Two-day shipping now available for only $1.95 at checkout Features Ships in Certified Frustration-Free Packaging Description

The Beatles' acclaimed original studio album remasters, released on CD in 2009, make their long-awaited stereo vinyl debut

Manufactured on 180-gram, audiophile quality vinyl with replicated artwork, the 14 albums return to their original glory with details including the poster in The Beatles (The White Album), the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band's cut-outs, and special inner bags for some of the titles

The titles include The Beatles' 12 original UK albums, first released between 1963 and 1970, the US-originated Magical Mystery Tour, now part of the group's core catalogue, and Past Masters, Volumes One & Two, first released individually in 1988, featuring non-album A-sides and B-sides, EP tracks and rarities. With this release, The Beatles' first four albums make their North American stereo vinyl debuts

Magical Mystery Tour is a gatefold package and includes 24-page color book

There has always been demand for The Beatles' albums on vinyl. Indeed, 2011's best-selling vinyl LP in the United States was Abbey Road. Following the success of The Beatles' acclaimed, GRAMMY Award-winning 2009 CD remasters, it was decided that the sound experts at EMI's Abbey Road Studios should create new versions of The Beatles' vinyl LPs. The project demanded the same meticulous approach taken for the CD releases, and the brief was a simple one: cut the digital remasters to vinyl with an absolute minimum of compromise to the sound. However, the process involved to do that was far from simple

The first stage in transferring the sound of a master recording to vinyl is the creation of a disc to be used during vinyl manufacture. There were two options to consider. A Direct Metal Master (DMM), developed in the late seventies, allows sound to be cut directly into a stainless steel disc coated with a hard copper alloy. The older, alternative method is to cut the sound into the soft lacquer coating on a nickel disc - the first of several steps leading to the production of a stamper to press the vinyl

A 'blind' listening test was arranged to choose between a 'lacquer' or 'copper' cut. Using both methods, A Hard Day's Night was pressed with ten seconds of silence at the beginning and end of each side. This allowed not only the reproduction of the music to be assessed, but also the noise made by the vinyl itself. After much discussion, two factors swung the decision towards using the lacquer process. First, it was judged to create a warmer sound than a DMM. Secondly, there was a practical advantage of having 'blank' discs of a consistent quality when cutting lacquers

The next step was to use the Neumann VMS80 cutting lathe at Abbey Road. Following thorough mechanical and electrical tests to ensure it was operating in peak condition, engineer Sean Magee cut the LPs in chronological release order. He used the original 24-bit remasters rather than the 16-bit versions that were required for CD production. It was also decided to use the remasters that had not undergone 'limiting' - a procedure to increase the sound level, which is deemed necessary for most current pop CDs

Having made initial test cuts, Magee pinpointed any sound problems that can occur during playback of vinyl records. To rectify them, changes were made to the remasters with a Digital Audio Workstation. For example, each vinyl album was listened to for any 'sibilant episodes' - vocal distortion that can occur on consonant sounds such as S and T. These were corrected by reducing the level in the very small portion of sound causing the undesired effect. Similarly, any likelihood of 'inner-groove distortion' was addressed. As the stylus approaches the centre of the record, it is liable to track the groove less accurately. This can affect the high-middle frequencies, producing a 'mushy' sound particularly noticeable on vocals. Using what Magee has described as 'surgical EQ,' problem frequencies were identified and reduced in level to compensate for this

The last phase of the vinyl mastering process began with the arrival of the first batches of test pressings made from master lacquers that had been sent to the two pressing plant factories. Stringent quality tests identified any noise or click appearing on more than one test pressing in the same place. If this happened, it was clear that the undesired sounds had been introduced either during the cutting or the pressing stage and so the test records were rejected. In the quest to achieve the highest quality possible, the Abbey Road team worked closely with the pressing factories and the manufacturers of the lacquer and cutting styli

An additional and unusual challenge was to ensure the proper playback of the sounds embedded in the 'lock-groove' at the end of side two of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Requiring a combination of good timing and luck, it had always been a lengthy and costly process to make it work properly. In fact, it was so tricky, it had never been attempted for American pressings of the LP. Naturally, Sean Magee and the team perfected this and the garbled message is heard as originally intended on the remastered Sgt. Pepper LP.

Item Specifics

Brand: Universal Music Group
Item Dimensions: 12.2 inches x 12.48 inches x 0.31 inches
Item Weight: 122.0 Hundredths Pounds
Number of Items: 1
Package Dimensions: 12.76 inches x 14.65 inches x 1.02 inches
Package Weight: 168.0 Hundredths Pounds

Shipping Your item is shipped via FREE Standard Shipping within one business day. Delivery takes 3-5 Business Days. We only ship to physical addresses that are located within the 48 contiguous states. We are unable to ship to P.O. boxes, APO, FPO, or international addresses. You will receive a tracking number when the item is dispatched. We also offer 2-day shipping and 1-day shipping options. Choose your preference during checkout. Payment & Returns We accept payment by PayPal. If you are not satisfied with your item, please contact us for an item refund within 14 days of purchase. In that case, please contact us for a return authorization and the return shipping address first. Return shipping and handling is the responsibility of the buyer and returns are subject to 15% restocking fee. In case of a defect item, we will cover the return shipping and and you'll receive a full refund. Contact Us

Got any questions?

Please feel free to contact us anytime through eBay.

We will send you a response within 24 hours, usually sooner!

Two-day shipping now available for only $1.95 at checkout The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour [New Vinyl] 180 Gram, Rmst, Reissue Ships in Certified Frustration-Free Packaging Description

The Beatles' acclaimed original studio album remasters, released on CD in 2009, make their long-awaited stereo vinyl debut

Manufactured on 180-gram, audiophile quality vinyl with replicated artwork, the 14 albums return to their original glory with details including the poster in The Beatles (The White Album), the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band's cut-outs, and special inner bags for some of the titles

The titles include The Beatles' 12 original UK albums, first released between 1963 and 1970, the US-originated Magical Mystery Tour, now part of the group's core catalogue, and Past Masters, Volumes One & Two, first released individually in 1988, featuring non-album A-sides and B-sides, EP tracks and rarities. With this release, The Beatles' first four albums make their North American stereo vinyl debuts

Magical Mystery Tour is a gatefold package and includes 24-page color book

There has always been demand for The Beatles' albums on vinyl. Indeed, 2011's best-selling vinyl LP in the United States was Abbey Road. Following the success of The Beatles' acclaimed, GRAMMY Award-winning 2009 CD remasters, it was decided that the sound experts at EMI's Abbey Road Studios should create new versions of The Beatles' vinyl LPs. The project demanded the same meticulous approach taken for the CD releases, and the brief was a simple one: cut the digital remasters to vinyl with an absolute minimum of compromise to the sound. However, the process involved to do that was far from simple

The first stage in transferring the sound of a master recording to vinyl is the creation of a disc to be used during vinyl manufacture. There were two options to consider. A Direct Metal Master (DMM), developed in the late seventies, allows sound to be cut directly into a stainless steel disc coated with a hard copper alloy. The older, alternative method is to cut the sound into the soft lacquer coating on a nickel disc - the first of several steps leading to the production of a stamper to press the vinyl

A 'blind' listening test was arranged to choose between a 'lacquer' or 'copper' cut. Using both methods, A Hard Day's Night was pressed with ten seconds of silence at the beginning and end of each side. This allowed not only the reproduction of the music to be assessed, but also the noise made by the vinyl itself. After much discussion, two factors swung the decision towards using the lacquer process. First, it was judged to create a warmer sound than a DMM. Secondly, there was a practical advantage of having 'blank' discs of a consistent quality when cutting lacquers

The next step was to use the Neumann VMS80 cutting lathe at Abbey Road. Following thorough mechanical and electrical tests to ensure it was operating in peak condition, engineer Sean Magee cut the LPs in chronological release order. He used the original 24-bit remasters rather than the 16-bit versions that were required for CD production. It was also decided to use the remasters that had not undergone 'limiting' - a procedure to increase the sound level, which is deemed necessary for most current pop CDs

Having made initial test cuts, Magee pinpointed any sound problems that can occur during playback of vinyl records. To rectify them, changes were made to the remasters with a Digital Audio Workstation. For example, each vinyl album was listened to for any 'sibilant episodes' - vocal distortion that can occur on consonant sounds such as S and T. These were corrected by reducing the level in the very small portion of sound causing the undesired effect. Similarly, any likelihood of 'inner-groove distortion' was addressed. As the stylus approaches the centre of the record, it is liable to track the groove less accurately. This can affect the high-middle frequencies, producing a 'mushy' sound particularly noticeable on vocals. Using what Magee has described as 'surgical EQ,' problem frequencies were identified and reduced in level to compensate for this

The last phase of the vinyl mastering process began with the arrival of the first batches of test pressings made from master lacquers that had been sent to the two pressing plant factories. Stringent quality tests identified any noise or click appearing on more than one test pressing in the same place. If this happened, it was clear that the undesired sounds had been introduced either during the cutting or the pressing stage and so the test records were rejected. In the quest to achieve the highest quality possible, the Abbey Road team worked closely with the pressing factories and the manufacturers of the lacquer and cutting styli

An additional and unusual challenge was to ensure the proper playback of the sounds embedded in the 'lock-groove' at the end of side two of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Requiring a combination of good timing and luck, it had always been a lengthy and costly process to make it work properly. In fact, it was so tricky, it had never been attempted for American pressings of the LP. Naturally, Sean Magee and the team perfected this and the garbled message is heard as originally intended on the remastered Sgt. Pepper LP.

Item Specifics

Brand: Universal Music Group
Item Dimensions: 12.2 inches x 12.48 inches x 0.31 inches
Item Weight: 122.0 Hundredths Pounds
Number of Items: 1
Package Dimensions: 12.76 inches x 14.65 inches x 1.02 inches
Package Weight: 168.0 Hundredths Pounds

Shipping Free Your item is shipped via FREE Standard Shipping within one business day. Delivery takes 3-5 Business Days. We only ship to physical addresses that are located within the 48 contiguous states. We are unable to ship to P.O. boxes, APO, FPO, or international addresses. You will receive a tracking number when the item is dispatched. We also offer 2-day shipping and 1-day shipping options. Choose your preference during checkout. Payment & Returns We accept payment by PayPal. If you are not satisfied with your item, please contact us for an item refund within 14 days of purchase. In that case, please contact us for a return authorization and the return shipping address first. Return shipping and handling is the responsibility of the buyer and returns are subject to 15% restocking fee. In case of a defect item, we will cover the return shipping and and you'll receive a full refund. Contact Us

Got any questions?

Please feel free to contact us anytime through eBay.

We will send you a response within 24 hours, usually sooner!

Why choose ValueMerchant101? Factory Direct Have peace of mind knowing that your order will arrive brand new in its original factory sealed packaging. That means that you'll have the full force of the manufacture warranty to protect your purchase. Fast and Free Shipping You're already purchasing the item. Why pay additional for shipping, especially slow shipping? It starts with getting your order shipped out nice and quick! Commitment We are committed to making sure that you are satisfied with your purchase. That means having access to real people that get your questions and concerns answered quickly. Give us a shot and we will make sure that you will look to us again! Copyright 2017 All rights reserved