View Full Version : The LP experience begins!
madmax
10-14-2002, 08:27 PM
Today my first stack of LP's arived. I opened the boxes and my first thought was that I have something substantial in my hands. As I sat there and opened them up I started experiencing all the things I had long forgot about. Opening up the celaphane, pulling out the LP to see what the label looked like, pulling out everything from little tags to big wall posters to 30 page full color picture brochures, checking to see how thick the LP is. I was thinking how much nicer this was as compared to finding a way to start ripping off the celaphane off a cd, removing the first "sealed" sticker across the side, then the other side then the top. The thrill of actually getting to the media quickly without several cuss words and throwing the freakin thing across the room!!! So much for my rant on opening a CD. In any case a small paper cut returned me to reality but at least I wasn't frustrated. Now, if I could just get some sound out of them!
madmax
madmax
10-14-2002, 09:52 PM
In the package was a couple of catalogs. The DCC stuff looked really cool! I take it this guy does one project at a time remixing older masters and recutting new LP's to produce? That is really cool!
madmax
Paul Connor
10-14-2002, 11:02 PM
Madmax
You have just laid out what is one best aspects to vinyl. It is the overall experience. While I try not to look backward too much with rose colored glasses, imagine going into a car dealership today and buying a brand new 1972 Chevelle SS454. I guess I would call it the cool factor. Many things today just don't have it.
Paul
madmax
10-15-2002, 03:28 AM
Man,
What a trip that would be. Can you imagine the salesman handing you the key to the beast! Should I get the 454 upgrade over the 305? Just kidding.
Your absolutly right about the analogy between the two. I feel like a little kid waiting for the equipment to arive. BTW, my first stop would be at a record store.
One other thought. When I used to get albums they cost about $5.99 + $5 shipping (each) from a record club. 10 albums was like $110. That has not changed much!!! The ones I ordered were between $10 to $20 each and total shipping of $5.99. The other thing I noticed is that some were double sets which don't seem to have a price difference. A few classics seem expensive though.
madmax
wangotango68
10-15-2002, 07:28 AM
why go with the under powered smog controled 72 454 and go with the 70 chevelle ss 454, best car chevy ever made! do your homework son.
im just telling ya:cool:
Nice post, madmax.
Nothing like opening LP's!
Go to the bottom of this page - you can't do this with CD's! (http://www.redtrumpet.com/accessories/?sid=1008057030)
Paul Connor
10-15-2002, 10:08 AM
Madmax,
If you have a local used record store, you can save a ton of dough on shipping. We have a great store here called Triple Play Records that sells cd's and records. They have a great selection and the owner stands behind every record sold. Also found a good used store in Denver, vinyl in excellent condition and cheap..... but I don't know if I will tell anyone where it is. Ok, ok I'll tell you and rlw.
Paul
madmax
10-15-2002, 12:10 PM
I'll take the '69 anyday. I'll look in this area for used record shops. Never looked so who knows!
madmax
Send me a ClubPolk e-mail when you have a chance...
madmax
10-15-2002, 01:57 PM
Mine is csmallwood@marsh-mcbirney.com
I don't see how to find yours. Just send me an email.
madmax
madmax
10-15-2002, 05:35 PM
So when I get this stuff I think the weak link will be the phono preamp in my Soundcraftsmen pro-control 4 preamp. Next on the list would be the rest of the preamp. If I build one of those seduction phono preamp stages which I had a link for on another post I wonder if I could add a potentiometer on the output of it to control the volume and remove the soundcraftsmen all together? Oh well, I'm not there yet anyway.
What are "Test Pressings"? I see them at Acoustic Sounds Inc.
madmax
Originally posted by madmax001
So when I get this stuff I think the weak link will be the phono preamp in my Soundcraftsmen pro-control 4 preamp. Next on the list would be the rest of the preamp. If I build one of those seduction phono preamp stages which I had a link for on another post I wonder if I could add a potentiometer on the output of it to control the volume and remove the soundcraftsmen all together? Oh well, I'm not there yet anyway.
What are "Test Pressings"? I see them at Acoustic Sounds Inc.
madmax
Test pressings = the first few pressings from the masters. May/may not sound better than the normal pressing. In general, however, the earlier the pressing, the better the sound - that's why the "Promo" copies from radio stations are in demand. The idea is that the master gets worn over time - and subsequent pressings are never as good as that first pressing.
Yes, the phono stage in your SC pre will be a major weak link. I wouldn't attempt to pot down the signal from the Seduction - instead, if you're really budgeted, consider using a high-quality (Vishay) resistor in-line. There's a guy over at Audio Asylum (Tafka Steve) who does this for purist reasons - sort of the ultimate passive preamp.
The only problem is if you will ever want more gain, which you might.
From what you've posted, I think you'd really like the Audible Illusions preamp.
madmax
10-15-2002, 08:59 PM
I'll give the AI preamp a look see. I'm limited because I've just spent my cash for necessities this year.
Necessary expenditures = audio/video/other toys.
optional expenditures = heat/light/transportation etc.
BTW,
I have email only at work so I will check that in the morning.
Another BTW,
I know the Soundcraftsmen equipment is mid level at best but for whatever reason each piece of equipment I have from them has stood up against much more expensive stuff in my upgrade path. Maybe it is a combination with my speakers or sources or whatever but there is some reason for it. However, first clue of a weakness and it's out of there as soon as cash is available.
madmax
madmax
10-15-2002, 09:51 PM
Storage question: I'm thinking so long as they are vertical that is as good as I can do? Temp is always 70 degrees C and humidity is somewhat controlled. I bought sleeves for my new LP's and for older ones that meet my criteria for sound. I plan on a pristine colection then a "used" colection with a rating system associated. Is there a standard for rating used LP's? I know, I'm compulsive but I have nothing else to think about until I get something to listen to! Is there a charge for LP-101 class?
madmax
Paul Connor
10-15-2002, 11:02 PM
Most dealers use a standard system and I will try to recall from memory what it is.
Sealed-Unopened in original wrap
Mint-Open, but perhaps unplayed or very little play
Near Mint-minor surface wear
VG plus-(very good) visable surface wear, probably noise
VG stay away
G (good) stay away
If I find the list I will post it. I have bought records on ebay advertised as near mint, that the seller had no idea what he was talking about. Beware. I will not buy a record that is not graded mint on ebay. For most of them, though, they are folks who sell a lot of vinyl and are good about standing behind it. Most only grade them visually, and that is not always a good indication of what they will sound like. With that said, I have bought near mint albums that were in sealed condition. Go figure. I was just looking at an ebay store called mymusicfix that sells mostly sealed audiophile lp's. They are pricey, but you can get a good idea of what is available out there. He has quite a few titles available.
I'll look around for the grading system and let you know.
Paul
Paul Connor
10-15-2002, 11:27 PM
Here is one of the Mobile Fidelity sets I was asking about.
http://cgi.aol.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=913309032
Paul Connor
10-15-2002, 11:30 PM
Check this one out. Buy it now for 25k. One feedback.
http://cgi.aol.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=913110294
Check out the grading guide over at Bebop Records - it's pretty good.
There's basically 2 "stanards": Goldmine (US) and Record Collector (UK). It seems like most reputable sellers use one of these, maybe with a couple of variations.
I also found a post Here (http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.pl?forum=vinyl&n=70911&highlight=goldmine+grading&r=&session=) at AA that's pretty good.
Out of all the parameters I look for, the biggest are surface shine and obvious gouges. I don't care too much about warp, as a good table can deal with that. If I can see my face in it, then there's a very high probability that the vinyl is in great shape.
E-bay can be a good place to learn about bad grading. If you find a seller who is reputable, stick with them.
Storage: keep 'em vertical, that's about all most collectors do. Climate control: don't store them in a garage that hits 90 degrees or in a basement that is really damp. Be prepared to devote more and more of your living space to storage.
madmax
10-17-2002, 09:45 PM
Hey guys,
I got the Gyro Dec today! It was packaged in three large boxes, all double boxed, packed between peanuts and wrapped in bubble wrap. This seller really put forth an effort to protect the table! I got it home and after an hour of unwrapping I put all the pieces together. It went well. The huge orbe platter clamps the record nicely and it all looks pretty massive. I was unsure how high to set the sub-base from the base and I filled the inverted bearing with the supplied oil. There is no arm yet so I will have to re-adjust the springs anyway. I plan to wrap the springs with cotton as per an upgrade I read about to eliminate 200 to 300hz resonances. The inverted bearing oiling system is awesome! After only a few turns I could see it moving a good flow of oil. The QC motor power supply is huge which is something I didn't expect. This was an older Gyro Dec and the base plate had a hole cut in it for the motor upgrade. It was cut very poorly using a drill bit and although it really doesn't matter since you cannot see it I plan on cleaning that up. There is a small crack on the otherwise pristine dust cover but it shouldn't cause too much trouble. The record clamp works very well. It obviously adds the mass of the platter to the LP with no question. I can hear the motor though. I thought it would be silent but it sounds like a rushing of water but at a very low level. You cannot feel any vibration on it though. Going that slow I would have expected it to be silent. It has four small grooves on the motor pully but only came with one belt. Maybe two for 50 Hz and two for 60 Hz??? Should I use two belts with the orbe platter? All looks good so far. Anything special I should look at? Oh yea, the bottom of the aluminum sub chassis has this black stuff pressed under neath it. What would that be?
madmax
madmax
10-17-2002, 09:48 PM
Also,
Is there any prevenative maintence I should perform on the motor befor I use it? Anything else you can think about?
madmax
madmax
10-17-2002, 10:32 PM
One other thing I read about is being able to change this setup to an Orbe SE by adding some pieces and removing the GyroDec base and dust cover. Is this an upgrade or downgrade? I couldn't figure that out considering what I read. This thing is awsome as far as I can tell!
madmax
F1nut
10-17-2002, 11:28 PM
Here are some additional LP sources.
www.amusicdirect.com
www.mfslcds.com
www.audiophile-records.com (good guy)
www.elusivedisc.com
Also, check out www.stevehoffman.tv (interesting audiophile site)
Alright!
LIFO kind of night: I suppose you could upgrade to an Orbe SE, but it would probably be a bit expensive. Right now, you have a Gorbe, as it is affectionately called. You would have to change out the plinth (the acrylic base) and add the Orbe Motor + Tacho Power Supply. I don't know what Michell would charge for that.
I can't think of any maintenance to the motor/table you need to worry about now.
You only need 1 belt - you might want to consider getting a new belt, but there's no way to tell until you play it. OTOH, they're cheap.
Black stuff is part of the Gorbe upgrade: Denso-damp. Design to stop that sub-chassis from ringing.
Did you get the record ring? The piece that goes underneath the LP to make the clamping even more effective?
Keep us posted on your progress!
Paul Connor
10-18-2002, 08:11 AM
Glad to hear you got (some of) the gear....
madmax
10-18-2002, 08:12 AM
I did get the record ring. It seemed to fit slightly better one way as compared to when I flipped it over. I'm not sure which way it actually goes. I really like the way the record gets clamped.
I set it up on a large glass shelf temporarily because it provided a lot of space to sit all the parts. The motor rushing sound goes away if I lift it off the glass shelf. (even though there is a rubber o-ring on the bottom of the motor). Maybe there should be a little more isolation between the motor and what it sits on? I can see why they want to isolate it from the plinth.
madmax
One engineering parameter is noise/vibration reduction, & some designers choose to remove the motor completely from the plinth - e.g., Michell. Even the latest version of the Orbe, with a whisper-quiet motor, does this. Others claim that, of necessity due to the forces involved, removing the motor from the plinth compromises integrity of rotational speed.
IME, the record ring goes so that the high shoulder is closest to the spindle. It seems to me to give a more consistent clamping action.
I know of a least 1 guy who uses his Gorbe on a glass shelf. You might try removing the rubber O-ring and placing a sheet of DynaMat under it, and see if you can tell the difference. I wonder though if you get things placed on MDF if that will make a difference.
FYI, some folks are talking about using the Ikea Lack table as the primary stand for a table. Potentially good news, given it's cost.
I hope you get the arm today!
madmax
10-18-2002, 01:44 PM
That table is $9.99 for the black one. Too bad it isn't about 10" longer so the power supply could sit next to the table.
madmax
Paul Connor
10-19-2002, 05:54 PM
Just got back from Triple Play Records where I scored a sealed copy of Neil Young and Crazy Horse---Sleeps with Angels. Also picked up a mint copy of ZZ Top--DeGuello. Massive Purple Throbber!!! Guess I'd better get upstairs and exercise the 1.2's!!
madmax
10-19-2002, 09:17 PM
I have that on CD. It is one of my favorites!!! (ZZ Top Degualo that is). One of my friends has the complete ZZ top collection on LP. I envy him at this point. I do have the first two ZZ tops on lp and I'm hoping I didn't play them enough to mess them up for quality playback.
madmax
madmax
10-19-2002, 09:19 PM
Oh yea,
Let us know how the new ZZ top "turns" out for you once you take a spin. Heh heh.
madmax
Paul Connor
10-19-2002, 10:56 PM
The new record turned great. I'm always surprised when I buy used vinyl that ends up without as much as a single pop or click. Neil Young was also a good listening experience. Can't decide how much I like this particular album though. I'll have to give it a couple more spins.
Paul
Paul Connor
10-19-2002, 10:57 PM
Oh, by the way Tres Hombres is my favorite ZZ album hands down.
madmax
10-20-2002, 09:51 AM
That is my second favorite. I too picked Tres Hombres as my favorite for awhile until I listened to Degualo several times. As far as I'm concerned the two of them are necessities.
Speaking of absolute favorites: The Kinks, Give the people what they want. And guess what, I picked up that LP 10 years ago and never opened it because I found it on CD! I can't wait to spin that one. BTW, I don't care much for any other Kinks music. This particular one is quite different than the rest.
madmax
Paul Connor
10-20-2002, 11:51 PM
I'll have to check out that Kinks album. I saw that there was a cd release of their music recently. What are some of the songs on Give the people what they want?
As for ZZ--give a listen to Master of Sparks on Tres Hombres if you haven't recently. One of my personal favorites.
I think rlw is out buying vinyl this weekend, we'll have to see what he came up with.
Paul
madmax
10-21-2002, 05:18 AM
Master of sparks is awesome!
Some other songs on the Kinks album are Around the Dial, Art Lover, Give the People what they want, Yo Yo, A little bit of Abuse, Destroyer, Add it up, Predictable... This is one of those few albums where all the songs are so good that you can't figure out which one you like the best.
madmax
madmax
10-21-2002, 02:53 PM
I wish I could find tres hombres and degualo on LP.
I Just got the SME arm in!!! I'll play with that tonite. It sure looks monsterous!
madmax
madmax
10-21-2002, 02:54 PM
Which one has "I'm bad, I'm nationwide" on it???
madmax
Originally posted by madmax001
I wish I could find tres hombres and degualo on LP.
I Just got the SME arm in!!! I'll play with that tonite. It sure looks monsterous!
madmax
Excellent news on the arm! Hot damn, you'll be spinning vinyl RSN!
Open the wallet here (http://www7.gemm.com/c/search.pl?sid=9819222&key=82488&filt_skip=1&search_detailed=1&artist=zz+top&title=&media=LP&a_country_radio=ANY&a_country=&price_radio=ANY&price=&gemm_guarantee=0&new_date_radio=ANY&new_date=&quant_on_hand=-1&condition_media=ANY&label=&release_number=&produce_remix=&category=&seller=&source_item_ref=&a_refno=&Submit=SEARCH)
Originally posted by Paul Connor
I think rlw is out buying vinyl this weekend, we'll have to see what he came up with.
Paul
Too much, much too much.
Ended up doing a blitz, and picking out 50 Lp's or so, ranging in condition from M- to SS.
Got some new stuff: the new Alanis Morrisette [absolutely sucks], some older stuff: David Thomas and the Pedestrians, "Sound of the Sand", 45RPM, released in 1982 on Rough Trade, with no surface noise at all [awesome tunes], and some old stuff: original releases of Ella Fitzgerald. Also picked up the Cybil Shepard LP "Cybil Does it to Cole Porter" - couldn't resist that one. Oh, found a Mint copy of Nancy Sinatra, "Boots" LP...some Sun Ra...Kinky Friedman...Fred Frith...Slaphappy...Eugene Chadbourne...
Also got some nifty new CD's of stuff that will never be released on vinyl but is important new jazz.
Now I need to get going on building some shelving.
Paul Connor
10-21-2002, 07:42 PM
I'll have to look, but I think I have a couple of old Nancy Sinatra lp's that came in a collection I bought sight unseen.
Got exited today at lunch and went back to Triple Play Records and bought a sealed copy of Gordon Lightfoot's Back Here on Earth and a mint copy of the soundtrack to Easy Rider.
Storage. I am currently in the process of restoring an armoire that belonged to my great-grandfather. I am going to retrofit it for 331/3 storage. I think I can get it strong enough to hold around 2000 lp's.
Good news on the arm max-the finish line is near.
Paul Connor
10-22-2002, 12:59 AM
Looked for the Kinks album, but no luck.
madmax
10-22-2002, 07:51 AM
Nancy Sinatra is awesome. I have that on CD and it has better than excellent sound. Probably the LP is better? I dont see how. I got the arm limping along last night. Everything is right according to the manual but I need to re-check everything and do a little listening.
Cool letdown happened. My phono preamp is in the bottom of a full closet and a tube type microphone preamp just happened to be sitting close so I grabbed it and hooked it up. Surprisingly no noise or hum. I put on one of the old mishandled discs I had been using for setup. Crack pop hiss etc. This was worse than I remembered. I rechecked all the arm settings. I put on a clean LP and it had very nice extended bass but at a very quiet level and it was very top heavy. I'm sure you see where this is headed. I forgot about the RIAA curve. No wonder the sound was so top heavy! The sound showed some real potential though! Now for the real first listening...
madmax
gidrah
10-22-2002, 08:03 AM
rlw - What Sun Ra did you get? That is just TOO cool.
gidrah,
"Strange Celestial Road"
"MonoRails and Satellites"
I know *nothing* about SunRa. Do you have any recommendations?
madmax,
You're sooo close. I'll get that by the end of tonight you're spinning vinyl!
Paul,
I'm envious that you have a great vinyl so close by!
Paul Connor
10-22-2002, 10:47 PM
rlw,
Triple Play Records is a great store and the owner is very knowlegable about music. He hosts a local radio show here called Acoustic Sunday. He not only sells lp's and cd's, but vintage music posters, magazines and other music related items. He is also one of the local outlets for concert information and tickets. If you ever watched a movie called High Fidelity with John Cusak, the store itself looks a lot like the one in the movie. It is located in the old downtown area of town and has a real nice feel to it. If you are ever passing through Colorado on I-70, it would be worth the time to stop in and visit. His vinyl inventory is not what I would call huge, but he stands behind every record he sells. With that said, I have never returned a record.
Paul Connor
10-22-2002, 10:49 PM
madmax,
Are you there yet??? We're waiting.............!!!!!!!
madmax
10-23-2002, 10:01 AM
I probably wont be there until this weekend. Too much time spent shopping and not enough time spent working, so now I must work late for a few nights to catch up!
madmax
gidrah
10-24-2002, 09:28 AM
rlw - Sun Ra is one of the most varied artists out there. To suggest anything, I'd need to know more about your tastes and more about Herman "Sonny" Blount. I can tell you that he recorded on at least 8 labels. He did 71 LPs and 26 singles (45s) on Saturn alone. Actually this label was created by a friend for his works. I've seen a Saturn label 45 on E-bay with an opening bid of $1000.00. Needless to say, I didn't bid.
I own 4 (probably 5 but can't be sure) CDs. They vary in sound and all around craziness.
Greatest Hits - 18 tracks from '56 - '73. All in chronological order.
Space is the Place - My first purchase. Space Jazz at it's finest and earliest. There's also a Space is the Place movie & soundtrack. I haven't seen or heard either one.
Lanquidity - My favorite from what I have. 5 tracks from '78.
Life is Splendid - Live at the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival of '72. Real good at points, but sometimes extreme avantgarde becomes noise. Plus, the CD reads as 1 long track (9 possible tunes).
My next Sun Ra purchase will probably be Helioconcentric Worlds. Other than Space is the Place, this name pops up alot and may be worth an investigation.
Let me know what you think about your buys. Maybe I'll get one of those instead.
Madmax001 - Get in your closet and pull that pre already. When you're done there, get back to building those arrays.
:) Good luck on both!
madmax
10-25-2002, 08:40 PM
Hey guys,
I'll get there soon. Today I received my orbitrac cleaning system, the Hunt 6 brush, stylast cleaner and album sleeves. Also, I received three new sealed LP's which are at the top of my prized possessions list at this point.
Hendrix-ElectricLadyland, Robert Fripp-God save the Queen and Chris and Cosey-Trust! I have ordered some other new LP's but have not received them yet. This weekend I have to work furiously because I wasted away at least a whole day at work shopping but mid week next week I will be in analog heaven! Hendrix is always an experience with the SDA's so I'm pretty excited about the Electric Lady LP's. Thanks rlw!!! (for all of them!) Now I still need a zerostat anti-static gun and shortly into the future I'll look into a VPI cleaning machine. I look forward to many new LP's at this point as well. I can't wait to get this new media going! I'm anxious to try the Harvest LP as well but have not ordered one yet.
madmax
Enjoy the LP's, madmax. I think you might find the Chris 'n Cosey to be prime SDA material!
madmax
10-26-2002, 07:30 PM
I'll give it a try. So, I received the orbitrack and I'm looking at whether I should use it on the Gyrodec platter? Any problem with that? I thought I read somewhere not to. I still have the old pioneer, maybe I should use that for cleaning? Confused again.
Thanks!
madmax
I'd use it on the Pioneer...then, when you get your VPI RCM, you can use it on that.
I think you'll find the suspension on the Gorbe will make it impossible to use the Orbitrac well.
madmax
10-27-2002, 05:08 PM
There are probably people who like suspension like the gyrodec has and others who like the orbe type. What are the good and bad tradeoffs of each type? A friend asked me and I realized I didn't have a clue.
madmax
The Orbe uses very clost to the same suspension as the Gyro; the only difference is that the plinth is "doubled" with the Orbe - essentially one plinth sits on the other and is coupled via tiny spikes.
IMO, all tables are suspended - just like if you were to remove the shocks and springs from a car, and tie the body and frame directly to the axles, the car would still have a suspension.
Once you buy off on that crazy idea, you can start to analyze the suspension a bit. The first thing is the idea of coupling/decoupling: you're trying to decouple the platter/arm from the plinth at certain frequencies, so that any vibration which passes through the plinth does not pass through the bearing and into the arm.
Take the Gyro: it decouples the motor from the sub-chassis, by coupling the motor to the same mount as the plinth, but having the sub-chassis assembly hang from inverted springs. Moreover, it decouples the sub-chassis from the rest of the world at predetermined frequencies: the hope is that it decouples low enough (10Hz would be great), so that no audible frequency can travel through your floor, to the rack, up the rack, into the plinth, and affect the arm.
So working on the suspension, in theory, is a great idea. However, like all suspensions, there's good and there's bad implementations thereof. A '53 Buick roadmaster has suspension, and you can kiss a curb and not feel it - but the '53 Roadmaster has some weaknesses when it comes to holding the road.
Same with tables: one downside of the Michell decks is that they are pretty susceptible to footfalls - those occur at a frequency low enough that the plinth passes the vibration to the sub-chassis, which then bounces...where a more solid suspension might put up with the footfall and not flinch.
You can also spend a *lot* of time tuning your Michell's suspension - getting it dialed in just right - and the payoff will be noticeably improved bass. However, if you have it wrong, your bass will be muddy, thick, and congealed.
The big upside is that when you get it right, it will sound quite tuneful...
A suspended table can be harder to work on, whether cueing the stylus or cleaning the stylus, or changing a setting on the arm: since the arm/subchassis bounce around, you can easily set the thing to shaking.
The Michell tables are a great entry-point into high-end tables: spend some time getting the suspension set right, and you'll hear what truly high-end tables are all about.
Does that help?
madmax
10-29-2002, 02:21 PM
That helps a little. I've seen the michell tables with the plinth on top of a plinth. I guess that is an original orbe? Mine has only the single L shaped plinth and orbe platter. With the orbe upgrade why don't they use the extra plinth? Or do they and mine is just missing? Just wondering.
I ordered an anti-static gun! I hope it works ok. It uses a "C" cell battery rather than pulling the trigger to make the charge. It had a name I didn't recognize but it looked pretty cool.
Should I get one of those Hi-Fi News test disks? I've heard people talk about them but I don't really know what they do.
madmax
The upgrades to the Gyro don't include the double plinth...don't know why, but probably cost.
Where did you get your anti-static gun?
HFNR test disc: I dunno. I got one. Used it once...put it back on the shelf. It basically goes over system setup, identifies the resonant point of your arm/cart, and gives you some tracking tests to judge what anti-skate/tracking force works best.
madmax
10-29-2002, 06:24 PM
I got the static gun off of ebay. I thought it seemed a little high but it sounded like a good one. I checked the completed ones and saw one that went for more but that only means there could have been someone more stupid than me out there.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1391052245
I'm racking up several LP's off ebay as well.
madmax
Dammit, stop playing on the Internet and get that vinyl spinning! The suspense is killing me!
:lol:
madmax
10-29-2002, 10:57 PM
Originally posted by rlw
Dammit, stop playing on the Internet and get that vinyl spinning! The suspense is killing me!
:lol:
WHOA! Hold them horses there gents!
I am preparing for a full assult on vinyl here!
I have tried on and off playing some of those old scratchy LP's on cheap equipment and have always reassured myself that CD's were better. This time I don't want to hear scratches, pops, etc. If I hear a scratch I want to be able to clean the lp and get rid of it, if I hear a pop I want to eliminate it with the anti-static gun, if I am not sure of the quality of the pressing I want to be able to play a CDD or similar audiophile pressing to make sure that is not a problem! No gotchas here. This time it is going to be what it is. At this time I'm very aware of what my CD's sound like and I want to be able to have a decent audition of this "new" source before being corupted by this and that before getting things right. I Know there will still be things to learn but I want to be as close to heaven as I can get before I start.
On another note, I tried it out quickly with the wrong style preamp and even though it was not "right" I heard some new sounds come through the speakers. A bass line that sounded like nothing that had ever come out of the speakers before. This is my driving force so now I want to be as close as possible to the end result. I have enough evidence at this point to make the anticipation worth while!
I'll get there!!!
madmax
IMO, you're worrying too much!
You're going to have the occasional pop or click - for example, out of the last 10-15Lp's I've played, I've had 2-3 pops, and one LP with a level of surface noise that was higher than ideal, but by no means intrusive. This one LP was still very listenable, with the surface noise well below the level of music, and with gain on the system set so that peaks reached 105+ dB.
Note that these are for the most part used LP's - maybe 2 new lp's out of 15.
You're not going to be able to eliminate every one of those occasional pops or clicks you find. I'm probably going to reclean the one LP, but since it was used, I'm OK living with the fact that it might not have been cared for to the nth degree.
I started off cleaning every LP I got with the VPI. Now I look at each LP, and end up saying "Oooohhhh, I'll bet I can play that without cleaing it" or "Oh, I'll just give it a quick test spin to see, and then clean it later" about a great many even used LP's.
C'mon, man, the suspense is still killing me!
madmax
10-30-2002, 12:39 PM
I have bigger problems though. Without getting into this perfectionist state of mind I would end up not caring for them very well. I want the few pops and such to cause me more work and stress so that I do not allow future laxness. Besides, I'm having fun!
madmax
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