Weekend Reading: 10 Vinyl Materials - From Production to Home Listening and Care

We are talking about records: production, turntables, vinyl, care for the collection and setting "turntables." Under the cut - photo tours from factories, reviews of accessories for vinyl lovers, as well as a story about the work of a mastering engineer from the Abbey Road studio.


Photo by Evandro Felippe / CC BY-SA

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How to make vinyl and players

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• How does the largest vinyl record factory work ? In the Czech village of Lodenice, not far from Prague, there is the largest production of records. This article is a report on how it operates in the context of continuously growing demand. In it, the author tells about the time-consuming process of making vinyl, the conditions for the factory employees and how a modern enterprise was created from a factory with a history of more than 30 years. You will also learn from the material why vinyl factories refuse profitable exclusive orders in favor of independent labels and what industry representatives think about the holiday of vinyl fans - the Day of the music store .

• How to make vinyl records, or a new LP-capital of the world . Another report from the vinyl factory - this time from American Nashville. This is United Record Pressing, which publishes The Black Keys, Jack White, Taylor Swift and Beyonce. The article tells not only about the plant itself, but also about the studio Third Man Records, which is located next to the factory. In the material you will find photos and videos, both from production and from the studio, and learn how Scientologists influenced the history of the factory.

Photo assillo / CC BY

• The Holy Grail of Vinyl: the art of half-speed mastering . The material tells about the work of the engineer of the legendary Abbey Road studio Miles Shoell (Miles Showell), who revives the process of recording records at half speed. In the article, Miles talks about preparing master tapes for pressure using the example of Brian Eno's album and how he works with the material. You will also see photos from Myles' workplace and find out why he is not testing finished products on “top-end” equipment.

• Clearaudio perfectionism. How to make vinyl record players. Part 1 . An article about the production of Clearaudio with lots of photos. In the first part we tell about the assembly process of the players themselves: from gluing the table to installing the motor. The article also shows an experimental training workshop in which the company's engineers create prototypes of new models.

• Clearaudio perfectionism. How to make vinyl record players. Part 2 . Continuation of the tour of the Clearaudio factory, in which more attention is paid to details. We show the process of manual assembly of heads and tonearms, as well as equipment for testing finished products. Including, it will go on a rare apparatus for checking heads from Ortofon, which is no longer produced and is almost not on sale. In addition to these production steps, you will see a prototype of one of the Clearaudio player models and get acquainted with the personal vinyl collection of the company's founder, Peter Zuhi.

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Caring for vinyl and turntables

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• How to care for vinyl: 7 tips for beginners . A list of important recommendations that will give a basic idea about the care of the plates. We tell how to protect the collection of vinyl from deformation, mold and scratches. If you still touch the plates with your hands and keep them in piles - this article should be read.

Photo by David Bleasdale / CC BY

• Vinyl died, long live vinyl: how to choose records and care for them . In the categories of the state of used records it is easy to get confused, especially for beginners. Slightly scratched vinyl in a battered envelope can be sold with the label “Good”. We give a list of terms used by the sellers of vinyl, and explain what exactly they mean. Also in the material - how to make sure that the disc is not damaged when playing, why replace standard envelopes, and what factors should be considered when choosing a place to store vinyl.

• Than to clean the needle and plates: tools vinilovod . Review of tools for the care of records and vinyl players. The article tells about the brushes for cleaning vinyl needles, scales for adjusting the "turntables" and other equipment that will help your system to function well. In each category are examples of inexpensive models that can be used at home.

• 100 questions about vinyl: the design of the player - discs, motors, belt and rollers . We tell about the components of vinyl players, which are not worth saving. Even small, at first glance, elements can seriously affect the sound, and therefore it is important to know what to look for when buying. Why acrylic discs are better than wood and how to appreciate the build quality of the case - you will find out in this article. The author also shares his opinion on innovations in the world of "turntables" - vacuum systems, heated bearings and interchangeable power supplies.

• Assist in setting up a vinyl player: terminals, strobe and test records . Review of useful tools for owners of vinyl players. The author in a simple language explains the purpose of each of them and tells what accessories are needed for all fans of vinyl, and without which you can do. A separate part of the article is devoted to templates for player settings, which are focused on more experienced "vinilovodov." It provides recommendations on choosing a pattern and tips for those who decide to understand the geometry of the player and tonearm on their own.

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