(Topic ID: 168861)

Pinside Vinyl Club

By Rascal_H

7 years ago


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27
#8728 1 year ago

I should probably introduce myself…I cut vinyl records for a living…including some posted on this thread .

Blackbeltmastering.com is my studio. I maintain two vintage lathes and 4 pinball machines .

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#8734 1 year ago
Quoted from meSz:

Levi, I’m assuming, WELCOME!

Yup! Thats me .

#8737 1 year ago
Quoted from Gov:

That is freaking rad. I find the process fascinating and really appreciate the people that do it well!

Thanks! I’ve had the good fortune to cut some fantastic sounding records by really talented artists/bands.

Quoted from gonzo73:

That's gorgeous, looks like a Bond Villain secret lair. Lots of mysterious technology, up to no good.

Yaaaaas! The lathes are totally ‘bond villain’ tech…one is 1957 and the other 1966.

#8743 1 year ago
Quoted from gonzo73:

We can't find a difference.. haha I was just talking tonight with my friend who owns the shop I bought it at last week.
It's the same remaster and packaging, I'll have to scour discogs info to find out.
My friend found it in a box in the back room, so he cant remember if it's a year old or 11.

Looks like the 2011 release was cut in the states at ‘A+R’ in texas…the 2021 vinyl was cut at GZ media in the Czech Republic on a DMM lathe…there is likely an audible difference since the US one was cut on Lacquer disc.

Typically, the dmm cuts are lower in overall level but have less surface noise. Would be fun to A/B compare back to back!

1 month later
#9049 1 year ago

2M Red is a great cart for the money. Fun fact...you can exchange the stylus for the '2m blue' at any time as the bodies are identical. The 'blue' has a bit more detailed treble response. Either way...enjoy!

#9056 1 year ago

Two new pickups of records I cut recently. Metallica: Live at bridge school and Beyonce: Renaissance (see ‘blackbelt-levi’ in the deadwax)…opposite sides of the musical spectrum but each with its merits!

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#9063 1 year ago
Quoted from Pablito350:

Dusty stopped by to hang out [quoted image]

Love it…is this the new ‘Runout Groove’ cut? If so, that was done by my buddy Jeff Powell (see ‘J Powell’ in the runout)…fantastic fella and a helluva cutting engineer! Enjoy!

1 week later
#9153 1 year ago

Curious...what is the matrix number etched in the runout?

Quoted from gonzo73:

Here's a Rare one, Van Halen, 2LP Live 1981 Fair Warning Tour, at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.
Bootleg audience recording, it starts out utter crap, then as you get into side one it get listenable.
Since there are almost no decent recordings from 1980-1985, it's about the best I've heard, but that means a C+ Listenable.
Let's hope Warner Brothers and VH open the Vaults, there has to be some live recordings....
Right !?
RIGHT !!??
Man being a VH fan is the Worst, no B sides, no live shows, no demos..... not a damn thing officially released by the band.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

#9172 1 year ago
Quoted from gonzo73:

Ok.. matrix is
VH-619-A 1J
VH-619-B 1J
VH-619-C 1J
VH-619-D 1J
This mean anything to a Pro ?
Edit.. ok the Show was June 19 1981, so 619.

It can...but not in this case. Sometimes there are additional 'house numbers' that can help identify where a record was pressed.

1 month later
#9589 1 year ago

This cracked me up when I took the record out of the sleeve . Luckily the label is just barely clear from the grooves with music.

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1 week later
#9671 1 year ago

You might try one of these fans from cleanervinyl.com.

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#9673 1 year ago
Quoted from guitarded:

Love the Cutter in the backdrop. Badass.

1966...Made to last 10 lifetimes.

#9688 1 year ago
Quoted from Fulltilt:

Put on side 1.
Crank it up.

Sooooo good. This record will forever remind me of listening and enjoying music with my dad.

1 week later
#9857 1 year ago

SAP is soooooo good! Excellent choice.

#9916 1 year ago

Lack of bass in vinyl is typically a byproduct of attempting to get a loud(er) cut than usual. Low frequency grooves use up more lateral space on the disc so by reducing them it frees up more real estate to cut a few dB hotter. Its a compromise of sorts. One example that comes to mind is Kiss - Love Gun…loud as all get out, not much deep bass to speak of…still rips and sounds great!

#9917 1 year ago
Quoted from vid1900:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Depeche-Mode-Violator-Vinyl/37867893
Depeche Mode - Violator - 180gm - $19.99
Their best album on sale. [quoted image]

Soooo good! I wore this CD out in my youth and spin it on wax regularly.

#9950 1 year ago

Sigur Rós - Takk

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#9956 1 year ago

Supremes sing Rogers and Hart. Great energy, performance and mix.

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#9959 1 year ago
Quoted from Scoot:

I've been working on making my listening area more presentable.
[quoted image]

I’ll second that, looks great…love the symmetry.

1 week later
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#10060 1 year ago

Had a little bit of everything on the lathe today from country to hip-hop to punk…

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#10061 1 year ago

Here are some grooves…you can see on the right there is no modulation (silence) the when the music kicks in the ‘pitch controller’ adds land between the grooves so they dont overlap. Each groove is roughly 2/1000 of an inch.

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#10065 1 year ago

Metallica - Leftovers From The Black Album Box Set.

This is the final installment of the Metallica ‘vinyl club’. Pictured with the lathe that it was cut on.

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1 week later
#10232 1 year ago
Quoted from Jason43:

[quoted image]

One of my favorites...solid listen top to bottom!

#10327 1 year ago
Quoted from John-Floyd:

vid1900 - not that I really give a shit, but really a downvote in a vinyl thread for posting a great sounding album I received as a gift from a good friend? Come on dood- lighten up
[quoted image]

Maybe the down vote is more for ‘Mofi’ and less for you after the recent discovery of their not-so honest AAA process?

#10330 1 year ago
Quoted from John-Floyd:

Yeah I’m just curious on the downvote and the reasoning behind it? I don’t dig deep into vinyl Mfg, so I don’t know much about the process. Hope it wasn’t personal as I try to reman relatively positive around here. Or perhaps he just hates EC, which is fine too. I just thought it was a nice gift.

Fantastic gift! I can’t speak for Vid obviously…take a minute if you havent already and google the recent Mofi AAA debacle… I think there was even a silly lawsuit against them for claiming AAA when cuts were actually made from digital archives.

#10336 1 year ago

Ok…so not mofi related

#10417 1 year ago

Feels weird sometimes to realize there are records I’ve owned on CD for decades/listened to thousands of times and then come to find out I dont own on vinyl. Corrected that today. Both of these were a huge part of my youth growing up in the suburbs of Seattle and in the wake of Grunge. Obviously recent happenings at Stern reminded me to check my collection for these cuts…so now I’m stoked to have them on wax.

Both lacquer sets were cut by my favorite vinyl mastering engineer, Chris Bellman…who I’ve had the luck of meeting a few times before starting my own vinyl mastering business. Chris is, in my opinion, the best of the best when it comes to vinyl…nothing but massive admiration and respect for him.

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#10435 1 year ago

+1 for the Steve Martin comedy LP. I never think to look for comedy records when I’m out…fun thing about cutting dialog on a record is that you can fit roughly 10 more minutes of time per side since the amplitude and resulting groove of just a single speaking voice doesn't occupy as much land.

#10444 1 year ago
Quoted from CrazyLevi:

Now that we have out first 90s music pin, the possibilities are limitless!!!
Crash Test Dummies?

I’m gonna go with Crash Test Dummies (the band) as a theme…but with Spin doctors for the music

#10456 1 year ago
Quoted from Gov:

Finally found a copy of Live it Out, from Metric to complete their discography.
[quoted image]

Any specific Metric album you’d suggest for a first timer?

#10460 1 year ago
Quoted from Gov:

Synthetica and Fantasies are probably my favorites of the bunch, but I like them all.

Sweet, thanks!

2 months later
#11072 10 months ago

Enjoy…I cut that one. Look for ‘blackbelt-levi’ in the runout.

Quoted from guitarded:

Have an original British and US Press...but couldn't resist a fresh copy.
[quoted image]

#11074 10 months ago
Quoted from guitarded:

Nice. It sounds really good. A tiny bit less hot than the OP, but it is nice to have a copy with quiet ins/outs on Blue Spanish Sky. What a great tune...

Thanks! In a perfect world they provide the legacy copy for me to compare to...I had to cut this one 'blind' so I'm pretty happy with the result. In short...my main goal was to retain as much depth/dynamic range from the source as possible...which is pretty much always the goal.

#11078 10 months ago
Quoted from guitarded:

The Original LPs all had a bit too much sizzle. And with all the Reverb on that recording, it really stood out. The peaks of Severson Solo on all 5 or so copies I have had (UK included) would really give your tweeters a workout. And most speakers / setups were not up for it.
None of that here. Like I said, well done. I was able to roll it up and let the neighbors listen, too.

Personal preference…I dont care for overtly bright records. High frequencies manifest as finer/more jagged groove geometry and it’s not always fully realized by the stylus on playback and can sound unnatural (or worse as ‘distortion’) at times.

I’ll take ‘was able to roll it up’ as the highest compliment.

2 weeks later
#11146 9 months ago
Quoted from gonzo73:

If find it amazing that there are still 40-50 year old records that look and sound brand new.
You know.. they seem nicer than some brand new records.

Part of this has to do with various compounds used in the PVC back then...made for quieter noise-floor. EPA wont allow some of the 'lead based' stuff today.

2 weeks later
#11215 9 months ago

Nice! Is this a new pressing? Check the scribe…curious if it’s the version I cut.

Quoted from Fulltilt:

Such a great album.
[quoted image]

The band is so tight…love this record. It will always remind me of listening to music with my dad…great memories!

Quoted from Clytor:

I just picked up the double 10” version of this. I hadn’t seen it that way before.
[quoted image]

I remember seeing these for sale at ‘Hot Topic’ in the mall around the year 2000 when vinyl was not as common and CD’s were king…also curious to hear it…is it 45 or 33rpm?

2 weeks later
#11280 8 months ago
Quoted from beergut666:

Playing some tall records tonight.
[quoted image][quoted image]

That Badfinger LP is an all-time favorite, so good!

3 months later
#11636 5 months ago
Quoted from Lermods:

What a great band to listen to on vinyl! You really hear things you might not on other media. Playing on a technics sl-1500 through a marantz 2220b.
[quoted image]

An all-time favorite spin here…such a masterpiece!

#11647 5 months ago
Quoted from meSz:

New Black Pumas
[quoted image]

Any engineering credits listed within? Mix, master, lacquer cutter? For vinyl mastering (lacquers) you can likely just look at the scribe in the dead-wax. Might just be some initials.

#11650 5 months ago
Quoted from meSz:

The only info in the wax is the number 266350E1/L and it appears it was lasered in, not scribed.
According to Wiki "It was produced by Adrian Quesada and mixed by Shawn Everett". On the inner sleeve it reflects "Mastered by: Emily Lazar with Chris Allgood at the Lodge".

Laser scribe is a good indication that the vinyl mastering was done at GZ in the Czech Republic on a DMM lathe.

#11657 5 months ago
Quoted from Clytor:

I found this in the used bin at one of my usual haunts. I’ve been wanting pick this one up for a while. I think it’s Imogene’s best.
[quoted image]

So good!

#11664 4 months ago

This LP is a master class in how to do vinyl right!

Quoted from Clytor:

This record sounds stellar on the rig.
[quoted image]

1 week later
#11699 4 months ago
Quoted from Reality_Studio:

To my plebeian ear the Nagaoka MP-110 had more bass and a more full sound but seemed muddier as you go higher up. The Ortofon 2M Blue on the other hand sounded more clear higher up, had more detail. It's a tough one as it may depend on what music is being played, like with Daft Punk I'd probably prefer the Nagaoka MP-110 but with classical music i suspect the Ortofon 2M Blue. In my case since my main vinyl purchases will be late 70s and 80s era type music I think I'd prefer the Nagaoka MP-110.
For reference this is the Youtube video I had watched comparing the two:

Your account is pretty spot-on of both. I’d add that the 2m blue has a slightly wider stereo image as well. The MP-110 is dark, but like you said thats helpful with bright LP’s and it tends to register less ticks/pops in my experience.

3 weeks later
#11797 3 months ago

Here’s a fun novelty. The Mortal Kombat I & II ‘blood filled’ LP.

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#11810 3 months ago

New from Mxpx - Find A Way Home. This one’s pretty cool as it’s filled with purple sand that is reactive to UV/black light…a fun novelty, much like the Mortal Kombat record I previously posted.

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1 week later
#11899 3 months ago
Quoted from Fulltilt:

I am assuming because they sound better. Less compression in the grooves at 45 vs 33. Kinda like 15 ips tape sounds better than 7 1/2 ips. Is that basically the rational? They sound incredible.

Thats basically it and you’re on the right track (no pun intended)…primary benefit is that (just like tape) the faster speed reduces the inherent noise-floor.

45rpm also suffers less ‘diameter loss’ which is the phenomenon of how as your stylus tracks closer to the center of the disc is reproduces exponentially less treble due to the groove structure being more tightly packed* as it relates to physical geometric shape.

* I tend to not use the word ‘compressed’ when describing this because it too often gets associated with ‘dynamic range compression’ which is not the case here. But in the true sense of the word, yes…the grooves are being physically pushed closer together at the inner diameter than the start of the disc.

On a 12” disc you essentially have 3 inches of usable land for the cut. Most of the time people are trying to cram way too many songs/too much time and exceed the specs of the format. For example, yesterday I cut an LP that had over 24 minutes on the A side. In order to fit this much time you have to cut in a way the relaxes the groove structure so that the lathe will pack them as close together as possible…the main way to do this by reducing the volume of the cut which equates to more audible noise floor on playback. If you took that same side and spread it across two sides (so now 12min per side) at 45rpm you now have double the physical space to cut, which means a louder cut with lower noise floor = happy audiophiles!

2 weeks later
#12002 88 days ago

Antique store find $39…silver label ‘limited edition’ MoFi.

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1 week later
#12105 79 days ago

Present.

Speaking of records and tattoos I was gifted this hoodie from RTI over the holiday (look up Record Technology, Inc., they press some of the finest LP’s) and thought this graphic on the back would make a cool tattoo.

My record collection is pretty modest but mostly consists of a wall of test pressings, records I’ve cut or records I’ve been gifted.

In addition to the above probably less than 100 albums that I’ve bought that I listen to on a regular basis for pleasure (but thats sorta more the unfortunate byproduct of listening to music all day for work).

In the house/main floor we have an old ‘dual’ we got for free of fb that my wife and kids will spin LP’s on occasionally…usually Supremes though my 12yr old is in a ‘foo fighters’ phase and I just cut their new 7” single of ‘The Glass’ with a cover from H.E.R. on the A side…so thats getting a decent amount of spins.
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#12108 79 days ago
Quoted from Reality_Studio:

Just to follow up on this, when I was at a record store on Sunday I noticed the had an album by The Police that was "Mastered at half speed", and it went on to explain that it sounds better. Do you think that would compare to Japanese pressings?

Half speed can sometimes sound amazing and sometimes very average…really depends on the source. The primary benefit is that frequencies that are usually problematic for a cutterhead to reproduce now live within the sweet spot. For instance. high-frequencies above 10k result in very fine geometric shapes within the groove structure and are not always easy for a phono stylus to trace with 100% accuracy (which can cause the impression of distortion with harsh ‘essss’ sounds). Half speed would casue 12kHz to become 6kHz which is a more relaxed groove shape and thus easier to repro on playback…so in theory a half speed cut can have more detail. The flip side is that the entire frequency spectrum gets halved, so low end can suffer. 50-60Hz becomes 25-30Hz which is very much below what a cutter head can effectively reproduce at reference level.

The entire process of cutting half speed takes roughly four times longer (calibration, session setup, test cuts, full side test runs, production lacquers) than normal speed and presents more room for error…most cutting houses charge nearly $1000 (per side) to do it so you can imagine it doesn't fall within the budget for most bands/musicians.

In my experience, a well planned/spaced out double LP cut at 45rpm can have much or more impact than a half speed cut.

#12110 79 days ago
Quoted from gonzo73:

BlackBelt, you want to explain Half Speed Mastering ?

I started typing the above before you asked.

In a nutshell…the source audio is played back at half the speed. If it was a reel of tape recorded at 30ips, it would be played back at 15ips. For digital, an 88.2k wav file would be played back at 44.1k. The half speed of the audio shifts the entire frequency spectrum down by half (all notes are lower by 50%) The lathe’s platter speed is also reduced by half…so 33 becomes 16 2/3. With both the source at half and the lathes platter spinning at half the lacquer is cut…as you can imagine a 20 minute sides now takes 40 minutes to cut. Once done, and the side is played back at the usual speed of 33rpm everything is shifted back up by 50% and sounds normal again.

As mentioned above, the main benefit is that a a portion of the frequency spectrum cuts more effortlessly at half…resulting in a groove that can be geometrically less difficult to navigate with the overall audible byproduct potentially being more clarity, stereo spread tighter bass.

#12112 79 days ago
Quoted from guitarded:

Pretty much, every time. I think you are absolutely correct, here.

Check out the new Pearl Jam 45rpm cuts of ‘Vs.’ and ‘Yield’ that I recently did. The conversation was on the table to do them at half-speed. I would have certainly made more money had I cut them half-speed but early tests all pointed to 45rpm being the better sounding option…louder, more bass and more articulate top-end at 45rpm. So thats what we did.

#12113 79 days ago
Quoted from Reality_Studio:

Gotcha, ok thanks for the info! Also just found this dudes video and he's definitely not a fan, he brings up some interesting points. Guess I'll keep things simple and pass on those.

Thats Kevin Grey…fantastic cutter who does some of the highest quality cuts in the jazz scene.

#12116 79 days ago
Quoted from Gov:

I have been meaning to pick up VS. Any way to make sure I am getting the one you cut? Just look for the 45 rpm version?

Be certain its the ‘2-LP’ not the single:

https://www.discogs.com/release/28973656-Pearl-Jam-Vs

#12118 79 days ago
Quoted from guitarded:

I would.
But then I would have to listen to Pearl Jam...
(and give some of my money to Jeff Ahmet*).
I can't do that.
*He once screwed me on a deal for a 57 P Bass he begged me to get for him. I won't even let him buy records from me at the local Record Show at this point.
And yeah...Kevin G. has cut some fabulous re-issues. The list of great LPs he has cut is incredibly long.

Fair enough

#12124 77 days ago
Quoted from Jason43:

[quoted image]

I spy a Japanese snes

11
#12133 76 days ago

Want to start posting more here from that short stack of LP’s that I actually listen to for fun. This is the 30th Anniversary release of Bob Marley ‘Legend’. This 2-LP was cut by Ron McMaster at the tail end of his career at capital records.

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#12139 76 days ago
Quoted from Gov:

Good mail day. Some of Blackbelt's handy work to start off and it sounds great!
Then some other goodies.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

That was quick! Enjoy!

#12180 71 days ago
Quoted from Coyote:

AFAIK, most (not all) entries on Discogs will have runout stamping/markings listed, so you can take that 'FV 4145..' number and look at the different entries on Discogs for Rebel yell to find your matching release.

This.

The matrix (also called catalog number) etched in the runout is your best identifier for discerning what pressing you have. Discogs is pretty comprehensive but not always fully accurate since it’s user populated… There are gobs of records that I have cut which don’t have runout information listed.

#12181 71 days ago

Here is another one I enjoy listening to pretty often… Always loved the sincere, honest and raw nature of Elliott’s work. this cut was done by Carl Rowatti at Trutone Mastering in New York.

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#12187 71 days ago
Quoted from Dragon:

"identifying which versions are known to sound best (on paper at least)"
so the thinking is the first pressings are the best? and the runoff has the catalog number stamped, every subsequent pressing has a new catalog number in the runoff this identifies how many albums are pressed with the given master.
do master stamps wear out and another is made creating a new first run ?

It's not my experience that stampers (thus pressed records) have number of pressings etched in the runout...I've cut LP's that have pressed more than 500,000 copies and the matrix is the same in each pressing from samples pulled.

Here goes.

A single master lacquer is plated to create a 'metal master'. That metal master can either be formed as a stamper (this is 'one-step' as Fulltilt mentioned and is exactly what mofi does). A single stamper is roughly good to be used for 1000 pressings before it wears out.

If the metal master is not formed as a stamper it gets plated again to make a 'metal mother'. My understanding is that you can pull up to 10 mothers from the master and 10 stampers from each mother.

#12188 71 days ago

This might help…

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#12200 69 days ago

Originally released in 1996 on CD only this is ‘Fantastic Planet’ by Failure. This original/first time pressing from 2010 was cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering.

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#12241 66 days ago
Quoted from ArcadeRaid:

Thought I would share my Star Wars albums.
Here we go. First up is a double album set from the original movie. All of the major songs performed by the London Symphony…

Once I was done restoring this lathe (c.1966) I connected on the phone with a previous owner. He claimed that it had cut the masters for Star Wars…so, in theory this machine cut that record.

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#12247 66 days ago
Quoted from 30FathomDave:

Goddamn, @blackbelt, this sounds phenomenal!
[quoted image]

Thanks, they basically gave me freedom to cut it the way I wanted…their support staff are pretty much the nicest folks to work for…hoping for more 45rpm reissues of other PJ titles in the future!

Quoted from Dragon:

this is a beautiful restoration, 1966 looks rather new

At the time I picked it up, it had been sitting in a climate controlled hallway unassembled for 30 years…drove it home, fully disassembled it, cleaned, new bearings/rubber parts/gaskets and viola! Made to last 10 lifetimes.

#12269 65 days ago
Quoted from lasermel:

I've gotta say that this forum is great for discovering new music. Everyone posts pics of albums they enjoy, and many I've either never heard of before or didn't know existed. When I see something interesting, I stream a little on Amazon Music to check it out and that has led to many vinyl acquisitions that I really enjoy having in the collection.
A general "thanks" for just doing what you do and posting what you like!

Sometimes I enjoy this thread more than the pinball stuff

#12284 64 days ago
Quoted from Notapinwiz:

Too icy so takin the day off. Looks like I is up next in my list.
I Prevail[quoted image]

Great Label (Fearless Records) for this release. Also worth checking out on this label is Ice Nine Kills...a known favorite of @spookybug. The Plot In You and August Burns Red (Fearless Alumni...killer metal-core) totally worth checking out too.

#12292 64 days ago
Quoted from Daditude:

I haven't posted here in awhile, but I just got this:[quoted image]

Nice…curious if thats the newest pressing or not…can you relay whats etched in the runout?

#12296 64 days ago
Quoted from GoneFishinLvMsg:

Is it just me or do vintage pressings really sound a lot better than the new ones?
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

Some of what your hearing (or not hearing) is…lead. EPA has cracked down on the use of lead compounds in pvc and it helped make some of the older pressings less pop/tick-y.

#12298 64 days ago
Quoted from Daditude:

It was a gift, and I haven't opened it yet, but it says 2012 and "Made in Germany"

Excellent pressing, enjoy!

#12317 62 days ago
Quoted from Haymaker:

Today's motivation
[quoted image]

Nice! If thats a first pressing it was cut by Richard Simpson…if its a reissue it was cut by Nick Townsend…both great engineers!

#12351 61 days ago

The Mollusk is a personal favorite.

#12386 58 days ago
Quoted from Reality_Studio:

Just curious, can you guys tell the difference in sound quality from different turntable mats? I'm changing the felt mat that came stock on mine for reasons not related to sound quality, but figured I'd do some a/b tests on sound just out of curiosity. From the way people describe it on Youtube changing the mat is a life changing sound experience but I can't hear any difference between felt, rubber, silicone rubber or acrylic

This is a tough one. I mean...sure, the composition/density of the mat could play in to dampening vibrations which would in turn effect the overall sound.

I think if changing your mat drastically alters the sound...it might be an indication you have a larger issue at hand in terms of unwanted vibrations/resonance reaching the tonearm.

#12388 58 days ago
Quoted from guitarded:

Are you using a weight?
Uncoupled, it would be very hard to hear much difference.
My guess is a lot of people are hearing the difference in the angle of their tonearm due to the VTA adjustment moving as they change mats and don't adjust for height of the surface of the LP.

What guitarded said...good point.

#12411 55 days ago

‘Frengers’ by the Danish band Mew. I was working on a different record for a client that reminded me of this one, so I had to put it on… I can’t even begin to describe how massive and lush this record sounds. Cut by the late/great Stan Ricker at half-speed (Stan was the primary champion for half-speed cutting back when it was initially intended to used for CD-4/quadraphonic LP’s).

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#12412 55 days ago

Here is an interview with Stan that some may find interesting...

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/rickerinterview/ricker7.htm

#12414 55 days ago
Quoted from Clytor:

This is one of my favorite records of all time. I have seen them twice. Great band. They initially reminded me a little of Pale Saints. And The Glass Handed Kites is also excellent.

Oh yes, thats also an excellent one.

They usually play Seattle when they tour…seen them 3 times…the 4th time I wasn't able to go and my wife and her brother got to hang out/chat with them after the show

#12435 52 days ago

Morning ‘warm-up’ listen…Weezer - Pinkerton. This MoFi pressing was mastered by Krieg Wunderlich who handles a good deal of their cutting… he’s been an immense help to me over the years and even went to check out a lathe for me back in 2019 in the SF bay area (he lives in Petaluma) to see if it would be a good purchase.

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#12439 51 days ago
Quoted from Gov:

I have this one. Only MOFI pressing I have, but it does sound very good.

Nice! Such a short album that it really shines on vinyl…loud/clear. I also have the dmm cut and the mofi one certainly offers more depth.

#12459 49 days ago
Quoted from 30FathomDave:

Gimme some more…
[quoted image]

Check the runout of this one... I cut a reissue of it a few years ago.

#12466 48 days ago
Quoted from 30FathomDave:

One more QOTSA today. This one also appears to be cut by BlackBelt but I couldn’t find this variant on Discogs.
Nevertheless, it sounds great!
[quoted image]

Nice! Both those ultimately fall under the Universal Music Group umbrella…during the pandemic they repressed a ton of great LP’s…I cut some bucket list titles like Nirvana - Nevermind, Beck - Odelay and Jay-Z - The Black Album. Just hope people enjoy them and the next generation can have a cut that does justice to the source!

#12514 44 days ago
Quoted from 30FathomDave:

Here’s hoping Lateralus gets a proper black vinyl pressing at some point (and how about an Aenima repress while we’re at it?). The picture discs on this release don’t sound terrible, but there’s a fair amount of surface noise and pops on this one.
[quoted image]

Duuuuuude…I wanna hear this on plain black vinyl so bad…after hearing the picture disc I picked up a bootleg and its also just weird…A side sounds great…B side is totally distorted.

#12520 44 days ago

Had to post this Lateralus bootleg… the image quality on the jacket looks like someone copy/pasted art from a 90’s internet search and then blew it up way beyond its resolution. Colors are all faded and grainy. The vinyl itself is just a very unpleasing semi-translucent milky red…bleh. The music is spread across 4 sides as a double LP, but the B side basically starts with what sounds like static/snow from a television that majorly overshadows what would be some of best songs.

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#12538 43 days ago
Quoted from vid1900:

Make sure you smoke his Khalifa Kush while kicking back to some $2 fresh red vinyl.... only for 'experienced consumers'[quoted image]

I'll further add to the fun. I just checked my cutting log from last year and I know why they were blowing out those 3LP sets

#12543 42 days ago
Quoted from guitarded:

Black Belt is telling you that a better sounding version of this is already in the production pipeline without telling you that a better sounding version of this is already in the pipeline.

#12551 42 days ago

I see how I confused things…I thought this LP had a previously released version.

If this is a first time on vinyl then I for sure cut the N. American release. Sometimes records will have different cutting engineers based on the region they’re released in so Europe may have a different cut than the one I did.

#12560 40 days ago
Quoted from Gov:

Idles new release today. Good stuff. [quoted image]

Is the matrix on that one PTKF3041-1?

#12563 40 days ago
Quoted from Gov:

yup, says BlackBelt - Levi on it
Good work mate!

Thanks! Great label (Partisan) that put this LP out…they went through great lengths to make sure the vinyl was done well.

#12583 39 days ago
Quoted from Reality_Studio:

Some new ones to the mix, I think I've already put 200+ hours on the stylus.[quoted image]

Speaking in Tongues sounds phenomenal!

#12606 37 days ago

The Fire Theft. Essentially all members of the band Sunny Day Real Estate sans their 2nd guitar player (Dan). 1st pressing from 2019. Initially was a CD only release from 2003.

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#12621 36 days ago
Quoted from Clytor:

Such a great sounding recording.
[quoted image]

Depth for daaaaaays! Really excellent cut…dynamic, clear and punchy!

#12644 33 days ago
Quoted from Notapinwiz:

Weezer
Certainly not blue and white marbled, but i suppose id rather have the blue album on just blue anyway.
[quoted image]

So good…its kinda sad that Weezer only came out with one more record after this.

#12647 33 days ago
Quoted from Notapinwiz:

Only one more? Don't like anything after Pinkerton?

I know the post Pinkerton stuff is technically ‘weezer’ but to me its just a totally different band.

There was a pretty funny SNL sketch that is one-the-nose accurate and pokes fun at my sentiment

#12652 33 days ago

Weezer’s trajectory is pretty impressive when you think about it. They could have easily been written off as a sort of one-hit-wonder or 90’s power-pop come and gone. They rallied after a 5 year hiatus (post Pinkerton) with friggin 13 more studio albums to date! They managed to stay relevant, write hits, make the charts and sell albums at the platinum level all over the span of 30 years…so hats off the Weezer!

#12673 31 days ago
Quoted from Fulltilt:

Sounds fantastic. I want my MTv!
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
[quoted image]

I have a test pressing for this…sounds fantastic

#12681 30 days ago
Quoted from Reality_Studio:

Have you guys ever had a particular pressing just not play right on your turntable/stylus?
Long story short, I have Dire Straits Brothers in Arms but the 1st song on side 2 has a recurring "tick" sound (upon closer inspection you can see a scratch covering the first track). No skips but the "tick" is annoying, so I get another one.
Copy #2 doesn't have that "tick", plays clean, but it has a single skip on Money For Nothing. Bad luck, I'll get a 3rd one. To my surprise copy #3 has a skip at the exact same spot on Money For Nothing. I play each record again at the same spot, sure enough identical skips on each album at the identical spot.
I check the pressing info on the inner ring for both copies and they are identical, so they are from the same pressing. Is it possible this pressing just isn't compatible with my stylus? That a normal thing?
As much as I love my microlinear stylus I have noticed that it is more susceptible to skipping so I wonder if maybe this pressing just worked fine on the stylus of the day, but with a microlinear stylus it's a no go?

So many factors come into play here. Stylus shape, stylus force, anti-skate, tracking angle, cantilever stiffness. I'll see if I can get a closeup picture of the grooves for this song...the general rule is that from a cutting perspective you dont want to see any sudden lateral groove excursions that exceed 45 degrees...as the chances of the average stylus successfully staying in the groove are low.

Quoted from Pickle:

And picked this up on the way to see John 5….happened to be released the same day. Been working all weekend so finally cranking this one up!
[quoted image]

John 5 is such a phenomenal player...bet that was a fun show! Hey...I cut that Ace Frehley LP...

#12682 30 days ago
Quoted from Reality_Studio:

Have you guys ever had a particular pressing just not play right on your turntable/stylus?
Long story short, I have Dire Straits Brothers in Arms but the 1st song on side 2 has a recurring "tick" sound (upon closer inspection you can see a scratch covering the first track). No skips but the "tick" is annoying, so I get another one.
Copy #2 doesn't have that "tick", plays clean, but it has a single skip on Money For Nothing. Bad luck, I'll get a 3rd one. To my surprise copy #3 has a skip at the exact same spot on Money For Nothing. I play each record again at the same spot, sure enough identical skips on each album at the identical spot.
I check the pressing info on the inner ring for both copies and they are identical, so they are from the same pressing. Is it possible this pressing just isn't compatible with my stylus? That a normal thing?
As much as I love my microlinear stylus I have noticed that it is more susceptible to skipping so I wonder if maybe this pressing just worked fine on the stylus of the day, but with a microlinear stylus it's a no go?

Here’s a picture of some grooves I just took to kind of emphasize the point. You can see where the physical shape naturally becomes geometrically more complex as it relates to the amplitude of a dynamic audio event…likely some sort of percussive hit or a full band ‘stinger’ all on the same beat. if you imagine your phono carts stylus like a raft going down a river and the inertia of the water pushing it along like the rotation of the disk if you approach a quick bend in the river the momentum of your raft wants to propel you forward whereas the water wants to go to the left or right which is what ends up causing you to brush up against the side of the river bank, or in the case of a record to skip over the ridge of the groove.

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#12695 30 days ago
Quoted from nickrivers:

This whole reply just reminded me that I have no fucking clue what I’m doing with my turntable lol

I wouldn't sweat it. If you can get it to make sound you're doing alright.

#12708 30 days ago

YUSSSSS!!! Love this...stoked you were able to further dial in your player...feels pretty good right?!

#12725 28 days ago
Quoted from Evets:

Mid ‘90s jazz swing.
[quoted image][quoted image]

I love how you can really hear the room/space of this record…feels very ‘all played live in the same room’ in the best way.

#12728 28 days ago
Quoted from Gov:

Another banger from Levi BlackBelt . Good work my dude.
[quoted image]

If I remember correctly I cut this in 2022, enjoy!

#12768 24 days ago
Quoted from Clytor:

Finally jumped on this one. I think I had it on cassette back in the day.
[quoted image]

Stellar LP top to bottom...one of my favorites!

#12800 18 days ago
Quoted from Haymaker:

Ebay seller took his sweet time shipping this to me but it was worth the wait!
[quoted image]

Well now you made me buy one…prob same seller.

#12806 18 days ago
Quoted from Haymaker:

Retrowaves-usa? They are selling it at a very nice price but sheesh it took them over a week to ship. Luckily it turns out they are very close to me so it showed up only a day or two after they finally put it in the mail!

Yessir! Fingers crossed.

1 week later
#12873 7 days ago

Finally arrived…holy ballz this cut sounds phenomenal. Runout states that it was cut by Wes Garland at NRP…great guy.

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11
#12880 6 days ago
Quoted from Gov:

Sigh, you guys make me spend too much money. I ordered one as well :p

I promise it will not disappoint!

While we’re on the subject of spending money we don’t want to…after completing a massive project I decided to upgrade the studio reference record player to this delicious VPI Scout + Ortofon 2m Blue.

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#12908 2 days ago

Sorbothane pads are also great at mitigating vibrations. Lots of size options on amazon.

Also worth checking that your tracking force didn't get upset while moving from repair to home. Each stylus has it's own specific recommended weight but in general 1.75~2g of force is typical.

Quoted from Haymaker:

OK gurus I have a somewhat technical question for you. I just got my TT back from service and was instantly reminded on the huge drawback this TT has over my backup. It skips super easy from merely walking around. The TT is on my entertainment center which is quite large and heavy with a fairly thick wooden top. The entertainment center itself is on carpet. If I walk anywhere within about a 5 foot radius, my needle starts skipping all over the place. My old TT had a lot more "suspension" to it I guess because it took quite a bit to get it to skip. This one I can't walk by without skipping. Its a Technics sl-1600 mk1. There is a suspension to it, but it seems rather stiff. Is there anything I can do to help mitigate the skipping? Moving the TT is pretty much out of the question. Maybe like a foam matt of some sort? Something relatively cheap would be ideal

#12910 47 hours ago

Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head. The A side of this LP is perfection…

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#12917 28 hours ago

Morning spin…Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman. Surprisingly very little production/engineering info on the jacket…sounds very dynamic and crisp.

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