I knew buying a turntable was a bad idea...

[Rain]

This morning before putting on that new 45 RPM version of Sad Wings, I did have that knee jerk reaction… Like, ugh, I’m going to have to flip that record every couple of songs and then change discs altogether. Why not listen to something else? But in a sense, it helps me focus and appreciate that moment.

Without trying to get all philosophical about it, that little effort keeps me grounded in the act of listening to music. It’s not simply something that’s happening - I am actively listening to this album.  And even once I am done, again, action is required on my part. Draws boundaries.

But that’s the way my brain is geared. And that’s but one way to listen to music. Come my night off, I’m in the studio with a bottle of red wine or two and enjoying the convenience of digital audio.

And to be honest, my favorite version of the aforementioned Priest album is a Japanese master ripped from a CD that lives in my digital library. But I still had a great time lying on my back with the cans on listening to the vinyl after work.

[Shane_B.]

I prefer listening to vinyl from back in the day when it was a room full of musicians being recorded live and recordings were made to sound good on LP. I never liked listening to rock on LP. It always sounded thin to me.

I remember when Mobile Fidelity used to boast about their half speed master recordings. I read an article about Decca one time and they did it that way back in the day because it sounded better. IOW, those old LP's sound really good because they recorded and mastered the audio for that medium. At some point that started to change and it became more about getting LPs out as fast as they could and sound quality became secondary.

My collection is mostly stuff from the 50s and 60s just because of the sound quality. I've picked up LPs I've never heard of just because they were original Decca, and other labels, from that era.

Old LPs really need to be deep cleaned to truly hear them. You have to get the 50+ years of gunk and dust out of the grooves to get full needle depth and the full sound 'data' from the grooves so to speak. You really don't need high end equipment. Does it help, yeah, but Im more than happy with the current setup I have. I have a Technics turntable I got at a yardsale when I was a kid. Its still chugging along. I've taken it apart a few times and cleaned it. I did replace the head. Its so old now that the needles are discontinued. This was the only place I could find them. 

 https://needlefinder.net/

[Rain]

Funny you mention that because I realized earlier this morning that I too draw a line, though for me it's somewhere in the early eighties.  And there's a few 70's Elvis records that I am really looking forward to hearing on vinyl. That is, on clean vinyls and on a proper turntable. I have plenty of old ones with all the clicks and pops that sound fantastic on a cheap little record player with a 3 inch speaker...

And genre is also a factor. I have no interest in listening to Master to Puppets or Reign in Blood or Powerslave on vinyl, even if that's how I originally heard them.

So I guess I get what you mean. 

As for half speed...  I bought this copy of Creatures of the Night on Amazon. Unlike Black in Black or Love Gun, it's not one that I felt any pressing need to listen to on vinyl. I think it's probably better on CD.

But it was on sale, and it was my first heavy metal album back in the days, and there was that half-speed label, so I got curious.

I've not yet had the time to listen to it, and I don't own a non half-speed copy to compare, but I'm curious to hear if there's anything I can pick up. But for this type of album/sound, I believe that digital is the way to go.

 

Edited September 23, 2023 by Rain

[craigb]

Can't believe you even found a copy of that one!

I used to have all their solo efforts on vinyl too... 😆

[Heath Row]

Rain, just grab yourself another turntable, and well you know the rest

 

 

[Rain]

4 hours ago, craigb said:

Can't believe you even found a copy of that one!

I used to have all their solo efforts on vinyl too... 😆

I plan on getting everything up until Unmasked. But that's long term.

I also got this one, which I'm sure you would appreciate. Faith and Pornography are in my cart.

[craigb]

Got a present for ya!  Check your PM's... 😊