So I just got through running some room evaluation software to create convolution filters in Roon, I describe this journey in more detail in the new Rooms & Treatments section of the forum.
After going through my favorite test tracks and verifying that everything was working better than expected, I decided to try something new… well, new to me. Having recently bought several titles during HDTT’s 50% off sale, I decided to check out the 1965 Andrew Hill album Compulsion. Like many jazz audio fans, I have listened to a lot of recordings engineered by Rudy Van Gelder, but this is one I had never heard. I was a little skeptical about trying this because I wanted to test out the new room filter and I had no previous experience to compare. But I was elated; this is one of the best RVG recordings I’ve ever heard. His capturing of sax, drums, and bass were on-par with his other records, and Hill’s piano was a little too far back in the mix for my tastes (typical also of Van Gelder). But the way he worked with the percussion in relation to everything else on the soundstage made things uniquely 3-dimensional. I felt totally immersed in the music. The best track in my opinion is “Legacy,” as it brings out everything I just described but every voice even more exposed. I would love to hear a vinyl pressing of this to hear how this transfer compares.
