whart

Responses from whart

Cleaning records. How often really?
ct0517- for my next room, I’m seriously considering a whole house active filtration system that installs as part of the HVAC. We had one in our previous house- I’m sure that the technology has improved since then. I have none in this house, but ev... 
No cartridge is good enough.
I think phono playback has come a long way since the beginning of the LP. I have many old records - records I am very familiar with, sonically. Just within the last decade or so, changing arms, tables and cartridges (and eventually phono stage) ha... 
What's the best way to clean vinyl records?
Doug- the methods seem to work synergistically. I know people who swear by ultrasonic alone, but suspect that their records are already pretty immaculate and they are just going for that extra dimension in sound that comes from an ultrasonic clean... 
MRA : Myth or Menace?
Thanks, Moon. I think -- and base this only on rough knowledge, not my pseudo-scientific background-- that outgassing is more common when plasticizers are involved. I'm not sure there is much in a vinyl record, since it is meant to be stiff, not p... 
MRA : Myth or Menace?
Based on some of my reading, which is by no means definitive, we may be speaking at cross-purposes. From what I gather, various fatty acids are used in the PVC compound used to make vinyl records. These serve to help control the mixture and the po... 
MRA : Myth or Menace?
I have a decent pile of old white papers that were published by the AES; you can access them cheapest by paying a one time fee for a year of access or pay a tariff per download. Among the things I found were various papers on the subject of wear, ... 
The Turn - second pressing is shipping
Very cool. Also, pretty reasonably priced. Will check it out. 
MRA : Myth or Menace?
BP- I can contribute a little. Someone above (apologies, I didn't go back to see who) mentioned a patent that described one such process. Here is a link: http://www.google.com/patents/US3960790 As you will see, this was at attempt to deal with the... 
MRA : Myth or Menace?
The mold is not the same as the stamper. That's why the very term is misleading. If you scroll down a ways here you'll see how the stamper fits into the mold block. http://www.fabbeatlesaddict.com/article-making-a-beatles-vinyl-record/ 
MRA : Myth or Menace?
Low- re your question about pinch warps, I think (and admit this is speculation on my part) it is the way the record has been stored over the years; i've read some anecdotal stuff suggesting that the record was pulled off the press too soon, but I... 
No cartridge is good enough.
There is another reason for optical scanning of older analog audio media- ancient discs, cylinders and other antediluvian media that are so fragile as to be damaged in the process of playback. Look up IRENE, Lawrence Berkeley labs. One was used re... 
MRA : Myth or Menace?
Moon- I buy mostly old copies, so whether to clean isn't a question for me. As to new records, and I buy some, my experience varies- some copies, often the ones that aren't from the fancy reissue houses, are pretty dirty right out of the sleeve. V... 
Cleaning records. How often really?
Once a record is fully and effectively cleaned, there should be little need to reclean- if you get a thumb or fingerprint on the record while handling it, the oil from your skin can attract loose contaminants, like dust, and that oil will not be r... 
TheVinylPress.com
Brooks Arthur has engineered and/or produced some incredible records over the course of more than 50 years: Van Morrison's Astral Weeks, as well as Blowin' Your Mind, which featured "Brown-Eyed Girl", some of the best-known early Phil Spector stuf... 
Your First Concert was.....
Oh, man, I had my share of concerts at the Pgh Civic Arena back in the day- when you look at the list of people who played that venue, you realize how many more big name acts were touring constantly; pretty accessible. Almost seems like a fantasy ...