Category Archives: editorial

Should I Buy A USB Turntable? Turntabling Reader Questions

gear, , , , ,

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

WTF Records Zine Debuts

Events, For Sale, WTF?

Turntabling quietly released the first issue of WTF Records: The Turntabling Guide to Weird and Wonderful Vinyl for sale on Etsy last week. The first issue, along with issue #2 will also be available for purchase at the Turntabling booth at our appearances at Capricon 32, Horrorhound Weekend, Cinema Wasteland, and Days of the Dead Atlanta.

The zine–which is NOT a replacement for the WTF Records book, which is now in the photography stage–was up for sale for about 24 hours before it was getting orders and, a little bit later, positive reviews like the one at One Minute Zine Reviews, who had really nice things to say about Issue One.

And while we’re talking about One Minute Zine Reviews, if you’re into indie press pubs, zines and the like, OMZR is a really well done labor of love that also features a radio version–the first time I’ve ever heard of zine reviews being done on the air and syndicated to boot! Great stuff indeed.

So the cat is out of the bag–Turntabling has gone into print with our WTF Records zine, which is a supplement to the site and features exclusive, print-only content not found here or at our Facebook page.

Many thanks to One Minute Zine Reviews for all the kind words, and if you are a zine publisher and want to submit your zine for consideration at One Minute Zine Reviews, send all material to DJ Frederick at 36 West Main Street Warner NH 03278 USA.

As always thanks for reading…

–Joe Wallace

WTF Records: Aerobics For Jesus

WTF?

It all started while idly browsing the Incredibly Strange section at Waxidermy. That utterly fabulous blog had this brain-gougingly weird Christian aerobics record seen above, with an equally bewildering back cover:

Naturally, I went out in search of other weirdness along similar lines. How many people out there are sweatin’ for Jesus, or at least WERE doing so when this nonsense came out? Apparently, a lot of them.

This was clearly part of the fad that raged through right-wing circles back in the 80s, when people were trying to establish a born-again subculture for EVERYTHING, including death metal and exercise routines. The notion that these things were being done by and for right-wingers made them “OK” to enjoy. It was a brilliant bit of marketing–the implication that born-again Christians might be doing something wrong unless they were spending their money on other right-wingers.

See, back in the 80s and part of the 9os, there were a lot of people in evangelical Christendom who were trying to sell people on the idea that religious people shouldn’t listen to “secular music”, as in, anything not performed by a sweaty born-again rightie. Again, BRILLIANT marketing as there was an up-and-coming Christian music industry that badly needed the sales…hence you get cultural oddities like this that fell in with that sort of thinking. “Don’t buy THEIR evil aerobics videos with that dirty old SECULAR music, buy OURS with this nice, clean whitebread model on the cover and boring by-the-numbers religious rock instead.”

Turntabling Reader Question: How Should I Store My Vinyl?

Advice, , , , ,

by Joe Wallace

I get asked questions about turntables, DJ gear, vinyl records, and such all the time, so I figured it was time to start sharing the answers here in case it might help out other people with the same burning questions.

And since there’s no such thing as a stupid question–only stupid answers–I figured I’d begin with one of the most common, basic questions that I do for some reason get asked more often then I’d like to think about.

“How should I store my vinyl records” is a typical new collector type question but you can’t sneer at the person asking for being ignorant of the best way to store record albums. For starters, there are plenty of mixed opinions. For example, one guy I know is quite adamant about his refusing to stack more than X number of albums side by side without a wooden divider between them and the next batch of LPs.

One reason I have so much patience with this basic question is because of the ungodly number of people who should know better–I’m talking to YOU, record store owners and record show booth renters–who stack big piles of records HORIZONTALLY for whatever damn fool reason.

Folks, it’s my own personal preference and choice NEVER TO BUY from record sellers who stack records in the manner you see below:

My reasoning is that A) Stacking records like this is bad for the vinyl–the weight put on the records in the center and bottom of the pile could make them start to bow and B) You have no idea how long those records have been sitting there just like that.

So I just don’t buy from people who stack like that for any reason. If I see it, chances are good I’m moving on. Putting a few records down horizontally for a moment or two won’t forever destroy your albums, but more than a small number and longer than a moment or two? Let’s say I’m not a fan.

Call me unrealistic. Call me judgmental. But I personally have big record nerdy problems with this sort of thing…my damage.

Back to the original question–how do you properly store vinyl records? Here’s my own personal preference. I store my vinyl vertically and try to minimize tilting albums as much as possible. I try to avoid pressure in the stack that’s the result of too many records crammed into a single cubbyhole or cubicle space, and I like to keep my records away from heating vents and other sources of warmth as much as possible.

When dampness and humidity are a factor, a dehumidifier might come in handy but keeping a steady temperature is also helpful. No, I don’t have a climate controlled room or anything, but I do try to avoid turning off the AC or heating in the appropriate season, I try to keep the temperature more or less consistent. Temperature wise, I’m a bit more anal-retentive than the average collector so you should take this with a few handfuls of salt.

Also–I avoid storing my records in the path of direct sunlight. Heat is only one factor, fading album cover colors is another.

Storing records vertically, spines out, without too many packed in, and kept out of direct sunlight is the short answer. It’s how I personally do it. As long as you’re protecting the vinyl from pressure, heat, and damp you’ll be OK.

Ask Turntabling by e-mailing editor (at) turntabling (dot) net.

Crosley Vinyl Record Album Crate LP storagethe Crosley Vinyl Record Storage Crate holds up to 30 record albums.