Just wondering if anyone else has this problem.

.

I bought a vinyl album of Art Official Age (2 record set made in the EU) and I am not that impressed with it for two reasons.

.

1. It sounds slow at 33RPM like it should be played at about 36RPM, as I have a cheap turntable, I do not have a speed adjuster like those better turntables have (It is not a Crosley, but pretty lowdown quality wise). Prince sounds slow.

2. Bits of the sound sound missing and flat, it sounds vastly inferior to the CD or digital versions. The sound was so bad, I found it hard to sit through one song I loved. 99% of all my other Prince records, both old (Pre 1996) and New (Repressings) sound great on my turntable, so its not that, the mastering on these records are shit and it sounds like its been badly copied off a 128 bit MP3 file onto vinyl.

.

Also the records were both slightly warped even though the record has been standing up protected in its packet the whole time. Is anyone else having these issues? The records are likely a 2016/2017 repressing rather than the 2014 original and appear to be on thin rather thick vinyl.

Ok, I did not notice any sound problems on the vinyls, like you write about.....

And I have a "1st quality" Bang & Olufsen turntable.

Ps I am not saying you are wrong but I just haven't notised any issues....

Btw: AOA, a brilliant album, its art.... Art Official Age... yes....

ps. Warped records...

the plastic seal can cause warped records, over time... therefor to keep records in the seal for a long time, this is not wise..

Just saying.. aimed at the collectors...

thedance said:

ps. Warped records...

the plastic seal can cause warped records, over time... therefor to keep records in the seal for a long time, this is not wise..

Just saying.. aimed at the collectors...

.
It can happen, but it depends on the quality of the shrinkwrap, the thickness of the vinyl and the cover as well. I've seen LPs from the 60's still in their original shrinkwrap and they were perfectly flat.

Besides, the resale value of a sealed vinyl will always be higher so collectors buying stuff as an investment will keep them sealed anyway.

Adorecream said:

I have the original 2014 pressing and listen on a nice vintage Technics turntable. Haven't had the speed problems and mine's not warped, but, it does sound like it is from a digital master rather than analog.

No problems here with 2 LP version.

PurpleMedley122 said:

The sound of the Art Official Age vinyl eclipses the CD and digital versions.

.

Can we stop this nonsense already, please? You're free to believe in whatever you want to, just please stop spreading your ignorant beliefs!

Sorry to burst your bubble but 'Art Official Age' is a digital master to begin with. Converting that file and transferring it to another format will not and cannot make it sound any better – especially if that other format is a piece of vinyl with grooves that a freakin' needle is trying to follow...

As I said before on another topic, I love the way vinyl and its artwork looks, I love the ritual of playing vinyl, I even love how it smells etc – and being a sound engineer I'm quite aware of the many different issues with PCM recording and the different shortcomings of almost all formats ever used by the recording industry – just don't try to tell me that vinyl, the format is by definition makes music sound better.

MiceElfAgin said:

PurpleMedley122 said:

MiceElfAgin said:

.

Can we stop this nonsense already, please? You're free to believe in whatever you want to, just please stop spreading your ignorant beliefs!

Sorry to burst your bubble but 'Art Official Age' is a digital master to begin with. Converting that file and transferring it to another format will not and cannot make it sound any better – especially if that other format is a piece of vinyl with grooves that a freakin' needle is trying to follow...

As I said before on another topic, I love the way vinyl and its artwork looks, I love the ritual of playing vinyl, I even love how it smells etc – and being a sound engineer I'm quite aware of the many different issues with PCM recording and the different shortcomings of almost all formats ever used by the recording industry – just don't try to tell me that vinyl, the format is by definition makes music sound better.

I'm using the example of Art Official Age only. I know that the sound of vinyl isn't automatically better than CD or digital just because it's vinyl (nor did I make the generalizing term you claimed I did). For example, George Michael' s Faith sounds very thin and flat on vinyl (digital recording) and the CD is IMO reference level for a digital recording, it is that good. Anyways, the Art Official Age vinyl benefits from the CD and digital versions by being less compressed and brick walled, even though they're obviously using the same master. [Edited 5/29/17 7:15am]

.
If the vinyl edition of AOA truly has a greater dynamic range than both the CD and 24bit editions (despite the fact that even the CD is able to surpass the vinyl's maximum dynamic range), then they are obviously NOT using the same master. In that case, whoever did the mastering of the CD and the 24bit editions, has done a bad job, in comparision with the vinyl master. But even if that's true and the vinyl edition has a greater dynamic range, it also has issues commonly associated with even the best turntables that the digital formats don't have. So dynamic range is only one of the factors to consider, although I agree it's one of the more important ones.

And yes, I was assuming that you meant that "vinyl is better by default" so for that I apologise. I went with that assumption simply because that's a very popular (and ignorant) opinion I hear daily and it is really boring and annoying by now.

[Edited 5/29/17 7:41am]

MiceElfAgin said:

PurpleMedley122 said:

I'm using the example of Art Official Age only. I know that the sound of vinyl isn't automatically better than CD or digital just because it's vinyl (nor did I make the generalizing term you claimed I did). For example, George Michael' s Faith sounds very thin and flat on vinyl (digital recording) and the CD is IMO reference level for a digital recording, it is that good. Anyways, the Art Official Age vinyl benefits from the CD and digital versions by being less compressed and brick walled, even though they're obviously using the same master. [Edited 5/29/17 7:15am]

.
If the vinyl edition of AOA truly has a greater dynamic range than both the CD and 24bit editions (despite the fact that even the CD is able to surpass the vinyl's maximum dynamic range), then they are obviously NOT using the same master. In that case, whoever did the mastering of the CD and the 24bit editions, has done a bad job, in comparision with the vinyl master. But even if that's true and the vinyl edition has a greater dynamic range, it also has issues commonly associated with even the best turntables that the digital formats don't have. So dynamic range is only one of the factors to consider, although I agree it's one of the more important ones.

And yes, I was assuming that you meant that "vinyl is better by default" so for that I apologise. I went with that assumption simply because that's a very popular (and ignorant) opinion I hear daily and it is really boring and annoying by now.

[Edited 5/29/17 7:41am]

That would be a shame if someone brickwalled the mastering of a 24 bit version. 24 bits is (close to) twice the dynamic range of a CD. And far more range than vinyl.

Vinyl has compression on the bass end, and also degrades in quality as you get towards the inner groove. And I think there is always some surface noise artifact, even if it's subtle.

[Edited 5/29/17 10:19am]

Adorecream said:

Just wondering if anyone else has this problem.

.

I bought a vinyl album of Art Official Age (2 record set made in the EU) and I am not that impressed with it for two reasons.

.

1. It sounds slow at 33RPM like it should be played at about 36RPM, as I have a cheap turntable, I do not have a speed adjuster like those better turntables have (It is not a Crosley, but pretty lowdown quality wise). Prince sounds slow.

2. Bits of the sound sound missing and flat, it sounds vastly inferior to the CD or digital versions. The sound was so bad, I found it hard to sit through one song I loved. 99% of all my other Prince records, both old (Pre 1996) and New (Repressings) sound great on my turntable, so its not that, the mastering on these records are shit and it sounds like its been badly copied off a 128 bit MP3 file onto vinyl.

.

Also the records were both slightly warped even though the record has been standing up protected in its packet the whole time. Is anyone else having these issues? The records are likely a 2016/2017 repressing rather than the 2014 original and appear to be on thin rather thick vinyl.

Problem solved. Throw that record player out the window. Might as well give it to the milk man.... How U complaining about the sound off of a cheap turntable though? Anything off it will not sound good.

MiceElfAgin said:

PurpleMedley122 said:

I'm using the example of Art Official Age only. I know that the sound of vinyl isn't automatically better than CD or digital just because it's vinyl (nor did I make the generalizing term you claimed I did). For example, George Michael' s Faith sounds very thin and flat on vinyl (digital recording) and the CD is IMO reference level for a digital recording, it is that good. Anyways, the Art Official Age vinyl benefits from the CD and digital versions by being less compressed and brick walled, even though they're obviously using the same master. [Edited 5/29/17 7:15am]

.
If the vinyl edition of AOA truly has a greater dynamic range than both the CD and 24bit editions (despite the fact that even the CD is able to surpass the vinyl's maximum dynamic range), then they are obviously NOT using the same master. In that case, whoever did the mastering of the CD and the 24bit editions, has done a bad job, in comparision with the vinyl master. But even if that's true and the vinyl edition has a greater dynamic range, it also has issues commonly associated with even the best turntables that the digital formats don't have. So dynamic range is only one of the factors to consider, although I agree it's one of the more important ones.

And yes, I was assuming that you meant that "vinyl is better by default" so for that I apologise. I went with that assumption simply because that's a very popular (and ignorant) opinion I hear daily and it is really boring and annoying by now.

[Edited 5/29/17 7:41am]

It really depends on the release. All of the 80s Prince albums (at least up to SOTT) sounded better on vinyl. The CDs sound flat.

paisleypark4 said:

Adorecream said:

Just wondering if anyone else has this problem.

.

I bought a vinyl album of Art Official Age (2 record set made in the EU) and I am not that impressed with it for two reasons.

.

1. It sounds slow at 33RPM like it should be played at about 36RPM, as I have a cheap turntable, I do not have a speed adjuster like those better turntables have (It is not a Crosley, but pretty lowdown quality wise). Prince sounds slow.

2. Bits of the sound sound missing and flat, it sounds vastly inferior to the CD or digital versions. The sound was so bad, I found it hard to sit through one song I loved. 99% of all my other Prince records, both old (Pre 1996) and New (Repressings) sound great on my turntable, so its not that, the mastering on these records are shit and it sounds like its been badly copied off a 128 bit MP3 file onto vinyl.

.

Also the records were both slightly warped even though the record has been standing up protected in its packet the whole time. Is anyone else having these issues? The records are likely a 2016/2017 repressing rather than the 2014 original and appear to be on thin rather thick vinyl.

Problem solved. Throw that record player out the window. Might as well give it to the milk man.... How U complaining about the sound off of a cheap turntable though? Anything off it will not sound good.

Look I honestly wish I could, but I can't afford the $700 or more for a decent turntable and don't have the spacefor a pre amp and speakers set up.

My current Turntable is a TEAC LPU190 and it is promoted as a 3 in 1 with USB and card slot and plays 78s, 33s and 45s. It is all plastic down to plastic arm with no pick up and put down. The arm stops when it reaches the end of the record, except my 45 of We are the world where it stops 20 seconds before the end of this 6 minute plus song.

.

Acres of cheap plastic and belt driven, plastic turntable but I do take care of my records, all have inner sleeved, nothing shrink wrapped and I play a variety of singles, 78s and 12 inches on it. I have a Ekustatic dust lifter and never leave records out of their sleeves when not in use. In my collection, a record is in its sleeve unless its playing on the turntable.

.

Now the Album I have, definitely 120gm vinyl as my Dirty Mind and SOTT vinyl feels thicker (DM is 180gsm, and Sign is 140gsm). It is a 2 record set and each record has a nice mylar lined paper sleeve that shows the label, it is WB NPG no 9362 - 49332 - 7 and has the standard open up cover.

.

I only play these repressings once, until I get a decent quality turntable sometime in the future. Mostly I just play a whole lot of cheap old 45s I am buying from a local shop.

I havnt opened my vinyl of ata. I dont really want to,its my least favourite album released on vinyl

Adorecream said:

paisleypark4 said:

Problem solved. Throw that record player out the window. Might as well give it to the milk man.... How U complaining about the sound off of a cheap turntable though? Anything off it will not sound good.

Look I honestly wish I could, but I can't afford the $700 or more for a decent turntable and don't have the spacefor a pre amp and speakers set up.

My current Turntable is a TEAC LPU190 and it is promoted as a 3 in 1 with USB and card slot and plays 78s, 33s and 45s. It is all plastic down to plastic arm with no pick up and put down. The arm stops when it reaches the end of the record, except my 45 of We are the world where it stops 20 seconds before the end of this 6 minute plus song.

.

Acres of cheap plastic and belt driven, plastic turntable but I do take care of my records, all have inner sleeved, nothing shrink wrapped and I play a variety of singles, 78s and 12 inches on it. I have a Ekustatic dust lifter and never leave records out of their sleeves when not in use. In my collection, a record is in its sleeve unless its playing on the turntable.

.

Now the Album I have, definitely 120gm vinyl as my Dirty Mind and SOTT vinyl feels thicker (DM is 180gsm, and Sign is 140gsm). It is a 2 record set and each record has a nice mylar lined paper sleeve that shows the label, it is WB NPG no 9362 - 49332 - 7 and has the standard open up cover.

.

I only play these repressings once, until I get a decent quality turntable sometime in the future. Mostly I just play a whole lot of cheap old 45s I am buying from a local shop.

i just looked it up. Save up and just get a $150. - 200.00 record player you will be good to go. The turntables that can play 78's and made from plastic usually are not made for the best quality. yeah you dont want those 180G records that cost at least 20.00 a pop going through that rough needle. It will put some good wear on the record. Good for playing the 45's for just listening purposes though.