HW RE: off into dodgy vinyl ness

[Mike Montfort]

Picture discs, as different from "colored" vinyl, were made from a softer
vinyl (introductions of different colors so as to make up a picture on the
disc would not have been possible with "regular" Vinyl) and would actually
be degraded by the simple fact of playing the LP.  All the Pic Discs I have
been played ONCE and while transferring them to cassette so I could listen
to the actual music.

Recycled Vinyl was from other sources, not Records.  The impurity level from
the Recycling process allowed for clicks to be inherent in a "perfect"
pressing.  Also this Vinyl also degraded quicker than Virgin Vinyl over the
same number of playings.  As a short cut the record industry also made
thinner and thinner records so as to save money.  Both these factors led to
the warping and degrading of Vinyl that was mass produced.

Virgin Vinyl was just as stated. Not recycled but original processed vinyl.
Audiophiles preferred this type of vinyl because the impurities from the
Recycling process would not be found and the likelihood of bad pressings
decreased dramatically.  Also the companies that used this seemed to care
more for the audiophile and pressed thicker records.

Can you tell I used to collect this stuff?  I have over 1000 albums in a
cool closet so to reduce warping etc.

Take care.

Michael Corwyn Montfort, esq.

http://corwyn.blogspot.com
the blog
http://www.mikemontfort.com
the website
_________________________
Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities.
The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly
submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously
uses his intelligence.
-- Albert Einstein



-----Original Message-----
From: BOC/Hawkwind Discussion List
[mailto:BOC-L at LISTSERV.ISPNETINC.NET]On Behalf Of Eric Siegerman
Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2004 4:14 PM
To: BOC-L at LISTSERV.ISPNETINC.NET
Subject: Re: HW RE: off into dodgy vinyl ness


On Tue, Apr 27, 2004 at 07:19:51PM +0100, Jon Jarrett wrote:
>         I'm curious as to this idea of recycled vinyl; what was it being
> recycled from? Not old records surely!

There were rumours of this as far back as the late 70s.  We
believed that funky-coloured records (red, clear, etc.) couldn't
be made from recycled vinyl, and so offered a guarantee against
that particular form of shoddiness.

All of this was rumour and hearsay; now, I wouldn't bet a nickel
either way on any of the above assertions :-)

Picture discs were a different story; they were pretty much
scorned.  There was a reason for that.  I can't recall what it
was, but it too sounded plausible at the time :-)  (Could just
have been pseudo-audiophile snobbery of course.)

>         Oh, and while I'm on the subject, does anyone know if such things
> as one-channel pre-amps are available which might solve my turntable
> problem?

I take it your amp is too new to have a "phono" input?  Yes, you
can get a "phono preamp" to boost the turntable's outputs up to
the standard levels expected by amplifiers' "auxiliary" inputs,
computer sound cards, and other devices.  I've never used one, so
I can't make recommendations.

--

|  | /\
|-_|/  >   Eric Siegerman, Toronto, Ont.        erics at telepres.com
|  |  /
It must be said that they would have sounded better if the singer
wouldn't throw his fellow band members to the ground and toss the
drum kit around during songs.
        - Patrick Lenneau