Meet the Team Responsible For Decca's New Pure Analogue Vinyl Series!

Mark Ward and Michael Johnson speak to the Techs and Execs

Mark Ward and Michael Johnson recently participated in a video conference call with the Decca Pure Analogue Vinyl Series execs and tech teams.

Of course everyone interested already knows Rainer Maillard and Sidney C. Meyer, the team responsible for the highly successful and great sounding DGG Original Source Series as well as the DGG label exec Johannes Gleim who's participated in more than a few video calls published here since the inception of the DGG series.

Joining in here is Decca's Dominic Fyfe, who's responsible for overseeing the exciting new Decca all analogue series. All of the first albums in the series will be reviewed here ASAP beginning with Mark Ward's coverage of the New Year's Day Concert In Vienna set, cut from analog tape for the first time ever. Paul Seydor and Michael Johnson will soon review the others.

Comments

2026-01-19 01:36:05 PM

Jennnifer Martin wrote:

I absolutely cannot wait! The Decca catalogue is my favorite. Thank you to all involved! With Universal holding Mercury et al, the mind boggles at the possibilities!
- 2026-01-19 03:21:51 PM
  
  Mark Ward wrote:
  
  It boggles indeed! Look carefully and you will see myself and Michael occasionally boggling!!!
2026-01-19 04:04:24 PM

Come on wrote:

Fantastic! Will buy any release that matches my musical taste! Will compare the Stravinsky to the Speakers Corner soon.

PLEASE DO MOLINARI's TOSCA (and other italian operas of that era). The Ring would certainly also be appreaciated in AAA to replace the last digitally processed Abbey Road vinyl release.

As interesting as a comparison would be...when Mercury titles are coming, please don't start with everything we already have AAA from Classic Records, Speakers Corner and ORG, even if it still sells for the 4th time ;-)
2026-01-20 03:57:34 AM

André wrote:

The Stravinsky 45er is incredibly good, one of the best things I've ever heard sonically on vinyl. Also great the vinyl quality in the 1st batch from Decca. To Deutsche Grammophon: Please improve the vinyl quality, I have various quality problems (Bruckner "Romantische" of all things that crackles). If DG gets that under control, it would be the ultimate level.
2026-01-20 10:31:21 AM

Come on wrote:

I was able to listen to the new Pure Analogue 45 RPM Sacre now and compared it with the Speakers Corner and the HDTT DSD256 files.

The new Decca Pure Analogue is fantastic! The sound quality level feels like it's definitely on par with Grundman's 45 RPM ORG remasterings, however a comparison of the same recording would turn out.

Compared to the Speakers Corner Sacre LP from the same recording (which without comparison already sounds very good), the Pure Analogue not only sounds as if the tape quality is three generations better, it sounds like a different, much better tape compared to the Speakers Corner. The width, depth, and transparency are in a completely different class and the high and low frequency extension and quality are significantly better, as is the dynamics. But what is immediately striking right from the start is that the detail and resolution are so extreme that there is a clear focus on the immense valve noises of the wind instruments, which are hardly audible on the Speakers Corner in comparison. It sounds magnified and intimate, which is somehow also a little distracting, but it's on the tape. At first, you fear that this is achieved by emphasizing presence or treble, but a few minutes later in the tutti, you hear that none of this has happened. The source and mastering simply seem to have a truckload more detail and resolution. The HDTT release (in my experience as usual, with only few exceptions) sounds again a generation down compared to the Speakers Corner LP. The HDTT simply seem to be one or two tape generations down compared to well sourced AAA remasterings. Even fewer transients and details with a more rounded sound, but a wider stage than the Speakers Corner. Both light years behind the Decca Pure Analogue.

This series is the best thing that could have happened to the Decca recordings, keep them coming!
- 2026-01-20 10:31:55 AM
  
  Come on wrote:
  
  The disc, which in my case was severely warped, is not much different from 95% of other new pressings and won't be a problem for anyone with a flattener, the others will have to warm up the oven, try to get it sucked down with their vacuum platter (and pray the mechanism doesn't suddenly fail when playing and catapult the tonearm upwards) or simply play the first part of the first side a quarter inch in the air. I still hope that someday a reviewer will receive one of the copies that we mortals here and there have to cope with (I know, no reviewer get's special review copies, they're just lucky ;-). I see a flattener as essential nowadays and I'm grateful that a product like a vinyl record is still being manufactured at all and that the engineers and labels are putting so much effort into it. Even if you had the ultimate digital equipment, imo you would not find the sound quality of such analog releases in the digital environment.
  - 2026-01-21 10:42:23 AM
    
    Jeff 'Glotz' Glotzer wrote:
    
    THIS. If the word comes back that the pressings are flat and concentric AND noiseless, THEN I'll look into purchasing. WAY too many trash pressings from EVERY manufacturer these days. I really don't want to spend hard cash on a flattener, and reflex clamp basically gets the job done- with wow. SMH.
    - 2026-01-21 01:16:48 PM
      
      Come on wrote:
      
      Yes indeed, if you have a small puck and a female threaded spindle (fortunately mine is), you can get most warped records flat on the platter with a screwable clamp. Besides the very convenient self-down-pulling damped Helox clamp I also have a screwable Brinkmann clamp, which I initially needed for the above reason, but since all my records get flattened, I don't need it anymore.
2026-01-24 12:43:21 PM

Jennnifer Martin wrote:

I just heard the Le Sacre for the first time. Superb, in my view!
- 2026-01-26 09:51:30 PM
  
  Mark Ward wrote:
  
  Absolutely! Although the performance is not my favorite for a number of reasons - mainly that Solti does not bring out the shadings of the less ferocious bits, so I find it a bit of a "one-note" interpretation. Still in my Top 5 Rites though. But the sound is awesome - as good an orchestral record as you will find.
  - 2026-01-27 07:31:02 PM
    
    Thomas Ream wrote:
    
    Mark.....So, what are your top 5? How about the composer himself, the first Bernstein, one of the Doratis, this Solti, and ?
2026-01-26 06:24:24 PM

Swann36 wrote:

Watched this evening while cleaning records and all i can say as a classical newbie ( i have most of TOS and a few others only) the conversation was most interesting, to hear about not only the labels and albums but also all the technical stuff and in such an educational, engaging and dare i say it inspiring way for what is to come

.. i voraciously read Mark and Michael's reviews of classical and they along with TOS have been my gateway into classical with DG .. now i’ve got Decca and Phillips and by the sound of it many more labels to embrace ..

Finally thanks to MF and all at TA .. this rock and jazz fan has been well and truly drawn into classical now
- 2026-01-26 10:02:16 PM
  
  Mark Ward wrote:
  
  Well this just makes me so happy to hear, on every level. Inspiring people to get into classical is what this is all about, and it cannot be stated enough that MF has been incredibly supportive of the classical writers from the get-go. It's been such a synchronicity that DG and now Decca doing their AAA vinyl reissues has happened at the same time as Tracking Angle got into its stride. Also, we love hearing from all our regular readers, and your own positive comments and support have been a big part of all that too. This was such a great conversation - a great way to introduce this major reissue campaign - and marvelous to have these very busy folks at DG, EBS and Decca give so generously of their time - I could have gone on chatting for at least another hour - and I think Michael could have too. Look out for Paul Seydor's imminent review of the Sibelius, and Michael Johnson's of the Stravinsky shortly thereafter. I am so looking forward to reading what they have to write about those releases... And all I can say beyond that is the releases coming down the pike from both DG and Decca are very exciting indeed.
2026-01-27 01:31:18 PM

thierry wrote:

Wonderful news and very interesting video indeed. But to tell the truth I was a bit disappointed by the choices made for the first batch, maybe I could be interested by the Rite of Spring record only (I am waiting for the review in T.A. before taking a decision !). I understand that the cost of these reissues must be very high. Therefore, selecting the records to be included in this collection is probably a quite serious challenge (not to say object of hot discussions) for the team in charge, due to partially conflicting logics: business on one side, quality and/or "cultural interest" on the other one. And I also understand that, unless it is possible to clone them, Sidney Meyer and Rainer Maillard only have 24 hours/ day working capacity... But please don't forget the richness of these catalogs, and try to have this new collection as representative as possible of their diversity. As an example, and adding new requests to the already long wishlist by Mark and Michael, please remember all the marvelous recordings of L'Oiseau-Lyre and what they represent in terms of cultural heritage... Must be very difficult to combine business and art. I sincerely hope you will be able to be financially very successful (to ensure that this collection will keep growing) but assuming at the same time the role and responsibilities of an art curator.
- 2026-01-27 04:34:07 PM
  
  Mark Ward wrote:
  
  Listen to the Sibelius and you will in no way regret its inclusion in this first batch - it is sensational on every level. The Solti is a significant sonic upgrade, as is the New Year's Day concert. Thank you for mentioning L'Oiseau-Lyre catalogue - a treasure-trove. At least, Decca, please give us the Hogwood Messiah.
2026-01-28 02:58:52 PM

EAD wrote:

Thanks to all for the great video! I am looking forward to the new releases. An indeed, the L’ Oiseau Lyre Messiah with Hogwood would be wonderful!
2026-02-02 10:54:53 AM

John Wheelwright wrote:

Italian Quartet's Phillips recordings - really need reissues.