Another collection of early jazz recordings. I already have many of these, but this one is a bit more special. It was digitally reprocessed from the original direct cut 78s. It was reprocessed using the Sony PCM F1 digital audio processor. The PCM F1 came on the market in 1981, and quickly became popular as a relatively cheap method to record analogue stereo sound to digital. It was using Betamax tapes as storage devices, so basically anyone with a video camera could use one.
But we’re talking pre-CD era here. Also, pre DAT if that is still meaning something to you. The PCM F1 recorded in what later became the CD standard: 44.056 kHz (using NTSC) or 44.1 kHz (using PAL) sampling rate, with a frequency response of ~20 Hz to 20 kHz (the famous range that CD’s also use). For all intents and purposes, it was a highly portable CD recorder before the CD was on the market. As such, it contributed a lot to the success of that later format.
Details like how it is recorded are not always given, but many early era CD’s carrying the DDD stamp were probably recorded using this device. For LP’s it is no different: it is highly likely that the Yo-Yo Ma recordings I wrote about were recorded using the PCM F1. No wonder the BBC chose the medium for this recording as well, and I do admit the result is really good. This is enjoyable music.