Records.

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Daveho
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Records.

#1

Post by Daveho »

Recently acquired records :)
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JD Spydo
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Re: Records.

#2

Post by JD Spydo »

Well "Daveho" you might be more aware of this because I just caught on to this last summer. At a local Barnes & Noble bookstore that I frequent now has quite an extensive section selling vinyl 33rpm record albums in many different music genres at that. Like I told one Brother over at that "What Are You Listening To? thread I even found two old David Bowie albums I had back in my Senior year of high school ( early 70s :o ) and those were "Hunky Dory & Ziggy Stardust" both from the early 70s. The lady manager at the B & N store told me that they are having trouble keeping a lot of those vintage 1970s & 1980s records in stock>> she said they are selling a lot of them daily. I find that very interesting and intriguing from several standpoints that the older technologies are making a comeback>> so I guess maybe they are starting to sell turntables again as well. Just like smartphones are slowly losing their appeal and now just plain phones are selling well again to a wide sector of the phone market.

Also something else of interest I had heard in the past 2 years or so>> Stephen Stills of the old "Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young" fame only uses vinyl 33rpm records for his recording uses and mixing and for playing music and he cited other reasons as well. And that dude is rich enough that he could have anything he would want. I do find it odd but yet interesting that many purists are going back to the 33rpm record albums of years gone by.
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Re: Records.

#3

Post by Daveho »

no idea what a Barns and noble is as it’s not a thing here however there’s always been a pretty solid music culture where I am and we have retailers and used record stores around which helps plus having the hipsters get into it helps aswell.
I know it’s a cliche but having an on vinyl makes it just that little bit special to me, large cover art and the physical medium just speaks to me.
JD Spydo
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Re: Records.

#4

Post by JD Spydo »

Daveho wrote:
Sat Mar 30, 2019 3:58 pm
no idea what a Barns and noble is as it’s not a thing here however there’s always been a pretty solid music culture where I am and we have retailers and used record stores around which helps plus having the hipsters get into it helps aswell.
I know it’s a cliche but having an on vinyl makes it just that little bit special to me, large cover art and the physical medium just speaks to me.
I take it you don't live in a big metropolitan area? Because "Barnes & Noble" is a huge nationwide book selling chain of stores spanning coast to coast here in the USA. But in the past few years they've taken on a wider range of products and like I said they have recently taken on selling vinyl 33rpm record albums. We also have a couple of used record stores here in the Kansas City area and I'm getting tempted to start trading and collecting albums again. I did a lot of that in my younger days and that way if you got really tired of an album there was always someone who would trade with you.

Like an idiot I sold the old turntable I had which was made by EMPIRE and I also had one made by Garrard which I got at an auction. I also had an older Sanyo Quadraphonic stereo unit. It's great to hear that a lot of people are going back to record albums. I always loved the covers of the albums and the photos and art on the ones that would open up like a book ( that was mainly double albums that had that feature). Older groups like Spirit, Blind Faith, Focus, Jethro Tull and too many others to mention.

I'm going to check and see if there are any other stores here where I live that are selling record albums again. I got a feeling that it's a trend that is growing legs as we speak.
Daveho
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Re: Records.

#5

Post by Daveho »

JD Spydo wrote:
Sat Mar 30, 2019 4:33 pm
Daveho wrote:
Sat Mar 30, 2019 3:58 pm
no idea what a Barns and noble is as it’s not a thing here however there’s always been a pretty solid music culture where I am and we have retailers and used record stores around which helps plus having the hipsters get into it helps aswell.
I know it’s a cliche but having an on vinyl makes it just that little bit special to me, large cover art and the physical medium just speaks to me.
I take it you don't live in a big metropolitan area? Because "Barnes & Noble" is a huge nationwide book selling chain of stores spanning coast to coast here in the USA. But in the past few years they've taken on a wider range of products and like I said they have recently taken on selling vinyl 33rpm record albums. We also have a couple of used record stores here in the Kansas City area and I'm getting tempted to start trading and collecting albums again. I did a lot of that in my younger days and that way if you got really tired of an album there was always someone who would trade with you.

Like an idiot I sold the old turntable I had which was made by EMPIRE and I also had one made by Garrard which I got at an auction. I also had an older Sanyo Quadraphonic stereo unit. It's great to hear that a lot of people are going back to record albums. I always loved the covers of the albums and the photos and art on the ones that would open up like a book ( that was mainly double albums that had that feature). Older groups like Spirit, Blind Faith, Focus, Jethro Tull and too many others to mention.

I'm going to check and see if there are any other stores here where I live that are selling record albums again. I got a feeling that it's a trend that is growing legs as we speak.
Well I don’t live in the US so that may have some bearing on it.
I actually live in Canberra, the capital of Australia.... we got rid of Starbucks a few years back..
There’s still a ton of old receivers, amps, decks, equialisers and tables around from the days of the family stereo being a key feature of a home.
I personally run a technics deck into a Sherwood receiver and paradigm monitors.
All high quality gear that sounds fantastic, substantially better than the average Bose sound bar or what have you- at the cost of space of cause but that’s no biggie.
JD Spydo
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Re: Records.

#6

Post by JD Spydo »

Well I envy you and Brother BLOKE both>> Ever since becoming a Steve Irwin fan all the way back to the late 90s I've wanted to live in Australia. Being around all those great highly venomous snakes and those wonderful Salt Water Crocidiles would really warm my heart :D . Not to mention going to the Great Barrier Reef to do some serious snorkeling however avoiding those "Blue Ringed Octopus". I didn't know you were from down around BLOKE's neck the woods. Actually I'm kind of surprised you all even would allow something as toxic as a STARBUCK's Coffee stand :rolleyes: I'm a coffee purist and Starbucks is not high on my list.

I had a chance a few years back to take a tour of the Fitzroy River and to check out the "Kimberly" region but at that time my workload just wouldn't let me do it>> and it was going to cost me somewhere around $4000 US dollars :eek: . I've seen two episodes of that RIVER MONSTERS TV Show on ANIMAL PLANET channel where Jeremy Wade was fishing in the Fitzroy River and it was one of his better episodes. But I sure wouldn't want to swim in that stream at all :eek:

I'm kind of surprised that Brother BLOKE didn't take over Steve Irwin's snake handling job after the unfortunate and untimely death of Mr. Irwin :( I'm sure that BLOKE could handle those Taipans and Eastern Brown snakes with ease :D . Not to mention taking an occasional ride on one of his pet Salt Water Crocidiles :eek: . You guys have got a lot more nerve than I got to be taking on all that crazy wildlife you all have down under. But for right now I'll stick to my ole Timber Rattlesnakes and continue to avoid all the Starbucks stands I pass on the road each day here in the good old USA. yeah we've got them Starbucks stands here too :o
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Re: Records.

#7

Post by Daveho »

Lots of danger around to be sure, had a visit from a king brown this past summer and the constant barrage of spiders but that’s normal.
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Re: Records.

#8

Post by James Y »

Around here where I am, there are stores where I've seen selections of record albums, like at Target and some electronic stores. Not really big selections, but they have some. This started again several years ago. I heard that vinyl was gaining popularity again.

I still have my vinyl record collection I began amassing as a kid back in the '70s. I also still have a large vintage wood-paneled record player in the living room, but the player itself stopped working back in the '90s, so it's just a piece of decorative furniture now.

I do have several CDs I got over the years, many of which are the same as my favorite record albums so I could listen to them again. But there was nothing like the feeling I remember when getting a new vinyl album back in my youth.

Jim
Daveho
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Re: Records.

#9

Post by Daveho »

ImageThis my table- it’s a technics SL-D2 from 79 and sounds fantastic.

Anyway here’s a few more of my records
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Daveho
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Re: Records.

#10

Post by Daveho »

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Just had this record show up, Lennon has some credits on this one
JD Spydo
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Re: Records.

#11

Post by JD Spydo »

I never owned a "Techniqs" turntable and I did know a couple of guys who had them and they spoke well of them. We used to have a big time stereo equipment dealer here in KC known as the "David Beatty" stereo/radio shop. They had a sterling reputation. They only carried two brands of turntables that I was aware of >> one was "EMPIRE" ( my favorite) and the other was "Telefunken" and I believe they were a German made unit. They also carried those "Nakamichi" tape decks that were just completely awesome ( but very pricey).
Daveho
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Re: Records.

#12

Post by Daveho »

I’m quite happy with my vintage table-
The specs on it would cost $800-$900 to match today.
You can really spend as much as you want on audio but there will always be something better, for me my technics table offers outstanding value.
Last edited by Daveho on Thu Apr 04, 2019 1:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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kwakster
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Re: Records.

#13

Post by kwakster »

If your chequebook allows it this Japanese brand seems to make excellent turntables : https://techdas.jp/
Daveho
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Re: Records.

#14

Post by Daveho »

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Not my picture but I just picked up the berlin trilogy, recorded while Bowie and Iggy pop where living together in, yes you guessed it, Berlin.
Being fairly familiar with these albums I have to say Lodger is my favourite followed by Low then “Heroes” but they are all such classic albums.

I have a few more Bowie albums I’d like to pick up but I may need to break this Bowie streak with some punk or hip hop..
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awa54
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Re: Records.

#15

Post by awa54 »

I still love the big artwork and haptic interaction you get with vinyl, but the resurgence of LP records as a commercially viable music format drives me crazy...

YES, a pristine LP played on an audiophile system can sound as good in its way as the CD made from the same master, better in some ways, worse in others, but now that CD is a mature format (as are purely digital formats) there is no excuse for the claim that digital sounds harsh, undetailed or lacks "air" or spatial detail. In fact the biggest frustration I have with the analog goodness myth/trope is that truly excellent portable digital formats are not easily available in the market... I would buy downloadable music far more often if it was available in FLAC format instead of MP3 or MP4 (both very lossy, even at higher bit rates).

Now for the rant: NO, scratches and surface noise don't make music better, no matter how nostalgic it makes you feel, do you want to go back to mono next? NO, you aren't getting the goodness of LP playing it on your $150 USB turntable, through a mini-system or surround setup that cost $500. NO, your CDs purchased in the 80s don't sound the same as remastered discs from ten years later, neither does your old/cheap CD player give you all the potential of CD, let alone give a valid representation of what current high bit-rate and sampling rate digital is capable of.

Don't get me wrong, if records get you listening to more music, especially intentional/album listening, that's great! But please realize that the hype about LPs is based on nostalgia, not magically better sound and you won't get a real taste of the true potential of LP until you listen on an audiophile quality playback system.

Please note, the rant is not aimed at the OP, or anyone else in specific, but more at the media supply chain that reissues "cool" vinyl, but won't sell high quality portable music, or playback devices for those formats in the mainstream.
-David

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Daveho
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Re: Records.

#16

Post by Daveho »

Righto, thanks for that.
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Evil D
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Re: Records.

#17

Post by Evil D »

Well when my mother passed I inherited her LP collection, which unfortunately isn't what it used to be. At one time she had over 3k 45's but she left them during a move/divorce. I also think her cat may have did a number on the sleeves at one point so they may not be in the best shape but they bring back memories, when I was a kid I was the DJ on poker night. I haven't worked up the strength to go through them yet though.
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Evil D
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Re: Records.

#18

Post by Evil D »

awa54 wrote:
Fri Apr 05, 2019 6:40 am
I still love the big artwork and haptic interaction you get with vinyl, but the resurgence of LP records as a commercially viable music format drives me crazy...

YES, a pristine LP played on an audiophile system can sound as good in its way as the CD made from the same master, better in some ways, worse in others, but now that CD is a mature format (as are purely digital formats) there is no excuse for the claim that digital sounds harsh, undetailed or lacks "air" or spatial detail. In fact the biggest frustration I have with the analog goodness myth/trope is that truly excellent portable digital formats are not easily available in the market... I would buy downloadable music far more often if it was available in FLAC format instead of MP3 or MP4 (both very lossy, even at higher bit rates).

Now for the rant: NO, scratches and surface noise don't make music better, no matter how nostalgic it makes you feel, do you want to go back to mono next? NO, you aren't getting the goodness of LP playing it on your $150 USB turntable, through a mini-system or surround setup that cost $500. NO, your CDs purchased in the 80s don't sound the same as remastered discs from ten years later, neither does your old/cheap CD player give you all the potential of CD, let alone give a valid representation of what current high bit-rate and sampling rate digital is capable of.

Don't get me wrong, if records get you listening to more music, especially intentional/album listening, that's great! But please realize that the hype about LPs is based on nostalgia, not magically better sound and you won't get a real taste of the true potential of LP until you listen on an audiophile quality playback system.

Please note, the rant is not aimed at the OP, or anyone else in specific, but more at the media supply chain that reissues "cool" vinyl, but won't sell high quality portable music, or playback devices for those formats in the mainstream.

There's a guy with a record collection numbering well into the millions (in fact he's probably passed away by now). They said much of what he had in his collection was only available from his collection and wasn't available in any other format or from any other place, so if they were lost/destroyed then that music is gone forever.

I remember buying my mother an iPod and handing her this little square thing that had 5k songs on it and she just couldn't believe it. Having access to so much music, we really are at an amazing time for music lovers whatever format you use.
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awa54
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Re: Records.

#19

Post by awa54 »

Yeah, I ditched a bunch of the LPs I had collected in my youth and high school years when CD hit hard in the late 80s... I regret that to this day, since some of those albums were never released on CD :(

BTW, I don't hate vinyl, far from it, I have a Rega Planar 2 with upgraded wiring and a modded Ortofon X3 MC cartridge and I listen to my records fairly often... I just get crazy about how the current hype for LPs is mostly a pop culture/nostalgia thing that's fueled by codgers who listened to a CD in 1982 decided that it was crap and have been telling this to the current generation as gospel. Of course at that point it was true, CDs sounded shrill, had no depth and were being hastily "digitally mastered" off of third generation copies of the master tapes on first gen. A/D converters so that the media companies could sell their back catalog on the new wonder format.

The truth is that until you reach lunatic fringe levels of Audiophilia Nervousa (still incurable in most cases ;) ) in both your hardware selection and the pressings you play, current CDs either clearly beat, or at least equal non-audiophile LP releases. Not to mention that 99% of the LPs you buy now are recorded and mastered on fully digital hardware, so you're effectively just applying a "record sound" filter to that music. Please also note that using Windows media player to "rip" your CDs (even in the WMA "lossless" format) gives terrible results, as the read speed is pushed to the point that mechanical timing errors and optical read errors corrupt the resulting files to the point where they're noticeably worse than the originals... Much slower, but also far, far better is Exact Audio Copy, which takes ages to rip discs, but produces results that are *almost* indistinguishable from the originals (when saved as lossless files like FLAC or WAV) and certainly good enough for even critical listening sessions on anything up to a mid-level audiophile system.

Again, if the record resurgence throws light on forgotten music, helps the "download the hit" generation listen to entire albums and pulls more people in to the music hobby, then I'm all for it! But let's not pretend that a 160 year old playback medium can exceed the quality of current high-end data based formats.


Evil D wrote:
Fri Apr 05, 2019 4:25 pm

There's a guy with a record collection numbering well into the millions (in fact he's probably passed away by now). They said much of what he had in his collection was only available from his collection and wasn't available in any other format or from any other place, so if they were lost/destroyed then that music is gone forever.

I remember buying my mother an iPod and handing her this little square thing that had 5k songs on it and she just couldn't believe it. Having access to so much music, we really are at an amazing time for music lovers whatever format you use.

The Smithsonian Institute (and Library of Congress, IIRC) archives a lot of historically significant music and spoken word recordings from the past, they actually aided in the development of laser interferometry based record playback by requesting an archiving deck that could play broken discs that had been pieced back together (78s are fragile and will shatter if dropped). The result was a laser based turntable that could read the groove without physical contact, then the areas where the crack removed data could be reconstructed using DSP, which can also remove much of the inherent surface noise and the clicks and pops caused by scratches or embedded dirt particles. Way cool!

Daveho wrote:
Thu Apr 04, 2019 1:01 pm
Image
Not my picture but I just picked up the berlin trilogy, recorded while Bowie and Iggy pop where living together in, yes you guessed it, Berlin.
Being fairly familiar with these albums I have to say Lodger is my favourite followed by Low then “Heroes” but they are all such classic albums.

I have a few more Bowie albums I’d like to pick up but I may need to break this Bowie streak with some punk or hip hop..

Those are also my favorite Bowie albums (though it's all good, aside from the last few, which do still have their moments...), you can hear the Eno connection in Heroes and Low especially.

I bought the remasters of all those albums... had each of 'em on release day since I was working in a music store at the time, who needs money for food or gas when you can have great music?!?
Last edited by awa54 on Sat Apr 06, 2019 6:43 am, edited 2 times in total.
-David

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Daveho
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Re: Records.

#20

Post by Daveho »

I like the last few personally however with the exclusion of scary monsters I can leave everything from the 80s
However the hard/expensive job is getting the 90s stuff- earthling, Blacktie white noise, 1. Outside and so on are the the ones I can’t bring myself to pull the trigger on-
I detest paying more for coloured vinyl limited run, record store day release nonsense!
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