slinch

Yeah, I'm not buying any more nrw until I actually start receiving some of them.

I was very mixed on this album after the first few listens, but a few months later I find it absolutely essential. Kinda bummed I missed it when it was around $11 a few days ago on amazon, but I'm not sure I want to wait for another drop.
 
Also, I loved the recent mtv unplugged show, that shadow with CRJ was perfection.

Actually quite happy with this. It was a legit fun soundtrack and i’d rather have this instead of an obscure 80’s horror movie. But to each it’s own i guess :-). 
 
 

I. SOURCE
 
Turntable
 
Basic parts of the turntable
 
Cartridge
This is where the magic happens.
To the naked eye, there are two basic parts of a cartridge: the body and the needle. The needle is the part that reads the groove. It is attached to the body, in which the mechanical vibrations are converted into an electrical signal. When something goes wrong, it is usually the needle that suffered. It breaks easily, and though it is also easily replaced, it costs over 85% of the total cost of the cartridge, so it’s best to be careful.
 
How to spot a damaged needle?
Well, if you know how it should sound, and it suddenly doesn’t sound like it should, that’s a big tell. It’s not always this easy, though.
Inspect it visually – this is what it should look like: *PIC*
If the needle is broken, it is pretty easy to spot. If the needle is not broken, but the cartridge body is touching the record while playing (and the weight is set up properly), there’s likely no other solution than replacing the needle. If the needle is worn out it also needs replacing,
 
Damaged body? Unless you stepped… actually, jumped – repeatedly - on it, it’s fine and doesn’t need replacing. I’ve never even heard of damaging the cartridge body, so if you managed to do so, post here and you get an award.
 
MM vs. MC
I will go into detail about the differences, pros and cons at a later time. For now let's just say that buying an MC cart requires much more care in proper equipment pairing. MC carts are way "pickier" in regards to the phono preamp, and even the inexpensive models such as the Denon DL-103 will perform nowhere near their potential when mounted on an average entry-level tonearm on an average entry level turntable.
 
Tonearm
It is what holds the cartridge in place, making sure it reads the recording at the right angle and also providing enough mobility and stability. The cartridge needs to move freely, but also track with a constant pressure.
 
Platter
Records sit on top of it. It can be made from different materials, each with its specific characteristics.
 
Belt (belt drive turntables)
Used simply to provide as much decoupling between the motor and the rest of the turntable as possible, while maintaining an accurate turning speed.
 
Motor
I have no idea what that thing does.
 
Plinth
It serves an isolation function, and is what (usually) holds everything in place. Also known as the base. It supports the platter and the tonearm, and depending on the turntable design, the motor as well.
 
Buying a turntable
 
First rule: Don’t be cheap.
If you’re just getting into the hobby and would like to experience at least the minimum it has to offer, do yourself a favor and invest enough to get going without the constant presence of a headache. Sure, any supermarket pile of plastic abomination will “technically” do the job (the record will spin and some sound will come out of it), but if you don’t like music enough to want to hear at least a rough approximation of what the artist intended, then why even bother?
 
Stay away from Crosley
Stay away from Ion
Stay away from Stanton
Stay away from Audio Technica (at least the LP60 model)
Stay away from anything that looks like a Crosley, Ion, Stanton, Numark, AT LP60 or a combination of any of the above. A “USB” in the name is usually also a big giveaway, though Pro-Ject does make such a model, for some reason.
 
The entry level turntables worth considering are mentioned in this thread, but I’ll repeat them.
 
Pro-Ject Essential ($300)
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon ($400)
Rega RP1 ($450)
Music Hall MMF-2.2 ($450)
U-Turn Orbit (if it proves to be a worthwhile contender)
 
Many might not consider them “budget” options, but it is a worthwhile investment even for those that might end up deciding it’s not for them and will abandon the hobby altogether. The resale value is high enough to make these THE cost-efficient choice.
 
If you really, really cannot afford any of the above, the following aren't the worst choices you can make:
 
Audio Technica AT LP120 ($200)
Music Hall USB-1 ($250)
Numark TTUSB ($100)
 
Vintage vs. New
 
While it’s true that one can get far better sound for far less pennies spent with the right vintage choice, it is an educated man’s market. You might get lucky. The table in question might have been cared for properly, it might be one of those models that can stand the test of time, and the seller might have zero idea what it’s actually worth. A lot of might’s though. If you don’t mind a $20 gamble, by all means, go for it. But to really make the best of such a purchase, the buyer has to posses enough knowledge to determine value, quality and condition of the equipment. It can be fun, it can be tiresome, and it can be rewarding. Not my first suggestion for a newcomer though.
 
Buying a used newer model can be a two-sided blade as well. The turntable is a “delicate instrument”. If not used properly and with care, a lot of things can go wrong in a short period of time. An in depth conversation with the seller is crucial to determine, or rather, guess the table’s history.
 
Buying a new table is always the safest bet, but it comes with a heftier price tag.
 
For buying something under $100 however, at least in my opinion it's better to lose $20 with a vintage table that doesn't work than losing $100 for a cheap new table that, in all honesty, doesn't really work.
 
Required additional equipment/accessories:
 
Phono pre-amp
Some tables come with a built in preamp, so this does not apply to them.
 
The output signal, generated by the cartridge, is much weaker than the analog signal coming out of digital sources. Approximately 400 – 10,000 times weaker, depending on the type of cartridge. This is why an additional stage of amplification is needed in order to integrate the turntable into your Hi-Fi chain. This stage is called a phono preamp. It is a vital part of the setup, and should not be ignored when determining the budget.
 
When is there no need for a phono preamp?
 
If there is one built into the turntable.
If your amplifier/receiver has a phono input.
 
Recommended additional equipment/accessories:
 
Cleaning supplies
Covered in detail HERE, so no need for me to repeat everything.

I was searching for such a site immediately after the DF email hit, but had no luck. Every branch of "collecting" has their own database, but I couldn't find anything that could help you combine everything you're interested in.
 
As for the pics, I used a chrome extension called Image Downloader. Worked like a charm.

I cannot deal with those nrw 6-month preorders anymore.  I have more of their POs than they have releases. 

And what if I want all my records, CDs, movies, games, prints, books, tech and other stuff all in one place, easily editable and still searchable and automated? Discogs is a great site, but deadformat had its pros as well. It's a sad day to see it go.

All you need is Carly Rae Jepsen (Emotion and Emotion Side B )
 
But also check out Patterns, Electric Youth, La Roux, Priest
 

Took me way to long to find this thread, looks like the search function is dead.
 
US link: https://www.blood-music.com/store-us/perturbator/830-perturbator-new-model-black-lp.html
 
EU link: https://www.blood-music.com/store-eu/perturbator/843-perturbator-new-model-lp.html#/121-vinyl_color-1_ultra_clear_with_black_and_white_splatter
 
180-gram+ LP on Black, White, Clear, or Clear with Black and White Splatter, couldn't find any pressing info though

So I guess you could say that...
 
...this warning is limited to one.
 
 
 
I'll see myself out now. 

finally after almost 10 years (see page #1 for when i first got my 4x4 expedit in 2008 haha) i outgrew it and wanted to add more cubes
changed it up and went with three 2x4 kallax shelves when i saw they were on sale this past week, really pleased with how it turned out


 
 

Last August we sold our house.  Built a new house, finished it in October.  Then decided to finish the basement myself.  Been without records and audio for 10 months.  About 3 weeks ago I finished the basement enough to start moving stuff in.  It's a work in progress with still more stuff yet to come from the framers.  











 

So I guess you could say that...
 
...this warning is limited to one.
 
 
 
I'll see myself out now. 

Well in your original post it says dishwasher brush. I googled it and got this:

I'm sure you can understand why I thought it was just an elaborate joke

To not be completely useless, my guess would be static as well. It doesn't explain all the problems you're having, but it does most of them.
 
1. Pops/clicks/surface noise are usually not a sign of wear or damage but improper cleaning. They can lead to permanent damage, but not because something would be wrong with your table/cart, but because records probably aren't properly cleaned. I don't own a record cleaning machine either, but I do believe it is absolutely essential and I understand that by not owning it I am exposing my records to marginal long term damage. Personally I don't really like wet cleaning with spin clean and similar budget products because they increase the chance  of long term damage/problems if not done 100% correctly. I only use a carbon brush (any $10 brush will do), though I'm not a fan of it either. It helps a tiny bit, but far from what I'd like.
 
2. Since you've mentioned the noise gets lesser the more you repeat a certain song, it seems to me your needle picks up whatever dirt there is and thus you get a "cleaner" play. So again, I'd guess dirty records, not damaged.
 
3. Acrylic platter will help in reducing static, but there are cheaper alternatives that are just as effective. The main culprit for static is the felt slipmat (I'm guessing you're using the one that came with your table?) You can replace that with a cork, leather, acrylic or a carbon slipmat. My choice would be acrylic, but any of them will do.
 
4. That inconsistent distortion is what I don't really have an answer to. It could be any of a number of things. Bad cart alignment (now that I mention it, anytime you exchange the needle it's essential to carefully check and adjust the alignment as well), faulty wiring, problems with the phono cables, phono pre inputs or outputs, or anywhere else down the line. You'll have to do a lot of testing by elimination to figure that one out.
 
5. Lastly, inner groove distortion is unfortunately just part of the game. It is technically impossible to get the needle to move at a correct angle throughout the entire record on a 8.6" (or whatever the length is, I don't remember really) tonearm. It's something you'll have to learn to live with until you're ready to throw a lot more money into this. Oh, and the problems you've mentioned with your retailer sound absolutely horrible, receiving a damaged table back and then a b-stock exchange is unacceptable if you ask me.

So I guess you could say that...
 
...this warning is limited to one.
 
 
 
I'll see myself out now. 

So I guess you could say that...
 
...this warning is limited to one.
 
 
 
I'll see myself out now. 

So I guess you could say that...
 
...this warning is limited to one.
 
 
 
I'll see myself out now. 

So I guess you could say that...
 
...this warning is limited to one.
 
 
 
I'll see myself out now. 

So I guess you could say that...
 
...this warning is limited to one.
 
 
 
I'll see myself out now. 

So I guess you could say that...
 
...this warning is limited to one.
 
 
 
I'll see myself out now. 

So I guess you could say that...
 
...this warning is limited to one.
 
 
 
I'll see myself out now. 

Morgan Willis - Sophie Teenage Dream went up on qrates today: https://qrates.com/artists/Merch/items/13822
Pressing of 100, already 3/4 gone.
 
Full stream on bandcamp: https://morganwillisofficial.bandcamp.com/album/sophie-teenage-dream
 

FM-84 Page Liked · 11 mins ·  ⚡️Photos from the factory!!!! I’m so excited to announce that the vinyl edition of Atlas is almost here thanks to Electronic Purification Records. It’s currently being pressed and will be available to purchase mid July. Stay tuned to my Facebook and Twitter feeds for updates.    PS. Tickets are selling fast for our live performance with The Midnight on July 14. Be sure to grab yours today before they’re all gone.
https://www.dnalounge.com/calendar/2017/07-14.html