Anyone else into vinyl?

Nice vinyl... I am envious. I've bought a few uncommon records over the last couple years.... Never played them, don't even have a turntable yet. Maybe someday after I'm done (hah) spending money on my MR2. I have Sikth's new album in a limited edition splatter... Don't remember if purple or orange, either way I think there's only a couple hundred out there. Was very excited to see they came back (mostly) after a decade hiatus. 

@marsrock7

Covered my Spyder with it....

Posted by: @marsrock7

Nice vinyl... I am envious. I've bought a few uncommon records over the last couple years.... Never played them, don't even have a turntable yet. Maybe someday after I'm done (hah) spending money on my MR2. I have Sikth's new album in a limited edition splatter... Don't remember if purple or orange, either way I think there's only a couple hundred out there. Was very excited to see they came back (mostly) after a decade hiatus. 

I owned records years before I got my record player! Pieced together this budget system for my birthday this year. At first I picked up special editions but now I'm rounding out my collection with basic black vinyl of my favorite stuff. 

I googled Sikth and I am very disappointed it's not a metal Sikh band.

@haloruler64

No, not a Sikh band... UK folk. They are definitely a unique entity thou. Never heard anything else like it. The first time I heard them (I think the song was Flogging the Horses) I made it through the song and walked away thinking... What the hell was that?!? Over the next few days it kept coming back to my head and I finally gave it another listen. They were my first major exposure to 7 beat music (early Mudvayne used to switch on occasion, but that hardly counts), and it took a while to wrap my head around. Now they are a permanent member of my top 10 favorite bands. The range of sound they create from both instruments and vocals is incredible.

Another special addition to my collection arrived today. I love this album so much. And I missed out on a decent example on eBay for a good price. But I did find this Japanese edition with the record itself rated as "E-" condition, which is REALLY good. Couldn't pass it up. Catch the Rainbow is such a wonderful song.

I had a feeling the previous owner of my turntable changed the cartridge and installed it a bit off. I would get substantial distortion on the inner song of records and just some general distortion in some frequencies. So I bought U-Turn's adjustment tool. Sadly it didn't work as apparently I have their old arm, and the tool is for the new arm. They refunded me for the tool without me asking, which was very kind of them. Two experiences with U-Turn CS so far and they've been nothing short of amazing. They also linked me to the Stevenson protractor that I need for the older arm.

Got the cartridge adjusted properly, and made sure tracking weight is correct (it was spot on). 

Threw on my new record by Nick Johnston. HIGHLY recommend this album, Remarkably Human. My friend sent it to me on YouTube, I listened to the entire thing all the way through and went and bought the vinyl immediately. Lots of talent. And this was a signed limited run of 500 records, and they weren't sold out four years later. 

Eight songs. Two records, two songs per side. One seafoam blue, one coke bottle green. The sound is so good. Both the record and the turntable. So much cleaner, so much sharper, no distortion. Could trick someone into thinking it's digital. 

I imagine, although the medium itself is outdated, the resurgence in interest for analog sound has lead to some improvements in reproduction quality. 

Still no turntable here... and haven't bought any more vinyl either. Someday....

Off topic for vinyl, but on topic for analog sound.... A buddy of mine decided to go spelunking through his attic and found 7 (Seven!) boxes of reel to reel tape. Listed record dates from the early 70s, with the exception of a handful of production tapes. So far from the notes I've found, the last time anyone even touched them was in 2007. They've been in very poor storage conditions for (presumably) at least 13 years. Yet.... Out of the five tapes I've played so far, two sound perfect. Two I am attempting to recondition (loss of lubricant) and 1 is trash. Good odds in my opinion... Here's what I brought home to start with...

Awesome! I hear reel to reel vintage players are quite expensive these days. 

They are.... I am extremely privileged to own my Akai GX-635D. Not something I ever would have afforded at retail value these days. I need to get it into a shop for maintenance.... Needs new caps, I have an intermittent relay click and also a lot of hiss coming through the left channel. But I am blessed to have it at all, and especially with known history. Before my ownership it and all tape that came with it was stored in an interior closet for nearly 20 years. A moderately dust free and climate controlled environment. Can't say the same for this new batch of tape...

Posted by: @haloruler64

I had a feeling the previous owner of my turntable changed the cartridge and installed it a bit off. I would get substantial distortion on the inner song of records and just some general distortion in some frequencies. 

Sound quality usually gets worse the closer you are to the spindle on account of the amount of tracking required.  There are times that I'd rather buy the single than the album, in case the song you like is too close to the center.

Your tonearm setup is interesting.  Straight arm is usually better for tracking, at the expense of SQ.  You have a straight arm with a S-arm cartridge setup.  Many DJs like using the Technics SL-1200 (S-arm) b/c the platter torque is more balanced, but end up mounting the cartridge as if it were a straight arm.  

Posted by: @scotched

Posted by: @haloruler64

I had a feeling the previous owner of my turntable changed the cartridge and installed it a bit off. I would get substantial distortion on the inner song of records and just some general distortion in some frequencies. 

Sound quality usually gets worse the closer you are to the spindle on account of the amount of tracking required.  There are times that I'd rather buy the single than the album, in case the song you like is too close to the center.

Your tonearm setup is interesting.  Straight arm is usually better for tracking, at the expense of SQ.  You have a straight arm with a S-arm cartridge setup.  Many DJs like using the Technics SL-1200 (S-arm) b/c the platter torque is more balanced, but end up mounting the cartridge as if it were a straight arm.  

Oh yeah, I'm aware that quality dropping towards the inside of the record is inevitable. But mine was BAD, my System of a Down record was nearly unlistenable on the last song. Have to see if that went away. That's also why I like what Nick Johnston did, two songs per side, and the inner 1/3 is empty. 

It's U-Turn Audio's older tonearm setup. Their new one looks almost identical though. it's a budget, barebones turntable made specifically to be relatively affordable and sound great. I don't know TOO much about turntables, but people like the U-Turn Orbit. It's simple, no features, just plays nice. But I didn't know about mounting the cartridge in a straight arm fashion for DJs. But their priorities are different right? In the sense that they sacrifice records.

@haloruler64

Yup.  For live (vinyl) performance, it's always about stability over all else.  I have records that started black and now are almost white from being tracked so hard.  However, I have maybe ~50 LPs that I actually cherish that have never seen a backspin.  I used a different needle and weight on these 

If you find yourself fiddling with your U-Turn more than using it, look into a used Technics 1200 Mk2 or Mk3 for around $500.  They fetch the same price whether they are 2 years old or 15 years old.  The pair that I used to make a living were about 20 years old now.  They'll last longer than whatever car your replace your Lexus with.

Why are they white? I thought most records are uniformly black all the way through. 

Thanks for the recommendation! I've honestly ever fiddled with it once, and that's to adjust the cartridge. Set and forget, till I want to upgrade the cartridge. And I really do want a Grado cartridge... I hear they're warm and deep and the furthest thing from clinical. Not the cleanest but very pleasant. 

On a similar note, I finally got what I've wanted since day 1. A clear acrylic platter from U-Turn. They claim minor benefits in flutter and wow, but... who cares. It looks so nice! Especially with the LED strip on the back of the table illuminating it. 

I'm curious if this works as well as people say. Static is a big issue for me and those static guns are PRICEY, and the fact that this TRACKS means it gets into the grooves quite well. Seems really awesome. https://www.amazon.com/Hudson-Hi-Fi-Archival-Quality-Anti-Static/dp/B07FFCGVCS/