Vinyl |OT| What matters most is in the grooves
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Above is the Music Room at Potato Head
Your Turntable & You
Phono Pre-Amp: A Phono Pre-Amp converts what the turntable produces (Phono) into a Line Level signal, some turntables will have these pre-installed, some won't. If you go down the receiver route, those more often than not (especially older models) will have Phono In connections for you turntables. You will also need a pair of RCA cables if you plan on hooking this up to your audio system. Anything will do, but in the Equipment section there will be retailers that offer higher end cables. Depending on your feelings on "can cables really affect the signal being passed through it" you may want to look into this further (here's a handy Gizmodo article from 2009 on the matter, inspect further
to learn more).
Turntable: So this is what you'll be playing all your records on. Feel free to oooh and ahhh for awhile. There are two types of turntables. Belt Drive and Direct Drive. Belt driven is one that has a separate motor that helps spin the platter with the help of a rubber belt. A direct drive will have a platter that is incorporated into the motor, these turntable are suitable for DJ's while a belt driven is not. Some enthusiasts will argue that the belt driven type produces better audio quality because they produce less vibration and noise, but on the flip side direct drives are sturdier and generally survive lifetime use.
Speakers: You can go one of two ways with speakers. Either Powered Speakers or Passive. With Powered, they of course will be self powered and not reliant on a stereo receiver. A pair of Passive Speakers on the other hand will be reliant on a power source outside of an outlet. It's up to you on how deep you want to go, I find the more affordable units will be a pair of powered speakers as these can be found at more reasonable and cost effective prices while adding a receiver to the mix will just drive the cost up.
This is by no means an end all, be all list for products. I will caution against using anything with Crosley as a brand.
Beginner Setup
Orbit Basic Turntable
ART Pro Audio DJPRE II Phono Turntable Preamplifier
Audioengine A2+ Black (Pr.) 2-way Powered Speaker System
Intermediate Setup
Pro-Ject - Debut Carbon DC (Piano Black)
Pro-Ject Phono Box MM DC Phonograph Preamplifier,Black
Klipsch R-15PM Powered Monitor Speaker
Advanced Setup
MOBILE FIDELITY - UltraDeck Turntable (No Cartridge)
SUMIKO - Blackbird MC Cartridge
McIntosh MA8900 2-Channel Integrated Amplifier
Cherry Rega RX1 Speakers
Calibrating Your Turntable:
Where to buy equipment & vinyl!
Equipment
Sound Stage Direct
Needle Doctor
Music Direct
Audioengine
Sounds of the Universe Record Store in Soho, London
Vinyl
Support Your Local Brick and Mortar Record Stores!
Discogs - A reseller site that will drive you insane when you find out how many variants of Dark Side of the Moon exist.
Amazon - the thing killing the first option
After these three it's pretty much a crap-shoot of vinyl retailers. They all have their own packaging practices, quality and quantity. I'm sure we will get into long discussions about who are some of the better ones available on the internet.
This is the improper way to hold an LP. Always hold by the edge and to the center, never the main part of the grooves. With that said, let's talk about...
Cleaning
Your records shouldn't be clicking and popping. That is a characteristic of vinyl, but not it's defining quality. You got some dirty records so now it's time to clean them. Here are quite a few options to look into.
Dry Cleaning:
There are two ways to go about this. Either using a Mobile Fidelity (MOFI) Record Cleaning Brush or the Hunt: EDA Mark 6 Carbon Fiber Record Brush. You want to put your records on the platter and gently hold above the record, not to put too much pressure against the surface to collect any loose paper, dust and contaminants left on the surface of the record from either the production line or accumulated dust over the decades if its an older record.
My preferred choice in this instance is a MOFI brush purely based on anecdotal evidence, but I've seen more carelessness with a carbon fiber brush than I have with a soft flat brush like the MOFI. They say it won't scratch the disk, but for me I'd rather not take the risk.
Wet Brush and Solution:
A wet brush and solution method involves either a MOFI brush or one similar in design (usually with soft velvet padding on the underside) and a bottle of disk cleaning solution. The RCA RD1006 Discwasher Vinyl Record Cleaning Kit is the classic example of this. Trusted over decades of use. On a clean, dust free surface (a record cleaning pad like this All Media Cleaning Mat from Sleeve City) spray or squirt some cleaning fluid onto the vinyl. Move the fluid through the grooves lightly with the brush making sure everything is covered (but not the center label of course) and leave for a few beats. After that using a microfiber towel dry off the disk, pat dry on the mat to clean excessive liquid off then lift up and spin dry with a fresh towel in your hands (the process involves turning the record like a steering wheel in your hands with it sandwiched in between the towel). Now repeat with a purely distilled water rinse to remove any excess cleaning solution, when that is accomplished, flip to the other side and repeat the process.
I will also recommend you do these in batches and when the records have been cleaned you'll need to let them dry in a dish rack. One that you use exclusively for this purpose. You want them dry as a bone when you place them in brand new anti-static sleeves. moisture trapped in the grooves will lead to molds and fungus growing on the disk and when you spin those records that mold gets trapped on the needle and spreads to other records.
Spin Clean:
Your first foray into the record cleaning device. It consists of a basin to submerge your records in, two soft cleaning pads for either side of the record, rotors to keep the record moving and also giving you the ability to keep the record submerged, but the center label clear of any liquid. The Spin Clean is probably the best starter cleaning device for anyone above at least two hundred records. It makes the process a whole lot straight forward and less messy. The process involves two cap-fulls of the included cleaning solution and distilled water filling the basin up to the guiding line built into the product. Pop in the two rotors into either the 7", 10" or 12" grooves then place the brushes into the slot. Place your record in and spin manually.
Here is a handy tutorial from the folks at Sleeve City Invalid Video URL
You will also want a dish rack for this process as well as plenty of microfiber towels (a few are also included in the purchase of the spin clean, but I found those to shed a bit, you definitely don't want your towels shedding into your records).
Squeaky Clean:
The Squeaky Clean Mk.III is my current form of cleaning. It's the first step into the world of the RCM (Record Cleaning Machine) and perhaps the most affordable of the bunch. You'll need distilled water, cleaning fluid, condiment squeeze bottles, two separate velvet padded brushes (MOFI brush or otherwise), a 2-3 horsepower shop vac and space to work.
Here's a handy video from the man who prints the parts for the device Invalid Video URL
I will restate that I do not advise using alcohol in your cleaning solutions. It strips out anything natural in the vinyl (it cleans them too well) and may lead to degradation down the road. My personal feelings on the matter and there are numerous cleaning solutions on the market that don't include anything of the sort, I'll touch on those later.
RCM:
Ultrasonic:
Cleaning Solution/Fluid:
Microfiber Cloths:
Storage
Sleeve City
Clubs
Vinyl Me Please!
My personal referral link for VMP. If you sign up with my link I get $10 in store credit and so do you!
Helpful Sites
Vinyl Factory
Steve Hoffman
Analog Planet
Vinyl Me Please Forums
Dust & Grooves
Studio Dewee conference room in Belgium
I will be updating this OP fairly often. I just wanted to get a jump on this.
This is my cataloged collection on Discogs
and I regularly post what I'm spinning on my Instagram
I hate that I have to be in a budget for the next few months, it has put my vinyl collection on hold.
Think last one I got was the new Toro y Moi.
Great OP by the way, can't wait for the updates and see everyone's collections!
Think last one I got was the new Toro y Moi.
Great OP by the way, can't wait for the updates and see everyone's collections!
Thanks! I hope to keep it updated pretty often (as my schedule allows). I'll start filling out the cleaning and retailer sections more tomorrow night.
I'm gonna pretend this whole vinyl resurgence is due to new Retrowave/80s retro synths/Outrun/whateveryouwanttocallit but that's surely delusional.
dunno about the resurgence causes, I've been collecting for 15 years now, but I also prefer my media in a physical format over digital.
I like my physical media. CDs were the go to, but artists have been getting lazy with album art. Going vinyl made sense, especially with the cool stuff some artists do with them.
My discogs. Frank Ocean's Blonde is my crown jewel so far.
My discogs. Frank Ocean's Blonde is my crown jewel so far.
I stay with Spotify for actual listening, but I have a dussin or so vinyls of the bestest kind. I love how nice they look when they're up on the wall like paintings :) In this instagram video, there are about half of my small collection: https://www.instagram.com/p/BTv-sCShizv/?hl=sv&taken-by=obin_gam
Awesome OP.
I started collecting vinyl 4 years ago, when the revival had really taken off. In the last couple of months, I haven't bought as many records as I used to do however.
I treasure the Hotline Miami 1&2 soundtracks and the aforementioned Blonde by Frank Ocean the most in my collection. Currently anticipating the release of the new Converge record in November, which is already preordered.
BTW: The link to the Rega speakers in the Advanced Setup section is broken.
I started collecting vinyl 4 years ago, when the revival had really taken off. In the last couple of months, I haven't bought as many records as I used to do however.
I treasure the Hotline Miami 1&2 soundtracks and the aforementioned Blonde by Frank Ocean the most in my collection. Currently anticipating the release of the new Converge record in November, which is already preordered.
BTW: The link to the Rega speakers in the Advanced Setup section is broken.
Thanks, it’s fixed now.
Found some deals online:
The Return of The Living Dead Soundtrack Tarman Colored Vinyl
Margo Price - All American Made
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga 10th Anniversary Remastered Edition Says temporarily out of stock but lock in the price now and amazon will honor it when more come in.
Found some deals online:
The Return of The Living Dead Soundtrack Tarman Colored Vinyl
Margo Price - All American Made
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga 10th Anniversary Remastered Edition Says temporarily out of stock but lock in the price now and amazon will honor it when more come in.
By Cryptosporidium Go To PostVinyl sounds better than mp3s, thats a big reason for me getting into itIt can actually go either way on this point. Some modern records were sourced using digital masters for their LP stamper while older albums used the original tape recordings to creat the stamper for LP production. That isn’t to say that digital will always be lesser to tape but going from digital to analog isn’t necessarily better than going from analog to analog. Tho I do have some great pressings in my collection sourced from digital origins. It’s really a case by case basis and usually up to the production team on the album to make that choice before hand if they’re gunna go down the trickier road of recording straight to tape or having the freedom of digital to mess around with the recordings easier.
Hello all, this thread inspired me to make my first post.
There is some fantastic info in here, thank you for sharing. I just came across tons of old vinyl LPs and 45s from my father and some are very, very dirty and dusty. I think they will require a level of cleaning that goes beyond what tools I currently have available to me. I have seen elsewhere that for records that are very dirty, you could use wood glue and to clean out the grooves (being mindful of the sticker obviously) and make the record playable again. This requires allowing the glue to dry and peeling it away which in theory pulls any dirt/dust/etc. Does anyone here have any thoughts on this method? Thanks!
There is some fantastic info in here, thank you for sharing. I just came across tons of old vinyl LPs and 45s from my father and some are very, very dirty and dusty. I think they will require a level of cleaning that goes beyond what tools I currently have available to me. I have seen elsewhere that for records that are very dirty, you could use wood glue and to clean out the grooves (being mindful of the sticker obviously) and make the record playable again. This requires allowing the glue to dry and peeling it away which in theory pulls any dirt/dust/etc. Does anyone here have any thoughts on this method? Thanks!
Ah the Wood Glue Method. I’ve definitely tried it once but didn’t fully trust my hand at the work (I got some under a bubbling label). This thread over at Audio Karma lays out a good step by step method and commentary from others giving it a shot.
Audio Karama
I think it’s a completely valid method but it’s also something I wouldn’t do on a record I value highly. Maybe test it out on something visibly kinda gone and then take it from there.
I will go into detail in the OP on other cleaning methods and solutions later.
Audio Karama
I think it’s a completely valid method but it’s also something I wouldn’t do on a record I value highly. Maybe test it out on something visibly kinda gone and then take it from there.
I will go into detail in the OP on other cleaning methods and solutions later.
I just wanted to say great job, wenis. Plenty of good info.
I'll be visiting this thread in the future, although I don't listen to vinyl, I just love to collect them.
Having the art covers of my fav. artists in a big format is something that I love. I see it as collecting an artistic item.
Regards!
I'll be visiting this thread in the future, although I don't listen to vinyl, I just love to collect them.
Having the art covers of my fav. artists in a big format is something that I love. I see it as collecting an artistic item.
Regards!
Good shit Wenis.
I have a modest vinyl collection, I'll post some pics later. I don't have listening set up just yet, I'll probably be here begging for help in a few months.
I have a modest vinyl collection, I'll post some pics later. I don't have listening set up just yet, I'll probably be here begging for help in a few months.
Awesome, always love a good vinyl thread. Been collecting for 10 years now and have built myself up a nice little collection. I'll post some pictures of mine as well. Some of them are almost too pretty to play.
My listening set up, as of now, is a Technics SL-D2 turntable hooked up to a Pro-Ject Phonobox USB preamp and AudioEngine A5 powered speakers. I bought those A5 speakers about six years ago and they have been great little workhorses, but I might look to upgrade them soon.
My listening set up, as of now, is a Technics SL-D2 turntable hooked up to a Pro-Ject Phonobox USB preamp and AudioEngine A5 powered speakers. I bought those A5 speakers about six years ago and they have been great little workhorses, but I might look to upgrade them soon.
Awesome thread! I’ve been meaning to pick up a player as I have some damn good classic vinyls hanging around that an ex gave me that her father used to own.
I have to check the print date on some of them but they have to be a few decades old by now.
I have to check the print date on some of them but they have to be a few decades old by now.
Nice thread! I've been looking to get a set up for a while and that beginner set up looks pretty good as it's the stuff I've been looking at. Also I noticed that when I clicked on the link for the ART DJPRE II Amazon is offering Prime members 15% discount on their first purchase of musical instruments.
Just thought I would share that so if people are interested can save a few bucks!
Just thought I would share that so if people are interested can save a few bucks!
I grew up with records, so I have some nostalgia for them, but I prefer the convenience of digital. I did score some cred with my teenage daughter when Prince died and I showed her my vinyl copy of 1999. I recently started watching YouTube videos of Michael Fremer and I enjoy threads like this. Very interesting.
Signed copy of Big Fish Theory, the plastic casing came all beat up, trying to see if they'll send a replacement.