I have a number of Alice Coltrane albums on vinyl, and I was fortunate enough to see her live about forty years ago. I also saw Flora Purim live about the same time, as well as the great Brazilian Jazz artist Tania Maria. Flora Purim's "Encounter" is another album in the progressive jazz (abstract jazz?) category that I play often. It's a great one for testing out new equipment. I just picked up her husband Airto's album "Free," which is fantastic for hearing all kinds of sounds. I like playing music so much, I probably don't spend enough time on tuning my equipment as I should. I have a Pass Labs preamp with louder and softer adjustments for both channels. My left speaker needs more umph. So, I just give it a few more dBs of power rather than moving it all over the place.
Vinyl foibles
I'd like to make this a space to ask questions about vinyl problems you're having trouble solving. I have a lot of questions, but I think it's better if we ask one at a time, or else I think we could have long lists.
Here is my first question. I have a Degritter album washer. I think it works great. I wash all my albums once, but not before I play them again and again. Somehow, though, and this includes new albums no one else has ever touched, they pick up ticks and what sounds like scratches. I rewash the album and it sounds like new again. I only touch albums by their edges. How do inner bands become so dirty that sometimes a smudge can last a minute or more? I've been playing vinyl albums for more years than many of you have lived, and I have learned to be very careful with vinyl. Are there vinyl gremlins haunting my album shelves?
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- 150 posts total
- 150 posts total