Youngstown Ohio Record Stores: Indiewax Records

Indiewax Records, at 6961 Market Street in Youngstown, Ohio, has a collection of hard-to-find vinyl titles (see the albums on the wall first if you’re looking for the collector’s stuff) and a giant pile of for-cheap sale vinyl.

Collectors of punk and post-punk 45s should be pleased, and there’s a selection of the usual used vinyl titles alongside the new releases. Indiewax also has gear, so a new collector could do some one-stop shopping here. They sell Audio-Technica turntables, cartridges and preamps, along with the usual slipmats and cleaning gear.

I’m not a seven-inch collector, but looking at the Indiewax selection it’s easy to see why people get lured into it. There are new seven inches coming out left and right, and the old stuff seems just as fun to seek and find as full length albums.

The sale bin is probably the most important spot for the noob collector, and there’s a doozy here at Indiewax. Youngstown Ohio doesn’t know what its got in the “five for a buck” bin…this is priceless for some of us crate-digging mashup artists who like to mix and match on the fly with the turntables.

Indiewax Records is friendly, fun, and I’d definitely come back. I say that practically anytime I have a pleasant experience in an indie record shop, but I really mean it–especially in light of the store’s support of local and regional artists.

Did I mention that any fan of The Dwarves should have a look in here? Behold this selection of Dwarves seven inches:

Detroit Rock City? As Long As Archer Record Pressing Stays Open

Discovered on the incomparable Analog Apartment, which we love. Please, please, PLEASE, Archer Record Pressing Plant, do not close, EVER. Three minutes of vinyl junkie bliss.

Sony MDR7506 Headphones

by Joe Wallace

As a DJ, musician, video editor, and reporter I have used every kind of headphones you can imagine, from the goofy one-ear monitor that you see people wearing with Sony Betacam professional video cameras to high-end Sennheisers and Audio Technicas.

But I keep coming back to these Sony MDR7506 headphones. They sound great, and while not indestructible they do take a bit of a beating and keep coming back for more. I recommend them…I can’t say they are the most COMFORTABLE headphones in the world  but they do get the job done and then some. If you’re looking for sound far better than those crappy white earbuds, or just starting to outfit a studio or road tour kit with some decent gear, these under-$100 Sony headphones are a very good way to go.

Crosley CR2413A Memory Master II CD Recorder Turntable

I’m familiar with other Crosley products and was very tempted to get a Crosley Memory Master II for review here–after all, not everybody has a pro setup or is interested in ultra-high quality MP3 versions of their favorite vinyl LPs; most people just want to rip, listen, and enjoy.

But the customer reviews for previous versions of the Crosley Memory Master were so discouraging that I hesitated to waste even the shipping fee to get one of these to Turntabling central. I’d be very interested in learning who out there in Turntabling-land has used one of these and what they think.

The specs look good--this model is equipped with a line out to run into your stereo system if you don’t want to rely on the internal speakers, and there’s a USB connection for ripping direct to Mac or PC. This model lets you use a recordable CD to rip the records in real time…but near as I can tell there is nothing that specifies how individual tracks are broken up once the recording process begins. Just try looking for a definitive customer review of the Crosley CR2413A and you’ll come up with more questions than answers.

… Continue Reading

The TruTone Mastering Process

Ever wonder what it takes to make a vinyl LP from start to finish? The actual creation of the physical product, as opposed to recording the music itself is fascinating, and a company called TruTone Mastering Labs has put the entire process online in a step-by-step pictorial.

For me, the most interesting part from a visual standpoint is the plating process:

But you’ll be amused to learn that your favorite, most expensive vinyl collectible in your stack originally looked like THIS before it became the precious thing you revere now as a sacred object: … Continue Reading

Ion Audio Profile Flash LP to SD Card Conversion DJ Turntable

To begin–not sure why the Ion Profile Flash LP to SD turntable is billed as a “DJ turntable”. It DOES have a preamp in it so it can be used in a variety of settings, and it also has a line in (1/8 inch jack) so you can dump exterior audio sources to SD or USB flash or external drives. What this turntable DOES have going for it is the simplicity of the operation–record your vinyl direct to MP3 (at 192kbs at 44khz). That’s pretty sweet for most home use. Want to hear those great old Slow Children or Hazel O’Connor albums in the car? Now you can.

But for a DJ, this might not be the red hot tool you need, especially if you’re picky about conversion to MP3. I personally prefer a higher rate than what you can get here but would be very tempted to buy this for home use if I didn’t already have a USB turntable.

My advice is to do some SERIOUS comparison shopping on this one if you’re interested. For example, you can get this turntable at Zzounds.com listed at $149 and $7 shipping (at press time–prices may change), but over at Amazon it sells for $112 at press time with free shipping (at press time). Shop around!

–Joe Wallace

Stanton STR8150 DJ Turntable

This is the one–the drool-worthy Stanton STR8150 DJ turntable, complete with a straight, made-for-scratching tone arm, a high-torque motor, and some amazing features turntablists will find irreplaceable.

We don’t have one in-house to review on video for your pleasure…yet. But we are moving some cash around to afford the just-under-$500 price tag for the Stanton STR8150. You get key correction, a reverse function, and up to 50% tone alteration. How do you like THAT versatility? This three-speed DJ turntable has our full attention. We did manage to dig up this VERY helpful YouTube video below–a demo with a pair of Stanton STR8150s, have a look at this and ask yourself…are you tempted NOW?

This Stanton DJ turntable gets rave reviews in many places. One thing many reviewers like is the fact that out of the box, you get the Stanton 680HP Cartridge to spin that vinyl with…no need to shell out for a needle until you’re well into your experience with the turntable. Nice touch, Stanton.

Shure Whitelabel Integrated Phono Cartridge

A hundred dollar record needle? Well, the DJ in me wants to correct that line to read phono cartridge, but yes, this Shure Whitelabel integrated phono cartridge DOES sell for $100+. Since it’s aimed at party DJs and club DJs, it’s built for heavy-duty use rather than casual record spins–there’s something to be said for a record needle built to withstand an evening of abuse in the club.

And since a DJ can write off the expense of high-end record needles as a legitimate business expense, why not?

Replacement needles are essential for any vinyl junkie, but even more so for the people who spin for a living. What some like about this one, aside from the gold plated connectors or the forward mass design made for better center-of-gravity conditions for playing and scratching, is the color scheme. It’s kinda hard to see a black phono cartridge against the black vinyl in the dim light of a club.

Some record lovers thing a record needle is a record needle. Others are quite picky. We fall somewhere in the middle. It’s enough to be able to spin the LPs at home with decent sound quality from a typical, well-designed phono cartridge…but anybody who wants to play for hours on end three or four nights a week? A rugged design plus the Shure Whitelabel cartridge’s adjustable overhang (50mm – 54mm to help maintain the forward and backward adjustment of a standard-mount headshell, letting you tweak the adjustment whether you’ve got an S-arm or a straight-arm turntable) means you should probably take a look at a couple of these.

Stanton T92 USB Turntable

After you’ve purchased a couple of Goblin LPs and the Escape From New York soundtrack on vinyl, if you’re put the cart before the horse and need a turntable to play them on, you should give serious thought to a USB turntable like the Stanton T92. Yes, you can purchase turntables made in the old school mode, with just a couple of RCA outs, but why when you can get the Stanton T92 USB turntable with its USB plus SPDIF outputs.

Yes, the Stanton T92 has RCA outs, and they’re switchable between line and phono. Add to that the pitch control and direct-drive motor and you’ve got yourself a sweet little deck you can use for converting the vinyl to MP3 (including those dusty old 78 RPM vinyl records), doing a DJ battle or just chilling out to the Deep Red soundtrack.

The Stanton T92 USB turntable is not yet a part of the Turntabling gear rack, but the price is right and the high-torque direct-drive and SPDIF out is making not getting one a bit difficult. We’re just waiting to hear from a user or two to throw a review our way and cinch the deal. If you’re in the know, drop a comment and give a review–we’d love to know what you think.

Got Record Needles For Your ION TTUSB Turntable?

If you own an ION TTUSB turntable, sooner or later you’ll need a replacement record needle so you can continue burning your vinyl collection to MP3. Do you have any idea where to get replacement record needles for the the Ion TTUSB or ION TTUSB10? Now you do. Get replacement needles here for your ION USB turntable and keep those MP3s coming. Oh, and while you’re at it you could put together a mega-mix or DJ demo of your favorite 60s and 70s soundtrack sounds and give us a link to your DJ mixage…we’d be happy to tell the world about your amazing good taste. Did we mention these replacement needles are inexpensive? Just under 20 bucks before taxes and shipping from Zzounds.com.