Buying New Vinyl Albums

[Analogue man]

Originally Posted by knobtwiddler

Personally, I tend to hunt down songs that are on sides cut below 20 minutes. If I can find a 12" / 45rpm cut of a track I like I'll opt for that over the LP. Taking Peter Gabriel as an example, knowing that he owns one of the world's most respected recording studios and is an audio nerd, I'd take the 2 x 12" cut any day. All things being equal, a 12" with 2 cuts per side should absolutely blow a 20-min LP out of the water in terms of signal-to-noise and depth of bass. Obviously, a badly prepared stamper or over-compressed mastering job will obviate this advantage!

Whilst there is often some truth in this I recently bought Irene Cara Flashdance ..What a Feeling on 12" 45RPM and the pressing is significantly inferior to the compilation album which came out with the film. The problem being that the 12" is more compressed than the LP.

Although the film is a typical film of it's type I like the music and I like the location of the film (Pittsburgh) where I had the pleasure of working a few years back.

[knobtwiddler]

Do you know the cat no. of the 12"? Whilst mastering engineers didn't default to 'nuke' compression settings in the early '80s as much as they have done in the 21st century, it wasn't uncommon. I wonder if you are playing a reissue from a few years after the original 12"? 'Louder' has long been seen as commercially advantageous. The daft thing is, it's been shown that modestly compressed records cut through better on the radio, due to the secondary layer of limiting.

[bluepilot]

Originally Posted by knobtwiddler

A key piece of knowledge is the appreciation of the fact that the cutter-head is capable of making modulations in the groove that no typical cart / arm will be able to follow.

I remember about 50 years ago I bought one of the BBC's Goons records. There was a loud bang (I think one of the typical noises that signaled the appearance of Bloodnock) which knocked the stylus out of the groove. I tried increasing the tracking weight but it didn't help. I examined the groove at that point with a magnifying glass and found that it was almost perpendicular to the direction that it should have been in. I sent the record back to EMI (I think it was) who replied that the record appeared to have been played with excessive tracking weights, implying that it was my fault.

To be fair to them, they did send me a replacement but it was just as bad as the original. I do wonder whether anyone was able to play that record. One day I'll dig it out and try to play it with my AT-OC9ML/II.

[Ted Kendall]

Perhaps your pickup had excessive tip mass. Telarc's 1812 Overture had the seemingly impossible - groove modulations which actually went backwards - these were near perpendicular transients modified by lacquer springback. The disc remained playable, however, although mistracking was of course inevitable.

[joebog1]

I bought a full collection of The Goons in a boxed set. I can play all of them without error. Its all origional BBC. I also have many separate Goons LP,s bought as I found them before the boxed set came along, and they all play too.

The "effects " were not very high tech as you all know, so its not really surprising some players/arms/cartridges will have problems. Watching some of the Goons shows on uchoob, some of the shows were produced with one or two microphones.

Joe

[jamesperrett]

In my book one of the greatest vinyl cutting achievements was to put the whole 9 minute version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird" on one side of a 7" 45rpm single. Even more amazing is that it doesn't sound particularly quiet although the bass end is fairly tame. According to Discogs there were multiple versions, some cut by Chris Blair at Abbey Road and others cut by Tim Young at CBS.

[Edward Huggins]

Re. the above, I guess it depends on how deeply modulated the recording is. I have a fair number of Jazz EPs (Vogue 45s) with 2 tracks per side and many of these run for just under 8 minutes.

[Valvepower]

Sadly, I can't find or remember the title of the artiste of the loudly cut 45RPM 12" mentioned in post #98... However (ref quote post #106) and going off topic and at a tangent again (sorry ), I can remember the live performance by Lynyrd Skynyrd on the Old Grey Whistle Test back in 1975

Another YouTube Rabbit hole...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeJrnwnIluM

This along with the previously motioned Zep 'dancing' video are engrained in my mind, as do a lot of the OGWT performances and shows of the 70's.

I'll duck out of this one now, as mastering and cutting vinyl can get quite an emotive and passionate subject

Terry.

Originally Posted by jamesperrett

In my book one of the greatest vinyl cutting achievements was to put the whole 9 minute version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird" on one side of a 7" 45rpm single. Even more amazing is that it doesn't sound particularly quiet although the bass end is fairly tame. According to Discogs there were multiple versions, some cut by Chris Blair at Abbey Road and others cut by Tim Young at CBS.

[Richard_FM]

Supposedly American Pie had to be split over both sides of a single because the mastering engineer couldn't get a playable cut on just one side.

[Richardgr]

Keep it coming! Lots of riveting tales and trivia of the craft of delivering music from vinyl.

[arjoll]

Just catching up on this after mainly doing outside work over the break given our beautiful weather - the mention of loud 12" cuts reminds me of a 12" single my brother bought in the 80s. From memories it was the extended mix of The Narcs - Diamonds on China and almost certainly a NZ pressing. You can see the modulation in the groves - widely spaced, lots of excursion. Either that or 35 years later my memory is going .

I'll have to see if he can track it down, and if so give it a spin and take some pics.

[joebog1]

One of the best " run of the mill " LP's I have is second hand from, Real Groovy Records " from across the ditch" in NZ. Correct money for excellent quality LP's. NZ pressing, obviously 2nd hand, but plays like new.

Miilionaires and Teddy Bears,, Kevin Coyne.

I must visit one day ?.

It's only 3 hours from here.

Joe

[Beobloke]

Originally Posted by jamesperrett

In my book one of the greatest vinyl cutting achievements was to put the whole 9 minute version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird" on one side of a 7" 45rpm single. Even more amazing is that it doesn't sound particularly quiet although the bass end is fairly tame. According to Discogs there were multiple versions, some cut by Chris Blair at Abbey Road and others cut by Tim Young at CBS.

That is impressive! I have the 7" single containing the full 9 minutes and 10 seconds of Chris Rea's "Nothing to Fear", but it plays at 33rpm.

[MurphyNut]

I was bought a new pressing of Elton Johns "Madman across the water" I had the LP original back in the 1970's so I know it very well. I sold my entire record collection in the late 1980's when I when over to CD's.
I have to say you wouldn't know this new product from the original, quite amazing, even down to the LP sleeve and booklet inside, it's reproduced perfectly!
The vinyl is heavy and the sound perfect, most impressed!