Category: vinyl records

Queen Box Set

Universal Music recently launched a Queen 18 LP vinyl box set. It contained all of Queens studio albums (15). The set was remastered by Bob Ludwig who considered analogue mastering but had to rule it out due to the condition of some of the master tapes, some being over 40 years old. This appears to be an industry wide issue; the source of analogue heritage is being lost.

An “analogue” vinyl album

Analogue technology records full frequency sound waves. Place digitalization anywhere in the process and interpretation is introduced. Digital also allows many options from data reduction to allow file compression (was handy for MP3) or to produce cleaner brighter sounds.

A contemporary new vinyl record has an analogue track in its groves, however you should be sceptical on how these analogue track messages were produced. In making the pressing tool for the record, from what type of source did the tool cutter get its data? It is sometimes not easy to understand from an album cover.

Who is crafting our sound?

It is ironic that most of the music industry top sound engineers are now over 40 years old. In their niche field, they are celebrities and remain the first call for huge artists – yet all are well into their personal hearing decline, accelerated by their chosen career environment. They are the ones controlling what we might hear.

To be fair, these sound celebrities, with their experiences, no doubt know more about the majority of sound we are hearing, than anyone else.

Should you stay analogue pure?

If you have invested heavily in a pure analogue system at home, you may feel it somewhat ironic playing an album mastered from a digital source. But then if you own BMW M3, how often do you drive at 150 mph?

Perhaps the answer is to be pragmatic. If you can’t get an original and a full analogue repress is not available or you are buying contemporary digitally recorded vinyl, consider the people and company behind the release. Is it a fast, low cost pressing to exploit the vinyl resurgence, or has it come from a better place.

 

Dust and Dirt in the groves of your vinyl and on your stylus

It is in your interest to keep well on top of this!

Your listening pleasure and your record/stylus investments are under attack!
Even albums that skip are often a result of dirt in a grove and correct cleaning will clear the skip!

Brand New Albums

These should be cleaned before the first play.

New albums usually come statically charged. This will immediately attract dust and dirt and you should resolve this at the outset. Additionally, the manufacturing process plus factory/packing conditions means that your shinny new album is likely to already contain particles which should be removed.

Second Hand Albums

It is better to assume, no matter how clean they look, that dirt and grime lingers!

Remember, you are letting the ownership habits of unknown third parties into your precious vinyl camp. Don’t rush to hear your new acquisition until some due diligence.  You owe it to yourself.

Your Stylus

Your precious stylus also acts as a dust collector as it journeys along the entire grove of your album. It is highly unlikely that your stylus will be clean after an album even if you are the most careful album owner. It is happening at a small scale, but a mini dust ball on the tip of your stylus will muffle vinyl sound. A stylus brush and fluid should be used, stroking the brush from stylus base to tip. It might be worth purchasing a jewellers loupe to help keep an eye on your stylus condition.

Playing Albums

Every environment has dust continually falling. Try creating a shaft of sunlight into your room and you will see what is in the air of even the cleanest rooms. This is why the use of a turntable cover is important when playing an album. Sure, covers can rather spoil a vinyl experience, but on balance, it is suggested that you cover up. Made to measure and off shelf covers exist if you need a replacement.

Cleaning Kit, Equipment and Techniques

This ranges from simple low cost liquids, cloths and brushes to high tech, expensive equipment that are in the cost league of premium turntables. The key is avoid products and techniques, which actually harm your vinyl investments. The web as awash with ideas and you should proceed carefully before deciding a process that suits you. Particularly avoid any process which is aggressive. It may clean well, but damage at the same time.

If in doubt, talk to your record store owners and get advice.

A little thought and time applied to this issue can considerably increase your vinyl pleasure. Imagine purchasing a new £1000 suit and then wedging it into a crowded wardrobe on a cheap plastic hanger. Hopefully you wouldn’t do that, but folk do!……it can be like that with albums.

Don’t overload your space

Decide the location(s) and amount of physical space you wish to devote to storing your vinyl collection. Estimate the number of albums which can be stored and then reduce this number be 30%.  Limit the maximum potential of your album collection to this reduced number. This is likely to breathe life into your collection and increase your enjoyment. To maintain this, album numbers or space sometimes has to change. Album culling can be tough but it can often make real sense.

Secondary storage in a spare room may seem attractive, but revisit your collection strategy. It is impossible to own every vinyl you may like. Be selective.

Note; Albums should always be stored upright – a pile of albums may look bohemian, but the lower albums can be damaged!

Some uniformity

Many second hand album covers and inner sleeves can look a little tired with scuffed edges.

This collector has a uniform approach to all his albums both second hand and new.

• All albums are stored in a consistent new stiff plastic protector (suitable for single or double albums). Any shrink-wrap or other album cover protector has been removed.
• The album and any inserts are removed from the cover. The original album inner sleeve is discarded and the album placed in a consistent new white sleeve. This is placed behind the album cover inside the new plastic protector. Any original inserts are placed inbetween the rear of the album cover and sleeved album.

All rather anal and over the top perhaps, however the net result is particularly pleasing when acquiring a batch of second hand albums. Once cleaned and then given the above treatment, the albums look refreshed and a perfect compliment the existing collection.

Cataloguing

This is not for everyone, but if your collection is over several hundred, you should have some sort of system.

The simplest is often to have a shelf running order by artist in alphabetical order with their albums stored chronologically.

The use of an excel spread sheet may seem like pleasure spoiler, but it is to be encouraged. By listing artist, month/year of release, album name as a minimum for the running order of your collection you will have added personal value to your collection.

A copy on your smartphone will guard against duplicate purchases and also help you maintain discipline to your album library. There, the word library has been used!

downtechinglondon aims to highlight and support real physical record stores, which proactively stock second hand original vinyl.

These businesses typically also stock re-presses of vinyl classics as well as new release vinyl.

The character and stocking policies of stores vary considerably so downtechingLONDON suggests trying these vinyl trails with start and end tube stations. Each trail has great independent cafes on the route!

Nottinghill vinyl trail TUBE START – QUEENSWAY STATION
Music & Video Exchange, Nottinghill Gate	website
Rough Trade West, Talbot Road	website
Honest Jons Records, Portobello Road	website
TUBE END – LADBROKE GROVE STATION

Soho vinyl trail TUBE START – OXFORD STREET STATION
Phonica Records, Poland Street	website
Sister Ray Records, Berwick St	website
Reckless Records, Berwick St	website
Sounds of the Universe, off Berwick St	website
TUBE END – TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD STATION

Shoreditch vinyl trail TUBE START – LIVERPOOL STREET STATION
Rough Trade East, off Brick Lane	website
Vintage Vinyl, Brick Lane	website
Sister Ray Ace, Shoreditch High Street	website
Flaskback, Bethnal Green Road	website
TUBE END – BETHNAL GREEN STATION

Record store day

The next one is 21 April 2018. This is a global event, with independent record shops releasing special vinyl and hosting artist performances.

Vinyl Record Fairs

VIP Record Fairs – www.vip-24.com
Next London event 27 Jan 2018 – Victoria, Royal Horticultural Halls

Record Fairs UK – www.recordfairsuk.co.uk
Various smaller, more frequent London fairs – check site

www.discogs.com

The largest vinyl database in the world. Useful for specific album information and hunting down rare stuff. However, please, don’t forget actual record stores for most of your purchases. It is more fun to visit and keeps these vibrant places going!

Music streaming now allows almost total access to the work of all recorded artists. With vinyl, you have to make a choice or you will need a warehouse.

So, vinyl is likely to be for your discretional treasured listening, backed by daily streaming, radio etc.
So; what should your vinyl selection strategy be?
The choice is yours, but it is suggested that you have one!

Buying ad-hoc over a long-term can easily result in several hundred or more albums, which begin to take over your available storage space. Unless you are particularly disciplined, finding albums will become increasing troublesome. Also, you will discover beautiful tracks and then lose them in your album swamp. You will eventually discover and purchase great albums and then find you already have them when you get home.

Some strategy ideas;

The entire work of a few artists

Can be very rewarding, particularly with artists like Herbie Hancock (from 1962 and still active). Consider not including live or compilation albums to narrow the task. Means you will acquire great albums, but also fillers. Lets you appreciate the journey of an artist more and discover unloved but remarkable tracks.

Select from the period of a record label

How about Stax Records 1957 to 1978, or Motown Records 1960 to 1972. Gives you the option to turn your sound room into a period set!

Top 100 albums of all time

As an isolated set within your collection, why not consider purchasing them all. There are many lists, for example The greatest vinyl records of all time by Liz Lentini. Nothing after 1991 and no novelties, special collector releases etc. It will not be entirely to your taste, but such work is sometimes accompanied by a beautiful reference book.

Vinyl records are back and the challenge for downtechingLONDON is to provide insights and a presentation that can be useful to Vinyl London.

It is a broad subject, so we are focusing only on LPs, plus not getting involved in the merits of alternative album pressings.

We assume that vinyl collectors continue to hear the majority of their daily music via streaming, broadcasting or owned files. Yet, it is their vinyl music that provides their richest listening experience, often played privately with no distractions.

If you are new to vinyl or re-igniting a previous pleasure, downtechingLONDON aims to short track you to enjoying the records easier.

some reasons why you may wish collect and play vinyl records;

• A sensory experience. The romance of the process.
• You have more personal investment. The cost, buying process, storage, handling, cleaning and equipment. You can value the event of playing an album.
• You own the records – your collection can be admired.
• You listen to the original track sequence and discover tracks.
• You often have the chance to listen in pure analogue – how it was meant to be.
• Album art and cover information.
• Its cool

Digital File v Vinyl – Vinyl is not better or worse than a Digital File, it is just different.