Vinyl Review: The Sheffield Track Record – Sheffield Lab 20 – Released 1982
Lab 20 – The Sheffield Track Record – 1982
Surface noise: 5+ (not pops and clicks)
Dynamic Range: 5+
Stereo Imaging: 5
Image depth/perspective: 4+
Overall frequency response: 5+
Side One
- Amuseum
- The Higher You Rise
Side Two
- Wise To The Lines
- Le Ballade
Recorded: May 22, 1982, at the Sheffield Lab Studios at MGM in Culver City, California.
This record is designed for systems and component testing and evaluation. It features basic rock and roll instrumental tracks, and was acclaimed as “Absolutely the best sounding rock record ever made” by The Absolute Sound.
Played at 108dB peak level at my listening position this albums just rocks your socks!
The lead in track surface was absolutely quiet, almost as silent as a CD, and then Amusem just kicks in with a resounding kick drum. What is strange is that the track rapidly fades to a quiet section for a few seconds as if it being phased and then bounces straight back. I have this track on a Sheffield Lab compilation CD, The Sheffield Jazz Experience, and it definitely doesn’t do the same thing. But it mattered not.
With only two tracks per side there is no compression, and I mean none. I just hope that your arm, cartridge, amplifier and speakers are up to handling the huge dynamic range. This album is definitely going to test your systems components. So in order to let it test mine I turned my listening level up by 6dB allowing my system to peak at almost 110dB at my MLP. Yes, its loud, but I wanted to see what my system could handle and I like having a group in my room!
On S2T1, Wise To The Lines, I have always noted a ringing phone in the background well beneath the opening bars; I have always wondered whether it was meant to be or that the open mics captured the control room or office phone? It also exists on the Sheffield compilation CD, The Sheffield Pop Experience.
It is all here, dynamic range in spadefuls, pin point stereo imaging, a great kit and kick drum with driving bass and synth lines. The detailed clean and crisp cymbals and cow bells were there in my room with the snare drum and toms punching me in my gut, a totally open sound with only a hint of studio decay and reverb. Yes, other than the kit, the instruments are all electronic but I wasn’t expecting anything less! I just wish the kick drum had been just a little more forward and full, but thats just me being picky.
Every track is outstanding in its own right. From the punchy kick drum opening on Amuseum to the opening kit solo and ripping opening bass line on The Higher You Rise. This second track being so ‘demo’! Wise To The Lines provides a wide open kit sound with clean and detailed cymbals having a slightly more laid back kick drum and a nice long tail out right into the vinyl noise. Le Ballade is a slower number but does full justice to the kit, tambourine and wood blocks etc. Its slower and less hectic arrangement letting you really hear each part of the kit and each instruments acoustic makeup.
I cannot imagine how it would be possible to get more dynamics and punch cut into any piece of vinyl. I have no recording or sound track be it uncompressed Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MA, LPCM or DSD that even equals, let alone exceeds this recording in terms of shear dynamics, and a wonderful uncluttered open sound stage and image.
This is yet another track that you can use to really show of what your system can do, and the true capabilities of an exceptionally well engineered Direct to Disc recording. Sheffield Lab knocked yet another right out of the park. This recording is in my arsenal of albums together with Harry James, Thelma Houston, The Sheffield Drum Record and a few others that I use to show willing listeners just what vinyl can achieve. At the levels I was listening, yes, the kit and line up was right there in my room.
Just in closing, the two Sheffield compilation albums mentioned above are great samplers of many of Sheffield Labs outstanding pop and jazz recordings.
Purchase vinyl and CDs from Discogs, and CDs from Sheffield Lab.
