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Topic: Vinyl distorsion (Read 10708 times) previous topic - next topic
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Vinyl distorsion

I compiled samples recorded from vinyl. I tried to get the most characteristic vinyl sounds I could.

I've proposed them on two french forum and I'm currently gathering comments about them. I think it might be of interest here too. Some of them are already known by old forumers.


Sample 1 (The Legendary Pink Dots, © PIAS)
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...on/001%2011.mpc
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...on/002%2012.mpc

Sample 2 (Depeche Mode, © Mute)
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...ion/003%202.mpc
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...ion/004%203.mpc

Sample 3 (The Legendary Pink Dots, © PIAS)
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...on/005%2021.mpc
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...on/006%2022.mpc

Sample 4 (Depeche Mode, © Mute)
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...Balance2-FR.mpc
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...alance2-int.mpc

Sample 5 (Depeche Mode, © Mute)
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...Balance-INT.mpc
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files.../Balance-RE.mpc
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files.../Balance-UK.mpc
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files.../Balance-US.mpc
If someone has got the CD "Catching up with Depeche Mode", or "The Singles 81-85" on which the four band members appear, it would be interesting to add a sample taken from it.

Sample 6 (Cocteau Twins, © 4AD)
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...tortion/CT1.mpc
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...tortion/CT2.mpc

Sample 7 (Xymox, © Polygram/Polydor)
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...ion/Evelyn1.mpc
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...ion/Evelyn2.mpc

Sample 8 (Depeche Mode, © Mute)
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...rtion/luste.mpc
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...rtion/lusts.mpc

Extrait 9 (RMB, © Le Petit Prince)
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...ortion/rmb1.mpc
http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...ortion/RMB2.mpc

Unfortunately, I have no comparison basis for typical vinyls of the late 90'. I would be interested if someone owned Photek - Modus Operandi in CD.

Vinyl distorsion

Reply #1
Are these CD vs. vinyl samples?

Vinyl distorsion

Reply #2
They seem to be CD/vinyl versions. Some clips pretty obviously have surface noise and some don't.

Good god, how are you getting rips this clean!?! Phenomenal. This is yet another reason why I'll need to shell out more tuning gear for my vinyl setup, hehe. All following observations are subjective although I'm pretty confident I could ABX them.

Evelyn1 has some balance issues (soundstage is notably moved to the left) although they don't seem to be audible towards the end.

rmb1 has some weird treble/HF issues I can't really describe well. The treble seems considerably tamed/darkened with respect to rmb2, but at the same time its higher treble registers are somehow distorted a bit. I think I may have noticed this on some other clips too.

balance-uk has surface noise that only seems audible in the left channel.

Is it me, are are both "A Question Of Lust" clips clipping hard? I don't remember the original CD pressing to be nearly that distorted/clipping.

Vinyl distorsion

Reply #3
Quote
Are these CD vs. vinyl samples?
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=329386"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Most of them, yes, but not all.

Quote
Good god, how are you getting rips this clean!?! Phenomenal. [a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=329418"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


I think that it's too late for you. Your best move would have been to buy the records brand new in the 80'. Second hand records usually have surface noise.

The balance problem might be an antiskating problem with my cartridge. It should be 5 grams, but the antiskating control don't go past 3 grams. I pulled the spring so as to increase it, but it seems not to be enough.

Vinyl distorsion

Reply #4
As I mentioned in the other thread, I bought a brand new Autechre LP a few months ago, and the very first play sounded much worse than that. I'll need to post some clips of that too.

Vinyl distorsion

Reply #5
I said "in the 80'" 
Nowadays LPs are clipped and distorded. The quality dropped down in the mid 90'.
The last hifi LP that I bought were the ones from EyeQ records in 1994.

At least that's what I could see, judging from the few ones I got in electronic music.
On the other hand, I've heard of some classical or jazz labels that still issue audiophile vinyls.

Vinyl distorsion

Reply #6
New audiophile vinyl seems to be getting to be a largish segment of that market. I haven't put any money out for samples myself, but a little reading suggests there are a fair number of companys really trying for top quality. It would be interesting to experiment with if it wasn't so expensive.

Vinyl distorsion

Reply #7
What comments did you obtain in the French forum? Did they correlate at all with the comments here?

FWIW, I have the CD version of Untilted too so I'll probably be uploading some samples myself soon.

Vinyl distorsion

Reply #8
I'm still waiting for some reactions today. Then I'll post the results.

Vinyl distorsion

Reply #9
the Madonna album ray of light is a good piece of music as well on vinyl, and on CD, which is probably wider spread, sold.

Maybe you can get that album, and compare it, too.
Even an "audiophile" german hifi magazine (Stereoplay) rated the madonna vinyl as one of the best 50 vinyl albums ever released.

Vinyl distorsion

Reply #10
I'm now processing the answers. This week have been very busy for me, and it's not going to improve soon, so I already give the URL of the raw results : http://perso.numericable.fr/laguill2/files...ion/Results.xls

This is a Microsoft Excel file with the comments of the listeners. Most of them are french, but you can easily see what file is CD and what is Vinyl (LP, EP, or 7").

I have got 12 answers from harware.fr (forum currently offline), 1 from homecinema-fr.com, and 1 from Hydrogenaudio.org.

Thank you very much to everyone who answered.

Vinyl distorsion

Reply #11
Thanks a lot. Im eagerly awaiting the final results, but until then I will just run the spreadsheet through Google Translate (which is delivering rather reasonable results). From my initial view, it seems that a lot of other people picked up on the varying brightnesses of the different pressings of "Balance", which I just thought was normal and not worth commenting on.