DMM: Direct Metal Mastering vinyl records - Pros, cons & test

#DMM Direct Metal #Mastering is an old #vinyl record cutting technique that delivers unique sonic chracteristics. There are several pros but also some cons. Discover them in this video and listen to the test at the end with a couple tracks taken from the Black Sabbath album 'Master of Reality'.
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Download the high resolution versions (192Khz/24bit) of the test tracks (try to guess which is DMM and which is normal laquer and write your guess in the comments. Careful, these tracks for download are NOT in the same order of the video!):

- Versions 1:

- Versions 2:
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Video tracks info (SPOILER ALERT! don't read if you haven't watched the video!):

[Attention! The order of the following tracks is NOT the same of those for download]

'Orchid' Track A = DMM
'Orchid' Track B = Laquer
'Lord of this world' Track A = Laquer
'Lord of this world' Track B = DMM
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Looking for new DMM albums?

[anadialog]

The test results and high resolution files for download are in the video description above!

[BogoEN]

The best sounding record I own is the 2013 reissue of Nirvana’s “In Utero”, which is DMM. Sourced from the tapes and remastered by Steve Albini. Amazing sound.

[tobymummert]

DMM was originally created for classical music because of soft passages and powerful transients and of course more room per side of an LP. Then this little thing called compact disc came out in 1983 and classical music through DMM out the window. Then in 1986 I took notice that record grooves on particular albums I bought had a more shinier and smoother surface then some other albums and I quickly learned that these were DMM pressings. They they were not advertised on the shrink wrap or anywhere on the cover. And just about every case the only way you can tell besides seeing the shiny surface was by looking in the dead wax and seeing the DMM words printed out. There were tons of LPS that were printed with DMM in the late 1980s. Some examples of these are: Def Leppard Hysteria, Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet, Kiss Crazy Nights, Metallica Master of Puppets, Rosanne Cash Kings Record Shop, Sting Nothing Like the Sun, Genesis Invisible Touch, Bruce Hornsby & the Range Scenes from the Southside, and Motley Crue Girls Girls Girls just to name a few. In most cases, DMM pressings sounded better. They seem to be a lot cleaner and smoother while unfortunately some sounded horrible. So DMM has been around for quite a while. Nothing new to me.😎🔊🎵

[clavichord]

Yep, I guessed correct. First track, A was DMM, second track, B was DMM. I prefer DMM every time. I have no issues with DMM and can often guess correctly even when an 80s LP isn't labeled DMM.

[stanleycostello]

I got two DMM albums for Christmas this year. Ella Fitzgerald. The Cole Porter Songbook and The Rodgers and Hart Songbook. Originally recorded in 1956 they were the first two albums that were released on Verve label. They were re-mastered in 2015 and 2017 by Wax Time Records (Spain?). Some people think that WTR are terrible, some think just the opposite. Well, I think they sound splendid. I seems as though Ella was singing to me. Miss Fitzgerald's back-up group is top-notch. "Sweets" Edison, Maynard Ferguson, Ted Nash, Barney Kessel, Alvin Stoller, Pete Candoli and so many others. If you like Ella Fitzgerald and the some of the great names in jazz, you won't go wrong.

[TheLtData]

I recently bought a DMM 180gram virgin vinyl record from the Brubeck Quartet and I like it a lot! Interesting to hear about the process of creating these records!

[NickP]

I personally really dig the DMM recordings I own. I’m not sure about subsequent pressings, but my DMM copy of G n R’s “Appetite” LP sounds really good. I’ll have to take a look, as I own multiple copies, and you’ve got me very curious now in comparing them.
Thanks for another great vid!

[DavidOMart]

Pretty darn significant now since the Apollo fire! My guess is we start seeing a lot more DMM by the end of the year. Thanks for the great video

[maximelogier]

For both 'Orchid' and 'Lord of this world' I prefered A. Maybe because of the differrences between the two songs. One may argue that the use of one technology over the other depends on what kind of texture we want to give to the sound.
I have a copy of a french edition of 'Adam's Apple' by Wayne Shorter in DMM from 1985. To me it sounds fantastic. The first time i listened to it i was unaware of the DMM technology used to make this record and i was impressed by the quality of the sound.


Thanks for the video!

[Caifo]

My guess was right. In Orchid (track B) the guitar sounds more vivid, and I can understand why some would say it’s harsh. Not to me. I like it!

[stephendeluca]

For the first song I preferred the 2nd take and for the second song I preferred the first take. I couldn't say whether or not the ones I liked were more like what the artist intended when they recorded it.

[Lasse]

Got both tracks right!
(With the assumption that DMM sounds better)

Wow DMM sounds good!!!!
Never heard of this format before ✌

[diegorivas]

1987 Hysteria from Def Leppard is the best example of point 6, since the vinyl version of that album fitting the 12 songs on a single disc for 62 minutes could only be achieved through DMM mastering.

[IsraelQuezada]

In many albums that were cut using the DMM process I can tell that they are DMM just by looking at the grooves. The DMM grooves have a more bright and metallic look.

[QoraxAudio]

I like your custom slipmat with your logo on it!
Being able to cut steeper/higher transients mean higher frequencies can be cut out.
Just imagine comparing a low frequency sine wave with a high frequency sine wave.
The flanks of the highest frequency sine wave are the steepest.
In electronics, it's often called slew rate, measured in volts per microsecond.
Given that DMM mastered records can produce higher frequencies, those will be more present as well, so that might explain why some people find treble to be too harsh.
But in my opinion it's just a manifestation of a wider frequency response, which is a good thing.

However, this electronic processing to make grooves less deep reduces the dynamic range, because less deep means less stylus movement (ie. lower amplitude/volume).


You mentioned that electroplating is not needed for DMM.
That makes DMM much more environmentally friendly, so you can put that on the positives list too :)
Because electroplating involves high volumes of environmentally harmful chemicals (mostly acids and alkalines).

[koozmusic]

Pausing the video here after the samples to leave a comment. Wow... there is almost *NO* surface noise to Orchid Track A - that has to be the cleanest record I've ever heard. The difference between A and B there were night and day to me. For Lord of This World, I think B sounds better, but the style of music and the recording engineering choices made that one less obvious. Curious to know what the reveal is, but based on the technical aspects you went over at the beginning of the video, I'd say the ones that are better sounding to my ears are DMM!

Edit: I was right! Nice!

[TractorCountdown]

I preferred A for Orchid, and B for Lord Of This World. The others sounded brittle. Thanks for the info about DMM - I knew roughly what it was and knew that there are issues with some records with the brittle sound, but you've explained it all very well. Thank you!

Now I see that it was the DMMs that I preferred! I really thought it'd be the other way round.

[mymixture]

Thank you for the video, I learned something! To me it was always a little strange when Michael Fremer talked bad about DMM, I have some in my collection and to me they sound good, even very good. No echo, low noise, as you mentioned, so I like them. I liked the DMM files better and I just listened to my laptop speakers and was practicing guitar while listening. I work on my technic while watching videos because these routine is kind a boring and even then I was able to pick out the DMM and liked them more.

[hacmustafaus]

First track: I liked B, second track I liked A

[twistedviewlabs]

B for Orchid & A for Lord Of This World. It seems if there's a lot going on...DMM is superior but for more sparse recordings, the standard process is better. As for DMM releases, I recall a number of releases under the WEA umbrella (especially if they were from bigger artists) were typically DMM...and they sounded just fine to my ears. My 1st press copy of The Cure's Disintegration was DMM and sounded WAY better than both my cassette & CD copies. I think it's because the sonic tone on that album is very..."wall of sound"...to me. Keep in mind too that cassette reproduction in 1989 was kinda "meh" and CD mastering at the time was essentially a flat mix with very little bottom end. The way you initially identified if it was standard or DMM on other labels was (as you mentioned) the hype sticker & DMM in the deadwax. I don't have this record anymore sadly....
I'm gonna check thru my son's records to see how many, if any, are DMM. I can easily check on discogs as I've catalogued based on deadwax info.