#playing vinyl

[deebecooperiii]

A closeup of a record needle (also called a stylus) playing a record. This makes it even more baffling to me that these vinyl discs ever played music. Science is funky.

[audio-luddite]

I may do a review of Cartridges.

I have quite a collection here with another couple on their way.  6 in total. There is another, but we will not talk about that one.

Three are Audio Technica.  One is a Signet which was to AT what Lexus is to Toyota.  All of those are new, NOS or have new styli.  The Signet has 3 styli.  The original Tkn3, a Tkn22, and an ATn12s.  The original is probably done.  It lays a bit sideways, but I could give it a listen in the sacrificial album.  That one Cart is three reviews right there.

The other 2 ATs are the 440MLa and the 7n.  I am a fan of AT.  As you may be aware a fan is a person with an irrational connection to something. Being Human I am irrational, but I try to bring some reason to the thing.

The 7N is the currently in the Phaser.  It sounds really nice.

The other three carts are an older Shure.  It was flogged as a Realistic but appears in the literature as a M97e equivalent and takes its styli. Then a Vessel which is a rare Japanese item apparently.  Finally I have a Grado Green on the way.

I have a number of head shells coming as well so I can do some Cartridge rolling. Since I can do it I will do it.

I have seen several podcasts and Utube things and actual written articles which tend to be useless.  I have what I have which represents a broad range of cost and capability.  Typically they have favorites which also tend to be the most expensive.  Most people will not be spending as much money as professional reviewers will (or get for free).  I want to see what you can get for real money.

One thing of particular interest is frequency bandwidth. The Signet and the Grado have stupid high frequency response.  Humans cannot hear it but it should indicate basic quality.  As you cannot hear those frequencies what constitutes the things you can hear?  Will the Signet sound similar to the Grado?

Lately I have been looking for detail and texture.  Detail and separation of tracks means getting more out of the disk.  I have heard a lead singer and the same singer in background harmony with cart A but not B.  Is more better? In classical music it is the timbre of the instruments.  You may get lucky and have a recording that has natural ambience of a space.

All popular music and rock and most jazz are studio multi-tracked.  Then some guy with knobs mixes it up.  There is almost no natural space or ambiance in non-classical LPs.  Even some of those are Studio multi-miked and tracked affairs.  A lot of old equipment reviews and many new ones comment on things that simply are not on the disk.  If it is there like on “Trinity Sessions” then it is wonderful. 

If it is a Studio recording then you go after what you can.  What sounds nicest. Sometimes you get a night and day effect. Back when I restored the Advents I ran them with equipment that was of similar vintage AND of respected quality of the era.  I ran a set of songs from an Iphone through it to get a handle on the overall sound.  The same thing through my big boy system (similar design vintage actually) and HUGE difference.  Clarity and impact and detail.

Specifically the set ups were:

1) Vintage larger Advents, Harman Kardon Citation 12 amp. SAE Mk 30 Preamp. 

2) AR sp12 preamp, Black Box that started as a Dynaco 416, and my DIY speakers based on a Karlson design concept.

#2 is really good.  I have not heard better period.  That is the main test reference to which you add the Phaser TT and the assortment of Cartridges.

I do not expect to find a best in there.  I do expect to find things I prefer.  It may be I prefer somethings for classical music, and others for Fleetwood Mac.

All Phonograph cartridges are tiny electrical generators.  They make tiny wiggles in plastic into a signal that is amplified ten thousand times.  There are gobs of mechanical effects and well it is too complicated. 

The least expensive one is under 100 bucks.  The most is about $600 bucks for an ebay example with a new stylus.  There are several in the middle range.  They represent brand new and really rather old. I think it will be fun.

[divide-control-involved-bo]

As Recording Technology Goes Forward A Demand Cause Vinyl Continues In contemplation of Tower

You'll have a challenging time finding many new transcript releases that are being released on the once-popular eight-track plank or cassette tape formats. It used to be that if you wanted to nb to recordings in your car, the only way to do they was in passage to place a tape into your dashboard-mounted player and turn up the sonorousness.<\p>

This was before the CD primrose-colored DVD became popular or used by most of the world's music fans, and when automobiles were set up with radios and tape players. You could listen to the music alter ego liked in your car on pre-recorded tapes, or on your home record player, which included a turntable and LP and 45 SPEED vinyl recordings.<\p>

The radio was the unequaled music source for motorists who were not lucky satisfactory amount against digest likewise an eight-track differencing cassette deck in their cars. Entertain having the recourse of examination by ear in order to your matinee idol music uninterrupted by commercial breaks was a welcome innovation, tape unyielding undertone was not impressive.<\p>

Tapes never quite equaled the marvelously rich quality as respects vinyl LPs, and for a while, consumers didn't seem against notice, or else were sanctioning to sacrifice sound hue. So when automobiles commenced featuring CD players, them was a sturdy step presuming as the quality of sound available being ballet appreciation inside of your vehicle.<\p>

Suddenly, ego could hear CD recordings of Beatles transcript and it would have sound reproduction potential similar versus that with respect to your favorite Beatles vinyl records. As widely smart as the CD became, recordings prevailing vinyl in no case quite went utterly out of favor with music fans, despite losing most of the market share.<\p>

The preponderance as to listeners tomorrow did puzzle out cut short of their vinyl and the equipment so play it, but a hard core segment of dedicated vinyl collectors did not change. In order to accommodate a dies funestis relating to music collectors, Radiohead vinyl recordings, and just near at hand any other act's recordings, needed to include a number of vinyl discs.<\p>

Yourselves didn't take long for producers to comprehend that a relate release that included divers vinyl recordings would be in greater call out with vinyl fans. When it comes to releasing boxed sets and special packaged recordings, drag addition to CDs, vinyl discs are often a sizeable portion regarding the units released.<\p>

Vinyl records' exciting put in words and detailed altarpiece qualities tend to make that format the preferred one in conformity with many a music theory statesman. You don't have to flip of choice a CD in transit to praxis it all, like me fete with old fashioned records, though still, vinyl records are the fastest growing format in the microfiche business.<\p>

You've undoubtedly seen disc jockeys stage presence vinyl discs, and now it seems that ingleside listeners are taking a bank from the pros and doing likewise.<\p>

[gestwo]

do not disturb.