Whats on your turntable tonight?

@boxer12,

You're welcome.

Boulez conducts Berlioz - Symphony Fantastique. The London Symphony Orchestra. Columbia Masterworks 1971

And thank you @grey9hound. This isn’t the Reference, but the new model introduced late last year. Jim thought he got very very close to the Reference for a fraction of the cost.

Nick Cave
Idiot Prayer

you should get this if you have not already

@grey9hound good to hear about your explorations in analogue space. In my (limited) experience, ProJect makes good stuff but get a bad rap sometimes because they also make it inexpensively. Will be interested to learn about your final choices.
BTW, I have “On The Road To Freedom” too. For me it’s from a certain musical vein acquired during high school. Will now dig it out of the basement archives since you’re got me thinking about it.

@bkeske Congratulations Brian.  Nice!  That should give you a lot of flexibility.  Will you save on shipping cost by picking it up directly from the factory?

@mammouthguy54,

I'm having an issue with the Brandi Carlile lp I played yesterday. I bought it new years ago and it has an in and out swoosh sound when played. In my experience this happens because of noisy vinyl not a pressing issue. Usually, this issue can't be repaired. I put it through a slow steam and a long US clean, so we'll see if that helps.

@grey9hound & @spiritofradio,

I also have "On The Road To Freedom".
........................................................................................
James, 

I haven't gotten around to watching the video you mentioned earlier with TJW & LZ but plan to.

Keb ’Mo’ "S/T" PurePleasureThis lp sounds damn good.

BTW, another positive the ADD/POWR plug-ins are providing is clearer, more taut, punchier bass.

@spiritofradio

Will you save on shipping cost by picking it up directly from the factory?

Lol, I wish, as Jim makes his stuff high above and looking over Honolulu 😁

Luckily Jim sends everything shipping included, and no tax. Which was a nice surprise.

But yes, I may now think of adding an MC cart into the fold, eventually. At least I know I will be able to with a capable phono stage. Regardless, I might be very surprised how much better my Zephyr (and the whole rig) sounds with this phono stage.

"The Story" again

@slaw re: that video, it’s definitely a thing of historical interest but do manage your expectations about its sound quality.  It’s quite bad even by YouTube standards.  I don’t know about any restorations or even vinyl issues of any of these sets but it definitely was as musically interesting as Woodstock.  Same year.  Just didn’t get anywhere near the press coverage and apparently nobody brought a decent tape recorder along (I could just be unaware - maybe - hoping- somebody knows more).  

Kapt. Kopter and the (Fabulous) Twirly Birds  1972/2017 Epic/ Kevin Grey/QRP 

Joni Mitchell - Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter. Asylum 2LP set 1977

Screwing with my subs locations and settings (have some bad bass accumulation in one corner, particularly), and this is a good album to check things out. Plus, it’s one of, if not my fav, from Joni.

Don’t know about you Brian, but mostly when I make a significant upgrade, I find reviewing my sub settings is necessary. Of course my room is small so any change is noticed easily.

Trigger Hippy "Full Circle &Then Some"

@slaw 

Steve, I am not familiar with the steam process.  If you could enlighten me that would be most appreciated. 

And yes, plenty of LPs have that "whoosh" sound on some revolutions, especially in the dead space between songs but some even during quiet passages of music.  It just comes with the vinyl category.  Expensive LPs, no, but mass produced LPs, especially classic rock from the 70s, yes.

@slaw

Don’t know about you Brian, but mostly when I make a significant upgrade, I find reviewing my sub settings is necessary. Of course my room is small so any change is noticed easily.

Don’t we ‘fuss with stuff’, just because? 😁 Actually I watched Steve Gutenberg this morning, and he was discussing this. Recommended a ‘tone generator’ for the phone (I usually use Vandertones for this) and I found one. Pretty cool really. but, to my astonishment, I found one of my rear corners was collecting low waves at about 10-15 db Above anywhere else at about 50db. And was also over-taking the center between the speakers. So, as I have two subs hooked in stereo, moved the one across from that bad corner build-up out and away from that speaker. Not perfect, but it reduced the build-up by a significant amount. Obviously, that could be creating a ‘muddy’ bass filled center, and rear room reflections. Interestingly, my sweet spot was not so much effected, and pretty neutral, but we also hear all those others sounds bouncing around us, good and bad. Not perfect, as only a true bass trap would fix that corner, but much more neutral across the spectrum now.

Had to find something to fool around with, it’s the weekend 😁

Joel,

Using a handheld steamer found fairly inexpensively on Amazon with some cleaning fluid.

When all considerations are taken, IMO, steaming a record is THE most effective way to clean a vinyl record. The problem is it's more time consuming, and it requires a small learning curve. With logic as a guide, the learning curve is small.

I'm on my third US cleaner.....Audio Desk, Chinese DIY, now the Vibrato.
I find I still benefit from steaming on certain ticky records. ( now this may not be the case with your 120 khz  Degritter?) I started with the Mapleshade steamer over 10 years ago and have run through 4 or 5 since. 

I use Audio Intelligent "Down With Dirty" concentrate dilluted with distilled water to spread over the record, then steam off.

I can go through my process and guide you towards a steamer if you're interested further on a PM.

Zubin Mehta conducts Saint-Saëns. Symphony #3. Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. London 1971

Brian,

" Don't we fuss with stuff just because" 

Regarding sub settings/placement, I don't mess with them until I feel there's a need.

Now with accessories, there's a wanting to see if an improvement can be had. For me, if I have a strong feeling that I'm missing something, I think it's more than "just because">😅

Volcano Choir ‎– Unmap (Jagjaguwar 2015)

@slaw 

Now with accessories, there's a wanting to see if an improvement can be had. For me, if I have a strong feeling that I'm missing something, I think it's more than "just because">😅

Yep, as soon as I get the Hagerman, I’ll be tempted immediately to tube roll, as I’ll be thinking I’m missing something better even if it blows my socks off with the ‘stock’ tubes.

Mike Flanigin "West Texas Blues"

Been looking forward to this one for months......

@reubent  +1 Timbuk 3. Me too. Bought it cos it got great reviews. 

I own Timbuk 3 "Eden Alley" always loved it.

Szell conducts Brahms Piano Concerto #2. The Cleveland Orchestra with Leon Fleisher, piano. Columbia/Odyssey 1973

The Good Life ‎– Everybody's Coming Down
(Saddle Creek 2015)

Andy at Vintage and RAM tubes are my only sources. 

re Boz - Dig, it’s not me, i have it, played a few times, pressing quality terrible, hope you have better luck.

Brian - congrats on the Hagerman, another dead Wabbit !!!!

Back in California...

James McMurtry - Too Long in the Wasteland, agree Steve but what an emotional connection I have with this work. The liner notes include: “ Apologies to: T.S. Eliot, Tony Joe White, and Billy Gibbons”

That cracked me up...

@tomic601 

Brian - congrats on the Hagerman, another dead Wabbit !!!!

indeed, but that dead rabbit left his holes to explore 

Mazzy Star - Among My Swan

really nice....

Bettye LaVette "Blackbirds"

You got this one Jim?

Congrats on back to work Steve !,,

Thanks Jim, it is with a heavy heart though. My boss passed away unexpectedly at work a couple weeks ago. Tried listening yesterday but all music brought up my remembrance of him. Had to call it a night.

Porcelain Raft ‎– Strange Weekend (Secretly Canadian 2012)

Seismic bass and spacial vocals. Wonderful.

Broken Bells "S/T"

@slaw the other day you were saying how you thought you could write volumes about how much you loved a band, The Mountain Goats, if I remember right. I was actually thinking something similar about

Quincy Jones
Smackwater Jack
(On again)

How TV and Movie theme songs are somehow as “Americana” as many a contemporary hipster’s folk songs. This record is so sweet, like a confection of its time. Title song by Carole King, Qunicy’s infectious arrangements, Jim Hall, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Sample!, Toots Thielman, Herbert Laws, plenty of Wha Wha pedal and a load of good humor. It’s the sweet sound of youth man and I feel like I could go on and on about it. Feeling part of it.

Not serious Jazz of course - Grey’s Anatomy says ‘this is jazzy - but it’s not Jazz’. She tires of my more angular music pretty easily. It’s commercial, yeah, heck, it’s TV themes. But man it’s sweet.

That’s cool buddy, love it.

BTW, up next is the Stevie Ray Vaughan"CSTW" MFSL UD1S

It was great to hear the Broken Bells lps again. Sounding fresh and better than ever.

James,

I wrote something similar recently about the "Maude" theme song, sung by Donny Hathaway.
I think he sung another as well.

So the SRV "CSTW" MFSL UD1S sounds fantastic!!! The problem with my copy is 80% visual & 20% audible. There are 1/4" fine surface scratches all over each side. In addition, there are many scuff marks. This translates to an unquiet pressing. In addition, side 4 was extremely dished.

Gonna put on my Pure Pleasure "Texas Flood now to compare at the same volume. Why "TF"? Because I passed on that UD1S release because at the time, my copy was one of THE best sounding rock albums I owned.

Listened to lp 1 of "TF". By comparison, it is less dynamic and muffled.

My job is done.

My Morning Jacket "Okonokos" Lp3

sorry to hear of your loss Steve.

Thanks buddy.

David Lindley and El Rayo-X - Win This Record

Slaw, Sorry about the passing of your friend

Nick Cave / Lazarus 

Thanks Tim, I think yesterday was my time for grieving.

Today is a time for living again.