[Closed] New to Vinyl - Any tips?

Walk carefully if you have any springy floorboards.

😆 Good advice

You'll probably need a pre-amp.

They're bringing out (might be out) a new Technics SL-1200 update....

don't bother - get a better cd player or DAC...

Or rip your music to your computer and find a filter that adds noise, crosstalk and distortion to the files so they sound as bad as a record.

[i]don't bother - get a better cd player or DAC.[/i]

Minidisc is where its at

You'll probably need a pre-amp.

Some turntables have this built in, right? Line/Phono switch?

Do I only need a ground cable when using phono (not line, which uses the turntables built in pre-amp)?

don't bother - get a better cd player or DAC...

Or rip your music to your computer and find a filter that adds noise, crosstalk and distortion to the files so they sound as bad as a record.

😀 Pretty happy with my existing system. Good CD player, and everything is ripped to laptop, and I purchase high res album downloads when they are available. I'm expecting the vinyl experience to be 'different, not better'.

Oh and you'll need one of these... "modest cost" they say 😆

http://www.audiot.co.uk/products/project-vc-s-vinyl-record-cleaner-9740.aspx

Have a look at audioteknica. In your price range with USB, phono stage and easy to use. Upgrade the stock cartridge. Prefer using mine to my old rega

don't bother - get a better cd player or DAC.

Minidisc is where its at

Have a couple of Minidisc players already. Both in loft. For a very brief period in the mid 1990's they were actually pretty cool :-). I had a built in one in my car at one point.

For this reason, a turntable with USB out is [s]desirable[/s] unlikely at the price.

I'm expecting the vinyl experience to be 'different, not better'.

Minidisc is where its at

[i] For a very brief period in the mid 1990's they were actually pretty cool :-)[/i]

A lot easier to record vinyl, that's for sure. Still use mine.

[i]For this reason, a turntable with USB out is unlikely at the price.[/i]

Rubbish, there are loads.
eg. https://www.juno.co.uk/products/audio-technica-lp1240-usb-professional-dj-turntable/454728-01/

Obviously there won't be anything suitable for those who can tell the difference between a 320K Mp3 and a Wav file.. lolz

Audio Techinca AT-LP5 is well within budget, great reviews and has built in pre-amp and USB...

https://www.whathifi.com/audio-technica/lp5/review

For this reason, a turntable with USB out is [s]desirable [/s]unlikely at the price.

That doesn't appear to be the case. Discounting really cheap items <£100, there seems to be a number out there before you get near my budget:

Sony PS-XH500 £275
Project Elemental USB £200
TEAC TN300 £250
Audio Technica AT-LP5 £300

Looking for first hand experience of these or slightly more expensive options.

Rubbish, there are loads.

are there loads of a quality that will rival his CD player ?

You will also need an expensive cartridge which will need retipping at intervals.

If you apply talc to the inside of your vinyl garments they will slip on more easily.

If you apply talc to the inside of your vinyl garments they will slip on more easily.

I'm guessing the talc also helps with the associated perspiration?

I really dont get the whole vinyl resurgence.
I had vinyl back in the 90s because I didnt have a CD player.
Once I got a CD player I don't think I bought any vinyl after that.
Its a PITA, flipping sides, handling carefully, etc etc. They only good thing about it was the decent sized sleeves.
Music is for listening to, not humblebragging about IMO.

strong foundations and support, 12k records at my mums weigh a tonne

[i]I really dont get the whole vinyl resurgence.[/i]

Neither do I. I've always had vinyl 🙂

[i]are there loads of a quality that will rival his CD player ?[/i]
...
[i]I'm expecting the vinyl experience to be 'different, not better'.[/i]

I'm buying a Falcon mountain bike from Argos this weekend.

I'm expecting the experience to be different to my Turner, not better...

Oh and you'll need one of these... "modest cost" they say

You'll need something to stop the record flying off as soon as you turn it on.
[url= http://www.analogueseduction.net/record-clamps/acoustical-systems-helox-reflex-record-clamp.html ]http://www.analogueseduction.net/record-clamps/acoustical-systems-helox-reflex-record-clamp.html[/url]

And isolate all vibrations otherwise it'll just be nowt but feedback
[url= http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/chord-silent-mount-sm5-titanium-floor-protectors?gclid=Cj0KCQjwybvPBRDBARIsAA7T2kh-c83QETlQy6aBtFUsC5HAsnXNZVnX8BY-lUntye3e00JvFmnKARAaAuLhEALw_wcB ]http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/chord-silent-mount-sm5-titanium-floor-protectors?gclid=Cj0KCQjwybvPBRDBARIsAA7T2kh-c83QETlQy6aBtFUsC5HAsnXNZVnX8BY-lUntye3e00JvFmnKARAaAuLhEALw_wcB[/url]

😉

I'm expecting the experience to be different to my Turner, not better...

For some people the act of riding is more important than the kit they ride! 😛

I gave up vinyl around 1982 in favour of CD because of the truly abysmal quality of the vinyl; thin, flexible, bits of paper from the labels of ground-up recycled discs embedded in the grooves, enormous amounts of obtrusive surface noise...
Buggered if I’m paying £20-25 for a vinyl copy of what might cost me £9.99 on CD.

I'm buying a Falcon mountain bike from Argos this weekend.

I'm expecting the experience to be different to my Turner, not better...

I see what you are getting at, but lots of people (including Hi-Fi 'enthusiasts') love vinyl. You can't really say the same about Falcon mountain bikes, can you? Vinyl must have some benefits/charms? I plan to investigate and make my own mind up. I'll report back in a few months if I remember.

A better analogy might be a rigid singlespeed mtb. For most types of mountain biking they are clearly technically inferior to a modern geared FS bike. Yet, people still enjoy riding them for some reason? As long as the individual enjoys it, what else matters?

[i]A better anal[/i]..

you can stop there 😉

I gave up vinyl around 1982 in favour of CD because of the truly abysmal quality of the vinyl; thin, flexible, bits of paper from the labels of ground-up recycled discs embedded in the grooves, enormous amounts of obtrusive surface noise...
Buggered if I’m paying £20-25 for a vinyl copy of what might cost me £9.99 on CD.

I'm too young to have experienced vinyl before it was slowly phased out. Perhaps I just need to try it to get it out of my system.

Buggered if I’m paying £20-25 for a vinyl copy of what might cost me £9.99 on CD.

Why pay for a CD when you can listen to spotify?

I'm too young to have experienced vinyl before it was slowly phased out. Perhaps I just need to try it to get it out of my system.

Vinyl must have some benefits/charms?

it has increased crosstalk so appears to have a better image if your system is a bit deficient in this respect.

it adds compression, which is also beneficial in some systems - a bit like how radio stations makes their broadcasts sound 'louder' than others and compensate for iffy car stereos.

but a normal pivoted arm is only actually square to the grooves for a small fraction of its track across the record, and requires careful setup to acheive this. This means it is distorting for a lot of the record.

Then there is the quality of the vinyl, dirt in the grooves, the continual distortion of a record as your play it, etc.

buy a broadcast quality compressor and runs your CD through it, you will probably get similar results, maybe better.

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I do think it gets you more involved with the music. You can't just flick tracks so you listen to an album properly, and it's nice to have a product with the artwork etc. it does also sound different to CD or download. Only you can decide if the differences are something you like.

Exactly what I have heard others say. I'll be trying it out for myself. It's not like I can't go back to CD's/downloads if I don't like it.

I do think it gets you more involved with the music. You can't just flick tracks so you listen to an album properly, and it's nice to have a product with the artwork etc

This for me. And it also means I get to rummage through the thousands of records in the excellent Drumbeat Records in Chorley 🙂

Can't help with the OP's requirements for a turntable - have no experience of ones with built in pre-amps or USB. My amp has a nice phono stage so I just plug straight into that. Am using a Project Essential 2 - nowt flash but works well and sounds good.

One of the writers for HiFi World produced a box to go on the output of your CD player and increase the crosstalk, to make it sound more like a record player. Can't find it now though.

Sometimes, being weird, I listen to records for the music that's on them.

For me listening to vinyl was an event, not just background noise. I remember fondly ordering the latest release from my favourite artist then going home to listen to it whilst laying back on my bed and dissecting the sleeve, inner sleeve, poster and whatever else was bundled with it, then reading along with the lyrics as I got to know the record. It kinda disappeared with CDs and has now completely vanished. I am relieved I didn't bin my 300+ collection as one day I will get it all back out again. And just last weekend I was sorting the garage and checked out a few of the quite collectable albums I have such as the original cover artwork GnR Appetite for Destruction, YesSongs, early Genesis, pre-release Barclay James Harvest + a pretty big collection of mainly Iron Maiden picture disks and I reckon I have a nice little lump sum of value there (not that I'll be selling it).

Any tips?
Don’t ask on STW or you’ll have the same voices telling you you’re doing it wrong/wasting your time. Blah blah

Wise words, zbonty

Any tips?
Don’t ask on STW or you’ll have the same voices telling you you’re doing it wrong/wasting your time. Blah blah

Yep, clearly correct! I'm happy to hear the range of perspectives though, and I can filter through the few bits of wisdom that have been offered.

OP you sound far too balanced to be hanging round here!
I’m no gear freak TT wise (I spend more time looking for cool records) but the Regas always get notable mentions.
Is there an output from your amp you can use if you need to record stuff? Tbh many people think they’ll ‘rip’ there vinyl but rarely bother

Get a £6 felt brush, a bottle of isopropyl cleaner and find a decent 2nd hand shop (this can be tricky).

Re. the "different not better" thing, I'm hesitant to broach the subject 'cos I got shot down last time, but the fact that if it's music that's not been digitally recorded or mastered, you have an actual analogue of the original music rather than a digitised representation I think counts for a lot.

Unless you then use the USB interface, or course..

Re. the "different not better" thing, I'm hesitant to broach the subject 'cos I got shot down last time, but the fact that if it's music that's not been digitally recorded or mastered, you have an actual analogue of the original music rather than a digitised representation I think counts for a lot.

Unless you then use the USB interface, or course..

The USB out will be used to record the vinyl digitally, to then be listened to on different players (usually portable) when I don't have access to the turntable. For example, if I wanted to listen in the car, or on the bike, to something I only had on vinyl.

Project or Rega are both good at that price point.
If you are picking up old records, the condition of those will be a significantly bigger factor than the turntable from my experience.

You can get a Rega Planar 1 for £250 and they do a little phono stage for £90 that has a USB out.

You'll definitely need a brush and some IPA, new records IME do need a good clean before use. Vinyl is bloody expensive

I don't need a record deck - I've got 2000 albums ripped to NAS, plus Spotify and Tidal. I enjoy record shopping, the look of piles of vinyl (and the deck) and the experience of playing it. Flicking through my collection brings back many great memories. Don't really get that with streaming.

Tips? Steer clear of [url= https://www.discogs.com/ ]Discogs[/url]. Seriously harmful to the bank balance!

Ripping vinyl to play in the car is a huge faff. Just use Spotify (I torrent it, not going to buy it twice)

The USB out will be used to record the vinyl digitally, to then be listened to on different players (usually portable) when I don't have access to the turntable. For example, if I wanted to listen in the car, or on the bike, to something I only had on vinyl.

Enjoy listening to all the noise and scratches from the vinyl on those substandard playback systems...

And get a good timer to alert you to when the end of the first side of the album is reached and you need to flip it over to record the next side, otherwise you will a huge section of just clicking in the final groove.

And you will record a gap after that track whilst you flip the record over and then a thump as you put the needle down for the other side of the LP.

So basically you will also need some digital audio editing software to edit the track after recording it.

Sounds like a lot of a faff.

DezB - Member
Wise words, zbonty

Yup, I've mostly given up posting on music threads because some snob always turns up and has a pop.
🙂

I remember when I was 7 or 8 (early 80s)and one of my group of friends would buy a hip hop album on vinyl we would then all turn up with our blank cassettes and take it in turns to tape it by placing a mini boom box cassette recorder in front of the speakers and press play and record.. the hose were the days.

Enjoy listening to all the noise and scratches from the vinyl on those substandard playback systems...

And get a good timer to alert you to when the end of the first side of the album is reached and you need to flip it over to record the next side, otherwise you will a huge section of just clicking in the final groove.

And you will record a gap after that track whilst you flip the record over and then a thump as you put the needle down for the other side of the LP.

So basically you will also need some digital audio editing software to edit the track after recording it.

Sounds like a lot of a faff.

harsh but true.

OP - don't bother! Listening to vinyl is one of these faffy things that makes limited sense on paper, but the inconvenience and ritual is just kind of...nice, in the same way as spending time grinding coffee beans and brewing a mocha pot is pleasant, even though you could just whack a nespresso pod into a machine in a fraction of the time.

So I reckon save those albums for when you have time to sit down and listen to a record, and don't bother spending your time trying to make it something it's not (ie convenient and portable) 🙂

USB turntables come with editing software.
A lot of things are faff, but you do them if you enjoy it, or the end result. Some people sit and watch Harry Styles on TV for an hour... You could listen to and rip a decent album instead.
I've ripped a few tracks off vinyl, but yeah most of the time I can't be bothered 🙂

Most new albums now come with a download card for the MP3's which a lot of times would save the need for USB or faffing about

If I was buying a new turntable, i'd be looking at Rega or Project.

I bought my Technics 1200 15 years ago when I started buying vinyl again (before Sainsbury's started stocking Wu Tang Clan) and it was £350 from Richer Sounds, the new Technics 1200GR (which is no different from mine) is £1300, the higher end G is 3k.

I use a little Behringer pre-amp after my previous amp died and I started using my backup amp, £20 and it's perfectly good

I'm loving vinyl at the moment. Got my girlfriend a nice little budget set-up last year, Marantz turntable with built in pre-amp, Cambridge Audio amp and some Wharfedale 220's.

I love the 'faff' it adds to the experience of listening to it.

I'd say abandon STW and go on the [url= http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/ ]Steve Hoffman Forums[/url] for advice and interesting music discussions.

Turntable wise I'd get whatever Rega you can afford.

I love the 'faff' it adds to the experience of listening to it.

that's kind of what I meant. So spending time to try and recreate it conveniently in the car over Bluetooth... not worth it. Save those albums til you've got time to sit down and listen properly 🙂

[i]the new Technics 1200GR (which is no different from mine) is £1300[/i]

Yes, but the ads on the Technics website are soooo perty.

(£1300! 😯 )

I love the 'faff' it adds to the experience of listening to it.

The tactileness (is that a word) of handling the music, reading the liner notes, studying the artwork. I still like CD's because you get that, Just don't get that with an MP3

Yeah, I don't bother ripping vinyl to mp3 any more - I have spotify for that. I still have several boxes of CDs to get through though.

Yea, it's the tactile side of it 🙂

I thought that getting 4-5 tracks per side would get annoying but I do like changing it. The artwork and sleeves are great, too.

Count zero did you invent the cd player ? I got my Marantz in '91 and there weren't many cds to choose from Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits
Cant think of any in '82 maybe cassettes

I remember cds coming out in the mid 80s. I didn’t get a player till about 92 I think by which point I’d got a reasonable record collection. Probably 300 LPs or so. I recorded a few to digital, In fact I have a Phillips cd recorder somewhere that I got from richer sounds in the mid 90s. However it soon turned out to be too much faff and once the internet made it possible to get digital versions of the vinyl I already owned I gave up on that and the turntable was put away. (Ariston Q deck by the way).
However my 16 year old son dug it out over the summer and picked a few albums out from the collection which he listens to in his room, and even bought some new vinyl (last gorrilaz album). He has some of the inner sleeve artwork on his wall now...
It is definitely a different experience listening to vinyl.
I would absolutely not bother recording vinyl to digital though.

johndoh - Member
For me listening to vinyl was an event, not just background noise

Only listen to music on headphones or earphones, that cuts out the background noise affect.

I've always been into vinyl and have a pretty decent TT and all the gubbins. I also used to sell hifi when vinyl was still a mainstream format.

3 things

If you don't have a concrete floor a wall shelf is NOT optional.

Set the thing up properly, it helps to think of it as a measuring device. (which it is) This requires a number of items you wont have and will need to buy or you can go to a decent dealer who will do it for you, mail order is not really sensible for TT's as proper set up is also NOT optional.

Finally, don't listen to the naysayers, listening to records is cool, simple as that. I've got spotify and its great for 90% of my listening but a proper record on vinyl is, in some way, more emotive I can't describe why and frankly don't need to, you get it or you don't.

Rega, Project, Clearaudio all good makes that do budget stuff.

My best albums crackly vinyl have to be Harvest Neil Young, Hunky Dory or Ziggy and maybe Band on the Run, Tubular Bells, Jailbreak someone drag me away Dark side of the moon Crime of the century etc

I have never heard a system that sounds as good as one with a decent vinyl source. But the difference is not so great that it would make me want to go out and buy a record player and records. Apart from the fact that they have always and will always look very cool. I would rather spend the money on CK hubs or something. But each to their own.

I do however understand the semi-ritualistic process of putting a record on though, it's a bit like a Japanese tea making ceremony, the faff involved in making the tea is at least if not moreso important than the finished cup of tea itself.

DezB - Member
Sometimes, being weird, I listen to records for the music that's on them.

Count zero did you invent the cd player ? I got my Marantz in '91 and there weren't many cds to choose from Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits
Cant think of any in '82 maybe cassettes

I still have my Marantz 50 SE £350 back then it was almost as good as my Sytemdek biscuit tin but so much less hassle. Even kept cds in the freezer chucked the peas and fish fingers out. I still have all the albums but listen maybe once a year on the project and my cat still wants to watch the record spin then attack the arm, the needle is not so keen

You won't go far wrong with anything off Rega in my experience.

Don't jump at one of their cartridges though, get a proper hifi dealer to demonstrate a few and with different cartridges. Ortofon 2m blue or red, goldring 1012,

Don't scrimp on the cartridge either.

I've ended up with a Rega Rp6 with Ortofon 2m black cartridge, it's stunningly good, better than my rather expensive cd and dac player in many ways but convinience.

I would absolutely not bother recording vinyl to digital though

Most LP's I buy nowadays come with download cards so the USB requirement is irrelevant unless you are trawling the 2nd hand bins. Agre with the 'ritual' comments above.
My recollection of mid-eighties CD players is that they were shrill and fatiguing to listen to, though I shared the frustration of declining vinyl quality through that decade. Eventually gave in to digital around 93, but now buying LP's again. For what it's worth black vinyl. Not paying a fiver extra for a pretty colour - the music is the thing. They're for listening to, not looking at.
A Rega at an appropriate price point would be my suggestion.

Some interesting comments, thanks.

Regarding sound quality. >99.9% of my music collection will be CD quality or higher (high res files). I have a decent sounding system. Trying a turntable is very much just a whim, to try something different and see if I like the quirky ritual etc etc. I haven’t been put off by the negative comments on this thread, I’m going to give it a go.

Regarding copying vinyl to digital files. This really will comprise a tiny percentage of my music collection, mostly collectible stuff that I’ve only got on vinyl. As someone mentioned above, I’ve read about the vinyl editing software available. Reason for doing it is simply that I like to have my ENTIRE COLLECTION stored on a hard drive, for easy access when I want to find something quickly or am away from home (exactly the situation where I wouldn’t be sitting down to listen to a whole album on vinyl). The faff involved isn’t really a consideration.

Reason for doing it is simply that I like to have my ENTIRE COLLECTION stored on a hard drive, for easy access when I want to find something quickly or am away from home (exactly the situation where I wouldn’t be sitting down to listen to a whole album on vinyl). The faff involved isn’t really a consideration.

Fair enough, I had a rega fono mini (their relatively cheap but excellent phone stage, for amps with line only inputs), it had a USB socket. Never used it but I'm certain it's for digital recording from vinyl.

Switched from vinyl to CDs in the late 80s and wouldn't ever go back. They are big and heavy, so difficult to store and transport, vulnerable to scratches and cracking, cartridges wear out, dust and fluff are an issue and the cost V sound quality argument was lost when CDs and CD players came down in price in the 90s.

A split screen camper in a T6 California world; quaint but outdated.

[i]quaint but outdated[/i]

Much like your 80s view on vinyl records.

quaint but outdated
Much like your 80s view on vinyl records.

If the OP wishes to dabble in vinyl, he might just love it, just like those who enjoy classic vehicle ownership but let's not kid ourselves on that vinyl even begins to compete with digital sound quality at the same price point. My '80s view' stems from years of owning both. He asked for views and he got them, no need to have a dig!

quaint but outdated

Not everyone wants "new and spangly" - for instance, my car needs to be reliable, but I don't need it to read Facebook posts to me. So if someone could produce a car like a Mk2 Golf with working aircon and light controls, that would be swell.

Same with vinyl. I miss the experience of music, having to change the record, getting of the couch. Making mixtapes was my favourite thing to do for years, and I miss them in a world of Spotify and Ipods.

For me it's not about sound quality, it's a reminder of my youth, and it is a culture I enjoy. Like campervans, hotels were created, but some folk like sleeping in a fancy van, each to their own.

Do it.
Buy a used turntable from the 70's for £250ish - maybe Thorens td150 or 160?
If you want new then get a rega/project.

I have just got mine set up again from when we moved house nearly a year ago.
Linn lp12/wd Kel84 valve amp/celestion ditton 33 speakers - sounds glorious.

Of course it also depends on the vinyl you buy. I mainly buy 60's & 70's albums on vinyl and newer stuff is cd or download.

Really missed putting a record on and noticed just how flat sounding mp3's really are. Yes they're convenient but if you are having an evening in with the tunes on - then get your records out.

[i]no need to have a dig![/i]

It was only a lickle one 😉

8)