Monthly Archives: January 2012

Makerbot, YOU BASTARDS!

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This is probably common knowledge in much of the vinyl community and I’m just really really late in discovering this (as usual), but no matter. It’s NEW TO ME and that’s what really counts here.

This Youtube video breathlessly announces that you can, thanks to Makerbot, now create your own 3D printed vinyl records. Exciting, eh?

But it’s clear that something is not quite right at the start of this video…but one tends to suspend disbelief since vinyl junkies and home recording maniacs (Ok, ME) reaaaaalllly want this to be true.

Sadly, you watch, you come to the awful realization that this is a heartbreakingly cruel April Fool’s joke AND you get Rick-rolled in the bargain. You’ll feel violated. Amused, but violated.

Like Fox Mulder, this video hurts because I WANT TO BELIEVE! Makerbot, you wound me…(cue the sappy string music and begin swooning in disbelief here.) Yes, they got me. They got me good. You win THIS round, Makerbot…but I defy you to make this happen FOR REAL. Heh.





–Joe Wallace

On Mr. Bungle

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There are many reasons to obsess over the work of Mike Patton, not the least of which is his love of insane songwriting, Italian cinema, and maximum chaos. But for every fan of Patton, there’s an army of people out there who just have no…idea…what kind of madness awaits.

This article on Patton’s early work in Mr. Bungle is just what a newcomer needs to learn the ropes. It will become instantly clear as you read this whether you should run-not walk-to the nearest record shop to find your new obsession OR run away screaming for the safety of a Josh Groban record.

Some will cry blasphemy, but round here the California record is a huge favorite–probably because that was the gateway drug to the rest of Bungle-land. But no matter. Mr. Bungle, Disco Volante, and California are all records worth checking out. And that’s one of the things that makes a seasoned, jaded collector truly jealous–you can ONLY experience Mr. Bungle for the first time ONCE. So if that’s you, TREASURE IT.

There should be a brain-wipe machine so you can repeat those first-time ever experiences again and again, truly.

Oh, and:




 

Should I Buy A USB Turntable? Turntabling Reader Questions

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Pros and Cons of USB turntablesTurntabling gets reader questions about vinyl, turntables, DJ gear and more, so it seems only right to answer them for all to see to spread the knowledge–or in this case, opinions–to help other people with the same issues.

One recent reader question came in asking about USB turntables. As in, “Should I buy a USB turntable?”

Transparency alert–I own nothing but USB turntables except for one or two consumer models like the one you see here to the left.

My current turntable of choice based on price, purpose, and performance is the Audio Technica AT-LP-120-USB. It’s got a pre-amp for DJing (which adds to the overall weight and heft of the damn thing), switchable output, variable tone control and other things I like.

Is it the BEST turntable out there? No, but it’s the one I currently own three of and I have no complaints. But back to the question. Why a USB turntable?

Well, for no other reason than that’s the way the industry is going. Yes, you certainly could avoid going USB if you reallllly wanted to, but most people seem ready and willing to digitize at least some portion of the vinyl collection and USB is the way to go for that, unless you really want to use those RCA plugs into an analog-in interface to your Mac or PC. Some desktops do have such interfaces built into the sound card…

I’m naturally biased in favor of the USB-in because let’s face it, if you’re going to MP3 anyway there’s a certain amount of audio loss you’re going to live with and if you’re really into audio fidelity, perhaps you should stick with listening to the vinyl records themselves.

There’s a lot to be said in favor of music portability.

SHOULD you buy a USB turntable? It depends, really. Is your old gear on its last legs? Or is your current gear functioning well? Are you happy with your current setup? If so, you could simply purchase a USB interface like the ones Numark makes to run RCA cable into a converter box with a USB out. These start at about $35-$50 and would be more cost effective than buying a new USB turntable in many cases.

Here’s one such Numark product

There’s a stereo line in plus a dedicated phono line in. You can also use this as a line OUT from your computer into a mixing board to run audio into a mix.

So if you are happy with your current setup, consider adding the converter box instead–there’s no need to shell out for another turntable unless you simply want one that will plug into a laptop or desktop PC apart from your stereo setup.

That’s my preferred method of converting–if I didn’t already own six turntables I’d purchase a separate one strictly for converting vinyl to MP3.

–Joe Wallace

PS. Ask YOUR question by leaving a comment or by e-mail: editor (at) turntabling (dot) net