Vinyl LP and Turntable Discussion

[Stiff Competition]

4 hours ago, RussTCB said:

Fairly big week coming up for me:

My Ozzy boxed set should be here by Friday or Saturday. I'll also be picking up the one BF RSD release I want (Pearl Jam Unplugged), and there's also a Floyd compilation being released on Friday. It's not part of BF RSD, it's just being released on the same day. 

Nice, I’m hoping to get that Beatles singles boxset before the end of the year. I think it’s out this week as well.

[RussTCB]

Managed to get the last copy of Pearl Jam Unplugged at my local store. Good start to the day for me. 

[RussTCB]

I'm happy to report that the Momentary Lapse and Delicate Sound remixed tracks sound MUCH better on that vinyl edition of the Floyd compilation that was released today then they did on streaming. 

[Powderfinger]

Picked up a copy of the Pearl Jam unplugged. There was a few there. Also ended up buying the Stones aftermath on magenta vinyl and the velvet underground - velvet underground on white vinyl. Last 2 not RSD releases....

[RussTCB]

My Ozzy set just arrived. Packaging is excellent. I probably won't be able to spin anything for a few days, but I'm hoping the sound quality is great. 

[DownUnderScott]

On 24/11/2019 at 5:05 PM, Stiff Competition said:

Nope, it’s the same turntable.

And the a2 plus you plug in to the back and the good thing is that the 120LP has a built in preamp and those speakers are powered so that’s literally your whole setup. It’s super simple. Actually, when my girlfriend lived up in norther California for a whole, that’s the exact setup I set her up with and it was perfect.

Thanks Mate, I appreciate the advice. I have just ordered the 120LP and can’t wait to get it. And I have seen a good series of several short YouTube videos of a guy talking through the parts and setting up of the AT120LP. 

Cheers, Scott

[Stiff Competition]

55 minutes ago, DownUnderScott said:

Thanks Mate, I appreciate the advice. I have just ordered the 120LP and can’t wait to get it. And I have seen a good series of several short YouTube videos of a guy talking through the parts and setting up of the AT120LP. 

Cheers, Scott

Great choice 👍🏻

[GNRfanJen]

Alright, I could use some tips from those more experienced than me. 

I have been wanting to get a turntable for quite some time now, but have yet to pull the trigger for a few reasons. One of those is that I’m not sure which one would be the best bang for my buck. I’ve done some research and found that the Audio-Technica AT-LP60 seems to be good, and then there’s the AT-LP120 as well. I’m not some serious collector or anything (yet anyway haha), but I do want something that I know I can rely on for a long time. What do you guys have? 

[Stiff Competition]

1 hour ago, GNRfanJen said:

Alright, I could use some tips from those more experienced than me. 

I have been wanting to get a turntable for quite some time now, but have yet to pull the trigger for a few reasons. One of those is that I’m not sure which one would be the best bang for my buck. I’ve done some research and found that the Audio-Technica AT-LP60 seems to be good, and then there’s the AT-LP120 as well. I’m not some serious collector or anything (yet anyway haha), but I do want something that I know I can rely on for a long time. What do you guys have? 

120 is the way to go between those two.

I currently use a project debut carbon esprit with an ortofon 2M blue stylus.

My first decent turntable was the ATL120 though and it is a great bang for the buck, especially for a first turntable and as @RussTCB has mentioned somewhere above, you can upgrade the needle very easily and affordably down the road and make it even better.

[RussTCB]

Hot damn. I just got a chance to spin No More Tears from the Ozzy set. What a fantastic pressing. Much, much wider sound stage than my OP. 

[RussTCB]

Just picked up the 10 LP Super Deluxe of 1999. Shits about to go down. 

[Stiff Competition]

I got Brendan Benson’s debut solo album in this week. TMR released it on vinyl for Brendan like 23 years after it was released.

I ordered the Uncut Gems soundtrack yesterday. Picked up Bob Dylan’s “Desire” and a couple of the Green River LPs as well.

hopefully getting a new stylus for my turntable for Xmas. Just sticking with the Ortofon 2M blue but the current one has got a lot of use on it.

 

Edited December 16, 2019 by Stiff Competition

[RussTCB]

1 hour ago, Stiff Competition said:

I got Brendan Benson’s debut solo album in this week. TMR released it on vinyl for Brendan like 23 years after it was released.

I ordered the Uncut Gems soundtrack yesterday. Picked up Bob Dylan’s “Desire” and a couple of the Green River LPs as well.

hopefully getting a new stylus for my turntable for Xmas. Just sticking with the Ortofon 2M blue but the current one has got a lot of use on it.

 

I'm not a big Brendan Benson guy. I don't hate him or anything, I've never heard much from him that I really dig. It's really cool that he was able to get the album pressed through the family connection though! 

[soon]

Is their any allergies/moulds/etc associated with vinyl and the sleeves?Maybe a weird question, lol

my collection is old - most of it predates me. It’s likley been in storage at various times. 

I rearranged my place and sleep near a case of records. And my morning allergies are 10x worse. Wondering if it’s the vinyl??

[DownUnderScott]

Hey fellas, set up my audio technica ATLP120 and the audio engine a2 speakers and it sounds really good, thanks for the advice!

I have another question - is it worth buying the AFD re-issue vinyl that  was a remaster from the original analog tapes? It’s a 2 LP  thing isn’t it?  Would you say it is noticeable the improvement in sound compared to my old regular AFD record?

[RussTCB]

1 hour ago, DownUnderScott said:

Hey fellas, set up my audio technica ATLP120 and the audio engine a2 speakers and it sounds really good, thanks for the advice!

I have another question - is it worth buying the AFD re-issue vinyl that  was a remaster from the original analog tapes? It’s a 2 LP  thing isn’t it?  Would you say it is noticeable the improvement in sound compared to my old regular AFD record?

I have an original pressing of AFD as well as the 2 LP reissue. Personally, I would play my 1 LP original every time over the 2 LP reissue. 

There are many records where I'd easily recommend the reissue, but AFD isn't one of them. Overall, the originals just sound better IMO. 

[DownUnderScott]

12 hours ago, RussTCB said:

I have an original pressing of AFD as well as the 2 LP reissue. Personally, I would play my 1 LP original every time over the 2 LP reissue. 

There are many records where I'd easily recommend the reissue, but AFD isn't one of them. Overall, the originals just sound better IMO. 

Awesome, thanks Mate! As always I appreciate your help and advice. It is really cool having some MyGnr resident vinyl gurus to turn to...

[Stiff Competition]

Got the Beatles singles collection box set today as well as the concert for George Box Set.

 

and as I was hoping, I got a new 2M blue stylus to replace my old worn out one. Very happy with it...I forgot how good they sound when new.

[DownUnderScott]

Hey guys, just wondering if you have any advice about cleaning records?  Do you clean yours? If so, how often and what method?

I’ve bought second hand records and they sound like shit, popping and cracking, and I’m sure would benefit from a clean. I have seen a record cleaner that you semi-submerge your record in water, with their treatment solution added, and then Spin it around a few times with these stationary brushes that are in it in the middle at the bottom. Then dry with a cloth. 

Anyway, any help would be appreciated.

[jimisbatman]

My record collection is ancient, all old stones, beatles, Jimi vinyl from back in the day; and I just use a damp cloth and clean it in a circular motion.  However I still get the "bacon and eggs" sound lol

[RussTCB]

On 12/26/2019 at 12:51 AM, Stiff Competition said:

Got the Beatles singles collection box set today as well as the concert for George Box Set.

and as I was hoping, I got a new 2M blue stylus to replace my old worn out one. Very happy with it...I forgot how good they sound when new.

I just recently replaced my Bronze stylus and felt the same way. I probably left the old one on top long, but when I swapped out to a replacement it was a pleasant surprise. 

22 minutes ago, DownUnderScott said:

Hey guys, just wondering if you have any advice about cleaning records?  Do you clean yours? If so, how often and what method?

I’ve bought second hand records and they sound like shit, popping and cracking, and I’m sure would benefit from a clean. I have seen a record cleaner that you semi-submerge your record in water, with their treatment solution added, and then Spin it around a few times with these stationary brushes that are in it in the middle at the bottom. Then dry with a cloth. 

Anyway, any help would be appreciated.

The most cost efficient "machine" out there is the Spin Clean. If you put a little time into it, it'll really work some magic on older, beat up records. 

This is gonna sound odd, but the "wood glue method" really does work too if you've got a record that's really bad. Go to YouTube and search that phrase, you'll see what I mean. Years ago, my wife was using a spray adhesive and spinning records while she was working on a project. She had no idea that the adhesive was wafting after to the records she was spinning. 

They were fairly common records, so it wasn't the end of the world but I figured I'd try the wood glue thing for shits and grins prior to just buying new ones. Surprisingly enough, all 3 sounded good as new when all was said and done. 

3 minutes ago, jimisbatman said:

My record collection is ancient, all old stones, beatles, Jimi vinyl from back in the day; and I just use a damp cloth and clean it in a circular motion.  However I still get the "bacon and eggs" sound lol

This is a solid approach too. There's a lot to be said for micro fiber cloths and a little TLC. 

I splurged and bought a VPI 16.5 years ago. It's been able to help me dig deeper on a few LPs 

However, I really think micro fiber cloths and/or a Spin Clean is more than enough for most people. 

[Dean]

Picked up the Passenger's album that U2 made with Brian Eno. Quite chuffed with this. 

Do you guys log your collections be it on Discogs or on your phones? Originally I done it with all my Queen records but thinking of doing it for everything now.

Also, debating whether or not to purchase Live Era. I can't see it being re-released on Vinyl any time soon, what do you guys think? The price is ridiculous. 

[RussTCB]

4 hours ago, Dean said:

Picked up the Passenger's album that U2 made with Brian Eno. Quite chuffed with this. 

Do you guys log your collections be it on Discogs or on your phones? Originally I done it with all my Queen records but thinking of doing it for everything now.

Also, debating whether or not to purchase Live Era. I can't see it being re-released on Vinyl any time soon, what do you guys think? The price is ridiculous. 

I used to keep them on Discogs for a while, but I ended up stopping. I created a Google Sheets doc and I just keep everything on there. 

I have Live Era. I got it about 7 - 8 years ago or so. I bought it simply because I'm a completist with certain artists. I feel extremely confident in saying that you're right and it won't be reissued. So if you want it, I'd say to go for it. I rarely listen to it, but it does get played every so often. 

[Stiff Competition]

On 1/6/2020 at 5:04 AM, Dean said:

Picked up the Passenger's album that U2 made with Brian Eno. Quite chuffed with this. 

Do you guys log your collections be it on Discogs or on your phones? Originally I done it with all my Queen records but thinking of doing it for everything now.

Also, debating whether or not to purchase Live Era. I can't see it being re-released on Vinyl any time soon, what do you guys think? The price is ridiculous. 

I log everything on discogs. I used to keep a word document but I wouldn't always update it so I'd start buying doubles of things I thought I didn't have. it's also nice because you can create a want list, it gives you average pricing of your collection, etc.

I'd also say if you want Live Era go for it. It's not that expensive in comparison to other collectible/rare LP's. Remember, it's 4 LPs so if  you can snag it for like 250 which you can sometimes, it's like 60+ a record. I think it's worth having.

[RussTCB]

1 hour ago, Stiff Competition said:

I log everything on discogs. I used to keep a word document but I wouldn't always update it so I'd start buying doubles of things I thought I didn't have. it's also nice because you can create a want list, it gives you average pricing of your collection, etc.

You know what's funny? I was the opposite. For some reason, when I tried to log my collection on discogs, I found I just didn't keep up with it. Once I switched over to a spreadsheet, I seem to keep up with it better. 

The want list and pricing thing is really cool from discogs though, that's for sure.