Yes, I’m incredibly clumsy, but on the rare occasions I don’t play a whole LP side I can hit a thin inter-track silence every time.
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Loving the picture disc images but without wanting to be a killjoy could I reference the comment in the original post about newly purchased 180g vinyl having bad surface noise. I’ve noticed this myself lately and it was made very stark at the weekend when I played several new discs back to back with some of my 1970s stuff. The latter, bar the odd scratch, were much much quieter.
Has anyone else noticed this? Any ideas how to minimise?
cheers
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It’s a reflection, I think.
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But only if you do it manually. My Ekos SE cueing mechanism always pulls the arm outwards, which is why I don’t use it!
I was advised by one of the guys at Optimal that since vinyl is naturally clear, clear vinyl can often be quieter than black. So, because the price of black and clear were pretty much the saame, we went for clear. Re the Ese album, I certainly haven’t yet had any complaints about noise so I can only presume that everyone’s copy as as quiet as mine.
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If it plays well I don’t really care what colour it is.
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As a mouse, pretty much. On both my copies. It’s a very nicely pressed album.
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Clear vinyl is generally very good in my experience, the only trouble is that it’s very hard to see any pressing issues or dirt. The worst I’ve had was a white vinyl pressing from about 10 years ago.
p.s. Just realised that this thread’s in the Hifi Corner. I’ve moved it to the Music Room, as that seems a bit more appropriate.
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If you search Analogue Planet on YouTube and find Michael Fremers tour of GZ pressing plant. There is detailed description of how coloured vinyl and picture discs are made.
If I recall correctly picture discs are made by pressing a transfer of the picture onto the record, so in fact you are not playing the record but the transfer stuck over the top which is why generally they tend to sound awful.
In my experience coloured vinyl is not often a problem as long as it’s a single colour not a mix or patterned.
Clear vinyl sounds very good but vinyl PVC in its uncoloured state which reportedly sounds best but looks terrible is I understand not clear but opaque. There is, but my memory doesnt recall, an audiophile label that have made pressings with natural uncoloured vinyl.
Standard Black vinyl is also “coloured” presumably to make it appear black and aesthetically more pleasing than it’s natural state. Therefore I presume that if all else is equal then theoretically any single colour vinyl other than natural should sound the same.
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I have no knowledge of Gotta Groove Records but the following segment explains…
NATURAL (UNCOLORED) VINYL:
This vinyl is the natural color of PVC without any colorants added – it appears white, but can show light through if held up to a light source. In theory, it is the “cleanest” formulation of phonographic record PVC available, because it does not have any colorants added. (Contrary to what one may think, actual transparent “clear” vinyl has colorants added to reduce the haziness of appearance — Natural Translucent does not have these colorants, and therefore looks hazy white). This color is extremely quiet, and molds exceptionally well on records with very dynamic program material – similar (though not identical) to black. This color can be considered an “audiophile” sounding PVC, like black. The cost of Natural is more than black, because it costs more from the PVC manufacturer that makes it, and has a longer cycle time than black.
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Indeed - the LP I released last year isn’t totally clear, its a kind of milky, slightly opaque colour.
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I should have added to my comments above that black vinyl has carbon added where’as coloured vinyl does not. Some pressing plants say that this also strengthens the vinyl and improves SQ.
Clear vinyl pressings I have are all excellent sounding.
Most recently a Jazz title from Gearbox records pressed at Optimal (dont remember which one whilst writing, Binker Golding maybe)
And a xmas pressie of Alice Cooper Goes To Hell anogue cut from the master by Chris Bellman pressed on Orange vinyl sounds great.
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I also bought this on it’s release,yes very like Curved Air,it came in a transparent sleeve with a sort of horoscope booklet,plus a tckt to see them at the Rainbow,I still have these intact,as I was too young to head off to London on my own,14 yrs old,but I do still play it occasionally.I also bought it ,used,off E-Bay,on cd,that I have to admit sounds better.
I didn’t get a ticket! But presumably that was just over a limited sales period.
I’m sure your right,it was a long time ago,but I can remember nipping out of school at lunchtime to buy it .
I’ve found this thread very interesting and I’ve learned a lot I didn’t know about vinyl manufacture. Just remembered I have Tangerine Dream’s Force Majeure album on clear vinyl and I seem to recall it has very good sound quality.
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