers, it will be appearing on 180g yellow vinyl. Read on to see what Peter and his son and co-producer Julian Frampton exclusively told AP editor Mike Mettler about the making of Light. . .

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AXPONA 2026Show Reports
Turntables Galore & More Abound at AXPONA 2026
Mike Mettler,  |  May 05, 2026  |  First Published: May 05, 2026  |  comments

Live from AXPONA 2026, Ken Micallef shows us a “reel” good time was had by all at the big show, plus he shares shots of turntables from the likes of J.Sikora, Fern & Roby, Luxman, Technics, and many more. . .

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AAA VinylAlbum ReviewsVinyl Reports
Analogue Productions’ Stellar 200g 2LP 45rpm UHQR Edition of The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s December 1967 Masterpiece Axis: Bold As Love Is a Revelation in Stereo (and in Mono Too)
Mark Smotroff,  |  May 01, 2026  |  First Published: May 01, 2026  |  comments

Analogue Productions have recently released a tremendous 200g 2LP 45rpm UHQR version of The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s December 1967 album, Axis: Bold As Love in both stereo and mono. Read Mark Smotroff’s review of the stereo edition (and AP editor Mike Mettler’s extended footnotes) to find out why it’s worth the investment, and then carry on into Mettler’s footnotes to see why the mono edition is also top-shelf. . .. . .

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ALBUM RELEASE NEWSNew Wax WednesdayVinyl Reports
Metallica Recharge a Classic Late-’90s Release With Mondo Deluxe ReLoad Remastered 5LP/15CD/4DVD Box Set on June 26
Mike Mettler  |  Apr 29, 2026  |  First Published: Apr 29, 2026  |  comments

Fortune, fame, mirror vain. If you automatically know the next lines are “Gone insane / But the memory remains,” then the next upcoming mondo Metallica box set is clearly for you. Read on to see AP editor Mike Mettler outline what you can expect from the Bay Area band’s ReLoad Remastered 5LP/15CD/4DVD limited edition deluxe box set that will be released on June 26, 2026 (and, yes, there will also be a standalone 180 2LP reissue of the core album as well). . .

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Album ReviewsVinyl Reports
Record Store Day 2026 Roundup: Essential Releases From XTC, Buster Williams, and Brian Wilson, Albeit for Different Reasons
Mark Smotroff,  |  Apr 24, 2026  |  First Published: Apr 24, 2026  |  comments

Back on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, we here at AP shared our respective Record Store Day 2026 experiences, along with assessments of some of our purchases that day. In that post, we also mentioned that we would be delving into three more RSD 2026 releases at a later time — and that time is now. Read Mark Smotroff’s review (and AP editor Mike Mettler’s footnotes) to see why the RSD 2026 releases from XTC, Buster Williams, and Brian Wilson are all worthy of your attention — albeit for quite different reasons. . .

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ALBUM RELEASE NEWSNew Wax WednesdayVinyl Reports
Record Store Day 2026: Pink Floyd, Robert Plant, Billy Squier, Freddie King, XTC, and More Rule the RSD LP Roost
Mike Mettler,  |  Apr 22, 2026  |  First Published: Apr 22, 2026  |  comments

By almost all accounts, Record Store Day 2026, which took place last Saturday, April 18, 2026, was a rousing success. We here at AP were, of course, out in full force that day, and we can now report back on what we were able to get our hands on in the moment and what we think of them. (Some of our thoughts may surprise you.) We’ll also discuss what we didn’t get, and/or what we’re still looking to get our hands (and ears) on. Read on to see AP editor Mike Mettler and chief LP reviewer Mark Smotroff’s mutual RSD 2026 assessments. . .

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ALBUM RELEASE NEWSFeaturesInterviewsVinyl Reports
Record Store Day 2026 Preview, Including an Exclusive Interview With Romeo Void Vocalist Debora Iyall on the Band’s Incendiary Live ’81-’85 2LP RSD Release
Mike Mettler  |  Apr 17, 2026  |  First Published: Apr 17, 2026  |  comments

Are we ready for Record Store Day 2026 yet? This year’s big event starts bright and early tomorrow, Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 8 a.m. EST (give or take). See you there? In the meantime, AP editor Mike Mettler shares an exclusive RSD-oriented and vinyl-centric conversation with Romeo Void vocalist Debora Iyall about all the steps taken to ensure the band’s Live ’81-’85 2LP RSD release is up to our respective vinyl standards. . .

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Album ReviewsNew Wax WednesdayVinyl Reports
Two Sides of Queen Emerge on Two Separate White & Black 180g LPs in Stunning New Queen II Multidisc Collector’s Edition Deluxe Box Set
Mike Mettler  |  Apr 15, 2026  |  First Published: Apr 15, 2026  |  comments

Let’s not beat around the bush: Queen are absolute kings when it comes to putting together historical box sets. Current case in point is what they’ve done for March 1974’s Queen II, which was just released by Hollywood in a legitimately lavish 5CD/2LP Collector’s Edition on March 27, 2026. Read AP editor Mike Mettler’s review to see why the 180g 2LP twist helps put Queen II over the top. . .

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