Vinyl Records & Cassettes

[Dicer]

I have a buncha wax, but my son is currently in possession of it since he recently got his own turntable and mine is in need of a new belt, I'll let him enjoy it for a while before I steal it back.

[SignOfZeta]

I have shitloads of records, probably 6 or 7 turntables. My main listening setup is a Marantz 2275, Bose 201, Panasonic RD-2100, Grado Black 1. Listened to Close to the Edge three times on it last night.

Cassettes can suck it.

[Lost Monkey]

Listened to Close to the Edge three times on it last night.

Nice choice!

[Opethian]

http://www.discogs.com/user/Slake/collection


I have more just too lazy to catalog...

[Necromancer]

No vinyl for me, but I still have a couple dozen cassettes sitting around collecting dust.  For analog video, I also have a few similarly disused VHS tapes and LDs.

I'd like to get LDs of Evil Dead and Dune, but otherwise I don't actively collect for any of 'em.  I get my stuff on CDs and DVDs; f*ck downloads.

[VenomMacbeth]

I have a nice little cabinet of records, including a couple signed by my favorite bands.  I definitely like vinyl better than cassette as a medium, but I do have a couple cassettes around for nostalgia purposes.

I have maybe about 8 or 9 laserdiscs all together now, also.  Good thing they're relatively affordable as my copies of Heavy Metal, Wizards, and Beavis & Butthead are all getting disc rot.

[xelement5x]

I just picked up a record player a couple months ago, it's a Sears thingy but it works and plays records and still had a needle so I guess I can't complain!

[KingDrool]

I stream most of my music, but when I buy it I buy it on vinyl. I usually buy albums from all my favorite bands on vinyl, and then I use streaming to find new stuff that I like. If I like it enough, I pick up the vinyl. Not sure what attracted to me to vinyl originally, but ever since I was a kid it was my preferred medium. I've got tons of records that I picked up in the 80s and 90s, along with the stuff that I've picked up since. I've got three turntables, and then a few portable turntables.

Cassettes? Ditched 'em when CDs came out and have never looked back. To me, they're a novelty at best.

[esteban]

Vinyl has better sound, but you anti-cassette people are crazy.

(1) PORTABLE MUSIC, duh!

Something we take for granted, available via cassette.

Otherwise, you were stuck with AM/FM radio on the go...

(2) POWA
And then, the ability to record your own music, sounds, compilations,  (improve the sound mix of a record with an equalizer, then record it), etc.

(3) RESPECT THE CASSETTE.





(A) ODDITY —help me find it! Turntable with cd-player functionality.


BACKSTORY:
So, when I was a kid, mid-80's, I sent away for this awesomely-written catalog that offered mediocre products at a nice price...but it purposefully limited selection to a small selection and opted for long, in-depth write-ups for each item.  This formula was rather unique and helped differentiate it from the many discount electronics catalogs/mail order  businesses of the time.

I loved this approach, even though I was skeptical enough as a 10-year-old to know that these no-name brands were of differing quality.

*** HELP**** So, I remember being in awe of a very neat turntable that had UI like a CD player: you could skip tracks, play tracks on random, repeat track/album and even make a short program (program tracks in a sequence). You could not have audible "fast forward" (for obvious technical reasons, this was a cheap turntable +  CD logic UI slapped on).

Anyway, I have only seen this functionality in this one, cheap, no name turntable. I would love to find out more about this item.

Also, I hope I can remember the name of this catalog. I can't believe I have forgotten it, but I haven't been able to remember it in years and years.

I have found images of huge "laser turntables" with drawers...this is not the item I am seeking.

UPDATE: I remember the tonearm being PERPENDICULAR to record at all times...I had an old turntable like this myself..I forget what it is called.

[Lost Monkey]

(A) ODDITY —help me find it! Turntable with cd-player functionality.


BACKSTORY:
So, when I was a kid, mid-80's, I sent away for this awesomely-written catalog that offered mediocre products at a nice price...but it purposefully limited selection to a small selection and opted for long, in-depth write-ups for each item.  This formula was rather unique and helped differentiate it from the many discount electronics catalogs/mail order  businesses of the time.

I loved this approach, even though I was skeptical enough as a 10-year-old to know that these no-name brands were of differing quality.

*** HELP**** So, I remember being in awe of a very neat turntable that had UI like a CD player: you could skip tracks, play tracks on random, repeat track/album and even make a short program (program tracks in a sequence). You could not have audible "fast forward" (for obvious technical reasons, this was a cheap turntable +  CD logic UI slapped on).

Anyway, I have only seen this functionality in this one, cheap, no name turntable. I would love to find out more about this item.

Also, I hope I can remember the name of this catalog. I can't believe I have forgotten it, but I haven't been able to remember it in years and years.

I have found images of huge "laser turntables" with drawers...this is not the item I am seeking.

UPDATE: I remember the tonearm being PERPENDICULAR to record at all times...I had an old turntable like this myself..I forget what it is called.

There are linear turntables with sensors that can "see" where the deadspace between songs is.   Thus they can be programmed to skip tracks or play tracks in different order. 

They generally sound good, even the lower end ones, because the linear arm almost completely eliminates inner groove distortion by having the needle touch the record at the same angle (perpendicular to the groove) from the start of the record through to the center.

I have one amongst my several turntables, but it (like the Turbo) needs a recap - I cannot get it to turn at the right speed for long.

[thesteve]

i had a sony one like that, but it never quite worked right for me

[SignOfZeta]

Cassette was dandy for its time as a portable/recordable medium, but Minidisc eclipsed it totally and since I rarely have time for MD these days I'm sure as shit not going to f*ck with cassettes. When portability is key...I just use my phone. Sorry.

Records are my main thing for actual dedicated listening though. I won't have Nursery Cryme or Rumors any other way! You pull out the record and follow along with the lyrics sheet. When there is a side break everyone can talk about what they enjoyed so far. Then there is an orgy and a ton of weed.

Listen. People in the 70s knew WTF they were doing. This is truth. Would you rather spend an hour with pad and paper trying to figure out what the HELL time signature Close to the Edge is in, or fight with people on Facebook? The answer is obvious.

I do have one cassette player that still works though. It's one of those Realistic (Radio Shack) recorders like the one your grandma took to night school in the 70s. I have the box and everything, it's mint and works perfectly. If anyone wants to trade me something cool for it, PM me.

[esteban]

Cassette was dandy for its time as a portable/recordable medium, but Minidisc eclipsed it totally and since I rarely have time for MD these days I'm sure as shit not going to f*ck with cassettes. When portability is key...I just use my phone. Sorry.

Records are my main thing for actual dedicated listening though. I won't have Nursery Cryme or Rumors any other way! You pull out the record and follow along with the lyrics sheet. When there is a side break everyone can talk about what they enjoyed so far. Then there is an orgy and a ton of weed.

Listen. People in the 70s knew WTF they were doing. This is truth. Would you rather spend an hour with pad and paper trying to figure out what the HELL time signature Close to the Edge is in, or fight with people on Facebook? The answer is obvious.

I do have one cassette player that still works though. It's one of those Realistic (Radio Shack) recorders like the one your grandma took to night school in the 70s. I have the box and everything, it's mint and works perfectly. If anyone wants to trade me something cool for it, PM me.

I wasn't arguing that cassettes were a viable medium for portable music now in 2015, I was saying it was a great medium back in the day.

And you don't need vinyl to experience music, you just need to respect it. The same with film. Which means you focus on the music/film and eliminate distractions.

I can do that with a cassette, 8-track, EP, LP, CD, CD3, etc.

PET PEEVE : Ok, people can hate me, but there is something that Zeta brought up that I totally relate to, but I don't know if many folks actually like it...

(1) If you are going to watch something, you f*cking watch it. You don't watch it while you are drawing, or texting, or coding, or whatever. Otherwise, you are not allowed to critique it, because you f*cking did not watch it. Also, admit to yourself that you didn't really watch it.

(2) The same goes for listening to music. To *truly* give a song or an album an objective listening, you must not be distracted by other shit. THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T LISTEN TO MUSIC WHILST JERKING OFF, CODING, WRITING, TEXTING, etc. It just means that you can't critique music, or *really judge its merits/flaws* until you listen to it without distractions.

(3) Needless to say, this approach is for judging anything and everything, including video games.

(4) IDEALLY: you darken room with ambient lighting, close door, and INDULGE.

[MrBroadway]

Can I critique the Ramones for not being good heroin music? Just doesn't do it like Lou Reed does, you know?

[esteban]

Can I critique the Ramones for not being good heroin music? Just doesn't do it like Lou Reed does, you know?

Well, Ramones have always been bubblegum pop compared to some of the more somber Lou Reed stuff—I mean, the lyrics of the Ramones are pre-school compared to Lou Reed.

But that's when you are on heroin.

When you are not shooting-up, a more honest, objective critique is possible. IMHO