Vinyl News

[TLS Guy]

Because I had nothing better to do, I did a search to see if I could find some articles by Percy Wilson. He was technical editor of the Gramophone from 1924 to 1966.

He was a real technical editor, scientist first and journalist second. He wrote very well. I read all his articles as a kid growing up. He was a great educator.

Here is an article reviewing the first 10 years of the LP.

Part I of 50 years of records.

Part II of fifty years of records.

There is really important and interesting history here for all lovers of the spinning disc.

 

[3db]

I've not heard of these guys before..Kronos....Another Canadian turntable manufacturer.

 

[3db]

National Record Store Day on April 21.

Warner Bros to Release Vinyl Albums, Singles in Honor of National Record Store Day, 4/21


Conflicting numbers of actualk vinyl being sold but estimates do show an upward trend

Vinyl Revival: Brooklyn Phono : SonicScoop – Creative, Technical & Business Connections For NYC

 

[cpp]

You know, the young computer audiophile can say what they want about computer audio being better than CD or Vinyl but there is something about setting back with no care in the world and loading a piece of vinyl on a turntable and enjoying analog sound. It's like on Sundays the wife and I pull out our 69 Z28 and take a drive through town and once a month go to hot rod events, man it's pure nostalgia, it feels good and we love it.

 

[3db]

Imagine having just 1% of this collection..

CBC Calgary music library finds new home at Marda Loop record store

 

[3db]

I picked up my new album which I ordered a month ago, The Raveonettes "Chain Gang Of Love" on a 180gm vinyl. This album came out in 2003 and has only been reissued in vinyl for some unknown reason.

 

[slipperybidness]

Half-Price Books for Vinyl

Just a heads-up for any vinyl lovers with a Half-Price Books near you. They usually have a decent selection and very good pricing. Several that I pick up there "used" look like they were opened and never even played. They usually even have a smaller lock-box with some more collectible or expensive records too.

They usually don't have a huge selection, but enough to dig through for about 30 minutes to an hr. Definitely worth stopping in and checking.

 

[3db]

A review of the Spin-Clean Record Washing system.

Spin-Clean Record Washer Mk.II

Taken from the review..


"There are two ways to look at this. Obviously, you have to care about that residue, but I’m not going to worry about it -- there are too many more important things going on in my life. A Spin-Cleaned record is so much cleaner than one that hasn’t been through the sheep dip that, from my point of view, a molecule or two of surfactant is not even a consideration. To be perfectly honest, I really think that a post-Spin-Clean record is cleaner than any vacuum-cleaned record, so your choice is way less dirt, or a possible molecule of surfactant. Further, Spin-Clean’s fluid seems incredibly mild, and it’s diluted; I think it’s not worth worrying about. The Spin-Clean system seems to rely on high brush pressure and a vast reservoir of juice to do the heavy lifting, which means that a powerful cleaning fluid isn’t necessary."

 

[3db]

Any Cleveland natives around? This is for you.

Manufacturing vinyl records is big business in Cleveland

 

[3db]

Jut picked up this Rock classic used for $7.00 . Hopefully it plays as clean as it looks.

 

[TLS Guy]

Any Cleveland natives around? This is for you.

Manufacturing vinyl records is big business in Cleveland

This interest in vinyl seems to be spreading, and to be truthful I far from understand it.

I was looking at used turntable prices on eBay last night and used turntable prices are going through the roof, even for 70s and 80s lower end Far Eastern turntables. The best older tables now are commanding stratospheric prices.

Since I last looked the prices for my Garrard 301 decks have about doubled. I high used to be around $1200, now the low is around $1500 with the high just short of $4000. That is for turntables with no arm or plinth.

My two 301 are proving to be the best investment in my portfolio!

What I don't understand is that most of this new vinyl seems to be pressed from digital sources, which I have a very hard time seeing the point of.

Of course recording in analog is difficult and very expensive.

The only source of tape is ATR Magetics

A quarter inch tape at 15 ips is $60 per half hour of program and then you need tape for editing. It is twice that at 30 ips. A 2" tape is $318/636 per half hour 15/30 ips.

The tapes are all high bias and not suitable for older machines except Studer, and the machines built and refurbished by ATR.

They do refurbish Studers and Studer Revox and also any suitable Ampex machines, that are becoming increasingly rare. ATR used to have an inventory of refurbed Ampex machines, but no longer.

They make their extremely costly ATR 102 with the also hugely expensive ARIA record/playback and bias amps. These are tube designs.

Mike Spitz has been very successful in his adventures. However I bet his equipment is only in a fraction of the worlds studios. Despite what he has to say, I seriously doubt his machines are better then the best digital systems.

I was just at a demonstration of the new Neumann digital mics. The convert the signal to digital right after the capsule. They are quieter and all round better than their analog equivalents, and with more head room.

The worst part of the recoding chain is eliminated, which is the analog mic preamp.

So although I love my discs and my vintage turntables, I just don't see a rational reason for what is going on. Frankly I smell a classic bubble being created and for spurious reasons.

 

[3db]

This interest in vinyl seems to be spreading, and to be truthful I far from understand it.

I was looking at used turntable prices on eBay last night and used turntable prices are going through the roof, even for 70s and 80s lower end Far Eastern turntables. The best older tables now are commanding stratospheric prices.

Since I last looked the prices for my Garrard 301 decks have about doubled. I high used to be around $1200, now the low is around $1500 with the high just short of $4000. That is for turntables with no arm or plinth.

My two 301 are proving to be the best investment in my portfolio!

What I don't understand is that most of this new vinyl seems to be pressed from digital sources, which I have a very hard time seeing the point of.

Of course recording in analog is difficult and very expensive.

The only source of tape is ATR Magetics

A quarter inch tape at 15 ips is $60 per half hour of program and then you need tape for editing. It is twice that at 30 ips. A 2" tape is $318/636 per half hour 15/30 ips.

The tapes are all high bias and not suitable for older machines except Studer, and the machines built and refurbished by ATR.

They do refurbish Studers and Studer Revox and also any suitable Ampex machines, that are becoming increasingly rare. ATR used to have an inventory of refurbed Ampex machines, but no longer.

They make their extremely costly ATR 102 with the also hugely expensive ARIA record/playback and bias amps. These are tube designs.

Mike Spitz has been very successful in his adventures. However I bet his equipment is only in a fraction of the worlds studios. Despite what he has to say, I seriously doubt his machines are better then the best digital systems.

I was just at a demonstration of the new Neumann digital mics. The convert the signal to digital right after the capsule. They are quieter and all round better than their analog equivalents, and with more head room.

The worst part of the recoding chain is eliminated, which is the analog mic preamp.

So although I love my discs and my vintage turntables, I just don't see a rational reason for what is going on. Frankly I smell a classic bubble being created and for spurious reasons.

It could be for the following reasons:
a.) It sounds really good.
b.) Its tangeable opposed to files on server's disk
c.) Involvemnt required for playing an LP
d.) Easier to read the liner notes and album art work.

Those are my reasons for enjoying vinyl. I enjoy classical music as much as you so I can see where you are coming from as CD is the better medium of choice for that genre of music. However, I also like other genres of music and the gap of the demands of other music genres shrinks the advantage of CDs over vinyl.

 

[TLS Guy]

It could be for the following reasons:
a.) It sounds really good.
b.) Its tangeable opposed to files on server's disk
c.) Involvemnt required for playing an LP
d.) Easier to read the liner notes and album art work.

Those are my reasons for enjoying vinyl. I enjoy classical music as much as you so I can see where you are coming from as CD is the better medium of choice for that genre of music. However, I also like other genres of music and the gap of the demands of other music genres shrinks the advantage of CDs over vinyl.

a). Is true, however, I think newer media can and do sound better.

b). You can still buy physical media, and that is also tangible.

c). If it is a ritual you want; go to church!

d). This is definitely true, but you can download the notes of downloadable media.

I don't see that this is reason enough to create this huge bubble. Like all economic bubbles this one will also end in tears, especially those making huge investments on the production end.

I think this is hype driven, and has all the attributes of economic bubbles. One thing they all have in common is lack of sound analysis and reasoning. At their heart is the creation of unsustainable demand and rising prices. This in my view is really starting to take off in the analog world.

This whole analog thing is very much hot air, and not engineering and science driven.

 

[Alex2507]

c). If it is a ritual you want; go to church!

Organ music is the gateway drug for Catholicism.

 

[TLS Guy]

Organ music is the gateway drug for Catholicism.

Yes, and even more so the Anglican and Lutheran traditions.

 

[3db]

Lets keep religion out of this as its personal.

TLS, I've given you my reasons why and your rationale won't sway me from buying what I enjoy. You're outlook in music is rather limited IHO and it does bias your opinions whether you realize it or not. I have many vinyl albums that absolutely clobber the same recordings on CD in others genres of music but you'll never see or experience this because of your narrow choice of music that you prefer to listen too.

One thing I forgot to mention is that I can get recordings on vinyl that you cannot get either digitally or on CD.

This bubble won't burst as its growth is much too slow because vinyl remains a niche market. It has survived the onslaught of the CD and will outlive the CD format and it will survive along with digital downloads.

 

[slipperybidness]

One thing I forgot to mention is that I can get recordings on vinyl that you cannot get either digitally or on CD.

You made the point before I could. Yes, I have many records that do not exist on tape or CD. I MIGHT be able to find some to download ptp, but the quality is usually questionable. Many good punk, jazz, blues albums just do not exist on any medium other than vinyl.

Also, do you have any colored vinyls? Blue, yellow, green, red? I love these and the extra thought that went into them from the bands producing them. Also, what about a nice picture-disc vinyl? I have 2 that I really enjoy for the artwork as much as for the music: Sublime Robbin the Hood and the new Flogging Molly vinyl.

And finally, I can get a stack of vinyl for $20. Every time I go to Half Price Books, I come away with several albums and don't spend much at all. Due to the cheap price, I find myself exploring other music that I normally wouldn't. Granted, I have seen the prices starting to creep back up the last 5 yrs or so.

The point is, for me, vinyl isn't just a medium for music, but a full-blown hobby in itself. I am a vinyl collector. Doesn't it sound silly to say "I am a CD collector" or "I am a FLAC collector"

 

[3db]

How vinyl is made

Videos

Videos

 

[TLS Guy]

Videos

Videos

You have two part ones.

Part 2

The process shown here is known as Direct Metal Mastering. This came late in the day, and paradoxically was developed to meet the challenge of cutting from digital recordings!

This is the traditional process, and is the way most records are pressed even now.

You cut an acetate master, usually two and keep one for reference.

The acetate is then electroplated to make the master, then the mothers are made from the master and then the stampers.

The problem is that the DMM precess requires much bigger parts and more power to cut thought the metal. The wear and tear on the cutters is brutal. Because the parts are heavier, cutter resonances creep into the audio band.

The advantage of DMM is a quieter surface, but that is all. In my view the rest is negative. I personally think records mastered on acetate, sound better than DMM cut ones.

 

[3db]

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