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Can anyone explain the vinyl renaissance?

BDWoody

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Personally, I'd like a home for technical discussion on analog sources. Vinyl is plagued with just as much BS as the rest of audio, and it'd be good for there to be a place where the real technical aspects can be discussed. This doesn't work well on most other forums as most of the membership doesn't understand it or isn't interested in it, and when there's an issue the moderators really aren't equipped to navigate it. While presently a minority, there are some folks that are open to learning; It's a gateway.

On the other hand, I've pretty much written-off ASR as the home for analog technical discussions, which is a shame as a good number of the technical members here do have a lot they could share. The Biff Tanner welcoming duo pretty much makes it a non-starter, which seems to be their intended purpose. Call me funny, but I just don't think a 2x4 to the forehead of 'vinyl is bad and you're an idiot for listening to it' is all that welcoming, regardless of how open-minded a person may ultimately be. As a person who understands the shortcomings of the format, the delivery is so obtuse and ignorant that it thwarts my desire to participate.

I would like to see that as well.

We have had some excellent threads in which your contributions have been integral, and it does get old when our standard handful of 'Vinyl Sucks' members feel the need to take a big stinky dump in the middle of what is an otherwise evidence based, enjoyable discussion.

Dealing with new members who show up and act a certain way is one thing, dealing with our 'OG' members is another. For those who have been part of this place from near the beginning we (admins) tend to view them as effectively having Tenure, and are very reluctant to get involved. I don't want my job to be looking after our members with thousands of posts, but I also don't want anyone to feel discouraged from exploring what is certainly a significant part of the hi-fi world.

I like playing records. I know the limitations.

I would like there to be an evidence based place to learn more about how to work with those limitations without being castigated for enjoying an outdated format, so if you are all up for it, so am I. If I have to buck up and have a private word with a member or two so we can try to get this working a little better, I can manage that. For those of you who tend to be swinging that 2x4 @JP mentioned, maybe ease up.
 
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fpitas

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I agree that measurements define what will be heard in audio electronics. Thing is someone may prefer the sound of a piece that measures poorly over a better spec'd one.
Of course. But I'm not sure the general audio public understands that distinction like we do.
 

Cote Dazur

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Thing is someone may prefer the sound of a piece that measures poorly over a better spec'd one.
If the poor measurement is showing something we can hear, yes it is possible but rather unlikely, but if the measurement is just poor in relation to a better measurement but both are not audible, then yes.
 

Dismayed

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Whatever. Vinylphiles enjoy the ritual of playing music. Yes, vinyl recordings do sound different. The format has limitations, and a CD could easily reproduce the exact sounds of vinyl recordings, including the hisses and pops. But few would buy such CDs because they don’t provide the ritualistic experience of vinyl.
 

JP

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I would like to see that as well.

We have had some excellent threads in which your contributions have been integral, and it does get old when our standard handful of 'Vinyl Sucks' members feel the need to take a big stinky dump in the middle of what is an otherwise evidence based, enjoyable discussion.

Dealing with new members who show up and act a certain way is one thing, dealing with our 'OG' members is another. For those who have been part of this place from near the beginning we (admins) tend to view them as effectively having Tenure, and are very reluctant to get involved. I don't want my job to be looking after our members with thousands of posts, but I also don't want anyone to feel discouraged from exploring what is certainly a significant part of the hi-fi world.

I like playing records. I know the limitations.

I would like there to be an evidence based place to learn more about how to work with those limitations without being castigated for enjoying an outdated format, so if you are all up for it, so am I. If I have to buck up and have a private word with a member or two so we can try to get this working a little better, I can manage that. For those of you who tend to be swinging that 2x4 @JP mentioned, maybe ease up.

Giddy up.

It's rare to see a dataset of more than one measurement on one copy for cartridges, and I'm about to measure at least 4 150MLX bodies and 14 styli. I know the forum where that data should be posted, and I'm happy to do so if we can keep any ensuing conversation reasonable.
 

Dismayed

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Dismayed

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Vinyl does sound different, and CDs aren’t recorded with limited dynamics, pops, and hisses. What’s important is that you enjoy the music and the experience. Cheers.
 

EJ3

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I have been hesitant to digitize my many hundreds of albums (& cassettes & Reel to Reels) to have them stored on the digital side of my system because I have been uncertain of (is what I am recording to digital the best that the media I am recording from being transferred by gear that can get ALL AVAILABLE out of that media.
Am I using a cartridge that is capable of getting all of what is on the record, am I using a phono stage that is capable of getting it also. I don't want/need perfection. I just need to get all of what is their. So that I can transfer to the best of my ability. Then EQ flat. Then adjust the curve (maybe a Harman curve [probably one modified by me for my taste in my environment. But I want to get it ALL to that flat point of reference. So that I have a point to adjust from.
These conversations being stifled by some are preventing those like me from learning what we need to know to be digitizing our collections. (which, in fact, was the primary reason I joined this site.
After I figured out that wasn't happening, I stayed because there is so much other great information here.
 

JP

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I have been hesitant to digitize my many hundreds of albums (& cassettes & Reel to Reels) to have them stored on the digital side of my system because I have been uncertain of (is what I am recording to digital the best that the media I am recording from being transferred by gear that can get ALL AVAILABLE out of that media.
Am I using a cartridge that is capable of getting all of what is on the record, am I using a phono stage that is capable of getting it also. I don't want/need perfection. I just need to get all of what is their. So that I can transfer to the best of my ability. Then EQ flat. Then adjust the curve (maybe a Harman curve [probably one modified by me for my taste in my environment. But I want to get it ALL to that flat point of reference. So that I have a point to adjust from.
These conversations being stifled by some are preventing those like me from learning what we need to know to be digitizing our collections. (which, in fact, was the primary reason I joined this site.
After I figured out that wasn't happening, I stayed because there is so much other great information here.

We can certainly solve this. Making the process not a tedious pain is another matter….
 

RCAguy

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I abandoned vinyl when CDs happened - even trashing a couple turntables that I wish I hadn't. Then added disk restoration to my audio engineering business, and wrote a textbook on the science behind it. Now, my son 50 and grandsons 16 and 14 have their own turntables and record collections. As in my Phonograph book, they like the "romance" of setting a rock in a furrow, the relatively unprocessed sound, and the great music and recordings from before the grands were born.
 

MattHooper

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I don't, actually.

I don't enjoy the "ritual" of setting up cartridges. That's truly a pain-in-the-*ss and I don't know how people with multiple arms/turntables/cartridges deal with it.
(Unless of course they enjoy it).
 

RCAguy

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I don't enjoy the "ritual" of setting up cartridges. That's truly a pain-in-the-*ss and I don't know how people with multiple arms/turntables/cartridges deal with it.
(Unless of course they enjoy it).
Matt, I align tonearms routinely for clients, grandsons, and of course myself - it gets easier with practice. I include the usual tracking force, the visual method from my Phonograph book for skating compensation and the free tools in it for optimizing resonance - often ignored because it's misunderstood. And don't forget capacitive loading of MM\MI cartridges at the preamp input, also often ignored and highly detrimental to tone color.

adv_Ph2ndEdn_flowchart 'Textbook case'_RGB.jpg
 

EJ3

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I don't enjoy the "ritual" of setting up cartridges. That's truly a pain-in-the-*ss and I don't know how people with multiple arms/turntables/cartridges deal with it.
(Unless of course they enjoy it).
That is also why my main TT is a T4P (Technics SL-M3), if I could {and had the money to do it) my other TT(DUAL 1229) would also have that set up. Unfortunately (because it never really took of) T4P cartridges are even more difficult to find than the "traditional" cartridges.
 

Xulonn

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highly detrimental to tone color
This being a science-based forum, I would assume that you mean it alters the frequency response curve. That can be measured using a test record - LINK
 

JP

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I don't enjoy the "ritual" of setting up cartridges. That's truly a pain-in-the-*ss and I don't know how people with multiple arms/turntables/cartridges deal with it.
(Unless of course they enjoy it).

Mount once, use anywhere.

IMG_1581.jpeg
 
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