RP Listener Forum - Radio Paradise

Posted: Jun 18, 2010 - 6:16pm

Unfortunately Petey doesn't like vinyl so I don't spin it as often as I'd like to. My latest spin session was Loggins and Messina On Stage side three, Mofi Santana Abraxas side one, Pink Martini Sympathique side one. I've been spinning some SACD lately too (it doesn't bother Petey as much) but it's not vinyl so I won't mention it here.

Posted: Jun 18, 2010 - 5:50pm

phineas wrote:

You have lots of special issues and promos. Were you in the music industry?

i dated a guy in the music industry for several years. got some great vinyl. and cds.

Posted: Jun 18, 2010 - 5:38pm

kurtster wrote:

Today is the 62nd Birthday of the Long Playing 33 1/3 rpm vinyl record.

Just heard it on the tube, no links.

So Happy Birthday old friends !!!!

Yep the microgroove record (both 33 1/3 and 45 rpm) were introduced in 1948 by Columbia....And the stereo record as we know it was introduced in 1957 though other stereo schemes had unsuccessfully been introduced as early as 1933..

Posted: Jun 18, 2010 - 5:12pm

Today is the 62nd Birthday of the Long Playing 33 1/3 rpm vinyl record.

Just heard it on the tube, no links.

So Happy Birthday old friends !!!!

Posted: Jun 18, 2010 - 10:42am

phineas wrote:

Cool. It's great that they get played at your place.

Constantly played. I try and clean and play at least 5 a day on average....

Posted: Jun 18, 2010 - 10:39am

DaveInVA wrote:

I volunteered as an engineer for my High School FM station all 4 years and also for 2 years with the College station. The station manager for the High School station actually preferred we took the rock lp's home so they wouldn't get "accidentally" played. He didn't like rock and only approved light rock and some pop. I also ended up with friends collections when they converted to CeeDee and were mostly going to just toss the lp's.

Cool. It's great that they get played at your place.

Posted: Jun 18, 2010 - 10:36am

phineas wrote:

You have lots of special issues and promos. Were you in the music industry?

I volunteered as an engineer for my High School FM station all 4 years and also for 2 years with the College station. The station manager for the High School station actually preferred we took the rock lp's home so they wouldn't get "accidentally" played. He didn't like rock and only approved light rock and some pop. I also ended up with friends collections when they converted to CeeDee and were mostly going to just toss the lp's.

Posted: Jun 18, 2010 - 10:15am

The Records - Radio Station promo with 7" EP and photos

Posted: Jun 18, 2010 - 10:13am

Art Garfunkel - Breakaway - Promo

Posted: Jun 18, 2010 - 10:13am

DaveInVA wrote:

Deep Burple - Made in Japan - German pressing 2 lp

I played mine until the grooves wore out.....

Posted: Jun 18, 2010 - 10:09am

DaveInVA wrote:

Van Morrison - Wavelength - Promo

You have lots of special issues and promos. Were you in the music industry?

Posted: Jun 18, 2010 - 10:08am

Van Morrison - Wavelength - Promo

Posted: Jun 18, 2010 - 10:03am

Deep Burple - Made in Japan - German pressing 2 lp

Posted: Jun 18, 2010 - 10:00am

Them - Featuring Van Morrison 2 lp set

Posted: Jun 17, 2010 - 12:48pm

black321 wrote:

Great comments from both. I recently upgraded to a nice universal player (Arcam DVD 139) with SACD and DVD-A. I, unexpectedly, fell in love with SACD, and cant wait to find some software to test the DVD-A, which I've read sounds even more impressive...shame there isnt more material to choose from, and I'm getting into this at the tail end with products virtually dying. I've read another advantage of digital over LPs is with the bass...with lps they were limited so as to not have the needle bounce too much in the groove? On a final note, I'm itching to dust off my old lps, but I dont have a working TT. Any recommendations for a solid used, or even a new TT (not too expensive). Heard good things about the Rega P1, which is about $350.

Well, yes and no. When cutting a record the recording time is limited by the width of the groove. There is just one long groove on each side of the record. If its wider it has to have wider spacing and therefore less recording time as the groove can't be as long. To counteract this they cut the bass at a standardized slope therefore limiting the width of the groove. However, on playback they boost the bass by the same amount that it had been cut so in the end the same amount of bass is there on playback as in the original pre-eq recording. They also boost the high frequencies before pressing and then cut them back down by the same amount on playback. This is done to give the record a better signal to noise ratio. This is called the RIAA curve and was invented in the mid 50's because each record company came up with their own eq and pre-amps had to have switch settings for all of them. The RIAA stepped in and standardized an eq curve to eliminate all the different settings. This was when the RIAA was still doing something more useful and practical then suing grandmothers and 8 y/o kids.
Back to your question again - Without the eq and with sufficient bass it would also have been possible to make the records harder to track or at least would have brought up the cost of the cartridges that would have had to have better suspensions etc.
For instance, the Telarc 1812 Overture LP's cannons can't be tracked by some cartridges even with the RIAA eq. Also for some DJ and Radio Station Play only records they limit the time per side to 8-12 minutes allowing them to record the audio hotter by 6 db or more. These gives a lower noise floor though a well recorded standard pressing can approach 75 db dynamic range on its own. A CD is about 100 db but as most newer stuff is compressed as mentioned in my earlier post about loudness wars that limit is rarely approached. CD's have a response from 20 hz to about 20 khz. Records can record as low as 7 hz to over 50 khz but except for test records that is rarely done that low. Low frequencies are on test records mostly to test tone arm/cartridge resonances etc. As with CD mastering the actual sound of a particular record depends on the skills of the engineers that produce it and their bosses that may dictate some limits or preferences.

Now about turntables - To get a really decent new turntable can get into a lot of money. Used is the way to go for best bang for the buck. You can't go wrong with a used Thorens TD125 or TD126. If you can't afford those you can get a TD150 or TD160 pretty reasonably. These will all blow away any under $750 or so brand new turntable. Parts are easily available and lots of support for them. Many people that have to start with a new table like to start with something Technics SL1200 direct drive. These are good solid starter turntables but I like the Thorens tables better.

Posted: Jun 17, 2010 - 12:29pm

Â DaveInVA wrote:

Don't get me wrong as I am not against digital. I am a electronics engineer by trade with more than 30 years experience... CD:

http://www.audiofidelity.net/content/yes-90125

Â

Great comments from both. I recently upgraded to a nice universal player (Arcam DVD 139) with SACD and DVD-A. I, unexpectedly, fell in love with SACD, and cant wait to find some software to test the DVD-A, which I've read sounds even more impressive...shame there isnt more material to choose from, and I'm getting into this at the tail end with products virtually dying.

I've read another advantage of digital over LPs is with the bass...with lps they were limited so as to not have the needle bounce too much in the groove?

On a final note, I'm itching to dust off my old lps, but I dont have a working TT. Any recommendations for a solid used, or even a new TT (not too expensive). Heard good things about the Rega P1, which is about $350.

Posted: Jun 17, 2010 - 12:25pm

phineas wrote:

I love this thread!

seriously

Posted: Jun 17, 2010 - 12:22pm

DaveInVA wrote:

all kinds of cool albums....

I love this thread!

Posted: Jun 17, 2010 - 10:20am

Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town - Promo

Posted: Jun 17, 2010 - 10:18am

Procol Harum - A Salty Dog - french pressing on mfp label with alternate artwork