Re: [ARSCLIST] My response to--Re: [78-l] Viva vinyl

[Tom Fine <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Guys, are you talking about old/out of print off-center records or new purchases? I'd damn well 
demand a refund for that $30 "audiophile virgin 200g pressing" if it were off-center! As for old 
records, better to not obsess and look for another copy in the stacks. Most reputable plants back in 
the day pressed most records OK. Some smaller labels had constant quality issues, but then I'd call 
most of those records a lost cause anyway due to one or more of the following:

awful recording
awful mastering
awful performance
awful vinyl
awful pressing

Most likely, that obscure Midwest garage band on that POS off-center record ended up on a Rhino 
collection CD anyway.

Alas, the fringe pressers today are more likely to turn out warped and off-center work than bygone 
days. For instance, there's a guy in Philly who sells LP "deluxe reissues" of Ray Barretto's Fania 
albums. Well, since there is no other source except super-expensive import CDs (which are equally 
bad quality BTW), the only reasonable way to explore Ray is buy these records off eBay. Two out of 
four, pressed off center. One of those, scratched on both the pressed record and the master or some 
production part. Luckily, the seller is a reputable guy and exchanged them. I wonder what his return 
rate is. This stuff must be pressed on dog biscuits in an oven in Bayone NJ. Even with all of that 
(and pretty poor mastering to boot), Barretto's music jumps out of the grooves, so net-net it's OK, 
but that's an example of the bottom-feeder part of the vinyl business these days.

BTW, don't bank on a vinyl resurgence. Downloads are where everything is headed. Inextricably. 
Forever.

-- Tom Fine

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "phillip holmes" <insuranceman@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2006 6:23 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] My response to--Re: [78-l] Viva vinyl


> Lani,
> How do you get the record centered once you've enlarged the spindle hole? Do you have a shortcut 
> or technique?  I've done the same thing on several records, but getting it centered can take five 
> frustrating minutes, especially since I use a record weight and a periphery clamp.  And I don't 
> think how I do it is good for the turntable.
>
> Do a google on Nakamichi turntables.  He, Mr. Nakamichi (?), had the record centering correction 
> mechanism (or whatever it was called).  They go for huge bucks on the used market.
> Phillip
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Lani Spahr" <lani_spahr@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Friday, June 09, 2006 2:12 PM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] My response to--Re: [78-l] Viva vinyl
>
>
> > --- Martin Fisher <wmfisher@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > > What's the problem
> > > with getting the hole in the center of the pressing?
> >
> > Halleluia - finally someone with some ears! I, too, wonder about the
> > golden-eared people out there who can't hear the damn tone arm going in
> > and out - sharp and flat.
> >
> > > If the difference between copper braid and oxygen
> > > free silver platinum nichrome tonearm leads can be detected how can
> > > the slow wow in a 25.00 to 30.00 pressing of Strauss' "Also Sprach
> > > Zarathustra" be ignored?
> >
> > Ha!
> > > I don't see turntable manufacturers offering removable spindles yet!!
> >
> > I had a Dual once that had a spindle that you could move side-to-side a
> > little and thus center the grooves if they weren't too bad.
> >
> > > And don't even get me started on the so called "preservation" and
> > > reissue projects that are being carried out without regard to the off
> > > center issue....
> >
> > Yes! I was told of one reissue person who, when told of his transfer
> > with badly off-center grooves, could absolutely not hear what the
> > problem was. Just a little drives me nuts. All my LPs have enlarged
> > holes so I can get the grooves centered - Yes, ALL of them. I've never
> > seen one that is perfect.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Lani
> >
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