Vinyl Thread

[Anon1711055878]

What are you spinning on, and what are some of your favorite records? Just picked up a cheap player. Here are the albums I picked up:

NWA - Straight Outta Compton
Rush - Exit Stage Left
Johnny Cash - The World of Johnny Cash
Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain
The Who - Who are You
L.L. Cool J - BAD (I stole this off my dad's tape deck when I was like 6 and loved rap ever since; nostalgia piece)
Thelonious Monk - ...plays Duke Ellington
DJ Shadow - endtroducing
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang 36 Chambers

What else sounds good on wax?

 

[-Mav-]

 

[UKserialkiller]

Michael Jackson's Thriller.

Bad ***.

 

[UK 82]

Check out Acoustic Sounds 200-gram LPs. They're not cheap but sound fantastic.

 

[backbeatcat_rivals376595]

What are you spinning on, and what are some of your favorite records?

I bought a Thorens TD318 mkII (AudioQuest MC3 head) used a few years ago and I was enjoying some Dave Brubeck I picked up at half-priced books Friday when I saw your post. I guess I find myself listening to these the most of late:

Pavement: Wowee Zowee
The Beatles Abbey Road
Miles Davis: Bitches Brew
Maynard Ferguson: Live from New York
Big Star: Radio City
George Jones: I Am What I Am

Started buying used records many years ago at the shops on Bardstown Road and enjoy the ritual of putting on a record as much as the music I suppose. I'm glad that more people are getting into it and that the idiocy of arguing the merits for sound quality is over. It doesn't sound better. It sounds different and reminds me of simpler times so I enjoy it the way some people enjoy shooting guns or other trivialities.

 

[Anon1711055878]

Miles Davis: Bitches Brew

I absolutely hate this album, can you tell me what's good about it?

 

[Anon1711055878]

Got this today and I'm loving it:

 

[backbeatcat_rivals376595]

I absolutely hate this album, can you tell me what's good about it?

HAHA! I am generally listening to the way the producer built a kind of sound pallet using the timbres of the instruments and resonance from the room and layers of echo. This album was really an exploration of how to produce a combo record using some of the studio techniques that were catching on in other genres. So I think it is worth a few spins as a museum piece. You certainly have to be in a mood to enjoy it and "let go" of some pre-conceived notions. Same with Birth of the Cool or Mile Smiles IMHO.

 

[Anon1711055878]

You're the first person to ever defend that album on anything other than "*****'s Brew" sounds cool. I just think "Kind of Blue" is so effing cool that b's brew is tough for me. Probably too tough on Miles....

 

[UK 82]

I bought a Thorens TD318 mkII (AudioQuest MC3 head) used a few years ago and I was enjoying some Dave Brubeck I picked up at half-priced books Friday when I saw your post. I guess I find myself listening to these the most of late:

Pavement: Wowee Zowee
The Beatles Abbey Road
Miles Davis: Bitches Brew
Maynard Ferguson: Live from New York
Big Star: Radio City
George Jones: I Am What I Am

Started buying used records many years ago at the shops on Bardstown Road and enjoy the ritual of putting on a record as much as the music I suppose. I'm glad that more people are getting into it and that the idiocy of arguing the merits for sound quality is over. It doesn't sound better. It sounds different and reminds me of simpler times so I enjoy it the way some people enjoy shooting guns or other trivialities.

I still check out the used record shops on Bardstown Road. Better Days Records for me has a better selection especially for Jazz and Blues. I actually never stopped listening to LPs even when the CD craze started.

 

[MegaBlue05]

What are you spinning on, and what are some of your favorite records? Just picked up a cheap player. Here are the albums I picked up:

NWA - Straight Outta Compton
Rush - Exit Stage Left
Johnny Cash - The World of Johnny Cash
Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain
The Who - Who are You
L.L. Cool J - BAD (I stole this off my dad's tape deck when I was like 6 and loved rap ever since; nostalgia piece)
Thelonious Monk - ...plays Duke Ellington
DJ Shadow - endtroducing
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang 36 Chambers

What else sounds good on wax?

The Walmart version of that LL Cool J tape was the first rap purchase I ever made. Mine was edited with audible bleeps over the naughty words. (I was 8)

I don't own any vinyl right now, but I do remember the original era a little. I had a few records but mostly tapes and most of the "cool" records I had were hand-me-downs from an older cousin when he upgraded to CD. Last vinyl I remember owning was:

Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction
Michael Jackson - Bad
Aerosmith - Greatest Hits
Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
Def Leppard - Hysteria

 

[UKserialkiller]

Nice Mega




I remember MJ on vinyl. Wish i still had my Thriller album. Actually pissed at myself over it

 

[MegaBlue05]

Nice Mega




I remember MJ on vinyl. Wish i still had my Thriller album. Actually pissed at myself over it

My mom had it. In addition to being the best pop album of its era, I loved the center fold with MJ chilling with the tiger cub.

 

[MarvinHagler89]

Queen - Night at the opera.

 

[sefleming]

If you are in the Bowling Green area Mellow Matt's on Smallhouse road has a good selection of used vinyl at good prices.

 

[Crushgroove]

Deck post

I have:
- My grandfather's Garrard Synchro Lab 80 MkII (circa 1972) with original Pickering cart/stylus (does not get used)
- An Audio Technica LP-120, gutted of internal ****** preamp and USB port, hard-wired RCA's directly to tonearm leads. Noise floor is too high on that deck, can hear rumbling of motor/bearings. Used to use it a lot b/c it's just so easy. It has been retired to my daughter, who never uses it.
- Got in on the U-Turn Audio thing when they were still crowdfunding. Had it about 5 years, I guess? It's very quiet and stable, but not the best tonearm or bearing. No matter what cart I put on it or how perfectly aligned it is, it always finds a skip, and it's due to the bad gimbal design. I have an AT 440MLb micro stylus on it right now and that helps tons. Absolutely NO torque with the belt drive. Even trying to wipe a record down while spinning will stop the platter.
- My current daily player is a 1974 Pioneer PL-20 manual with a Nagaoka MP-110 on it. It;s amazing how good it sounds.

After nearly a year of heavy research, my next deck will either be a Rega RP6 w/Exact 2 cart, OR, one of the new Pro-Ject S-Shape tonearm models, likely the 2Xperience SB, which comes with the Sumiko Blue Point MC. B/c I have a serious thing for the s-shaped arms. Not a fan at all of the straight 9".

FWIW- supposedly, the best value going right now for table/tonearm/cartridge is the Marantz TT-15S1 Turntable w/ Virtuoso MM Cartridge
But, damn they're ugly.

 

[Crushgroove]

The Walmart version of that LL Cool J tape was the first rap purchase I ever made. Mine was edited with audible bleeps over the naughty words. (I was 8)

I don't own any vinyl right now, but I do remember the original era a little. I had a few records but mostly tapes and most of the "cool" records I had were hand-me-downs from an older cousin when he upgraded to CD. Last vinyl I remember owning was:

Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction
Michael Jackson - Bad
Aerosmith - Greatest Hits
Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
Def Leppard - Hysteria

LL Cool J BAD was the first record I ever purchased with my own money. I recently re-bought that thing for 40 effing dollars. "The Breakthrough" was the most awesome thing I'd ever heard at the time. 4+ minutes of rap with no break and no hook. I was blown away.

I have an original first pressing of Hysteria, which is pressed into translucent black vinyl. Looks black, but light shines thru it. Pretty cool.

 

[Crushgroove]

Any of you guys use Discogs to manage your vinyl collection?

I'm about 3/4 of the way thru my collection after about 1 year of cataloging. It's kind of a pain in the *** sourcing old records, but it's worth the effort in the end, I think.

 

[Crushgroove]

Listened to Harry Nilsson's Greatest Hits and Pump Up the Volume soundtrack recently.

 

[It'saDoneDeal]

I'm down.

 

[Crushgroove]

This came today. 1 of 5500 "Remastered for Vinyl" on blood red-splattered white vinyl.

 

[Anon1711055878]

@FusterCluck isn't playing.

 

[LordEgg_rivals16573]

Supertramp breakfast in America
Nina Simone
Steely Dan Aja

 

[UK 82]

Muddy Waters Folk Singer. Still an audiophile classic.

 

[Crushgroove]

Don't let this thread die! Gotta be some other collectors in here.

 

[Crushgroove]

1978 WarnerBros reissue (1969 original release). If this was reissued today (please, God) it'd be a quadruple gatefold, 45 rpm half-speed remastered deluxe edition on 200gr vinyl and cost $100.

 

[backbeatcat_rivals376595]

What are you spinning on, and what are some of your favorite records? Just picked up a cheap player. Here are the albums I picked up:

NWA - Straight Outta Compton
Rush - Exit Stage Left
Johnny Cash - The World of Johnny Cash
Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain
The Who - Who are You
L.L. Cool J - BAD (I stole this off my dad's tape deck when I was like 6 and loved rap ever since; nostalgia piece)
Thelonious Monk - ...plays Duke Ellington
DJ Shadow - endtroducing
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang 36 Chambers

What else sounds good on wax?

I've never heard Exit Stage Left of vinyl...I'll bet the YYZ/drum solo track is extra dope. I did spin 2112 last night. Bought it new in 1986 at an actual record store in Frankfort called Kittyhawk records...still sounds good but I think my old Techniques direct drive (ugh!) turntable did something bad to the inner tracks. A little distorted now.

First record I ever bought...1977(?) Kiss Rock and Roll Over.
First 8-track...Aerosmith - Draw the Line
First Cassette - Tears for Fears - Songs From the Big Chair
First CD - U2 - The Unforgettable Fire
First online purchase of music - Uncle Tupelo - Still Feel Gone

 

[Nuke99m.]

 

[Anon1711055878]

This came in the mail a few days ago. Really awesome listen. Giorgio Moroder kills it.

 

[Kaizer Sosay]

Bought it new in 1986 at an actual record store in Frankfort called Kittyhawk records...

Hahahaha

I bought many a record (even a couple of 12" singles) and many a cassette tape at Kitty Hawk Records...in the old school Brighton Park Mall in the early 80's. I also dropped a few million quarters at the Game Zone.

Don't have a working turn table. But my parent's garage still has some boxes in it ( I think ) with the following vinyl classics:

LZ - IV
LZ - Physical Graffiti
Pink Floyd - DSOTM
Van Halen - Van Halen
ZZ Top - Tres Hombres
The Eagles - Hotel California


Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message; also have the 12" extended single of the title track on vinyl as well
Curtis Blow - The Breaks 12" extended single


Willie & Waylon - The Outlaws; also WWII
Waylon Jennings - 2 albums...forgot the names

There's more but that's off the top of my head. No telling what condition the records are in ( or if they are even still there ) as the boxes have been moved several times. Might just have to dig em out and give em a spin. Gotta find a working turn table first though.

 

[Anon1711055878]

Might just have to dig em out and give em a spin. Gotta find a working turn table first though.

You can grab a cheap turntable that will do the job for now. Hopefully they're not warped/molded. My parents had a bunch of great vinyl that they stored in the attic above the garage. It was all ruined.

 

[Crushgroove]

You can grab a cheap turntable that will do the job for now. Hopefully they're not warped/molded. My parents had a bunch of great vinyl that they stored in the attic above the garage. It was all ruined.

I have this thing for warped records. It works well, but there is a very steep learning curve. Finding an oven that can maintain 140* is the trick. I've ruined some really nice records with this thing, but I've saved more than I've ruined. If you get one, I strongly suggest buying the optional warming bag as it can maintain proper low temps. It's pricey, but, if you invest in rare/hard-to-find vinyl and buy a lot online, it will save you money in the long run. I've had to explain to more than one mail carrier that anything that comes in that shape box, please leave it in the shade or in the bushes, not in direct sunlight, b/c they'll warp with a quickness.

 

[Crushgroove]

There's more but that's off the top of my head. No telling what condition the records are in ( or if they are even still there ) as the boxes have been moved several times. Might just have to dig em out and give em a spin. Gotta find a working turn table first though.

Wood glue.

 

[Crushgroove]

This came in the mail a few days ago. Really awesome listen. Giorgio Moroder kills it.

I have this in hi-res digital format (88/24) and always wondered if this album, which was excellently (digitally) mastered, was remastered for LP analog or if it's just the same digital mastering transferred to vinyl (which is a money grab technique used by the record companies to sell you the same ******, compressed audio files on an expensive piece of plastic). I've often wondered that b/c this album (LP) is frequently referenced for its impeccable sound quality. Then, I recently read that the original mastering was mixed with very low gain, as to keep both the hi-res dig and analog versions in mind when seeking best audio reproduction from either format using the same source files. What they did was considered groundbreaking. Which is funny in its simplicity b/c all they did was try to make the music sound better in reproduction instead of just louder.

 

[Anon1711055878]

You know wayyyy more about this than me. Any good websites for 101 on this type of stuff? I feel like I recognize these things but just don't know the technicalities of what is going on.

 

[Mime-Is-Money]

My favorites so far (small collection, <100 albums, started last year) :

 

[Ahnan E. Muss]

I have this in hi-res digital format (88/24) and always wondered if this album, which was excellently (digitally) mastered, was remastered for LP analog or if it's just the same digital mastering transferred to vinyl (which is a money grab technique used by the record companies to sell you the same ******, compressed audio files on an expensive piece of plastic). I've often wondered that b/c this album (LP) is frequently referenced for its impeccable sound quality. Then, I recently read that the original mastering was mixed with very low gain, as to keep both the hi-res dig and analog versions in mind when seeking best audio reproduction from either format using the same source files. What they did was considered groundbreaking. Which is funny in its simplicity b/c all they did was try to make the music sound better in reproduction instead of just louder.

 

[UK 82]

I have this in hi-res digital format (88/24) and always wondered if this album, which was excellently (digitally) mastered, was remastered for LP analog or if it's just the same digital mastering transferred to vinyl (which is a money grab technique used by the record companies to sell you the same ******, compressed audio files on an expensive piece of plastic). I've often wondered that b/c this album (LP) is frequently referenced for its impeccable sound quality. Then, I recently read that the original mastering was mixed with very low gain, as to keep both the hi-res dig and analog versions in mind when seeking best audio reproduction from either format using the same source files. What they did was considered groundbreaking. Which is funny in its simplicity b/c all they did was try to make the music sound better in reproduction instead of just louder.

I ran into the same issue with Taj Mahal's new album that was on the shelf for 20 years before it was released on vinyl only. The only problem was that the master recording was DAT and not analog tape. What's the sense of buying vinyl if it's just digital transferred to LP. Buyer beware.

 

[Crushgroove]

You know wayyyy more about this than me. Any good websites for 101 on this type of stuff? I feel like I recognize these things but just don't know the technicalities of what is going on.

Just search "The Loudness War" and that will get you started.

See how this LP denotes "analog recording" and draws attention to that fact? And the pics I posted above denote "Remastered for Vinyl?" How music is recorded and mastered ultimately determines the quality of its final reproduced sound. For years, digital (and analog, for that matter) recordings used for making CD's and MP3's were highly compressed files so they could be mastered at somewhere around +20dB w/o sounding horrible. This was/is a willful compromise of sound quality for volume (and reduced file size). However, you cannot master an LP at anything more than about +3 or 4 dB w/o requiring massive grooves with violent ridges that could possibly toss a stylus out of the groove, and necessitate massive disks for just single songs. Therefore, analog reproduction normally requires a mastering closer to the base recording level. This, inherently, produces a less-compressed track that distorts less as external volume is applied. Same logic applies to Hi-Res digital formats; recording, uncompressed at super high rates at deep bit clips and mastering at lowest volume possible.

All those 90's rock albums we all loved that are suddenly appearing on the shelves as "First Time On Vinyl" due to the latest vinyl craze? A lot of those are, literally, highly compressed CD rips pressed into plastic and slapped with a $30 price tag. Be very careful about that. Not to say they're all bad. Some of the digital remasterings are pretty impressive. Most are just ****, though.

The funny thing about the big deal regarding Stadium Arcadium being recorded/mastered in analog is that "Californication" is known as one of the absolute worst digital bastardizations of compressed recordings known to the industry and stands as a testament to the awful effects of the loudness wars.

You can spend all your money on amps and speakers. Until you improve your power supply and your source files/tracks, you're wasting money.

 

[Crushgroove]

I ran into the same issue with Taj Mahal's new album that was on the shelf for 20 years before it was released on vinyl only. The only problem was that the master recording was DAT and not analog tape. What's the sense of buying vinyl if it's just digital transferred to LP. Buyer beware.

Exactly, man. You beat me by one minute and a lot fewer words.