Debating whether to get into vinyl...

[TheCoolGuy]

I've been wanting to start collecting vinyl LPs. My neighbor who has been listening to records and CDs all of his life gave me a list of his thoughts of why not to get records:

1) Hard to organize.
2) New LPs are costly (and a good record player is too.)
3) Not very convenient.
4) Sound quality isn't top notch like everyone says.
5) Can't be used in iTunes and the like.
6) If there's a problem with the needle/the record gets dust/scratches, it will start to skip and pop.

He gave me more reasons but these are the main point... he says CDs solve the above problems and don't sound bad...

Anyone have any opinions on the matter?

[clashcityrocker10]

If you have the money and space available for it, go ahead and start getting them.

[afterstasis]

i prefer the sound of vinyl in most cases and really enjoy the large packaging. it has it's drawbacks, but nothing too bad.

with just a little care and initial investment i think it's wise for any serious music lover to at least give vinyl a shot.

[instantdeath999]

1) Hard to organize.
2) New LPs are costly (and a good record player is too.)
3) Not very convenient.
4) Sound quality isn't top notch like everyone says.
5) Can't be used in iTunes and the like.
6) If there's a problem with the needle/the record gets dust/scratches, it will start to skip and pop.

He gave me more reasons but these are the main point... he says CDs solve the above problems and don't sound bad...

Anyone have any opinions on the matter?

1. No harder than CD's, in my opinion. Just need a bigger shelf.
2. Depends on what you're buying, how new it is, etc. Some vinyl you can actually pick up for cheaper than the CD's.
3. True, of course it's no ipod (although I would take the vinyl over mp3)
4. It's certainly an improvement, at least for me.
5. Not true, actually. Some vinyl players actually do transfer to itunes, though from what I've heard, it just goes into one long track. But why would you want to do that, anyway?
6. True, though I think cleaning will work most of the time.

[chumsicles]

One time I bought a brand new record and it skipped a little during the last song on side one. Is there anyway to fix this?

[bubblegumpop]

I just got into it myself and it is pretty expensive, I mostly just do it to be a collector. You could just start collecting and save up for a good player later down the road.

[schmeankman]

My opinion as a person who has about 1500+ records.

1) Not any harder than CD's, as long as you know the alphabet.
2) True, but (depending on your musical tastes) good music can be had in good condition for cheap (my local salvation army has a '8 for a quarter' deal). It's also often overlooked that vinyl can be ordered directly from the label for prices like $10, as opposed to the 20-25 you may see the same record for in the rec. store. Also, it's true that high end audiophile turntables are very expensive, but a nice vintage TT can be found easily at your local thrift/at yard sales
3) Well, no it's not known for it's portibility. :p
4) It is in my opinion. :D
5) True, though USB turntables can be used for conversion, though I wouldn't suggest them for casual listening use
6) Vinyl cleaner can be had for cheap (under 10 dollars) and is very effective, as far as not scratching records, you just have to be careful, I've only done it once in a year.

[bubblegumpop]

I have a usb turntable, I don't play my records much on it, but any recommendations to upgrade the cartridge?

[Elegy]

I think the sound is a lot better. Way easier to hear the individual instruments.

[Mystlyfe77]

One time I bought a brand new record and it skipped a little during the last song on side one. Is there anyway to fix this?

Adjust the anti-skate on your turntable.

[idiotec]

CD’s are definitely more convenient, no doubt about that.

I think what it comes down to, is whether the things that go into vinyl sound like work, or do they sound like fun:

Searching through bins of crap records to find that “diamond in the rough.”
Cleaning records
Tweaking the turntable setup
Flipping sides every 20-25 minutes

Also, be prepared for the following:

Finding a record that looks great but once played you realize it has serious groove damage no matter how well you clean it.
Finding out that a lot of new pressings are sub par.
Getting drunk and breaking/bending the stylus and/or scratching a record.


Another thing to consider, do you already have the rest of the stereo equipment to support a turntable or are you going to have to start from scratch? It isn’t much, but you will need a receiver/integrated/preamp with a phono input or a stand-a-lone phono preamp to go with one of the mentioned pieces if it doesn’t have a phono input. And of course you need speakers to go with it.

You can put together a pretty nice system without a ton of cash going vintage. My second system for the living room is a Pioneer PL-12D turntable and a vintage Marantz receiver. The turntable I got for $20 and the receiver I got for $80. Add a $50 cartridge and some speakers and you are set. The vintage JBL speakers are great for rock music and many can be found for less that $200. I would say for about $250-$350 you could build a decent little system this way, of course if you already have the other equipment, all you need is the ‘table.

The Pioneer PL-12D is really a very good turntable for the money. It was budget hifi back in its day and is still considered a very good barging today. Many will put it equal to the starter hifi tables of today in the $300-$400 range. Craigslist is a great resource for this.

[polishdog90]

Vinyl is great. I really like the fact that you have a large physical item/packaging to represent your music collection. Plus you generally have to listen to a whole album or at least one side at a time. I hate when people change the song on an ipod every minute.

[DJFreddyG]

One time I bought a brand new record and it skipped a little during the last song on side one. Is there anyway to fix this?

First, try cleaning the disc itself. You can immerse the disc (NOT the center sticker section of course) in warm water containing a small amount of dish detergent. Take a very soft and clean damp (not soaked) cloth or sponge and wipe COUNTERCLOCKWISE to remove any dirt. Now rinse the disc and dry it COMPLETELY. Try it after its dry and see whay happens.
This will usually remove most pops and ticks as well.

If that doesn't work, there is one other way I have used for years, but I have completely manual turnatbles to do it on (1200's).
I will warn anyone who tries this that if you have a bad stylus OR your tonearm is set too heavy you may do more harm than good, although I have done this on some rough equipment with no ill effects.

Play the record until the skip, then stop the platter immediately (kill the power) without removing the tonearm from the disc. Now manually spin the record backward thru the skip at about the same speed as it would spin forward. Once you are passed the bad section, restart the turnatable. If the skip is still there, repeat the process until it's futile to try anymore.
99% of the time there is simply debris or the groove has collapsed, which usually only effects the needle travelling in the normal direction. By forcing the needle in the opposite direction will either remove the blockage OR restore the groove.
Like I said, I have had to do that trick for years and it works virtually all the time.

If anyone is planning to invest in vinyl, here are some things to consider:

Vinyl is also like Gremlins in some ways, lots of DON'T'S:

NEVER, EVER, EVER lay vinyl flat. That's a mistake people always make when the own LP's or even 12" singles. Why? Flat vinyl has a tendency to warp and if you stack them flat you will crush the grooves.

Don't store them where they can be exposed to high levels of heat or direct sunlight. Also don't store them where it can be humid/damp or dusty.

Beside the Turntable itself, the single most important investment is the cartridge/stylus. That's where the sound is created, so going cheap is never a good idea. Also, a poorly mounted and balanced cartridge/stylus, no matter how much it cost, is bad for records period. Nothing destroys records more completely than poor maintenence of the equipment.

[idiotec]

Play the record until the skip, then stop the platter immediately (kill the power) without removing the tonearm from the disc. Now manually spin the record backward thru the skip at about the same speed as it would spin forward. Once you are passed the bad section, restart the turnatable. If the skip is still there, repeat the process until it's futile to try anymore.
Ouch, this makes me cringe. :eek:

I am not saying it hasn't worked for you, but the damage that could be done to the record and/or stylus is NOT worth it IMO. Better off cleaning using conventional methods. I only have 2 records that I have had skip, both are due to actual record damage. If you clean all your records before you play them in the first place, I cannot see a skip be due to dirt/debris.

I agree with the rest of your advice :)