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Stuck in the Past - a 33 RPM thread for vinyl listeners and collectors

i guess some of you can't figure out how to play your dumb records so here's some stuff


NeoGAF OT - Vinyl Listeners and Collectors

Why Vinyl
  • It’s just sounds better (because we say so).
  • Big sexy album art.
  • Always room for improvement.

Getting Started
You’re sold on Vinyl, how do you go about getting started? To play records, you need a record player, an amplifer/reciever that accepts phono input (or a preamp+a non-phono amplifer/reciever), speaker wire and speakers.

Second Hand Record Players:
Buying second hand is risky unless you know a lot about record players. Still, it’s a great starting point, as you can get setup for under $50.
eBay
Craigslist
Local Record Store
audiogon.com

New Record Players:
Under $200:
u-Turn Orbit - Kickstarter Record Player

Under $500:
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon
Music Hall MMF 2.2
Rega RP-1

Amplifier
Next, you need an amplifier. You probably already have one in your home setup. The most important feature required for playing records is a phono input. The audio output that comes from a record player is relatively quiet compared to a normal line level device. An amplifier with a phono input will correctly amplify the output to the proper level before pushing it out your speakers.
If you don’t have a phono input, you need a preamp.

Preamps:
Just like every other element of audio, there is different quality levels of preamps available.
Hagerman Bugle2 - $189

Speaker Wire
Resistance is by far the most important specification of speaker wire. Thicker wires reduce resistance. The kind of wire makes no difference - as long as the resistance is kept to be less than 5% of the speaker impedance. Don't get sucked in by expensive monster speaker wire and the such, so long as you use appropriately thickness, any brand is fine.

References:
Speaker Wire - A History
Speaker Wire - Wikipedia

Places to Buy:
Buying Records:
Local Record Store
Hospice/Op Shop
Discogs.com
Amazon.com
Juno (Dance Records)
SoundStageDirect
ThrillJockey
Aquarius Records

Buying Accessories:
Plastic Sleeves
Bags Unlimited

& More
Blogs:
Analog Planet
OMG Vinyl

Forums:
Steve Hoffman Forums

Repair:
Reviving your old record player.
 

swoon

Member
i paid for the last two years of college by selling off my old emo/sxe/hardcore/white stripes/mountain goat 7 inches. my collection is down to a couple hundred pieces now - though i just got a pro-ject debut III deck so i might get back into it. i'm trying to find a better phono stage - right now i'm going debut--> old panasonic integrated receiver (this receiver sound amazing with akg 701s) ---> tape out to stello hp100. and i'm sure it could be a cleaner path.
 

haunts

Bacon of Hope
If you really like the album art, I suggest getting 12 inch picture frames (sell them at urban outfitters). Put 6-8 up on the wall with your best covers. Looks awesome.

I have a ton of records. Probably 15 milk crates worth at this point,ranging from house, dnb, hip hop and a bunch of classic shit. expensive habit. :(
 

Witchfinder General

punched Wheelchair Mike
Yup, huge vinyl nut here. I've only had a turntable set-up for about three years now so I only have about 150 records.

I'm at work at the moment but I'll post pics of my set-up when I get home.
 

Ill Saint

Member
Most of the music I listen to is exclusively 12" vinyl. My setup is far from ideal, and at the moment my turntable needle is busted, the left cup on my Grado cans doesn't work, and I don't have the cash to fix these things. No vinyl listening for me. :(
 

Witchfinder General

punched Wheelchair Mike
Ill Saint said:
Most of the music I listen to is exclusively 12" vinyl. My setup is far from ideal, and at the moment my turntable needle is busted, the left cup on my Grado cans doesn't work, and I don't have the cash to fix these things. No vinyl listening for me. :(

Replacing the stylus shouldn't set you back more than $20 unless the entire cartridge is busted.
 

RedDwarf

Smegging smeg of a smeg!
I still seek out random singles by unknown punk rock bands. Vinyl is the only way to go if you're into old or new obscure hardcore.
 
Psh, 33 RPM's is the threshold of modern technology. Now if you'd said 78's or even 45's I might have to agree with you about being stuck in the past. :)

Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust*
David Bowie - Let's Dance
David Bowie - ChangesoneBowie
David Bowie - Scary Monsters and Super Creeps
David Bowie - Young Americans
The Kinks - Part One Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround*
The Kinks - Come Dancing with the Kinks
Morrissey - Viva Hate*
of Montreal - Hissing Fauna are You the Destroyer?*
Radiohead - I Might be Wrong
Radiohead - The Bends
Simon and Garfunkel - The Graduate Soundtrack
Steve Miller Band - Greatest hits

*My most prized

P1080289.jpg


Some joke records that I got on the cheap. Yeah... joke....

P1080294.jpg


Other big circular media that I keep with my records.

P1080295.jpg
 

Jason

Member
Yeah, I've been meaning to replace the stylus on my turntable for a while now. Forgot to secure the arm while moving. :( It's that or just replacing it with one of these (Audio Technica AT-PL120). http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/AT-PL120

Any thoughts or is my $200 better spent elsewhere?

As for my collection I only have about 170 various 12/10/7". A good chunk of them are Radiohead since I was a liiiiittle bit obsessed a couple years ago. Some pics...

rhvinyl1.jpg


rhvinyl2.jpg


06.jpg

Probably my favourite vinyl I own. It's a promo Lost in Translation 7" with Bill Murray singing 'More Than This' (hidden track from the soundtrack that wasn't on the 12")

03.jpg

His best albums imo :)
 

ghibli99

Member
I remember playing "Pac-Man Fever", "Yellow Submarine", Missing Persons' "Words" and later Afro Rican's "Give It All You Got" ENDLESSLY on my dad's Sansui stereo, which was basically just a turntable, amp, and speakers... nothing but knobs and a few buttons here and there. I don't have much to write home about regarding vinyls in crates back in California, but I definitely love the characteristics and sound of vinyl. One day, I'd like to build a listening room strictly for music. And I love those early scenes in Almost Famous which just make me smile.
 
Jason said:
http://sadgettingsadder.com/images/music/06.jpg
Probably my favourite vinyl I own. It's a promo Lost in Translation 7" with Bill Murray singing 'More Than This' (hidden track from the soundtrack that wasn't on the 12")

Nice! What's the b-side?
 
if you want a really cool record, check out this band
www.wemakethunder.com
they just put out a split 7" with another band.

it is my band. i am in the band playing bass. lulz

anyway i just bought a record player, even though i have a ton of records

my most prized (besides my own) is Strum und Bang Live?! by the Mr. T Experience
I also have like 3 MTX LPs, like 5 MTX 7"s, and 3 MTX test pressings. I am a fan.

I also have every release by Les Dragueurs and the Four Slicks, I have a spoken word record that aaron cometbus put out, I have the Lookout Records Can of Pork compilation (double record), California Sun Ramones 7" that I found in a gutter, not in a sleeve, completely scratch free. amazing. I have some Herman's Hermits, a couple of soundtracks (Into the Woods, and my favorite, the HMS Pinafore), and a record of sea shanties. Oh, and i have a bunch of 70's stuff that I bought only because i liked the cover art.

and i got some other stuff that I cant remember.

records are cool.
 
I love records. I just love the sound that they put out; it's just so much more enjoyable to listen to. My collection is pretty meager, and mostly classical, so I really want to expand it...it's unfortunate that money is required.
 

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
I'm probably getting a Pro-ject debutIII to go with my tube amp.

Figure I may as well have at least one total analog setup in my pad.




(yeah ... the fact the above is my justification, I know ... I've got problems)






UltraMarioMan said:
Are you NUTS. Records sound awf....sound awf....sound awf....sound awf....sound awf....sound awf....sound awf....

You obviously haven't heard a good setup.
 

Jake.

Member
i collected vinyl for about two years (hardcore punk and hip hop only) but i haven't bought anything in well over a year. i sold some of it (probably had about 70 LP's and maybe 150 7") and am still trying to sell the rest :lol. vinyl rules (coloured especially) but its just too much hassle for someone so insanely lazy like me.
 
yea im big into vinyl, have a small collection thats slowly growing. I only get vinyl when it sounds better then its cd counterpart (which is almost everything for new releases). Its vinyl mastering that makes vinyl sound better, cd's can sound just as good if mastered well.

My setup

Paradigm Atom monitor V.5
Pioneer A-5 integrated amp (vintage)
Rega P1

probably upgrading the amp to cambridge audio Azur 640A
 

Eminem

goddamit, Griese!
UltraMarioMan said:
Are you NUTS. Records sound awf....sound awf....sound awf....sound awf....sound awf....sound awf....sound awf....

You're insane. A lot of audiophiles agree nothing sounds better than a record.


And you could say I enjoy me some vinyl. All 45's:

records.jpg
 
I've gone through several waves of vinyl collecting and subsequent vinyl selling. I love the format, but I hate to keep investing in a record collection when it can consume so much space. And money, get gets addictive.

Moving with a large vinyl collection is a pain.
 

Jake.

Member
Eminem said:
You're insane. A lot of audiophiles agree nothing sounds better than a record.


And you could say I enjoy me some vinyl. All 45's:

records.jpg

storing LP's like that is probably the worst idea ever.
 

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
Oh ... my analog setup is:





Turntable - Unknown. Will probably go with pro-ject DebutIII or similar

Amp - Melody SP3 integrated tube amp. I may roll the tubes soon.

Speakers - Due to my current apartment, I'm using my rear speakers from my HT with this amp right now. Onix Rocket 750 MLS Signature (with modified crossover). Yeah ... a bit big for a bedroom setup :lol

Once I get my house though, I'll move back to using my Onix Reference 1's (with modified crossover) with this amp ... or something else ... my setups are always evolving.



I do have some digital stuff hooked up too though (shhh, its okay):

Onix XCD-88 CD player (its actually a rebadged Music Hall CD-25)

Sony DVP-NC685V 5-Disc DVD/SACD changer

Squeezebox 3
 

Eminem

goddamit, Griese!
Jake. said:
storing LP's like that is probably the worst idea ever.

Yeah, all the ones I listen to regularly and/or are rare are elsewhere. Over the years I've accumulated a shit ton, both bad and good(400 and some at last count). I have no other room for the excess, so it goes there, since I refuse to get rid of them.

I'm not too upset if Streisand's Greatest Hits Volume 2 or Parliament won't play.
 

Fusebox

Banned
I've got Serato setup in my pic, I get any song or sound and spin it on vinyl via the PC. It doesn't emulate the sound of vinyl, but it emulates the feel perfectly - nowdays if I can imagine a sound I can scratch with it.
 

Eminem

goddamit, Griese!
Onix said:
As in Funkadelic?


YOU SHUT YOUR DIRTY MOUTH!!!!>!!11!!!

Hahaah I have so much funk I don't even know what to do with it. There is still a ton of shit I have never even heard of that I haven't listened to yet. I'm slowly getting through it, but there is just so much.

Of my 400+ records, I don't have any with music on them that was made after 1985. I'd say 380 or so of them were from the early 70's or 60's.

My personal favorite is a double live album of Muddy Waters that I have.
 

Witchfinder General

punched Wheelchair Mike
Might as well list my set-up, too:

Turntable: Thorens TD-850 w/Rega RB-300 Tonearm

Cartridge: Ortofon Kontrapunkt C (MC)

Phonosatge: Thorens TEP 302

Amp: Densen B-150

Speakers: Focal Electra 1007BE (Currently using a pair of Legend Kantu 3 as the Focals are in the home theatre set-up for now)

CD Player: Densen B-400XS (In the Home Theatre)

Cabling: Nordost, DH Labs
 

AlternativeUlster

Absolutely pathetic part deux
When I buy a new abum, it is only on vinyl but I didn't buy too many albums last year. The latest Islaja and that Fursaxa record are the only ones that are off the top of my head. I think I bought an older Sunburned Hand of the Man record earlier too. I found an old USA is a Monster record for $10 which was pretty awesome. I have about 600 LPs with the bulk of them being garagepunk from the 90s to 2005. Now how many people can also say that they have also pressed a band's record other than myself?

Right now I am mostly into buying noise cassettes. They are so fucking cool.
 

Eminem

goddamit, Griese!
neptunes said:
Some of the jazz I look for is incredibly overpriced IMO.

I look for old blues, but it's the same thing. The best luck I've had has actually been at garage sales, because they're mostly trying to get rid of everything. It's just that not many people happen to have a Robert Johnson record sitting around.
 
AlternativeUlster said:
Right now I am mostly into buying noise cassettes. They are so fucking cool.

Check out what I found for 50 cents!

7ysav5v.jpg


I think they're a noise band...

I really want to listen to it but I have no cassette player :(
 

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
Eminem said:
Hahaah I have so much funk I don't even know what to do with it. There is still a ton of shit I have never even heard of that I haven't listened to yet. I'm slowly getting through it, but there is just so much.

Of my 400+ records, I don't have any with music on them that was made after 1985. I'd say 380 or so of them were from the early 70's or 60's.

My personal favorite is a double live album of Muddy Waters that I have.

NOICE!!!
 
At its worst, my collection was just over two thousand records. Now it's about 200, with the majority being hip-hop. The rest is split between some rare sample source recs and a rotating collection of shit I buy, listen to and then sell back.
 

neptunes

Member
I was just wondering

Is it healthy to be heavily breathing in the same room (or area) you store your crusty records?

Some of them get spots over time and turn into mold, that can't be good can it? especially the dust.
 

theBishop

Banned
I just got into vinyl a couple months ago.

Yamaha YP-B2
7yq3v4z.jpg


Its in surprisingly good shape considering its about 30 years old.

Here's some of my records:
6u4b68x.jpg
 

Mason

Member
I've been wanting to get a turntable/record player for years so I can get some of my favorite albums on vinyl. This thread just reignited my desire to do so... I think I'm gonna take off work early and hit up some pawn shops tomorrow!

Any difference between getting a real (probably 80s era, with cassette player) record player or a newer turntable? I don't want to spend a lot of money on the actual player right now, I'll upgrade that later.
 

ucdawg12

Member
i have some vinyl records, but i've never listened to them because (1) i dont have a record player and (2) do modern record players not damage the records like they used to? i have always been very interested in the sound of vinyls, but i've yet to hear one played and i've been worried about damaging them.
 

Witchfinder General

punched Wheelchair Mike
Mason said:
I've been wanting to get a turntable/record player for years so I can get some of my favorite albums on vinyl. This thread just reignited my desire to do so... I think I'm gonna take off work early and hit up some pawn shops tomorrow!

Any difference between getting a real (probably 80s era, with cassette player) record player or a newer turntable? I don't want to spend a lot of money on the actual player right now, I'll upgrade that later.

I would buy an entry level pro-Ject TT but if that's too much get a a second hand Thorens TD-160.

ucdawg12 said:
i have some vinyl records, but i've never listened to them because (1) i dont have a record player and (2) do modern record players not damage the records like they used to? i have always been very interested in the sound of vinyls, but i've yet to hear one played and i've been worried about damaging them.

Not really. records get worn over time but they're still playable, even ones that 50 years old or more.
 

Eminem

goddamit, Griese!
Mason said:
Any difference between getting a real (probably 80s era, with cassette player) record player or a newer turntable? I don't want to spend a lot of money on the actual player right now, I'll upgrade that later.

You can get a nice looking wooden CD/Radio/Cassette/Record player at Wal-Mart or Target for anywhere from $80 to $100 and they actually sound really nice from what I've heard.

I'm not exactly what "a lot of money" is, but you can always go that route as a last resort if you have to.
 

VNZ

Member
I've still got a fair amount, trying to cut it down to the essentials now though...

xpHWTdvTn.jpg


Edit: A pic with the turntables visible...

pcSalJGBA.jpg
 
ucdawg12 said:
i have some vinyl records, but i've never listened to them because (1) i dont have a record player and (2) do modern record players not damage the records like they used to? i have always been very interested in the sound of vinyls, but i've yet to hear one played and i've been worried about damaging them.

If you're going to be buying records you're going to go to some used record stores. They usually have a few used players fore around $50. You can start there.
 

Fusebox

Banned
Nice deck Bish, I have an old wood housing quartz locked Yammy as well and the sound and build quality is seriously proper.
 
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