Messages

76

Off Topic / Re: The Vinyl Megathread - Anything and Everything to do with Vinyl Records

« on: June 27, 2014, 05:54:42 AM »

i have a turntable in my house tho, and i have a record on it (sufjan stevens - michigan) would love to get more vinyl but i wouldnt play it all that much

You should post your setup! We'd love to see it.

Seeing as I made the thread I suppose I should post mine.

Mack's Grooves Station 4.0

Here's the setup. I have so many records that were donated to me, and plenty I've purchased.


This is my turntable, a 1982 Dual CS 515 Semi Auto, spinning Bombay Bicycle Club's A Different Kind Of Fix. Ortofon Omega cartridge.


My receiver, a Pioneer VSX-D608 home theatre amp. Above it is my NAD PP 2 Pre-amp.


My speakers are a pair of Realistic T-100 floor speakers that aren't shown, they're at the front of the room on either side of my PC desk.


Some of my favorite & recent purchases, from left to right:

Bombay Bicycle Club - A Different Kind Of Fix: My favorite album of all time. Had to order it from Australia. Tough to find!
Half Moon Run - Dark Eyes: GREAT record. Canadian musicians from Montreal with a surreal sound to them.
Bombay Bicycle Club - So Long, See You Tomorrow I got this record when I flew down to Chicago, IL to meet with TomTheGeek. We saw the band live and met them afterwords, I got Jack Steadman & Ed Nash's autographs on the sleeve :D
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker: Oh. This album. Tame Implala in general is just so awesome.

Some other recent stuff I got, I posted on Instagram. Check it out!

77

Off Topic / Re: The Vinyl Megathread - Anything and Everything to do with Vinyl Records

« on: June 27, 2014, 05:12:33 AM »

Buying Records

Online



http://www.discogs.com/

Discogs is my favorite online place to get vinyls. Anything you're looking for you can find here, even if it's on CD. The marketplace is fantastic and it even has a user database.



http://www.amazon.com/Vinyl-Records-Albums-LPs-Eps/b?ie=UTF8&node=372989011

Amazon's vinyl selection is great, and with prime they'll arrive very quickly.



http://www.ebay.com/sch/Records-/176985/i.html

eBay has a big record selection, just make sure you know the quality of the record and it's packaging.



Craigslist is pretty good for finding records locally, along with equipment - some of the best audio hardware can be found for sale on websites like Craigslist.

Record Stores



Record stores are the #1 place to go for records. Find out where your nearby record stores are and support them - they also often have extremely cheap deals on older records or new but unsealed records. Always support your LRS!

Record Store Day



http://www.recordstoreday.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record_Store_Day

Record Store Day is an internationally celebrated day observed the third Saturday of April each year. Its purpose is to celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store. The day brings together fans, artists, and thousands of independent record stores across the world.

A lot of artists release new & special edition records, limited copies of singles, LPs and EPs on Record Store Day. Shops tend to sell all other records for a small discount too. It's a great way to get together with your friends and spend copious amounts of money on way too many records.

Thrift Shops and Music Stores

Local goodwills & thrift shops usually don't have much for records, but a lot of people have found rare records for $2 at thrift stores. Also, music and media stores like HMV and Hot Topic now have an LP section for buying new record releases. They generally have the $20 price median, and you can find good new albums for a low price.


Record Collectors on the Blockland Forums

If you're into vinyl - be it enthusiast, collecting, casual listening or all of the above - Post your setup and your favorite records here! Post recent purchases, your "grail" (a record you're desperate to have), and post your audio setup & speakers.

Discogs Users on the Blockland Forums

MackTheHunter: http://www.discogs.com/user/mackenzie.spencer
TomTheGeek: http://www.discogs.com/user/TomTheGeek

Footnote: I have stayed up until 6 AM to finish this thread for you all. I have also consumed a lot of cannabis. I need to pass out now. Enjoy.

78

Off Topic / The Vinyl Megathread - Anything and Everything to do with Vinyl Records

« on: June 27, 2014, 03:19:40 AM »

Vinyl Megathread

Anything and Everything to do with vinyl records

"I was born in 2003, so..."
What are Vinyls?

A gramophone record or vinyl record, commonly known as "a record", is an brown townog sound storage medium in the form of a flat polyvinyl chloride (previously shellac) disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts near the periphery and ends near the center of the disc. Phonograph records are generally described by their diameter in inches (12", 10", 7"), the rotational speed in rpm at which they are played (331⁄3, 45, 78), and their time capacity resulting from a combination of those parameters (LP − long playing, SP − single, EP − 12" single or extended play); their reproductive quality or "fidelity" ("high fidelity", "orthophonic", "full-range", etc.), and the number of audio channels provided ("mono", "stereo", "quad", etc.).

The Phonograph disc record was the primary medium used for music reproduction until late in the 20th century, replacing the phonograph cylinder record, with which it had co-existed, by the 1920s. By the late 1980s, digital media, in the form of the Compact Disc, had gained a larger market share, and the vinyl record left the mainstream in 1991. They continue to be manufactured and sold in the 21st century. In 2009, 3.5 million units shipped in the United States, including 3.2 million albums, the highest number since 1998, and the format retains a niche market. They are especially used by DJs and many audiophiles for numerous types of music.

Types & Sizes


                                    A horribly drawn size comparison

LP ( 12", 331⁄3 RPM, 45 RPM)

The LP (Long Play), or 33 1⁄3 rpm 12" microgroove vinyl record, is a format for phonograph (gramophone) records, an brown townog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry. Apart from relatively minor refinements and the important later addition of stereophonic sound capability, it has remained the standard format for vinyl albums.

EP (10", 331⁄3 RPM, 45 RPM)

An extended play (EP) is a musical recording that contains more music than a single, but is usually too short to qualify as a full studio album or LP. The term EP originally referred to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play (SP) records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact Discs and music downloads as well. Ricardo Baca of The Denver Post said, "EPs—originally extended-play 'single' releases that are shorter than traditional albums—have long been popular with punk and indie bands." In the United Kingdom, the Official Chart Company defines a boundary between EP and album classification at 25 minutes of length or four tracks (not counting alternative versions of featured songs, if present).

Single (7", 45 RPM)

The record single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album.The most common form of the vinyl single is the 45 or 7-inch, the names are derived from its play speed, 45 rpm and the standard diameter 7-inch (18 cm).

The 7-inch 45 rpm record was introduced in 1949 by RCA as a smaller, more durable and higher-fidelity replacement for the 78 rpm shellac discs. The first 45 rpm records were monaural, with recordings on both sides of the disc. As stereo recordings became popular in the 1960s, almost all 45 rpm records were produced in stereo by the early 1970s.

Although 7 inches remained the standard size for vinyl singles, 12-inch singles were introduced for use by DJs in discos in the 1970s. The longer playing time of these singles allowed the inclusion of extended dance mixes of tracks. In addition, the larger surface area of the 12-inch discs allowed for wider grooves (larger amplitude) and greater separation between grooves, the latter of which results in less cross-talk. Consequently, they "wore" better, and were less susceptible to scratches. The 12-inch single is still considered a standard format for dance music, though its popularity has declined in recent years.

Depending on its type, in addition to the song itself, a single may include remixes of the song, additional songs, a music video for promoting the single, and a collectible poster.

Why are records better?

"Hang on," you say. "I thought CDs and digital audio were WAY better than records."

You're sort of right, and sort of wrong. Here's why.

The Quality

It is a subject of debate whether brown townog audio is superior to digital audio or vice versa. The question is highly dependent on the quality of the systems (brown townog or digital) under review, and other factors which are not necessarily related to sound quality. Arguments for brown townog systems include the absence of fundamental error mechanisms which are present in digital audio systems, including aliasing, quantization noise, and the absolute limitation of dynamic range.



They sound "Warm"

Talk to any vinyl enthusiast and the common element at the heart of their affection is a tirelessly referenced but elusive description: “warm.”

But what, exactly, are we talking about when we say that vinyl sounds warm?

“The bottom line? As humans listening, we do not like square waves,” says renowned producer/mastering engineer Peter J. Moore, known for his legendary one-microphone recording of the Cowboy Junkies’ Trinity Sessions.

OK, so in layman’s terms, what is a square wave?

“It’s when you go from absolutely quiet to super loud with no time at all,” says Moore. “If I slap two pieces of wood right beside your ear, that’s about the only time in the real world that you would feel a square wave,” he says. “That would make you jump out of your skin.

“Digital, especially MP3s, reproduce square waves like crazy. That actually upsets people! You’re triggering your fear, which also triggers fatigue. It’s unnatural.
“Now, if I was across the room and slapped two sticks together, it would take time for that wave to travel to you and by then the square wave has rounded off.”
And what does that have to do with vinyl?

“A turntable playing a vinyl record could not reproduce a square wave if it tried.”

Why can’t it?

“If I have a wire that’s one-inch long, it takes no time for sound to travel over that wire. But in the coil in a turntable cartridge, that wire is very long and it’s wrapped around a magnet. So it takes a lot of time to get through that magnet and come out the other side. By the time it comes out, the sharpness, the ugliness has been rounded.

“That,” says Moore, “is what people mean by warm.”

Record Collecting


     This guy's wife probably left him because that is a stuff ton of records.

Record collecting is the hobby of collecting sound recordings, usually of music. As of 2011, many pressing plants have been reactivated and new releases in vinyl are appearing on an increasing basis. The volume of product seems to confirm continuing niche interest in the format as formats such as CDs and cassette tapes fail to compete with digital downloads.

Turntables


  This is the best turntable in the world, the Technics SL-1200MK2. Every scratch DJ has one. Every record enthusiast has one. This photo makes my richard hard.

In order to play a record you're going to need a Turntable. often called a "record player". There are three main types of phonograph turntable drives still being manufactured today, the belt-drive, idler-wheel and direct-drive systems; the names are based upon the type of coupling used between the platter of the turntable and the motor. In a belt-drive turntable the motor is located off-center from the platter, either underneath it or entirely outside of it, and is connected to the platter or counter-platter by a drive belt made from elastomeric material.

Belt Drive VS Direct Drive

The design of the belt-drive turntable allows the use of a less expensive motor than the direct-drive turntable. The elastomeric belt also absorbs motor vibrations which would otherwise be picked up by the stylus.

Direct-drive turntables may suffer from vibration due to the motor. This is less of an issue for belt-drive turntables. However, in recent years, shock-absorbing (less dense) material, placed between the motor and platter, has been used to cut back on vibrations. The torque on direct-drive turntables is usually much higher than on belt drive models. This means the platter speed is less susceptible to outside forces (stylus, hand). Higher torque also means the platter will accelerate to its proper speed faster so less distortion is heard when the record begins to play.

The bottom line: If you purchase any direct drive turntable that was manufactured beyond the year 1980, you will not hear any rumble. Some direct drive turntables also include a "quartz lock", which is a mechanism that makes the motor speed extremely accurate and virtually removes any wow/flutter.

Cartridges and the Stylus


     Two examples of good cartridges. The Ortofon Omega, a MM Cartridge, and the Stanton L720-EE, a T4P Cartridge.

The most common cartridge system used in turntables is the standard-mount system. It converts mechanical vibrational energy from a stylus riding in a record groove into an electrical signal that is subsequently amplified and then converted back to sound by a loudspeaker system.

Another variant is the P-MOUNT or T4P cartridge. This system still works as a standard-mount cartridge, but requires a specific headshell (commonly included with lower-end mid 80s turntables). Specifically designed to be user-friendly, P-MOUNT makes changing and setting-up a phono cartridge very simple, easy and fast. It takes only two steps: (1) plug and (2) screw. That's it.

Now why is P-MOUNT desirable? Most users simply want to play and listen to records. To them a turntable is simply a means to an end. The half-inch mount turntable requires several steps to install the cartridge and several other steps to balance and align the cartridge. Balancing and aligning a cartridge are required for optimal tracking, groove retrieval and sound quality. The P-MOUNT design simplifies cartridge installation and eliminates the need for cartridge alignment.

There is one last awful kind of stylus. The one you'll find on cheap, affordable new record players that have been designed to eliminate the need of a counterweight or any sort of tracking force/anti-skate adjustment. These are not good long-term solutions for record players, they will wear out your records quickly and damage other records.


 If your turntable one of these, throw it out the window. Steer clear of this design.

Starting Your Record Collection

Buying a Turntable: Used VS/New

Used/Vintage Turntables

Buying an older turntable has plenty of benefits. They can be purchased for an affordable price, and a lot of older turntables were made of much heavier duty materials and built with more care. Older tables also support the most popular forms of cartridges, Moving Magnet and T4P.

                                                                     Good Budget Turntables ($25-200)

                                 Technics SL-D3                                                                                       Sony PS-LX2                                                                                  Dual CS-505

                                                               Higher end, audiophile turntables ($700-2000)
                                  
                                                                       Technics SL-1200MK2                                        Sony PS-8750                                                  Dual CS-5000

New Turntables

Buying new turntables can be hit and miss. The cheaper, more affordable department-store turntables (I'm talking to you, Crosley owners) have no counterweight or tracking force adjustment and a proprietary, cheaply built stylus. These turntables will track with very heavy force and will quickly wear out your records, which will make them sound awful. They also usually do not have an accurate motor speed, causing your music to be played at the incorrect pitch and speed.

Some Crosley models have built in speakers. loving BUILT IN SPEAKERS. The vibration from them just reverberates into the stylus and causes feedback (and more damage). Whoever thought this was a good design idea needs to be dragged to the street and shot.

On the other hand, if you're willing to spend a bit more cash, manufacturers like Pro-Ject, Rega, U-Turn, Marantz and Denon are still making some nice, high end turntables. Plus they all look so lovey. Oh so lovey.

                                                                       Good new turntables

          Pro-Ject Debut Carbon                          Rega RP3                                          U-Turn Orbit Plus

                                                                       Bad new turntables
                  
                                                      Crosley Cruiser                                             Sony PS-LX300USB                                             Jensen Piece Of stuff

Receivers, PreAmps and Speakers

You'll need a stereo receiver if you want to hear your turntable.


                   A Marantz 2230, one of the most popular older stereo receivers.

Your turntable will also require a Phono Pre-Amp. The regular output on a turntable is extremely quiet, and the phono pre-amp simply amplifies the sound to make it audible.


                   The NAD PP 2, one of the more popular phono pre-amps.

Some turntables, like the AudioTechnica LP120 (a good new clone of the SL-1200MK2) have a built in phono pre-amp, so you won't need one.



You'll need a set of speakers too. They must be stereo (2 speakers) because vinyls are only two channel, and only output in stereo (or mono split). You'll need standard passive (two copper wire connection) speakers in order to get sound from your receiver.

As long as they're the right connection, you can use bookshelf speakers, floor standing speakers and even PA systems. A good, affordable way to get good stereo speakers is to look on websites like Craigslist or eBay.

79

Off Topic / Re: Sayings and Quotes Thread

« on: June 18, 2014, 02:01:35 PM »

"I TELEPORTED BREAD! :D"

                         -RED Soldier

80

Off Topic / Re: [MEGATHREAD] Personal Computer - ok jeez im editing the builds gosh

« on: June 14, 2014, 07:47:58 PM »

I think we've realized mack can't do builds quickly since it's taken almost what, a year now?

I legitimately started working on it, and then took a break - for like two months accidentally because I forgot about it - and when I went to start it again, I realized that I had upgraded to win8.1 and forgot to back up the file for it and lost all of my work.

So uh, I'll whip Tom ask tom politely to help me with them and we'll get em done tonight

81

Off Topic / Re: [MEGATHREAD] Personal Computer

« on: June 14, 2014, 07:38:35 PM »

yes hi

EDIT: forget i missed page 666

EDIT EDIT: can one of you guys give me a hand with the builds, I can't do this on my own lol - at least not quickly

82

Off Topic / Re: [MEGATHREAD] Personal Computer

« on: June 14, 2014, 07:37:55 PM »

Gonna work on fresh builds tonight for the thread

83

Off Topic / Re: I'm getting a bass.

« on: June 09, 2014, 01:45:09 AM »

Hello! Bassist here, 7+ years. Ibanez Soundgear SR300FM



Bass is the most fun you'll have with guitar. It's simple to get into, and once you get the hang of it the sky's the limit. I started out with bass when I was in 6th grade, and have been playing since now (I'm 20). It helped me get into a regular guitar, but I love my bass more than any other stringed instrument.

Easiest way to get into it? YouTube some tutorials on proper technique with plucking and fretting, get your posture right (or else carpel tunnel!) and then learn your favorite song. Err, learn a song you know - don't try to start out with Fly By Night or Teen Town or something...

Get used to scales too. Scales are important, once you know where things are on the neck naturally you start to learn way quicker and play way better. Then you can start to improv which is super fun.

84

Off Topic / Re: [RADIO BROADCAST] HEFTY. V2. - On Air

« on: June 09, 2014, 01:10:59 AM »

Gentlemen! Refresh the page, I'm streaming now.

85

Off Topic / Re: [RADIO BROADCAST] HEFTY. V2. - Streaming records

« on: June 04, 2014, 10:26:06 PM »

Topics, ladies.

We're gonna start discussing them, so post topic suggestions in this here thread. Later.

86

Off Topic / Re: [RADIO BROADCAST] HEFTY. V2. - Streaming records

« on: June 04, 2014, 10:09:18 PM »

Bump,

Doing music, topics, requests and some live commentary. Hop in and listen!

87

Off Topic / Re: TomTheGeek plays PREPAR3D w/ commentary on Twitch.TV [ONLINE]

« on: June 03, 2014, 12:03:17 AM »

ALRIGHT GENTLEMEN, TAKING THE REIGNS HERE

Here's what we're going to do.

Tom and I are going to hop in a plane and fly from Toronto to Chicago. On the way there we're going to talk about topics & our opinions on said topics. Those topics will be provided by you, the forums, and the twitch chat. Simply post a topic in this thread, or in the chat (like this, without quotations: "Topic: Menstruation") and we'll get to it.

So start posting topics so we can discuss them klolgo

88

Off Topic / Re: The Rec. Drug Thread - FAQ, Q&A, and general information.

« on: May 31, 2014, 11:19:00 PM »

Woops completely forgot about this thread.

I've been smoking marijuana medically (arthritis), recreationally and regularly (3-4 times a week) for the past year. Bought myself quite the kit, I've gone through 2 ounces total, and am currently on my third ounce. So far joints are my personal favorite just because of their versatility, next to that being a portable vaporizer (way healthier too). I've been using a bong, bubbler, pipe (Also have a "gandalf" style pipe) and hookah soon.

If used responsibly in the same sense as alcohol, weed can be a really fun, relaxing and enjoyable drug. In my personal opinion, using both drugs to a heavier standard I can admit that weed is safer than alcohol. When drunk, things are difficult to get a grasp on, driving (must be) impossible and dangerous, and it's effects on your organs can be hit and miss.

With weed everything is far more focused. I don't have a license and I don't drive, but I've heard from many a friend that driving high is no problem (though I DO NOT encourage it. be safe, idiots). Personally I find it helps kill nausea and stomach pain, as well as muscle pains and bone pains. As for the psychoactive effect it's pretty awesome. The best way to describe it is that everything is just "fine". It's all good. There's no problems, all the things you'd normally worry about are just not all that big of a deal.

You can also be incredibly productive when high.

Hell, I just wrote this paragraph at a 9. Sunday night bowl, yo!

Cheers.

89

Off Topic / [RADIO BROADCAST] HEFTY. V2. - VINYL NIGHT

« on: May 30, 2014, 01:38:36 AM »

http://heftyradio.org/

Status: Online
Genre: Indie/Alternative/Rock
Now Playing: VINYL NIGHT
Schedule:∞

About

HEFTY is a non-profit radio stream created by Mack Spencer and Thomas Bolbat.
We stream for a small audience to simply show off some cool music.

https://www.facebook.com/heftyradio
https://twitter.com/HEFTYradio/

90

Off Topic / Re: Mess up Famous people's names v.42

« on: May 03, 2014, 02:45:05 AM »

Tom Hanks?
more like
TIM HONKS