dogn4u
Active Member
I started thinking about vinyl just before Christmas. It had been 25 years or so. Like so many, I was dazzled by the digital gleam of CDs, then the instant gratification of the MP3, and my (huge) record collection shrunk every time I moved (which was a lot, back in the eighties). I'm sure I'm not the only approaching-fifty guy on here who wishes he hadn't been so hasty in giving those thousands of records away.
But dear old vinyl is back Yep, I had exactly two records at Christmas 2010. My brother knew I was getting back into vinyl, so he got me "Beggar's Banquet" and "Let it Bleed" on big heavy super-duper discs. My two fave albums of all...180g vinyl. And digitally remastered.
I gotta say, I think the idea of digitizing vinyl mixes is stupid and misses the whole point. It seems to me that with vinyl - the very definition of analog; you can SEE the waves, for God's sake - one would AVOID a/d conversion and cut the damn masters right from tape.
To be fair, I also realize that the master tape is not always available, nor a 2" machine to run it. And editing digital is faster, easier, and more precise than preserving an analog path. We're talking about records! THE analog medium.Why, oh why would you chop it up a work of music with a billion paper cuts unnecessarily?
Anyway, DSP or not, I'm just not terribly impressed. I remember around 1980 paying $20 for a new Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs pressing of "Aja", which is a pretty good sounding recording to begin with. THAT was a good sounding album, as are a few from thrift stores...you never know. These two new Stones classic reissues? Ehh. they're OK. To give credit where due, they are amazingly flat, clean, and quiet. Still, I expected more. It certainly could be that I was expecting a sound just not possible with '68 and '69 technology.
Things moved quickly in the Seventies in terms of album fidelity and sonics. My theory is that period of the sixties and seventies was the time during which rock stars started to make a lot of money, and much went into studios.
I don't know as I believe in "Hot Stampers" per se, but over years of listening, well, of course some sound better. I just picked up ZZ Top's "Deguello" and Ry Cooder's "Bop 'Till You Drop" - seven and three bucks, respectively, and they both sound incredible. The sound just leaps out at you! So, you know, if I'm feeling flush I might buy, to the delight of us crusty old so-an-so's.
But let me finish my turntable evolution. Just before Christmas, I bought the very cheapest belt-drive I could find: a Pyle, fully manual; $80. Then I found an AT 440MLa cart on sale for under $100. Still didn't sound very good, so the conventional wisdom that 'a better tt a good cartridge will not make'...is true. I had a gold plated dog turd.
Then I got a Dual 506 from my dad that turned out to be all warped. The whole thing. Allegedly nice cart, tho, so I kept it. I might just carve a solid wood plynth and use it with the old parts. The arm looks great.
Finally I broke down and bought a brand new Denon 300D tt. This got consistent reviews: "great table and arm; lousy cartridge". Of course I had the AT ready to go, and not only did the 440 sound killer, it was one specifically mentioned by one of those mags as a good replace for the mysteriously bad stock cart.
Very pleased indeed.
But dear old vinyl is back Yep, I had exactly two records at Christmas 2010. My brother knew I was getting back into vinyl, so he got me "Beggar's Banquet" and "Let it Bleed" on big heavy super-duper discs. My two fave albums of all...180g vinyl. And digitally remastered.
I gotta say, I think the idea of digitizing vinyl mixes is stupid and misses the whole point. It seems to me that with vinyl - the very definition of analog; you can SEE the waves, for God's sake - one would AVOID a/d conversion and cut the damn masters right from tape.
To be fair, I also realize that the master tape is not always available, nor a 2" machine to run it. And editing digital is faster, easier, and more precise than preserving an analog path. We're talking about records! THE analog medium.Why, oh why would you chop it up a work of music with a billion paper cuts unnecessarily?
Anyway, DSP or not, I'm just not terribly impressed. I remember around 1980 paying $20 for a new Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs pressing of "Aja", which is a pretty good sounding recording to begin with. THAT was a good sounding album, as are a few from thrift stores...you never know. These two new Stones classic reissues? Ehh. they're OK. To give credit where due, they are amazingly flat, clean, and quiet. Still, I expected more. It certainly could be that I was expecting a sound just not possible with '68 and '69 technology.
Things moved quickly in the Seventies in terms of album fidelity and sonics. My theory is that period of the sixties and seventies was the time during which rock stars started to make a lot of money, and much went into studios.
I don't know as I believe in "Hot Stampers" per se, but over years of listening, well, of course some sound better. I just picked up ZZ Top's "Deguello" and Ry Cooder's "Bop 'Till You Drop" - seven and three bucks, respectively, and they both sound incredible. The sound just leaps out at you! So, you know, if I'm feeling flush I might buy, to the delight of us crusty old so-an-so's.
But let me finish my turntable evolution. Just before Christmas, I bought the very cheapest belt-drive I could find: a Pyle, fully manual; $80. Then I found an AT 440MLa cart on sale for under $100. Still didn't sound very good, so the conventional wisdom that 'a better tt a good cartridge will not make'...is true. I had a gold plated dog turd.
Then I got a Dual 506 from my dad that turned out to be all warped. The whole thing. Allegedly nice cart, tho, so I kept it. I might just carve a solid wood plynth and use it with the old parts. The arm looks great.
Finally I broke down and bought a brand new Denon 300D tt. This got consistent reviews: "great table and arm; lousy cartridge". Of course I had the AT ready to go, and not only did the 440 sound killer, it was one specifically mentioned by one of those mags as a good replace for the mysteriously bad stock cart.
Very pleased indeed.
