Keep On Running (Datasette Mix) - D-Pulse - Keep On Running (Vinyl)
So I have to lower the level to make them fit. Keep an eye on the how much bass your mix has on the side. Stereo bass makes the grove cut deeper. And, since deeper is wider think trigonometry that means that each groove requires more space.
On vinyl, the effect of limiting the music is that peaks get lowered, but the average level can not be raised. Bass level and Stereo placement If a recording has loads of bass, that will use up space and cause us to lower the level.
High Frequency Content If a recording has very bright moments, those will cause playback distortion and will cause us to lower the level. These four factors are always in play, working with us and against us in making an ideal album side. There are a few corollaries that can be helpful. Vocals On a long side, the level will be lower.
This means the high frequency vocal will not be a problem. For that, you need a record-cleaning machine. There are many kinds of cleaning machines out there, ranging in price from a few hundred dollars to thousands which, in our opinion, is totally unnecessary. Here is our favorite:. A bi-directional cleaner with a powerful vacuum, the Okki Nokki will easily remove all deeply entrenched dirt and grime from your favorite vinyl.
The process is quick and easy, and the device has a solid build quality. Ideally, you should clean your records every 5 to 10 plays. If you listen to a lot of music on your turntable, chances are your stylus has been collecting gunk and grime for some time. Here are three great types of stylus cleaners to consider:. Simply take the brush and pull it lightly across the stylus, moving the brush toward you from back to front. Be sure not to go side-to-side or front-to-back, as that can damage the stylus.
Simply drop your needle on this polymer bubble, and it will slowly sink in, leaving behind any debris when you lift it. They work quite well but may not be ideal for all but the most discriminating audiophiles due to their relatively steep price point.
The next step is to check cartridge set up. For this you need an alignment protractor, these are supplied with some turntables but if not are fairly inexpensive as audio accessories go. As the types vary the best thing is to follow the supplied instructions, but the idea is to angle the cartridge so that the stylus is in line with the groove for the largest portion of the vinyl.
Sleep loss over the fine details is an option rather than a necessity. Because the groove travels faster at the outside of the vinyl than the inside there is a force that pulls the stylus toward the middle of the disc that needs to be offset or compensated for. This is what bias or anti-skate systems do. Sometimes they consist of a thread with a small weight on and at others there is a sliding marker.
The easiest way to set this is to put it just below the tracking force, so if your cartridge tracks at 1.
Vinyl is an analogue format and sounds great. But with that come some physical limitations. Digital formats like CD and MP3 can reproduce anything where as vinyl is more unforgiving. This is where your skills in mixing as well as the mastering engineers skills come to play. You have to make sure the track is engineered and mixed in a way that allows the mastering engineer to cut it without changing it too much. The mastering guy is not going to run the risk of damaging the cutting equipment.
It is important to understand that the sound of your track will be compromised if there are problems with the mixdown. Read on to learn how to avoid the biggest traps and make your mixdowns perfect for a vinyl cut. Loud high frequency sounds are dangerous to the cutting equipment.
They may also not play correctly due to physical limitations of the system. You MUST understand this when mixing for vinyl. Treble distorts before bass on vinyl. The stylys has problems tracking extreme high frequency content. Tame the highs on those. De-ess vocals if needed. If the sibilants are too loud the mastering engineer might have to chuck a de-esser on top of the entire track. It is not very uncommon for mastering engineers to encounter tracks that are simply impossible to cut on vinyl because of this.
There was a track on our album with this exact problem — loud drums with a constant high frequency distortion running all the way through. Beau went in an extra mile and we were quite surprised to be able to salvage the situation and achieve a good cut in the end.
We were in luck though as it could have gone either way. We were already considering our options in case we had to drop that track. A valuable lesson learned there. As we know the record plays at a fixed speed. What does this mean? It means that the outside grooves of a record can store more information per second and thus sound better. In digital terms you could think of this as gradually losing resolution as the record plays on.
You will start to lose treble and definition as the needle progresses towards the inside of the record.
Apr 10, · Vinyl records are coming back in a big way, but the sound quality can suffer if you don't keep them clean. Check out our tips for keeping your vinyl and stylus immaculate, so you can hear every.