thinking (litely) about getting into vinyl, need help

[bhd812]

I was thinking of this ever since I heard Ray Samuels demo at the last Chicago meet, I mean how cool would it be to listen to some pure frank sinatra..lol

anyway I sofar have a old technics 1200 turntable back from my club days. But I am going to need a needle and a phono stage to start it out.

I am looking for super cheap just so I can get myself into it.

some questions for the vinyl nuts here..

is it all worth it?

any really cheap phono stages so I can begin my road?

any cheap but decent sounding needles?

any chance of me finding some frank sinatra lp's?

is the technics 1200 good for a beginner setup?


I hope to start this setup in Jan of next year..I hope

thanx you vinyl nuts you...lol

[john_jcb]

Well I don't think I qualify as a vinyl nut quite yet but to answer your first question. Yes, it is definitely worth it. There is a depth to the music that seems lost when you play a CD. I think if you take a short trip over to Beverly Records;11612 S. Western, Chicago IL you will be rewarded. Just go to the male vocal section right in the middle.

Tuberoller and I spent the all day yesterday going from one record store to another. The shopping was interrupted only twice; first for what I now know is a world famous rainbow cone and second for the best hamburger on the south-side. Tubes will have to tell you the name as I was so full after eating one with the fries that I cannot remember. Well it came to me Top Notch Beefburger.

Before you go I would strongly recommend that you make a list or you will end up like me. Beverly records was the final store of the day and when I saw all those records from floor to ceiling in room after room I was like a kid in a toy store. All memories of what I was looking for vanished from my mind as I went from section to section. Another thing that I found that threw me off is that there are so many titles that never made it to CD.

We ended up at my house and listened to some of my recent acquisitions. We listened to some of my recent $0.33 finds. I found a bunch of water damaged LP's at a local thrift shop that were unplayed but water had ruined the bottom inch or so of the jacket. Some cleaning and they were good as new.

It was a great day.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by john_jcb

Tuberoller and I spent the all day yesterday going from one record store to another. The shopping was interrupted only twice; first for what I now know is a world famous rainbow cone and second for the best hamburger on the south-side. Tubes will have to tell you the name as I was so full after eating one with the fries that I cannot remember.

Beverly records was the final store of the day and when I saw all those records from floor to ceiling in room after room I was like a kid in a toy store. All memories of what I was looking for vanished from my mind as I went from section to section. Another thing that I found that threw me off is that there are so many titles that never made it to CD.

Wow!! Vinyl, burgers, and ice cream. My kind of day.

[john_jcb]

Well I was at my $0.33 store this afternoon and got a 3 more records. This old woman watched me pick through the records and finally approached me. She asked if I was a collector looking for valuable records. I told her no that i was an enthusiast just looking for good records to listen to. She proceeded to tell me about her son who had died of cancer recently and hos collection of records and tapes. She said he taped every record. Well I gave her my name and number to pass to her eldest son who ended up with most of his brothers stuff. She said he wants to get rid of it all. We will see what develops.

[sclemmons]

Best thing about a turntable is that the technology is mature and you can stretch to buy better the first time with some pretty good assurance that you won't get creamed by a new model. Save your money and buy the best you can afford, and you may find it is your last turntable. I bought a Rega Planar 3 in 1981 and always regretted I did not get the LP 12 for a third ($300 or so, then) more money. I kept the Rega for 20 years, added an RB300 arm and a better cartridge or two over time and it still beat my CD player for a fraction of the cost when I upgraded it. And it was still inferior to the LP 12. And there are lots of Rega Planar 3s out there, new and used. Don't know about the Technics, but I have my doubts.

Lots of local resources in Chicago: Music Direct, Pro Musica, Quintessence, Audio Consultants. Or you can find something on Audiogon and buy a cartridge locally and have the dealer set it up, if you can find somebody who is good. Bet Todd can fix you up by mail, and you might be better off than dealing locally;I bought all my stuff by mail from a dealer I trusted who set the Rega up and shipped it to me. Set up is a big, big part of vinyl, and because it is analog, the physical set up makes as much or more difference than the equipment.

Vinyl is a beautiful thing, but it requires a different level of attention to detail and commitment than digital. It is the opposite of "plug and play". And you have to ask yourself whether you are enough of an music lover to appreciate the difference and then whether you care. It is worth the trouble if you have the right frame of mind. But digital today is pretty darned good, so you really have to do some soul searching. Over the years I care less and less, and my vinyl setup is pretty good. Have fun.

BTW, take care with that Sinatra on vinyl. Some of the original stuff is truly outstanding, but certain vinyl reissues sound worse than some of the CD's. PM me if you want to discuss after you get your rig set up. Or ask Todd or Music Direct.

[Todd]

HI Billy,

The Technics stuff was good in its day but the newer tables are so much better. I know, I owned a Technics and a Dual while I lived in Chicago about 25 years ago.

Once you spend a little time with vinyl you'll never turn back. The sound is so much more natural and organic than digital. I find that digital can be a bit fatiguing for long listening sessions while vinyl seems to deliver endless MUSIC. And there si the added value of all the excersise you get from changing the album. So many benefits

Todd

[bhd812]

bump...

well it seems as though my vinyl times are coming to ahead...

This friday Or next I plan on hitting beverly records thanx John!

I am getting a used setup froma very close friend, I am picking it up in two weeks.

Should I get records before I buy the setup? I have no records now..

How do I control myself and not go overboard?

[bln]

If all your CDs are scratched and you can't keep headphones out of your hot tub, you're going to have a hell of a time caring for vinyl records.

[Mr.Radar]

Originally Posted by bhd812

Should I get records before I buy the setup? I have no records now..

Yes! There's no point in owning a TT if you have nothing to use it with!

How do I control myself and not go overboard?

Like john_jcb, make a list before you go record shopping. Though please don't skip buying a record because its not on your list. Some of my favorite records weren't on my list of albums to buy, though I've also gotten a few that weren't so great too (of course that's part of the vinyl adventure: trying music you wouldn't otherwise try).

EDIT:

Originally Posted by bln

If all your CDs are scratched and you can't keep headphones out of your hot tub, you're going to have a hell of a time caring for vinyl records.

Yeah. Records require a lot more care than CDs. Here are some tips to keep your records in good condition: only handle them by the edges, and use your chest while taking them in and out of the cover. Get a dust brush and use it regularly. Also get a stylus cleaner and use it regularly. As strange as it may sound, store your records vertically so they don't warp at the edges. Also, change your stylus regularly (about once every 9 months should be about right, but it depends on how hours you play, and you can't go by how the cartridge sounds (if you can hear distortion caused by a worn stylus your records have already been damaged by the bad stylus) or how it looks (even trained professionals can't always determine this under high power microscopes)).

[Glod]

Yes vinyl is certainly special.

People are talking about the tube magic; IMHO, it is nothing in comparision to the step from a CDP to a descent turntable, and, a good recording. If you ask me, it might not have so much in common with true to life presentations, at least not with the real cheap segment equipmet, but the glow, intensity and euphonic attributes. Oh, man...