markok

Jesus, I cant even choose which post makes me cringe the most. If the record is dirty, never use carbon fiber brush, it will NOT help, if anything, it will increase the surface noise because you are forcing the dirt into the grooves even more. Should have returned the records on the first day if the seller didnt grade them right.

Im a seller on ebay and a collector and I do play my records, a lot, I have an Okki Nokki record cleaner. To the original poster: - dont be a dick and return the records for a refund. You probably have done enough of damage to the seller with your "cleaning" and god knows what stylus. - judging by the length of your post, you have an OCD (as do I), maybe switch to digital for some of the music (like I have), its impossible to find everything that sounds and looks mint. - get a proper cleaning system and stop buying used records, eventually everything gets reissued with a better mastering and artwork anyway

There is even a company called "Better Records" who listen to dozens of copies of the same record (same pressings) and sell the best sounding one for ala 500 USD. And their business is good. So that tells something about how one pressing can differ.

Will the vinyl be only available through the pledge?

Does anyone else have problems with the second LP? Im on my third copy and all of them had problems with non-fill (no-fill). All have been shipped at different times from amazon.com, so these are not consecutive presses. One copy had problems even with the first LP (huge surface noise in the right channel). This seems like a very good press, but finding a OK sounding copy is not that easy it seems. I cleaned all the records with Okki Nokki btw.

I finally have the green Scandinavian edition. Dont remember whether the mastering was discussed in this thread or other but soundwise the GZ vinyl press is an all-around audiophile release - there is almost zero compression, very nice dynamics. If you have the Steven Wilson - Hand Cannot Erase album you will get the idea, same dynamics.

I assume amazon.com gets the black variant which isnt 180g? Buying this from Europe isnt easy because we are basically paying double the price (for the colored variant).

Who rejected the test press, band members? At this point Im in no hurry - just make the record sound the best yet.

Relapse Records obviously didnt even have one turntable for a long time to even listen to their own (test) pressings, so Im glad they are moving on.

But does it have CB in the deadwax also? Apparently the US version is cut by Chris Bellman.

How does it sound? Different deadwax than the US version? I ordered my green copy from a local record store but havent received it yet. I have heard the mp3 a bit, but it was brickwalled of course.

Preorder available on amazon.com

Michael Fremer radio show in high quality (can be streamed or downloaded). The sound quality is very good, even on my laptop speakers. Episode 2: http://www.analogplanet.com/content/listen-analogplanet-radio-show-number-two-here Episode 3: http://www.analogplanet.com/content/live-asbury-park-analogplanet-radio-show-three Episode 1 will be re-done next week since the first one wasnt recorded.

I have done my fair share of dirty work in the past, but moving even a collection of 1000 was definitely up there with the hardest of them. Moving a piano would have been a lot easier.

Ok, there is definitely IGD on EU press also, the vocals get very sibilant, so dont get that one. As I said before they are identical cuts - deadwax is the same on EU and US press.

The distortion is on which side? Sterling have one of the best cutting engineers and equipment in the world.

Dont have the US one, but the EU press is the same cut (Sterling in the deadwax) but pressed at MPO (meaning France). Records are clean and 95% flat, outer sleeve is sturdy, inner sleeves are printed (luckily no hairlines on the records).

Im assuming it from the discogs entry (comparing it with the first press entry). edit: alright, I realized that on most sites it is advertised as 180g, my bad then

If the discogs entry is correct, the matrix numbers (deadwax) is the same, meaning - same cut as the first press. The downside is that this is probably not 180g.

I have been asking my record store many times - as I understand this wont be available in Europe?

Has there even been an US press for Takk? Im pretty sure this re-press is also an import from Europe, so there will definitely be an easier pre-order for us (EU).

Decent collection you got there.

Cutting and pressing - totally different things.

New plates or not, this really cant sound bad because how electronic music sounds generally on vinyl anyway. This isnt some Blue Note jazz recorded to tape or some super loud death metal thing which is very hard and expensive to cut right. That said I dont own the original but exact replica would be indeed nice - a nice middle finger to all the flippers.

As I understand from the last replies here, its a limited 2015 repress of the 2008 version: forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/nine-inch-nails-the-downward-spiral-repress-and-the-fragile-repress-reissue.431023/