Jump to content

Vinyl - Record Spinning


Full Range

Recommended Posts

16 hours ago, MeloManiac said:

 

I have a 3 sided album of Diana Krall, Turn up the quiet. Side D is one long, empty track. I can't understand why they didn't put some bonus tracks there. 

An empty track is useful though, to test gear for instance... But I like Krall's voice better. 

IMG_20201114_220125.thumb.jpg.b38b73885274cbbf4ba21aa76118052e.jpgPSX_20201114_220534.thumb.jpg.6c2fcba92d116d8a6eb4202910bbf08a.jpg

 

 

You know what they could have done with the blank side?  Left it actually blank, without a groove, so that at least you could use it to check and set your anti-skating correctly.

  • Like 3
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone remember when double albums were pressed so that Side A was backed with Side D, and Side B was backed with Side C?  This was so that when you put them on a record changer, the B side could drop down and play right after the A side.  Then you could flip them over, and Side C would be followed by Side D.  Later, after record changers became less popular, double albums were pressed so that A was backed with B, and C was backed with D.

 

Some old double albums eventually came in both versions.  I was long used to the original (changer) version of Electric Ladyland, so when I was at a party and saw the new version, I was pretty amazed to see Side A on the back of Side B, since this was never announced anywhere that I read, it was just something that I noticed one day.  I recall that I could hardly believe what I was looking at, but I was in a party state of mind at the time, so...

  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

47 minutes ago, Islander said:

Does anyone remember when double albums were pressed so that Side A was backed with Side D, and Side B was backed with Side C?  

I remember this, 😆 

Even then I did not think it was a good idea to drop one album on top of another one. 

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/20/2021 at 2:36 AM, Islander said:

The only 3-sided album I’m familiar with is the old Johnny Winter one.  The explanation for that album being 3-sided was that there weren’t enough songs for a double album, but if they crammed them all onto a single disc, they would have to compromise the recording level, and the volume would be too low as a result.

 

Is that why this album of yours is like this?

I have the QOTSA Villains album with 3 sides. Be careful there are drawings on the D side, so above all, do not put a high-end, fragile cartridge on this kind of engraving, you risk breaking the point.

 

And in addition there are several versions.

 

 

 

71RZ+V+cdJL._SL1500_.jpg

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Islander said:

Does anyone remember when double albums were pressed so that Side A was backed with Side D, and Side B was backed with Side C?  


I do remember and probably have some in the collection 

Read somewhere ( probably on this fine thread ) that it’s for automatic record changers 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Jim Gregory said:

I remember this, 😆 

Even then I did not think it was a good idea to drop one album on top of another one. 

 

You would think so, but nearly all LPs are shaped so that they're thicker at the edge and under the label, in order to prevent damage to the musical part of the record when another one is dropped onto it.  Unless there's a fairly large lump stuck to one of the discs, the grooves should not be harmed by changers.  That said, I haven't bought a changer since 1977.  It would be nice to have auto-lift at the end of the side, so I may look for one of those little gadgets for my Technics deck at some point, but no more dropping records onto each other for me.

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Islander said:

 

You would think so, but nearly all LPs are shaped so that they're thicker at the edge and under the label, in order to prevent damage to the musical part of the record when another one is dropped onto it.  Unless there's a fairly large lump stuck to one of the discs, the grooves should not be harmed by changers.  That said, I haven't bought a changer since 1977.  It would be nice to have auto-lift at the end of the side, so I may look for one of those little gadgets for my Technics deck at some point, but no more dropping records onto each other for me.

 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Islander said:

 

You would think so, but nearly all LPs are shaped so that they're thicker at the edge and under the label, in order to prevent damage to the musical part of the record when another one is dropped onto it.  Unless there's a fairly large lump stuck to one of the discs, the grooves should not be harmed by changers.  That said, I haven't bought a changer since 1977.  It would be nice to have auto-lift at the end of the side, so I may look for one of those little gadgets for my Technics deck at some point, but no more dropping records onto each other for me.

 

Also, if not thicker at the edge, wouldn't there be a vacuum between stacked records and then they would stick together?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, MeloManiac said:

 

Also, if not thicker at the edge, wouldn't there be a vacuum between stacked records and then they would stick together?

Have seen records stuck together momentarily... nothing serious. It seems a vacuum can be created.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, MeloManiac said:

 

Also, if not thicker at the edge, wouldn't there be a vacuum between stacked records and then they would stick together?

 

Maybe, but I have seen a few records that were the same thickness right across the disc, and have never heard of records sticking together because of vacuum.  However, static electricity could be another matter.  Some LPs pick up such a strong charge while being played that they stick to the platter so strongly that they bend when I go to lift them off it.  Those constant-thickness discs were usually from some small record company, but I don’t know why.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Find your inner calm with the iFi ZEN phono"

That's what is referred to on the box of what I got in the mail today. I'd been sitting on the fence for this budget audiophile grade phono stage, and last week I found one in the open box section of a European shop, grade A, so I bought it.

These are my first impressions. I'm comparing with built in phono stages of my vintage Onkyo amp, a H/K 430 and a brandless, China made phono stage of 44 euro. That last one I used with my Leben CS300, which must have been insulted by it - if it were a person - and it also had a hiss in left hand channel, which annoyed me, and was the reason for having it replaced.

For those who are less familiar with iFi: they are a British company, producing high end audio gear (mostly DACs and in-betweens). They also sell small but pricy high end phono preamps. iFi's ZEN series is their budget tier, which offers a lot of value for money because some of the high-end technology has trickled down to the ZEN level... 

 

So... my first reactions.

Well, I had prepared a stack of my favourite vinyl albums, and while listening to those, I thought, okay, well perhaps the reviewers are right: the staging is nice and wide, even 3d, and there is 'total darkness' when no music is playing, and the lows and highs are well ballanced. But my cheap China phono stage does that too, mostly, for a quarter of the price, if you forget about the hiss in the left channel for a moment. So did I make a mistake buying this?

 

It was only when I listened to my second stack of albums I had prepared, that the iFi started shining and making a difference. This stack contains 'difficult' albums, some iconic, but for some reason, they never really sounded good on my system. Just to name one, Bruce Springsteen's Burn to Run. I've had this album for a very long time, and love all the songs on it, but somehow, it never sounded 'right' on my Leben CS300 +  Heresy combination. Now it does. The same with vintage vinyl classical music albums (from the pre-barcode era): gone is the grainy sound, now they sound just right, and clean.

 

At the moment I'm grading exams (!), so there's still many hours of music I will be listening too while doing that. Listing to vinyl records is great when grading, because it forces you out of your chair every 25 minutes or so (better for my back...) 😉

 

 

PSX_20210622_142507.jpg

PSX_20210622_142449.jpg

PSX_20210622_142434.jpg

PSX_20210622_142406.jpg

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, MeloManiac said:

"Find your inner calm with the iFi ZEN phono"

That's what is referred to on the box of what I got in the mail today. I'd been sitting on the fence for this budget audiophile grade phono stage, and last week I found one in the open box section of a European shop, grade A, so I bought it.

These are my first impressions. I'm comparing with built in phono stages of my vintage Onkyo amp, a H/K 430 and a brandless, China made phono stage of 44 euro. That last one I used with my Leben CS300, which must have been insulted by it - if it were a person - and it also had a hiss in left hand channel, which annoyed me, and was the reason for having it replaced.

For those who are less familiar with iFi: they are a British company, producing high end audio gear (mostly DACs and in-betweens). They also sell small but pricy high end phono preamps. iFi's ZEN series is their budget tier, which offers a lot of value for money because some of the high-end technology has trickled down to the ZEN level... 

 

So... my first reactions.

Well, I had prepared a stack of my favourite vinyl albums, and while listening to those, I thought, okay, well perhaps the reviewers are right: the staging is nice and wide, even 3d, and there is 'total darkness' when no music is playing, and the lows and highs are well ballanced. But my cheap China phono stage does that too, mostly, for a quarter of the price, if you forget about the hiss in the left channel for a moment. So did I make a mistake buying this?

 

It was only when I listened to my second stack of albums I had prepared, that the iFi started shining and making a difference. This stack contains 'difficult' albums, some iconic, but for some reason, they never really sounded good on my system. Just to name one, Bruce Springsteen's Burn to Run. I've had this album for a very long time, and love all the songs on it, but somehow, it never sounded 'right' on my Leben CS300 +  Heresy combination. Now it does. The same with vintage vinyl classical music albums (from the pre-barcode era): gone is the grainy sound, now they sound just right, and clean.

 

At the moment I'm grading exams (!), so there's still many hours of music I will be listening too while doing that. Listing to vinyl records is great when grading, because it forces you out of your chair every 25 minutes or so (better for my back...) 😉

 

 

PSX_20210622_142507.jpg

PSX_20210622_142449.jpg

PSX_20210622_142434.jpg

PSX_20210622_142406.jpg

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/21/2021 at 9:07 AM, Islander said:

Does anyone remember when double albums were pressed so that Side A was backed with Side D, and Side B was backed with Side C?  This was so that when you put them on a record changer, the B side could drop down and play right after the A side.  Then you could flip them over, and Side C would be followed by Side D.  Later, after record changers became less popular, double albums were pressed so that A was backed with B, and C was backed with D.

 

Side ABCD??? ADBC????

Why keep it that simple? Radiohead's OK Computer brings this to a whole other level, and making sure the print on the record label is illegibly small too. 

(for the uninformed, it's a tripple album) 

 

 

PSX_20210622_231118.jpg

PSX_20210622_230403.jpg

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...