Sleeve design irrelevant? Surely you jest, sire... some of the most innovative and brilliant popular art was created for LP covers. After all it was what caught the eye of the buyer. Perhaps its me, but I like to know about the composer and the artistes, when and where the recording was made and so on. To read this on a big 12" X 12" card was more satisfying than attempting to read printed CD info from miniscule page to miniscule page.
In fact, I'd say that such details as a gorgeous sleeve and intelligent liner notes add greatly to my listening pleasure. But then, I'm talking mostly jazz and classical, such as Billie Holiday, Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, Delius, Glazunov, Prokofiev etc. Maybe it is all of a lesser importance with today's music, or pop in general. Then again, maybe not!
As for de-clicking, here's an example of how it should be done. Alan Dell wrote the sleeve notes for a very extended set of 12" LPs in the 1970s. The set contained every studio track laid down by Glenn Miller. Some of the stuff was from very worn masters or even more worn 78s. Remastering engineer Trine Crouch spent many hours with tape spicer, cutting out all the scratches, clicks and drop-outs and fitting in a little 'similar' sound to mask the missing part.
The result were very listenable and ostensibly original sounding tracks, exactly as originally recorded - the damage due to the passing of time was negated and the Miller sound, of its 1938-1942 time, became great to hear. Noting added - no echo, no false stereo, just clean audio.
-Tony
In fact, I'd say that such details as a gorgeous sleeve and intelligent liner notes add greatly to my listening pleasure. But then, I'm talking mostly jazz and classical, such as Billie Holiday, Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, Delius, Glazunov, Prokofiev etc. Maybe it is all of a lesser importance with today's music, or pop in general. Then again, maybe not!
As for de-clicking, here's an example of how it should be done. Alan Dell wrote the sleeve notes for a very extended set of 12" LPs in the 1970s. The set contained every studio track laid down by Glenn Miller. Some of the stuff was from very worn masters or even more worn 78s. Remastering engineer Trine Crouch spent many hours with tape spicer, cutting out all the scratches, clicks and drop-outs and fitting in a little 'similar' sound to mask the missing part.
The result were very listenable and ostensibly original sounding tracks, exactly as originally recorded - the damage due to the passing of time was negated and the Miller sound, of its 1938-1942 time, became great to hear. Noting added - no echo, no false stereo, just clean audio.
-Tony
