Great recommendations from Elizabeth!!
Duplicating some recommendation already presented and
perhaps adding some others:
> Keep your records clean. Don't touch the grooves with
your fingers, handle only by the edges without gripping
between thumb and finger. Don't leave them lying about
outside of their protective sleeves/jackets.
> If the record has not been cleaned, do so before playing
it the first time. ("How to clean" is covered in
lots of discussions in the archives.)
> Store your records in an inner sleeve, not just bare in
the jacket, and keep them in their jackets when not being
played. ("Recommendations for sleeves" are covered
in lots of discussions in the archives.) The goal is to keep
dust away from settling into the grooves or the surface of
the record otherwise getting damaged. Vinyl is soft and the
grooves are delicate - protect them.
> Store your records upright (vertical), away from heat
(including direct sunlight, radiators, and hot equipment),
and without a lot of pressure against them. They can warp
and get bent. Also, do not store them in an area of high
humidity or with no circulation: mildew loves vinyl and
mildew will destroy your records.
> Properly align and adjust your cartridge and tonearm, and
check that the stylus is in good shape. A poorly aligned
cartridge, or a worn stylus, can damage the record beyond
recovery on just a single play. Then, fine tune your record
player to get the best sound -- with vinyl, the magic is
truly in the details.
> Don't get obsessive about silence. LPs are not CDs (thank
goodness!). Expect to have some amount of surface noise.
Expect to have some amount of pops and clicks. Learn to
LISTEN THROUGH THE SURFACE NOISE to the music. Think of it
like a live performance where you can hear the audience
shuffling in their seats, coughs here and there, the sound
of the HVAC system... Work towards experiencing your vinyl
the same way and you'll find the wonders of the music.
> Here is a pretty good post about taking care of your vinyl
that I encourage you to read:
http://www.mindspring.com/~jmaier/vinyl.htm
> Enjoy your journey.
.
Duplicating some recommendation already presented and
perhaps adding some others:
> Keep your records clean. Don't touch the grooves with
your fingers, handle only by the edges without gripping
between thumb and finger. Don't leave them lying about
outside of their protective sleeves/jackets.
> If the record has not been cleaned, do so before playing
it the first time. ("How to clean" is covered in
lots of discussions in the archives.)
> Store your records in an inner sleeve, not just bare in
the jacket, and keep them in their jackets when not being
played. ("Recommendations for sleeves" are covered
in lots of discussions in the archives.) The goal is to keep
dust away from settling into the grooves or the surface of
the record otherwise getting damaged. Vinyl is soft and the
grooves are delicate - protect them.
> Store your records upright (vertical), away from heat
(including direct sunlight, radiators, and hot equipment),
and without a lot of pressure against them. They can warp
and get bent. Also, do not store them in an area of high
humidity or with no circulation: mildew loves vinyl and
mildew will destroy your records.
> Properly align and adjust your cartridge and tonearm, and
check that the stylus is in good shape. A poorly aligned
cartridge, or a worn stylus, can damage the record beyond
recovery on just a single play. Then, fine tune your record
player to get the best sound -- with vinyl, the magic is
truly in the details.
> Don't get obsessive about silence. LPs are not CDs (thank
goodness!). Expect to have some amount of surface noise.
Expect to have some amount of pops and clicks. Learn to
LISTEN THROUGH THE SURFACE NOISE to the music. Think of it
like a live performance where you can hear the audience
shuffling in their seats, coughs here and there, the sound
of the HVAC system... Work towards experiencing your vinyl
the same way and you'll find the wonders of the music.
> Here is a pretty good post about taking care of your vinyl
that I encourage you to read:
http://www.mindspring.com/~jmaier/vinyl.htm
> Enjoy your journey.
.