Full analogue direct-to-disc recording seassion’s safety master tape copies

GR-164, GR1993 Records

2 x SM900, metal reel, hinged box, 2 track master tape copies at 38 CM/S, CCIR

In October 2022, Djabe took part in a special recording session at the ARTONE studio belongs to Record Industry pressing plant in Haarlem, The Netherlands. The band direct-to-disc recorded 4 sides of the double album at 45 RPM. The recording was done on the Direct Metal Mastering cutting machine, using High-End analogue equipments only.

Djabe is known for the excellent sound of its recordings and vinyl records. They recorded several of their albums using analogue technology, and they always cut their records from analogue master tapes, but they have not yet recorded any of their albums directly to record.

The high-quality technique of the ARTONE studio and the professional knowledge of the studio’s staff make the result unique in the band’s history. The discs reproduce analog sound at a level that is also outstanding internationally.

Tamás Barabás, the band’s sound engineer and bassist, worked closely with the studio’s professionals, including engineers Rinus Hooning and Martijn Schouten during the recording.

At the same time as the direct-to-disc recording, the band also recorded the music on tape. There were two reasons for this. On the one hand, they could listen back to the album sides’ takes, they had to play in one run, and they were able to decide whether the given album side could be the master or whether a new take should be recorded. At the same time, the master tapes in this way made it possible to produce high-quality master tape copies.