2L The Nordic Sound – Finest Vinyl as Direct Metal Master

While 2L is known first and foremost for outstanding recordings in hi-res audio, they also offer a fine selection on record, as a Direct Metal Master on 180g vinyl.

2L The Nordic Sound, this Norwegian label has been regarded for years as the epitome of what distinguishes outstanding recordings in hi-res audio. Under the direction of Morten Lindberg, recordings are made in Norway that are second to none.

From the actual recording process to the mixing and the final master, everything is done here to guarantee nothing less than perfection.

Highest standards in production

From the very beginning, Morten Lindberg has focused on productions that meet the highest standards. This begins with the choice of the recording location, whereby churches are often used, which have particularly good acoustics due to the very special construction in Norway.

When it comes to the choice of equipment, the band also relies on the best that the market has to offer, with the emphasis on digital recordings in the highest possible resolutions.

The way Morten Lindberg creates recordings is also special, because he pursues the strategy of putting the listener directly into the action, positioning the microphones in such a way that the room and the musicians in it are perfectly reproduced in order to create surround recordings with unique depth.

The final form of distribution is, of course, Hi-res Audio downloads in stereo as well as surround. The perfect medium is Pure Audio Blu-ray, which offers all sound formats, such as various surround formats – Dolby Digital, DTS HD Master Audio, even Dolby Atmos, DTS:X or Auro-3D, but also stereo from Hi-res Audio to “CD quality”. The 2L recordings are also available on Hybrid SACD, which is usually included with the Pure Audio Blu-rays.

Not only “digital”, but also vinyl

Although the focus is clearly on “digital”, 2L also offers outstanding records of selected productions, and here, too, they take great care to guarantee the best quality.

Analogue purists will perhaps not get their money’s worth, because 2L The Nordic Sound uses a digital master as the basis for all productions on record, but one that is ultimately beyond all doubt from a technical point of view.

2L The Nordic Sound states that the master used for record production is DXD, i.e. Hi-res Audio in Linear PCM with 24 bits and 352.8 kHz.

Production at Pallas in Germany

The records of 2L The Nordic Sound are produced as so-called direct metal masters on 180 g vinyl by the specialist Schallplattenfabrik Pallas GmbH in Diepholz, Germany. It hardly needs to be mentioned that the cover artwork also meets the highest standards. 2L The Nordic Sound lets the music lover participate in the production process of the recording he or she has just bought, first and foremost through rich illustrations and detailed descriptions.

Prices and availability

The records from 2L The Nordic Sound can be ordered directly from the 2L Music Store. The prices can be described as extremely moderate, and shipping is free for purchases over € 100.

Getting to the point

Unfortunately, there are not too many recordings that 2L The Nordic Sound offers not only on Pure Audio Blu-ray, SACD or as a hi-res audio download, but also on vinyl. However, the selection available is among the finest that the market has to offer in terms of audiophile albums in perfect quality. It is therefore worth acquiring one or the other recording by Morten Lindberg and his label 2L The Nordic Sound, not only to test the quality of one’s own hi-fi chain, but also to actually enjoy the mostly musically very exciting recordings.