Analogue audio should be celebrated everyday in our book. So when the invite came in from Jason Ford for his second showcase of the format, we were loading the Audiograde wagon quicker than you can ask “will there by vinyl?”.
Because this time it was at AVID’s Huntingdon HQ, a space I know well. Having experienced it a few times (including when we last sat down with Company Founder Conrad Mas back in 2024), it’s ideal for a serious listening experience.
Like before, this wasn’t just a day of hearing how good recorded music can sound on killer kit, as atop the bill was Reema, fresh from recording at Abbey Road Studios and ready to perform the fruits of her labours by launching her stunning new LP: Live At Studio 3 (Direct to Disc and Master Tape).
Proceedings kicked off with Jason presenting and playing some superb records from the SuperSense direct to acetate label, which take you so much closer to the master tape.
From Jack Savoretti to Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong – these pressings have a realism that gets under your skin. Edge of our seats? We nearly fell off.
Of course recordings of this caliber need a system that’s also up to the task. And AVID pulled all the stops out, with its Dark Iron and Ingenium SE turntables feeding the brand’s Reference pre and stereo power amp, driving its no-compromise standmount Reference 3 speakers.
Check out the platter on this edition of AVID’s Dark Iron deck, flying the flag for British hifi.
Cables, supports and acoustic treatment? That’s all AVID too (Conrad doesn’t do things by halves).
…and when getting closer to the master tape wasn’t enough, Jason cut out the middleman, by playing the master tape itself on a stalwart Nagra IV-S reel to reel player (which also gave him the chance to show off his talent for finding the gaps in tracks like some kind of audio psychic – impressive stuff).
The real thing
After a diversion into rare-beyond-existence Spandau Ballet 7″ original stampings (thanks to Conrad’s keen eye at car boot sales), it was on to the main event.
Reema is an artist that stands out from the crowd, as talented as she is modest, Reema took the time to chat through her recording and writing process, working in Abbey Road Studios and what motivates her to make such personal, honest and sublimely recorded music.
Her recent work has included albums recording at LowSwing Studios, by analogue guru Guy Sternberg (who also worked with her at Abbey Road). His techniques combined with Reema’s knack for striping a performance back to pure music is a sonic match made in heaven, which also demands much more from an artist than the polished products which many us are more familiar with.
For her latest album for example, each side was recorded in a single take – that’s every track, right down to the gaps between them so you know where to drop the needle, without pause. Make a mistake? It’s back to square one – or work through as a live artist has to, which takes some chops – and makes the record all the more human for it.
There’s an authenticity to Reema’s music that these LPs capture so well, and hearing the tracks performed live was spine-tingling stuff – because after all, this is why we buy hifi, to get closer to the real thing.
A huge thanks to Reema, Jason, Conrad and Mike Storey (above left, who designed the album artwork), for a music filled day we won’t forget.
