LED ZEPPELIN II – A MASTERING LESSON

44 years ago today, Led Zeppelin released their second album. Eddie Kramer had engineered it, and Bob Ludwig was called in to give the record a “hotter” sound in the LP mastering phase. The resulting pressings have an “RL” inscribed in the run out area of the vinyl. Unfortunately, the dynamics in the grooves made these records unplayable on the inexpensive turntables of the day. So the lacquers were replaced with tamer sounding ones.

Now valuable to collectors and audiophiles alike, this short run of “hot stamper” pressings provide a listening experience that has become legendary. They are unrivaled in detail and explosive sonics. Here’s a video where Bob explains what happened in 1969.

(Cover Illustration Story: David Juniper)