[sdiy] Nifty Slider/Fader alert

[R. D. Davis]

Quothe Glen, from writings of Sat, Jun 05, 2004 at 02:26:35PM -0400:
> First, I have LPs that were NEVER mistreated. I have taken them straight
> out of the brand new packaging, and placed them ever so delicately on my
> turntable. I then proceeded to play them, and what did I hear?
>
> POPPING and CRACKLING that peaked out MUCH LOUDER than the music I was
> trying to hear underneath it!

What else would one expect when records are removed from packaging that
resultes in static?  If you'd cleaned them with an anti-static cleaner
and used rice-paper sleaves to keep them in...

Also, you weren't wearing any polyester clothing when handling the
records in a dry environment were you?

> You can't convince me (or a lot of others) that a lot of vinyl records
> weren't crap, in this respect.

Operator error. :-)  It wasn't the fault of the records.

> I've tried cleaning them before the 1st play, playing them straight out of
> the package with no cleaning. I've played them wet, dry, and everywhere in
> between. (Although wetting helps, it's not a cure.)

Playing records wet ruins them.

> I absolutely resent being told that my technique was somehow amiss, or that
> my equipment is crap, if I have any serious displeasure with vinyl records.

We all make mistakes.  Uh, those weren't K Tel records that you were
listening to by the way, were they?  ;-)

> A solid state amp will not cause this cracking, which originates on the
> record. Likewise, the quality of my preamp will not generate this
> disturbance. As for a turntable, I used fairly good quality turntables. Not

Was the turntable grounded?  Did you align the cartridge properly?  A
very slight amount of misalignment will made a big difference in the
sound.

> the best, but not the cheapest either. I've never had the luxury of even
> hearing a turntable that costs over $1000.00, so I can't say that some
> exotic turntable wouldn't help with the snap crackle pop.

Hmmm... I'm using an old Thorens TD-160 with a Shure V15 III
cartridge, far from an expensive turntable and cartridge combination,
and clean my records with Discwasher (drying and letting them dry
thoroughly!).  Popping sounds from static are quite rare.  Also, I can
play warped records with no tracking problems.

> However, I shouldn't have to spend over $1000 just to hear a record played
> reasonably free from popping and cracking.

Right... there's no need to.

> As flawed as cheap CD players are, even the CHEAPEST CD player doesn't
> create a disturbance as noticeable as this.

But one will plays discs that won't last as long as vinyl
LPs... remember these words "CD-Rot".

> You can keep your turntables and vinyl records. I'll gladly suffer through
> the "horrors" of pop-and-click-free listening with my humble CD player. It
> may have limitations, but at least I can depend on actually hearing the
> music when I purchase an album on CD.

Until CD-Rot sets in.   :-) :-) :-)

-- 
Copyright (C) 2004 R. D. Davis The difference between humans & other animals: 
All Rights Reserved            an unnatural belief that we're above Nature & 
                               her other creatures, using dogma to justify such
www.rddavis.org 410-744-4900   beliefs and to justify much human cruelty.