What LP are You Spinning?

[btf1980]

Yikes! I want to come over to your place and have a listen!

Are you getting these used?

Some are used from Audiogon, but I usually buy new. Thankfully, because of my job, I pay cost and not MSRP. The 180g and 200g lps can get expensive after a while! With what I pay, they aren't that much more than CD's. I'll take a 180g or 200g lp over a CD any day.

[btf1980]

A couple of other lps I left out. We listen to music all day on Saturday.

Norah Jones, Muddy Waters, Adele, Duffy, PJ Harvey Eryka Badu.






You can say vinyl got a hold of me. :P :P

[Johnloudb]

This Philadelphia Orchestra performance of Rimksy Korsakov - Scheharezade record is so wonderful. This is an old recording my dad must of bought in the early 60s and it has some surface noise. The music and performance just had me hypnotized.

[wkhanna]

A couple of other lps I left out. We listen to music all day on Saturday.

Norah Jones, Muddy Waters, Adele, Duffy, PJ Harvey Eryka Badu.


You can say vinyl got a hold of me. :P :P

Those 180/200 gm LPs feel SO good in your hands! Do you adjust your VTA when playing the thicker discs?

Miles is my favorite! I need to order a good copy of 'Kind of Blue' & 'Sketches of Spain' on 180/200 gm.

I read the review of P J Harvey's album in last months Stereophile mag, sounded interesting. I personally prefer Madeleine Peyroux to Norah, but she is still learning and has potential.

Enjoy!

[wkhanna]

This Philadelphia Orchestra performance of Rimksy Korsakov - Scheharezade record is so wonderful. This is an old recording my dad must of bought in the early 60s and it has some surface noise. The music and performance just had me hypnotized.

Well, your father certainly has V good taste.

Many of those Columbia Masterworks LPs are exceptionally well recorded and engineered, don’t let the age fool you. And that one with Ormandy conducting is a great example.

AFA the surface noise, you need to get some cleaning products to get the best from older discs.

I just purchased a new trio of AI fluids from Elusive Disc. link

I also use Disc Doctor brushes for deep groove cleaning, quilted cotton make-up removal pads for partial drying between cleaning steps, and micro towels from the auto parts store for final drying. Some day I will get or make a record cleaning machine, but for now, I am putting my budget towards buying records.

[wkhanna]

Today's haul at Jerry's Used Records.
Total damage $50

Currently spinning the Kenny Burrell.
It never ceases to amaze me what Gil Evans was able to do.

[btf1980]

Those 180/200 gm LPs feel SO good in your hands! Do you adjust your VTA when playing the thicker discs?

Miles is my favorite! I need to order a good copy of 'Kind of Blue' & 'Sketches of Spain' on 180/200 gm.

I read the review of P J Harvey's album in last months Stereophile mag, sounded interesting. I personally prefer Madeleine Peyroux to Norah, but she is still learning and has potential.

Enjoy!

I don't adjust tracking or anything at all for the 180/200g lp's. I love the way they feel though. Like dinner plates!

Oh, I agree with you there about Madeleine Peyroux. Peyroux is an amazing vocalist. Her voice reminds me of Billie Holiday.

Norah is an acquired taste, but I personally find her live stuff better than her studio efforts. I was fortunate to see her live at a local club here in NYC when I was in college. This was well before she made it big. Maybe 30 people in there. An amazing experience. Those days are long gone for her though.

Nice haul you got there for $50!!

[Johnloudb]

Today's haul at Jerry's Used Records.
Total damage $50

You got all those LPs for $50 and you call it damage? 8O

Looks like you're building quite a collection. I am building on my dad's 200+ LP collection. But, at the those prices you'll eclipse that, if not already.

I'm waiting on some record cleaning supplies I ordered recently. I'm hoping I can pick up an Nitty Gritty or VPI vaccuum record cleaner soon.

[Johnloudb]

I've noticed my thin LP's have a brighter sound probably because of the change in VTA. I think I'll just get a thin felt turntable mat to put under the thin discs.

[Russ L]

I've noticed my thin LP's have a brighter sound probably because of the change in VTA. I think I'll just get a thin felt turntable mat to put under the thin discs.

Hey thats a great idea. My VTA is set for 180g discs so that would work for my setup

[Johnloudb]

Hey thats a great idea. My VTA is set for 180g discs so that would work for my setup

:T
I got idea somewhere else, but I think it should help.

[wkhanna]

Yes, that is a common method for dealing different vinyl thickness. I first heard about from the guys at Vinyl Asylum.

There is also a kit for Rega arms that lets you adjust on the fly with a thumb wheel. Neat little rig.

link

[exojam]

Listening to the below LP’s I just picked up.

Marvin Gaye – Let’s get it on
U2 – The Joshua Tree

On a side note, what would VTA have to do with record thickness?

[Russ L]

Just got these LPs from Acoustic Sounds:

Steely Dan "Can't Buy A Thrill"

Joe Walsh "But Seriously Folks"

Golden Smog "Another Fine Day"

Fionn Regan "The End of History"

Shelby Lynne "Just A Little Lovin"

Gorillaz "Demon Days"

But before listening I'll clean them up with Audio Intelligent 1 Step cleaner and my DIY home vacuuming rig. 8)

[exojam]

Hey, another DIY record cleaner person.

My friend gave me an old TT and I picked out a little shop vac and modified the crevice tool for my DIY cleaner setup. I am using Last power cleaner than Mobile Fidelity/Super Record Wash, and then Last record preservative.

[wkhanna]

On a side note, what would VTA have to do with record thickness?

VTA (vertical tracking angle) is the angle that the centerline of the tone arm makes relative the record surface (and thereby, roughly estimating the same for the top surface of the cartridge body relative to the record surface). Typical starting point for alignment is 0 deg. Fine tuning is normally done by ear. As you raise the tonearm at its pivot point the cartridge/stylus is put in a ‘nose-down’ attitude. This will boost the HF and thin out the bass response. If you lower the tonearm, the opposite occurs. The cartridge/stylus is put in a ‘nose-up’ attitude which will boost the LF and thin out the treble.

If you set your VTA using a regular thickness LP, when you put a thicker (180 or 200 gm) LP on the platter the position of the cartridge/stylus is higher than it would be with standard thickness LP. This in effect has put the cartridge/stylus in a ‘nose-up’ attitude, and the thicker LPs may sound bass heavy with a lack of ‘sparkle’ in the HF.

[exojam]

Bill,

Thanks for the information. I believe I was thinking about the anti skate setting. Man, I am not going through that every time I change a record (not that I have that functionality on my TT). So far my little collection has normal, 180 and 200 LP’s.

[Russ L]

Shelby Lynne "Just A Little Lovin"

Great sonics on the LP everyone! Her tribute to Dusty Springfield. Go to Shelby's MySpace site to see her blog on why she insists on recording on tape and listening to vinyl. She was interviewed a few weeks ago on the CBS evening news on the resurgence in popularity of vinyl playback. She agrees with many of the comments posted here about the involving nature of vinyl and its way of bringing people together to listen to music (and enjoy food, wine, herbs...). Apparently, her digital recording rig is collecting dust in the garage. And most importantly, thanks to this fine recording I finally have a viable reason to quote myself 8)

[Russ L]

Just received:

The Flaming Lips "At War With The Mystics" 2006

Mastered at Acoustech. Won a Grammy for Best Engineered Recording.

[wkhanna]

I love it live!

[Bob]

Russ,
A friend of mine brought by the Shelby Lynne album Sunday and we gave it a spin.
It is a terrific album.

[Russ L]

Hey, another DIY record cleaner person.

My friend gave me an old TT and I picked out a little shop vac and modified the crevice tool for my DIY cleaner setup. I am using Last power cleaner than Mobile Fidelity/Super Record Wash, and then Last record preservative.

A shop vac works great as long as you don't accidentally switch it on to the reverse blower setting :E

[exojam]

That little model only has a suction setting. One day I will invest in a RCM but right now it is working fine. I just bought a little phono pre amp for my system and am waiting to see what kind of change that makes.

[wkhanna]

.... I just bought a little phono pre amp for my system and am waiting to see what kind of change that makes.

Which one?

The little Bellari VP129 is getting V good reviews (Sterophile class B rating, among high praise from many others). A real steal @ $250 list.

Phono pre's have a HUGE effect on the sound you get from your rig.

[exojam]

Just the Cambridge Audio 640P model. I am now getting information about modifying it from The Vinyl Engine (different op amps, caps and resistor stuff).

I heard very good things about it and right now if was in my price range. I picked it up from Audiogon and the guy was supposed to ship it today so hopefully it will in here middle of next week.

Also, my mother in law just picked me up the follwoing albums.
Kiss Alive 2
The Rolling Stone – Tattoo You
Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac
Aerosmith – Get your wings
Elvis Presley – King Creole
Keith Richards – Talk is cheap

[Johnloudb]

Well, my LP rig is under repair, at least the phono cartidge. So I'm listening to SACD now. I found this (Monk - Straight, No Chaser) in my dad's collection and since Bill had also recommend Monk I gave it a listen. Not Disappointed!! The sax kind of sticks out from the rest of the band and is only in the left channel, but still wonderful music/performance.




I bought a second LP of Carly Simon's first album. It is the best I've heard from her. I really like the last cut, "Love's Still Growing."

[wkhanna]

Something mellow and soothing again for a Monday evening wind-down.
A V nice used copy on the Blue Note label, great condition, and I love Ron Carter, too!

[DL86]

I just added a Cambridge 640P to my LP rig. I was wondering what was wrong with my sound before, I upgraded my cartridge to a Ortofon 2M bronze, it sounded very harsh and was totally unlistenable. I realised the problem was the 25 dollar pre amp I was using, picked up the cambridge 640P whammo solved everything I can't believe the sound quality I am now getting.

Listening to:
Pearl Jam lost dogs
Wolfmother

[wkhanna]

.......the Cambridge Audio 640P

..........I just added a Cambridge 640P to my LP rig

Can't go wrong on the 640P! A giant killer, that one. Well at least a true annoyance to much costlier alternatives. Well done, Gentlemen. I have actually been looking to try one myself, if only to compare it to the phono section in my Carver. If I find it is not much better, they re-sell quickly, and for good reason.

[exojam]

I had heard very good things about that pre amp and since it was not expensive I figured I would give it a try. I am also going to be changing some of the caps, op amps and resistors in it. I am following and asking questions on the thread below that has all sorts of little component changes that are not expensive and are said to make a big difference. I have almost completed my list of items needed to replace.

http://www.vinylengine.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9098

[Russ L]

I had heard very good things about that pre amp and since it was not expensive I figured I would give it a try. I am also going to be changing some of the caps, op amps and resistors in it. I am following and asking questions on the thread below that has all sorts of little component changes that are not expensive and are said to make a big difference. I have almost completed my list of items needed to replace.

http://www.vinylengine.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9098

Why does the thread suggest upgrading your power supply to your phonostage and disconnecting it from the mains powersupply? I have my phonostage-a Moon LP3- plugged into an amp outlet in my Rotel RLC 1040 Power Conditioner. Will this achieve the results aimed for in this thread? Whatever they may be? Do you know? Regards, Russ

[bigburner]

Shelby Lynne "Just A Little Lovin"

Notice any similarities in the album art?

[exojam]

Russ,

To be honest I am not sure why folks are also working on the power supply. Right now I have no intension of modifying or working on mine. Heck, I just got mine hooked into my system about 20 minutes ago and have not even heard one record with it yet.

James

[wkhanna]

It may seem an odd pairing, Jazz & violin, but Grappelli is a master at his craft.
When he plays Jazz, it is as natural a combo as vinyl and valves.

[wkhanna]

Notice any similarities in the album art?

Keen eyes on this sharp Kiwi :T

[wkhanna]

After (actually before) you have worn out your copy of ‘Time Out’, get this one.
Brubeck actually has multiple works within the “Time” series, all of which are some of the finest music ever scored, IMHO.

The used copy I have is a Columbia ‘Six Eye’ pressing, unfortunately, the condition is not the best. I rate it an ‘OK’ cuz of some surface noise and a few heavier scratches, but they can’t get in way of the wonderful music on this album. A true ‘dessert Island’ choice for me. Some day I hope to find another copy in better condition, but for now, I am thrilled to be able to listen to this masterpiece.

[wkhanna]

Ah sh*t, the OWMBO went to bed, there is a decent bottle of Italian white open (thanks to my wife) and spinning ‘Time Further Out’ has got me on a roll. Of all the releases in the ‘Time’ series this one is my favorite.

I can see now, the AM get-up is going to be a task that was not nearly as difficult in my younger years.

[wkhanna]

Yup. The morning is not going to be friendly.

[Russ L]

Russ,

To be honest I am not sure why folks are also working on the power supply. Right now I have no intension of modifying or working on mine. Heck, I just got mine hooked into my system about 20 minutes ago and have not even heard one record with it yet.

James

Sounds like the CA 640P is bringing improvements all around. Enjoy! Please report on the improvement if you can tear yourself away from the rig.

[Russ L]

Notice any similarities in the album art?

Good one.

[Russ L]

Yup. The morning is not going to be friendly.

The night before looks friendly enough

[Chris D]

Always good to see a fellow enjoying good music.

[miner]

Ray Davies - "Working Man's Cafe" - excellent sonics.

[wkhanna]

So I paid the piper this morning......and this afternoon!

My steadfast solution........Hair of the Dog!

Some French white and a transcending piano piece.
Keith Jarrett is one of my favorite, think George Winston/New Age/Windom Hill label.

Dennis Russell Davies performs one of Keith's works, and to me it is totally mesmerizing. Great recording this one, too.


Image not available

[Johnloudb]

I just got this in the mail two days ago. I've been scanning the internet for my favorite classical music like Shostakovich Symphony No.7. My phono cartridge is being repaired so I haven't listened yet, however it's hard to go wrong with Leonard Bernstein and the NYP.