You know all that talk about vinyl sounding better than CDs and mp3s...?

It only took a few years, but I finally got my turntable up and running. Well, it's not mine--technically it's my dad's old Technics. In Porsche 911 terms, if I remember correctly it's from the age of the 3.2L Carrera.

Biggest issue: My current receiver doesn't have an phono-in channel. I figured I could use any AV channel, but guess I needed some of pre-amp. $48 later I had one of these: http://www.phonopreamps.com/tc750lcpp.html

Then I needed to whip a new ground cable since mine went walkabout. We still have a Radio Shack, and they had the bullet terminal needed.

Ta da, it works. First up, Van Halen II. Next, Ghost in the Machine.

Verdict: Yeah, it's that nice, warm tone I remember with deep, natural bass and clear highs.

Now excuse me while I go flip the album....

HA....

we've had a turntable for as long as I can remember... the depth of sound is what still FLOORS me... MP3 and CD sound is just 2 dimensional....

the system is my wifes... we've had for 25 years... Yamaha 60 series k-60, t-60, etc.

Liston to Tull first digital, then vinyl.... BERKLEY amazing

Since you're the resident expert, a question: What are you using to clean records?

Thanks.

Doh, time to change albums.

In reply to David S. Wallens:

hahahahahaha... my wife has a simple system that tends to get them 95%+ clean... a static brush of some sort. In the new age of vinyl... $10,000 laser turntables, and $1500 cleaning systems just amaze me.

my wife just got a few new pressing of Billy Holiday... and a few mixed jazz. Most of my vinyl is older stuff

This is more of what my vinyl is....

I'm sorry, I grew up with vinyl. Compared to CD, it sucks. Now, compared to some MP3, OK.

Hey, here's the best of both worlds: I've digitized a bunch of my vinyl. Then I clean it up and digitally remaster it. You get the best (or worst) of both digital and analog.

I still use my Pioneer PL-400 turntable that I bought in 1980. A few years ago the cartridge went out on it and it took a bit of searching to find a supplier who had one.Other than that it's been a great piece of kit for 35 years.

I grew up with vinyl, too, so maybe it's a bit nostalgic. When I was DJing in college, in fact, we were just starting to phase in CDs. I bet our collection was still at least 95% vinyl at the time. That meant the first thing you learned was how to queue up an album--you couldn't have dead air, yet at the same time you definitely couldn't let people hear the song come up to speed. Half a revolution would usually do it.

The second thing you learned: the seven dirty words so you'd never say them on the air.

Now playing: R.E.M.'s Smokin' in the Boys' Room, an "unofficial release."

Does your turntable play Pandora?

Threadjack: I have a huge record collection - LPs, 45s & 78s - I'm selling cheap. There's around 10,000 LPs by best estimate, and several thousand 45s and 78s, plus the tables, crates, boxes. The no-bullE36 M3 GRM price? $500 for everything.

I just have a newer crosley turntable. It works. All my vinyl is my parent's vintage stuff. I just wish it had a headphone jack, but it does have a 3.5mm in.

David S. Wallens wrote: The second thing you learned: the seven dirty words so you'd never say them on the air.

These seven words?

SkinnyG wrote:

David S. Wallens wrote: The second thing you learned: the seven dirty words so you'd never say them on the air.

These seven words?

Shhhhhh.

When I was in Athens a little more than a year ago--Petit LeMans/seeing friends/foot race for my wife--I got to DJ as it was some special alumni weekend. Each alum was paired with someone from the current staff, which was totally fine by me as the equipment is all digital and fancy now.

Well, one of the songs I picked had the s-word. I totally forgot it was in there and, really, it was an honest mistake.

We had to fill out paperwork afterward.

I could never get those to play without some sort of popping. I think though that is one of the things that makes it nostalgic though, the imperfection of it. I see no reason why vinyl would sound "better" then a CD or a high (or lossless) digital file. Kind of like how live music doesn't really sound "better" then studio music, it just has more character.

petegossett wrote: Threadjack: I have a *huge* record collection - LPs, 45s & 78s - I'm selling *cheap*. There's around 10,000 LPs by best estimate, and several thousand 45s and 78s, plus the tables, crates, boxes. The no-bullE36 M3 GRM price? $500 for everything.

I believe that jleez on cicenet is into 45s and 78s. Might want to float it out to him

Any cataloging of them? There are some id be interested in but definitely not all of them

I have a juke box that could certainly use some new 45s...

As far as cleaning, I knew a guy that spread Elmer's glue on the record in a thin layer. When it dried he'd pull it off. He says it's much better than any other method he tries.
He only does this once a year or so.

mtn wrote:

petegossett wrote: Threadjack: I have a *huge* record collection - LPs, 45s & 78s - I'm selling *cheap*. There's around 10,000 LPs by best estimate, and several thousand 45s and 78s, plus the tables, crates, boxes. The no-bullE36 M3 GRM price? $500 for everything.

I believe that jleez on cicenet is into 45s and 78s. Might want to float it out to him Any cataloging of them? There are some id be interested in but definitely not all of them

Thanks's I'll throw a post on there too. No cataloging, that's the biggest problem - they came to me that way & I've never had a chance to get it done. I've actually been throwing stacks of 33s away lately just trying to thin it to a more manageable level. They weren't anything rare or in particularly good condition.

+1 on vinyl sounding better. I consider it a fact (opinion). I gutted an old console a friend gave me, and replaced everything with modern components. The turntable was high$- think 5 bills, the rest inherited, or cheap. I love it. I just feel more involved flipping the record every 15 min.

I use generic record cleaning spray, with a special rag, bought at the local record store for $10. Try amazon, or better yet, record stores are popping up everywhere, and need our support o continue.

aircooled wrote: I could never get those to play without some sort of popping. I think though that is one of the things that makes it nostalgic though, the imperfection of it. I see no reason why vinyl would sound "better" then a CD or a high (or lossless) digital file. Kind of like how live music doesn't really sound "better" then studio music, it just has more character.

Way back when I worked for a company called Neotek. We made high end recording consoles. A lot of recording studios still use the old analog consoles, like the SSLs, Neve and Neoteks. They spec out cleaner than digital. Audio end products are only as good as the weakest link in the chain. It's very possible for vinyl to be much better than digital, but digital maintains its quality through the chain so it's more likely to hold up over time or sound ok with cheaper equipment. Consumers have spoken and by and large prefer portability and cheap.

How do you keep them from skipping when you drive over speed bumps?

EastCoastMojo wrote: How do you keep them from skipping when you drive over speed bumps?

simple: just drive a car with a suspension that will roll over the speed bump like it wasn't even there:

Like oldtin sez, it's all about signal to noise, and the weakest link in the chain is the limiting factor. The old stuff was recorded on analog tape, some of which wasn't all that good quality-wise. On a digital version, you can hear the tape hiss, if it hasn't been cleaned up. Cleaning up the tape hiss can affect the dynamic range, depending on the technique used. Something has to give to get rid of the hiss. When ya'll biatch about "digital isn't as good" it is probably because what you are listening to with digital was stepped on at some point to try to clean up the old analog tapes, and that stepping-on process removed some of the highs or dynamic range along with the hiss. I won't even mention MP3's. Hint: Lossey compression. When I was digitizing my vinyl, I could do about as good a job, if not a tad better, than what was being released as non-"remastered" CD's. I didn't have the masters to work off of, so that was my limitation. I used a Techniques SL-23 belt drive turn table.

oldtin wrote:

aircooled wrote: I could never get those to play without some sort of popping. I think though that is one of the things that makes it nostalgic though, the imperfection of it. I see no reason why vinyl would sound "better" then a CD or a high (or lossless) digital file. Kind of like how live music doesn't really sound "better" then studio music, it just has more character.

Way back when I worked for a company called Neotek. We made high end recording consoles. A lot of recording studios still use the old analog consoles, like the SSLs, Neve and Neoteks. They spec out cleaner than digital. Audio end products are only as good as the weakest link in the chain. It's very possible for vinyl to be much better than digital, but digital maintains its quality through the chain so it's more likely to hold up over time or sound ok with cheaper equipment. Consumers have spoken and by and large prefer portability and cheap.

Oldtin, Wow very cool you worked for Neotek! I worked on a very early board with solid buss wire. Right now I am sitting at the Hard Rock in Hollywood eating lunch during an AES event. Last night we toured Universal post sound department and there isn't any analog in the chain. Ok the mic and preamp.

No real reason for the response other than it is cool to see other audio guys here.