EMI and Doug Sax Choose AcousTech for Dark Side LP
One of the largest labels could have gone anywhere to remaster one of the world's most important records…They went to AcousTech Mastering. EMI hired Doug Sax to handle perhaps the most historic master tapes in pop music. Sax, long-renowned as a mastering guru, set out to produce his masterpiece on LP. And so he brought his MCI JH-110 transport with custom heads and tube electronics to Camarillo, California, where Kevin Gray had assembled the best-sounding mastering and cutting room that Sax knew of — AcousTech.
His decision paid off. Here at Acoustic Sounds, we spent Monday morning critiquing the resulting test pressing. When we first learned of EMI's decision to reissue Dark Side on vinyl, we along with many of you worried that they would go the usual route of major labels, and we'd all have yet another mediocre-sounding reissue. We're thrilled to be to the first to announce that this time the majors got it right.
This is it! All of the dynamics, clarity, warmth and air…This surpassed
our highest expectations, which believe us, were quite high. We've
already sold more than 300 preorder copies of the Dark Side LP. Now that
the mystery is over and this is a bona fide audiophile record, we're
likely to sell thousands. We've been told that the LP will be pressed on
180-gram vinyl in Holland. Hopefully, EMI will keep this in print for a
long while, but knowing the majors' track record with vinyl, don't bet
on it. Now's the time to act.
See more images of the Dark Side remastering process