The Joys of Vinyl

[smittims]

I've recently returned to playing Gramophone records - LP's my generation used to call them, Vinyl to today's youngsters.

There's a special pleasure in playing a nicely-cleaned copy of an old Columbia of Klemperer's 1954 'Jupiter' symphony, with the original sleeeve propped up. Compared with programming CD7 track 5 out of a Warner box it's like meeting a old friend face-to-face as opposed to hearing their voice on a telephone.

I was puzzled and amused to see a revival of this medium a few years ago, thinking it a mere fad, but it has its rewards; a bit like strolling down a country lane instead of speeding past in your BMW.

Anyone else succumbed?

[ardcarp]

We still have about 2 dozen LPs on our shelves, some of which are old favourite recordings of particular works. We haven't replaced many of them with identical recordings now on CD. (Though we do have box sets of Kings and Johns choirs.) There is undoubtedly surface noise however carefully you clean LPs, but this doesn't seem to natter once you accept it. It may be my imagination, but there does seem to be a greater 'presence' or 'immediacy' from vinyl.

[RichardB]

Anyone else succumbed?

I was glad to get past those things and I have no intention of ever going back to them. And I'm beginning to feel the same about CDs as well. And people who speed on country lanes in BMWs ought to be... well don't get me started.

[gradus]

I've kept my LPs but am unsure why, as I rarely play them but when I do, pleasure is often tempered with irritation at surface noise, ticks, pops and clicks. I can't be the only one who still has records especially box sets from the last century that remain unplayed in their boxes with sun-bleached spines and I suppose I ought to go through them, rarities like Pfitzner's Palestrina must be tired of beckoning me by now and messrs Brendel, DF-D languish though heard in other formats; just like collecting books really.

[hmvman]

Anyone else succumbed?

I never left in order to return! I still get great pleasure from playing my LPs (yes, I call them that too) and they are simply part of my recorded music collection.

As well as vinyl I also enjoy playing shellac records of various RPMs....

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I had several hundred LPs, bought between 1961 and 1985. I invested is some of the best playing equipment available, but the quality of pressings was a constant headache. I would buy a new LP and then lower my SME-III/Shure V15 on to the spinning surface, and then sit bolt upright in my chair, fearing the pops and crackles that would inevitably mar the music. On buying my first CD, I was overwhelmed by its complete lack of annoying background sounds, and was an instant convert.
The fun of vinyl seems to be in the task of eliminating its deficiencies, plus the visual excitement of seeing the player in action. Otherwise vinyl is just expensive, inconvenient and vulnerable.

[Bryn]

I had several hundred LPs, bought between 1961 and 1985. I invested is some of the best playing equipment available, but the quality of pressings was a constant headache. I would buy a new LP and then lower my SME-III/Shure V15 on to the spinning surface, and then sit bolt upright in my chair, fearing the pops and crackles that would inevitably mar the music. On buying my first CD, I was overwhelmed by its complete lack of annoying background sounds, and was an instant convert.
The fun of vinyl seems to be in the task of eliminating its deficiencies, plus the visual excitement of seeing the player in action. Otherwise vinyl is just expensive, inconvenient and vulnerable.

And made from a material which is toxic to the environment and very difficult to recycle. The polycarbonate used for CDs is a less environmentally unfriendly material.

[smittims]

Thanks for these replies. I must say I've had next to no surface noise from even 1950s LPs when cleaned carefully: the Klemperer (33CX 1257) being an example. I think they were well-cared-for by their revious owners , who may not have played them much.

[pastoralguy]

I had several hundred LPs, bought between 1961 and 1985. I invested is some of the best playing equipment available, but the quality of pressings was a constant headache. I would buy a new LP and then lower my SME-III/Shure V15 on to the spinning surface, and then sit bolt upright in my chair, fearing the pops and crackles that would inevitably mar the music. On buying my first CD, I was overwhelmed by its complete lack of annoying background sounds, and was an instant convert.
The fun of vinyl seems to be in the task of eliminating its deficiencies, plus the visual excitement of seeing the player in action. Otherwise vinyl is just expensive, inconvenient and vulnerable.

My thoughts exactly! I had an unexpected tax rebate and blew £500 on a SONY machine. I bought two CDs. Uchida and Tate doing Mozart 20th & 21st piano concertos and Mackerras conducting the LPO in Elgar’s ‘Falstaff’. I was offered a cd when I bought the player and although the classical option was limited I chose the Dutoit ‘Daphnes & Chloe’. I remember pushing the ‘play’ button and waiting for the plop and the hiss. I’m still waiting!!

For me, I could hear the inner parts and the harmony as opposed to a general ‘mush’. I still have these CDs and they STILL sound fantastic after all these years…

[hmvman]

Thanks for these replies. I must say I've had next to no surface noise from even 1950s LPs when cleaned carefully: the Klemperer (33CX 1257) being an example. I think they were well-cared-for by their revious owners , who may not have played them much.

I think the older vinyl was better - certainly the pressings were thicker. As has been said before, pressings from the 1970s left a lot to be desired.

Do you have a record cleaning machine, smittims?

[smittims]

No. About thirty years ago I bought for , I think, £1.99, a cleaning kit from WHSmith. I refilled the atomiser with a 1:5 solution of surgical spirit and spray the disc, wiping it with a cloth twice, wet and dry, then with a Bib Groovekleen velvet brush, and I play it with a groovekleen arm. This seems to work well.

Scratched, sadly , are another matter. I found a Decca 10" of Backhaus in op.110 &111 with a lovely photo of the old boy, but alas! it was badly scratched.

Mentioning the cover photo reminds me of another joy of vinyl: the full-size cover art. Two lovely examples on the Proms 'two Scheherezades' thread.

[Petrushka]

I bought my first CD player in November 1985 together with half a dozen CDs. I last played an LP the night before and have never been back.

I do, however, still have around 700 LPs on my shelves, many of which have huge sentimental value as well as being presents from my late parents. Something like 95% are now on CD and I have some of them several times over. The LPs might never get played but I do occasionally use the included texts where they are not otherwise available.

[Bryn]

I bought my first CD player in November 1985 together with half a dozen CDs. I last played an LP the night before and have never been back.

I do, however, still have around 700 LPs on my shelves, many of which have huge sentimental value as well as being presents from my late parents. Something like 95% are now on CD and I have some of them several times over. The LPs might never get played but I do occasionally use the included texts where they are not otherwise available.

I can certainly identify with that. My Thorens/Linn combo has been out of action awaiting my rewiring its mains supply cable. It has been in that condition for several years. I shold really get a round tuwit.

[cloughie]

I think the older vinyl was better - certainly the pressings were thicker. As has been said before, pressings from the 1970s left a lot to be desired.

Do you have a record cleaning machine, smittims?

I can remember the joy of hearing 33CX1346 time and time again on my first record player in my teens. Long gone now but that performance of Eroica stands the test of time Beethoven’s metronome or not! The 67? year old recording sounding good on CD.

[cloughie]

I can certainly identify with that. My Thorens/Linn combo has been out of action awaiting my rewiring its mains supply cable. It has been in that condition for several years. I shold really get a round tuwit.

I need a round tuit to sort out my MD player ejector belt! Very much on topic as my main use of vinyl over the CD years has been in recording them on MD for convenience of playing cf CDs!