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Steely Dan Aja vinyl distortion defect??

cabalaska

cabalaska

Member
Hey, noob here...
I just purchased a new sealed copy of Steely Dan Aja. It is on the back to black label. I cleaned it significantly and carefully and then removed all the static and sat down to enjoy. I was thoroughly enjoying it until close to the end of side one (inner grooves), I started hearing distortion on the vocals . Wtf? I turned the album over, removed static again and played. Again the first 3/4 of side two sounded great and then, as with side one, I heard distortion again on the vocals as well as other parts.

Is this a pressing defect? Vinyl defect? It is not my system. I began to troubleshoot with multiple other albums all playing cleanly with zero distortion. I also played several CD's to check my speakers as well. Everything with my system was clean and distortion free-- as it has always been. I only hear this with this issue of the Steely Dan Aja album, and it's only on the inner part of the vinyl.

Any thoughts or similar experience with this edition?
 
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It could be a bad pressing, I have the same album with the Back to Black pressing and I have zero distortion with the whole album. Possibly an alignment issue?
cabalaska said:
Hey, noob here...
I just purchased a new sealed copy of Steely Dan Aja. It is on the back to black label. I cleaned it significantly and carefully and then removed all the static and sat down to enjoy. I was thoroughly enjoying it until close to the end of side one (inner grooves), I started hearing distortion on the vocals . Wtf? I turned the album over, removed static again and played. Again the first 3/4 of side two sounded great and then, as with side one, I heard distortion again on the vocals as well as other parts.

Is this a pressing defect? Vinyl defect? It is not my system. I began to troubleshoot with multiple other albums all playing cleanly with zero distortion. I also played several CD's to check my speakers as well. Everything with my system was clean and distortion free-- as it has always been. I only hear this with this issue of the Steely Dan Aja album, and it's only on the inner part of the vinyl.

Any thoughts or similar experience with this edition?
Click to expand...
 
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Not sure if it's the same phenomenon, but the Back to Black reissue of Music From Big Pink I have is chock full of no-fill. Utter garbage.
 
I've never heard distortion on any vinyl...ever. Sounds like a defective item. I'd suggest returning it.
 
Thanks for the replies.
Alignment was/is spot on, but I will recheck it. Like I said, I don't hear it on any other album played to date. I may have to return it.
 
I'll bet you just got a lemon. Send it back.

I went through 17 copies of "DSOTM" 2011 reissue. All had the exact same defect 5 minutes from the end of side 1. Was the same on all of my tables. Amazon was great, they didn't even want them back. Did not end up with a good copy. These were very peculiar recordings. The vinyl was super quiet until the music started then there was a constant low level sizzle across both sides. I would have thought alignment but side two had no problem on any of the 17 copies. Oh, did I mention that these were pressed by Rainbo. Go Figure.
 
How about move you antiskate back and forth and see if the IGD disappears. Also, even the most careful cart alignment can yield IGD towards the end of a record if any setting up factors are just shy. A slightly tilted headshell will reek havoc also
 
17 copies??? Good grief.
So again, forgive what may be an obvious question but I'm a noob....if the alignment is not just right, wouldn't that yield IGD on all of my records? Thanks
 
Nope. Depends on a lot of factors. Loud, complex passages are more likely to experience igd.
 
Surely an original Aja can't be hard or expensive to find. I've played my old copy (from unknown origins) dozens of times on various set ups and it has always sounded fantastic.
 
cabalaska said:
17 copies??? Good grief.
So again, forgive what may be an obvious question but I'm a noob....if the alignment is not just right, wouldn't that yield IGD on all of my records? Thanks
Click to expand...

If your other records exhibit no problems I would chalk it up to a bad copy. But I would give Northwind's idea a try. Might want to try a bit more tracking force. Try a 1/4 gram and see if it makes a difference. You never know. And good luck to get it right. Its a great album.
 
Northwinds said:
How about move you antiskate back and forth and see if the IGD disappears. Also, even the most careful cart alignment can yield IGD towards the end of a record if any setting up factors are just shy. A slightly tilted headshell will reek havoc also
Click to expand...
I'll give it a try. To what other "setting up factors" are you referring?
 
My ABC original Aja tracks just fine, no Inner Groove Distortion on my Shure M75 EJ at 1.75 grams on my Pioneer PL 12-D. it also tracks comparably at the same force on my Technics SP-25/Audio-Technica ATP 16-T/Shure M 25c, and also on my Technics SL-D1 on my Pickering XV 15/Stanton 680 EL at 2.25 grams force. No inner groove distortion on all 3 turntables.
 
I'd exchange it for a new one. If that's similar, then I might try tweaking on my setup a bit. It's not uncommon, though, to get the occasional pressing defect. I have an NRBQ with non-fill on the outer edge of side one. Drove me nuts cleaning things until I looked at it in the right light. Also, have gotten a Jimmy Buffet record with serious distortion/sibilance throughout - exchanged it and the replacement was fine.
 
I have the same problem with this pressing. It's practically the only record where I get IGD.
But it's not that bad.....
But man.... do I like this record :)
 
Well, I finally acquired an AB-1006 copy and voila! there is no Inner groove distortion. It wasn't my system after all!!

It sounds great but I must say--to my ears--the back to black new pressing actually sounds a little livelier but I cannot tolerate hearing distortion when listening to this wonderful album. So I shan't be spinning the newer edition.

With the level of technology that we current have in the 21st century, I am befuddled as to why a new pressing would have such a flaw as this?
Anyway just wanted to post that the original proved to prove every
 
Hi Cabalaska,and welcome to the forums :)

This album,while challenging,is certainly not a torture test by any stretch.I also use an Ortofon 2M Black,and it tracks this album perfectly. Mine is an old copy,and might even be a Canadian pressing.I use an SME III arm mounted on a Thorens TD-125.

Just out of curiosity,what is your set up,and what is your tracking force?

Cheers,

Art
 
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