The Music Thread

[Weave]

Been listening to what Rammstein has put out in advance of the release of their new album.  I think this is going to be a concert tour that I am willing to travel a good distance to see.  Wow.

Take a listen to Deutchland, Radio, and Zeig Dich.

This just became a bucket list tour for me.

[Pimlach]

For you seniors, I’m playing a reissue of Dr John - In The Right Place.  

I modified an AR turntable from 1975 to improve the tonearm, the spring suspension, and the spindle bearing.  I painted the top and put on a new wood base made from African Paduk.  I believe you would have to spend several thousand dollars to get close to this turntable in sound quality   

Those little glass things in the storage container are vacuum tubes. I was testing new ones for my custom preamp. 

 

[Pimlach]

Neil Young - Harvest Moon 

[inkman]

On 5/17/2019 at 10:54 PM, Weave said:

Been listening to what Rammstein has put out in advance of the release of their new album.  I think this is going to be a concert tour that I am willing to travel a good distance to see.  Wow.

Take a listen to Deutchland, Radio, and Zeig Dich.

This just became a bucket list tour for me.

If they come to Rochester, hit me up. 

[inkman]

I've been listening to Wu Tang Clan - Of Mics and Men on Showtime. It's ***** awesome. Rza's sampling of old school R&B is nuts. Here's a hook anyone who has any ear for hip hop will recognize two seconds in. 

I could listen to that with some bourbon and weed all night. Oh wait, I already have. 

Edited May 20, 2019 by inkman

[Weave]

2 hours ago, inkman said:

If they come to Rochester, hit me up. 

Will do.

[Pimlach]

 

J

 

Jeff Beck - Wired 

Edited May 23, 2019 by Pimlach

[SwampD]

2 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

 

J

 

Jeff Beck - Wired 

Is there a Facebook group kinda like this? Now Playing? or something like that?

I like it.

Currently listening?

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, SwampD said:

Is there a Facebook group kinda like this? Now Playing? or something like that?

I like it.

Currently listening?

Probably is.  I don’t use Facebook but my wife has it.  

My pictures show what I am currently listening to.  I love audio equipment and like to restore it and play it. I like to play the files of more modern stuff that the guys post here as a way to learn  new artists.  

Edited May 23, 2019 by Pimlach

[MattPie]

On 5/17/2019 at 11:05 PM, Pimlach said:

For you seniors, I’m playing a reissue of Dr John - In The Right Place.  

I modified an AR turntable from 1975 to improve the tonearm, the spring suspension, and the spindle bearing.  I painted the top and put on a new wood base made from African Paduk.  I believe you would have to spend several thousand dollars to get close to this turntable in sound quality   

Those little glass things in the storage container are vacuum tubes. I was testing new ones for my custom preamp. 

 

I had a great Ampeg tube bass amp back in the day. I think I bought the last two 7027A power tubes (at the time) in Buffalo for that beast. I never got around to converting it to 6L6s, but a quick search tells me they're available again for 1/3 what paid for them in 1996. Also, I can't believe I pulled those two numbers out of my head after 20+ years.

[Pimlach]

15 hours ago, MattPie said:

I had a great Ampeg tube bass amp back in the day. I think I bought the last two 7027A power tubes (at the time) in Buffalo for that beast. I never got around to converting it to 6L6s, but a quick search tells me they're available again for 1/3 what paid for them in 1996. Also, I can't believe I pulled those two numbers out of my head after 20+ years.

Very cool. 

Yes, Russian and Chinese copy tubes are available and in production. There is  market for “New Old Stock” American and Western European tubes and people pay crazy prices for them.   Now I’m finding NOS Eastern European tubes that offer great value.  

I was comparing Cold War era Czech tubes branded with the name Tesla, to  very expensive 1960’s Amperex tubes - military spec and made in the USA.   The Amperex tubes cost me  $120 each, the Tesla were $19.  The difference?   Well,  You need a very good system to hear that  the Amperex sound better.   For most applications the Tesla’ are a steal IMO. 

Edited May 23, 2019 by Pimlach

[#freejame]

9 hours ago, SwampD said:

Is there a Facebook group kinda like this? Now Playing? or something like that?

I like it.

Currently listening?

If you make a thread here I’ll post in it. In the process of moving right now so the table isn’t getting much use, but hopefully that won’t be the case long. 

[MattPie]

Heh, I see an old sale listing for 2 NOS RCA 7027As for $250. OUch.

[sabills]

To those with  record players, what should I be looking for in a record player?

We have one of those all in one units like this one:

not a victrola, though. It did us well for a while, but the speed has gotten wonky and I think its dying, and its not worth fixing for me. I'm going to be ebay and craigslist and garage sale watching for a bit. What should I be looking for? Any brands to look for or stay away from?

I'm sure @darksabre's ears are already burning as I type this, but I'll tag him anyways.

 

Don't need anything too fancy, and I'm no audiophile. Looking for something thats simple and easy and I can buy and not worry about besides replacing a needle once in a while.

Edited May 23, 2019 by sabills

[darksabre]

5 minutes ago, sabills said:

To those with  record players, what should I be looking for in a record player?

We have one of those all in one units like this one:

not a victrola, though. It did us well for a while, but the speed has gotten wonky and I think its dying, and its not worth fixing for me. I'm going to be ebay and craigslist and garage sale watching for a bit. What should I be looking for? Any brands to look for or stay away from?

I'm sure @darksabre's ears are already burning as I type this, but I'll tag him anyways.

 

Don't need anything too fancy, and I'm no audiophile. Looking for something thats simple and easy and I can buy and not worry about besides replacing a needle once in a while.

It's not about being an audiophile so much as making sure that the record player you buy is able to be:

1. Properly adjusted in order to protect the records you spend your money on

2. Maintained for the long term (parts availability)

I've been very happy with my Audio Technica AT-LP120. It's not too expensive and it's not too cheap. It's just right.

https://www.audio-technica.com/cms/turntables/583f30b3a8662772/index.html

On 5/17/2019 at 10:54 PM, Weave said:

Been listening to what Rammstein has put out in advance of the release of their new album.  I think this is going to be a concert tour that I am willing to travel a good distance to see.  Wow.

Take a listen to Deutchland, Radio, and Zeig Dich.

This just became a bucket list tour for me.

Gave the new album a listen today. It's good. Not their best album, but it rips just fine.

They put on a great show and I wouldn't hesitate to see them again if they come nearby.

[sabills]

1 hour ago, darksabre said:

It's not about being an audiophile so much as making sure that the record player you buy is able to be:

1. Properly adjusted in order to protect the records you spend your money on

2. Maintained for the long term (parts availability)

I've been very happy with my Audio Technica AT-LP120. It's not too expensive and it's not too cheap. It's just right.

https://www.audio-technica.com/cms/turntables/583f30b3a8662772/index.html

 

Actually saw that one listed a few places as a suggestion as well. I saw a few used but good condition on ebay, I'll keep my eye out.

[North Buffalo]

On 5/20/2019 at 6:27 PM, inkman said:

I've been listening to Wu Tang Clan - Of Mics and Men on Showtime. It's ***** awesome. Rza's sampling of old school R&B is nuts. Here's a hook anyone who has any ear for hip hop will recognize two seconds in. 

I could listen to that with some bourbon and weed all night. Oh wait, I already have. 

oh yea!!! Wow, deserved more than an awesome emoji... Thanks added to play list for rush hour traffic!

[#freejame]

3 hours ago, darksabre said:

It's not about being an audiophile so much as making sure that the record player you buy is able to be:

1. Properly adjusted in order to protect the records you spend your money on

2. Maintained for the long term (parts availability)

I've been very happy with my Audio Technica AT-LP120. It's not too expensive and it's not too cheap. It's just right.

https://www.audio-technica.com/cms/turntables/583f30b3a8662772/index.html

Gave the new album a listen today. It's good. Not their best album, but it rips just fine.

They put on a great show and I wouldn't hesitate to see them again if they come nearby.

I was also going to recommend Audio Technica. I started with the LP60 and I felt like that was a good starter table for me. A few years ago I upgraded to a U-Turn, which I would highly recommend, but not as a starter as it doesn’t have a built-in pre-amp or an auto-drop/return needle. 

[spndnchz]

You guys are old. No offense ?

[Pimlach]

6 hours ago, MattPie said:

Heh, I see an old sale listing for 2 NOS RCA 7027As for $250. OUch.

Yes, ouch ... with rarity comes a price. 

[Pimlach]

6 hours ago, sabills said:

To those with  record players, what should I be looking for in a record player?

We have one of those all in one units like this one:

not a victrola, though. It did us well for a while, but the speed has gotten wonky and I think its dying, and its not worth fixing for me. I'm going to be ebay and craigslist and garage sale watching for a bit. What should I be looking for? Any brands to look for or stay away from?

I'm sure @darksabre's ears are already burning as I type this, but I'll tag him anyways.

 

Don't need anything too fancy, and I'm no audiophile. Looking for something thats simple and easy and I can buy and not worry about besides replacing a needle once in a while.

Check local Craiglist for a working Technics, Dual or Pioneer turntable.  they are common and made many highly reliable models.  I can help you sort through specific models.   Remember you need an amplifier with a phono input to use the turntable. 

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, spndnchz said:

You guys are old. No offense ?

I know but I call my age "middle age", which helps. 

[darksabre]

21 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Check local Craiglist for a working Technics, Dual or Pioneer turntable.  they are common and made many highly reliable models.  I can help you sort through specific models.   Remember you need an amplifier with a phono input to use the turntable. 

@dfdtrumpet If you end up going the used route like Pimlach suggests and need a phono pre-amp I have one in a box somewhere that I'm not using.

You'll know you need one if you hook the record player up to your chosen receiver's inputs and no sound comes out lol

I recall this place being a good source for parts, particularly belts for belt drive turntables, as well as cartridges and styli: http://www.elexatelier.com/

 

[Pimlach]

2 minutes ago, darksabre said:

@dfdtrumpet If you end up going the used route like Pimlach suggests and need a phono pre-amp I have one in a box somewhere that I'm not using.

You'll know you need one if you hook the record player up to your chosen receiver's inputs and no sound comes out lol

I recall this place being a good source for parts, particularly belts for belt drive turntables, as well as cartridges and styli: http://www.elexatelier.com/

 

Right on.

If your receiver has a input labeled "phono" you are there.  If not, you need a phono pre-amp to convert the phono signal to a line level signal.  They sell for anywhere from $50 to $5000. 

Going used can have its drawbacks ... I am old an fart from the 60's-70's and I know how to fix this stuff and make it better than it was when it was sold.  I am also an electrical engineer.  I would not push anyone to buy used if they are not comfortable.

That said there is a beautiful Pioneer PL 115 on Buffalo Craigslist right now (no affiliation on my part).  

[darksabre]

15 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Right on.

If your receiver has a input labeled "phono" you are there.  If not, you need a phono pre-amp to convert the phono signal to a line level signal.  They sell for anywhere from $50 to $5000. 

Going used can have its drawbacks ... I am old an fart from the 60's-70's and I know how to fix this stuff and make it better than it was when it was sold.  I am also an electrical engineer.  I would not push anyone to buy used if they are not comfortable.

That said there is a beautiful Pioneer PL 115 on Buffalo Craigslist right now (no affiliation on my part).  

That Pioneer is a great looking unit, but frankly, for that price you can just get a new AT.

Vintage audio prices seem to have gone up quite a bit since the last time I dabbled. People want more for vintage sub-100W/channel receivers than you'd pay for modern 100W/channel receivers. I remember Technics, Pioneer, Marantz, etc at the flea market a decade ago for like...half that. McIntosh was the only stuff really selling for crazy money (and it still does).

Like, are you kidding me with this? https://rochester.craigslist.org/eld/d/batavia-pioneer-sx1250-receiver/6873531884.html

If I was shopping vintage audio these days I wouldn't be doing it online. I'd be at flea markets, estate sales, etc.