[bjorn]

So like many of you I bought my copies of Oceania today, I grabbed both the CD and LP edition from my local record store today. I've been a fan since the early 90's and absolutely love the new record. Unfortunately there is an issue with the quality of the vinyl format of this release. The problem is that the records are cut extremely close to the center labels on each side, causing an immediately noticeable and unacceptable level of distortion, particularly on the last song of each side. "Violet Rays", "Pinwheels", "The Chimera", and "Wildflower" were completely ruined when I played them today. Just to be clear, I have a high quality turntable with a very good moving coil cartridge (and yes, it is installed correctly). I understand that some amount of distortion is inherent and unavoidable with the LP format. However, Oceania isn't even that long. Side A is roughly 17 minutes long, there is plenty of space on a 12" LP to fit that amount of music without this level of distortion. I will say that the first couple tracks on each side sound really good, but the quality goes downhill fast as the stylus nears the end of each side. I have over four hundred records in my collection, only about a dozen of those display this kind of poor mastering quality and loss of fidelity in the inner grooves, and many of them have sides longer than 17 minutes that play more or less flawlessly. I did a little research on Stan Getz, who mastered the record for vinyl, and found this article:

http://www.dallasobs...ic/right-round/

I'm sure he's a nice guy and all, and I'm happy for the success he's having with his business, but I have to seriously wonder if he knows how to master an LP for optimum sound quality. He states in the article that he doesn't even listen to records or own a turntable. I would consider that a serious red flag. Again, nothing against the guy personally, but the thought of him handling Mellon Collie and the rest of these reissues is frightening.

Does anyone else have any thoughts on this? Maybe I'm being picky here, many people don't care about this sort of thing and that's fine, but to me this is really disappointing. Oceania deserves a top quality vinyl release, and unfortunately this isn't it.

[V for Vergudo]

That's bad news. Does this happen with Gish and Siamese Dream remasters on vinyl too? Were those mastered by the same guy?

[bjorn]

V for Vergudo, on 19 June 2012 - 09:19 PM, said:

That's bad news. Does this happen with Gish and Siamese Dream remasters on vinyl too? Were those mastered by the same guy?

Yes, I just checked and those were also made at A&R. I'll give those a listen tomorrow but I think they did a better job on those, there's a lot more space between the labels and grooves. The only problem I recall on those is that Gish is somewhat off-center.

This post has been edited by bjorn: 19 June 2012 - 09:33 PM

[V for Vergudo]

bjorn, on 19 June 2012 - 09:25 PM, said:

I'm going to pull those out and check tomorrow, but I think those were pressed elsewhere. I didn't notice any issue on Gish or SD, though Gish is pressed a little off center.

Off center pressed records are really a torture, so sad to know about that too!

So this is not really Billy playing the VINYL record? I even hear some surface noise between songs and I don't hear any inner-groove distortion there. http://soundcloud.co...umpkins-oceania

:scatch:/>

[davidp2007]

V for Vergudo, on 19 June 2012 - 09:40 PM, said:

Off center pressed records are really a torture, so sad to know about that too!

So this is not really Billy playing the VINYL record? I even hear some surface noise between songs and I don't hear any inner-groove distortion there. http://soundcloud.co...umpkins-oceania

:scatch:/>

Yeah I didn't notice that either. Though maybe the pressings vary in quality?

[V for Vergudo]

davidp2007, on 19 June 2012 - 10:01 PM, said:

Yeah I didn't notice that either. Though maybe the pressings vary in quality?

Yes, I don't know if that could be. I think all of them come from the same platters used at the same pressing plant, right? Or maybe there's an american pressing and a european one...(?)

[CoolAsIceCream]

i don't think there's a european version of the lp.

[davidp2007]

V for Vergudo, on 19 June 2012 - 10:09 PM, said:

Yes, I don't know if that could be. I think all of them come from the same platters used at the same pressing plant, right? Or maybe there's an american pressing and a european one...(?)

I just thought with these sorts of things maybe there might be defects in some of the pressings.

[vescret]

i would see if mine had the distortion but.....i dont have a record player

[pyrocus]

Well I will defintely pay close attention to this when it arrives this week. But I usually get an album in every available format so it's not like I'll be playing the vinyl more than the mp3 anyway.

[bosmanad]

Interesting. The vinyl was def mastered different than the CD, and upon first listen I thought it sounded tons better than the CD version. Nice separation between instruments, and yes very distorted...but it sounds like fuzzy guitars further up in the mix, not shitty mastering.

[slunksoma]

There is a european version of the LP, the quality of which is apprently much worse. I just called up the record store that I had it preordered through, and cancelled it in favour of the US verion (i'm in the UK).

The UK/European one is:
Number of Discs: 2
Format: Double LP
Label: Virgin/EMI Europe
ASIN: B00835UVY4

The US original is:
Vinyl (June 19, 2012)
Number of Discs: 1
Label: Martha's Music
ASIN: B007P6VLR8

[HypnoRaygun]

Seriously? We are all seasoned, trained and professional sound engineers/mastering experts now? Put on the record and just listen to it. If you don't like it, sell it.. Unbelievable.

People complained about Machina, then Zeitgeist, etc etc...

I have a good record player as well, and I listened to the vinyl version first.. I liked it, it sounded great to me.

Do people get MORE satisfaction complaining about things than listening to the actual music? (No! We just want it to be perfect!) Newsflash, nothings perfect! (But we spent OUR money on it!).. Again, if you don't like it, get rid of it..

It seems like a pretty easy solution to me.

[whywontyoulisten]

Oh come on, would you seriously be happy with a record so badly manufactured that it's rendered unlistenable? "Getting rid of it" doesn't solve anything as you're left without the music you willingly paid for. It's not exactly fussy to expect quality from an official product.

[HypnoRaygun]

ha! :jackyl:/> Color me an idiot then! I listened to it, it sounds great to me.. I must be a complete dunce! (you are buddy!) <--- Me flaming myself.

To each their own! This idiot is going to go listen to my "record so badly manufactured that it's rendered unlistenable"

:rolleyes:/>

Maybe, just maybe a spell was cast on the vinyl, and it distorts when unworthy people listen to it.. You know, that's logical.

[CoolAsIceCream]

slunksoma, on 20 June 2012 - 03:28 AM, said:

There is a european version of the LP, the quality of which is apprently much worse. I just called up the record store that I had it preordered through, and cancelled it in favour of the US verion (i'm in the UK).

The UK/European one is:
Number of Discs: 2
Format: Double LP
Label: Virgin/EMI Europe
ASIN: B00835UVY4

The US original is:
Vinyl (June 19, 2012)
Number of Discs: 1
Label: Martha's Music
ASIN: B007P6VLR8

well, that's interesting. thanks.

how do you know for sure there are two versions though?

http://en.wikipedia....fication_Number

Quote

ASINs are unique worldwide: one ASIN can only ever refer to one product. The same product may be referred to by several ASINs though, and different national sites may use a different ASIN for the same product.

(with the reissues, there was only one version of the LPs, sold worldwide.)

[slunksoma]

CoolAsIceCream, on 20 June 2012 - 05:12 AM, said:

well, that's interesting. thanks.

how do you know for sure there are two versions though?

http://en.wikipedia....fication_Number


(with the reissues, there was only one version of the LPs, sold worldwide.)

Just going by what the record store guy said. He was by no means overly specific, just said 'the european one is crap'. Could be nonsense. I was surpised when the idea of different versions arose as well - didn't think vinyl was as sought after to warrant multiple runs in different countries. Surely shipping the US version would cover the demand.

[bjorn]

HypnoRaygun, on 20 June 2012 - 03:38 AM, said:

Seriously? We are all seasoned, trained and professional sound engineers/mastering experts now? Put on the record and just listen to it. If you don't like it, sell it.. Unbelievable.

People complained about Machina, then Zeitgeist, etc etc...

I have a good record player as well, and I listened to the vinyl version first.. I liked it, it sounded great to me.

Do people get MORE satisfaction complaining about things than listening to the actual music? (No! We just want it to be perfect!) Newsflash, nothings perfect! (But we spent OUR money on it!).. Again, if you don't like it, get rid of it..

It seems like a pretty easy solution to me.

My solution is actually to listen to the CD instead, unless I want to blast Quasar on vinyl, which I'm doing at the moment. I also didn't claim to be sound engineer or mastering expert. I'm simply someone who listens to a lot of records. Just an example, a recent reissue of Rage Against the Machine's debut album was pressed by Music On Vinyl in Holland. The first side of that LP contains five songs and is well over the 23 minute mark (vs. the approximately 17 minute A side of Oceania), yet there is still about a half inch gap between the last track and the label. I can play that record front to back with no noticeable degradation in sound quality. Is it really asking too much to have the same quality and care go into the mastering of Oceania? I don't expect or ask for perfection, just a little more care and effort to make each record sound as good as it reasonably can.

Also, speaking of off centered pressings (yes they are frustrating), the D side of Oceania is a tad off. While that is annoying it's pretty easily fixed by filing out a tiny bit of the spindle hole and shifting the record in the direction it needs to go in order to center the grooves.

Anyway, I'm sure I come off like an elitist audiophile snob in these posts, I apologize. My main concern is really that the music I love so much is done justice.

[Sophie]

slunksoma, on 20 June 2012 - 03:28 AM, said:

There is a european version of the LP, the quality of which is apprently much worse. I just called up the record store that I had it preordered through, and cancelled it in favour of the US verion (i'm in the UK).

The UK/European one is:
Number of Discs: 2
Format: Double LP
Label: Virgin/EMI Europe
ASIN: B00835UVY4

The US original is:
Vinyl (June 19, 2012)
Number of Discs: 1
Label: Martha's Music
ASIN: B007P6VLR8

That is very surprising??
On my copy there was a sticker that said "imported" and it does contain 2 discs.
I haven't checked properly if it was written "Made in USA" on it but the official sticker says "On tour fall 2012". Not something a british guy would have printed.
I'll take a look at it tonight. Thanks for the feedback.

[whywontyoulisten]

Sophie, on 20 June 2012 - 07:28 AM, said:

That is very surprising??
On my copy there was a sticker that said "imported" and it does contain 2 discs.
I haven't checked properly if it was written "Made in USA" on it but the official sticker says "On tour fall 2012". Not something a british guy would have printed.
I'll take a look at it tonight. Thanks for the feedback.

The UK CD, which has the same number as your French one, has the "Fall" sticker. The US vinyl is a double as well; the above info is wrong.

[TwoHeadedBoy]

HypnoRaygun, on 20 June 2012 - 03:38 AM, said:

Seriously? We are all seasoned, trained and professional sound engineers/mastering experts now? Put on the record and just listen to it. If you don't like it, sell it.. Unbelievable.

People complained about Machina, then Zeitgeist, etc etc...

I have a good record player as well, and I listened to the vinyl version first.. I liked it, it sounded great to me.

Do people get MORE satisfaction complaining about things than listening to the actual music? (No! We just want it to be perfect!) Newsflash, nothings perfect! (But we spent OUR money on it!).. Again, if you don't like it, get rid of it..

It seems like a pretty easy solution to me.

It's "unbelievable" that people are miffed at getting a poorly pressed copy of the album? They paid for it, they're entitled to get a quality product. If they want to get rid of it, chances are they've opened it and had a listen, which will impact the value of the album immediately. They most likely can't get a refund after that, and they will make less money than what they paid. It should have been pressed properly in the first place. It's a pretty valid complaint if you ask me. "Nothing's perfect" is NOT any excuse.

[Lunatic]

Mine came with gross black grease bubbles on side c. I tried to clean it up, but it just got worse. All sides get bad pops further into each side. Violet Rays sounded especially muffled. Glad to know I'm not the only one. Shot TopSpin an email about it yesterday and haven't heard back from them yet.

[HypnoRaygun]

In this case, it truly "is what it is"..There is no amount of complaining that will get this album repressed at this stage in the game. Now, maybe future releases? Maybe.. But it was ordered by the band, tested and pressed. It is a done deal. So now..

What do you do with it once you get it and don't like it? It IS listenable, it DOES sound fine, regardless of what others state. As of this posting, my mental state has not been compromised, I know what vinyl and music sounds like. You can listen to it..You can play it.

And FYI.. "Nothing's perfect" is not an excuse, it's a fact of life. If something is not 100% to everyone's standards(which will never happen), then it is not "perfect".. Hence, just about everything in life is not perfect. At the same time, it doesn't change what your opinion is. I like it is fine, you think it is crap. What are you going to do?

You could demand a refund? That is something you could actually do. Outside of that...? Sell it? Not buy it? Hire Ralph Nader to be your consumer advocate?

Yes, it is unbelievable..Because I listened to it, and there was music and I could hear it. It is a product which someone made and you bought. They make it however they see fit, not you.

Do you complain about everything you buy in life? The sandwich you bought at Subway? The car that is leaking whatever fluids? The toilet paper that rips? Your clothes that fade and wrinkle?

You aren't entitled anything "quality". You see a product and you buy it. You are entitled to a product you purchased, but quality? Hire a lawyer to argue what "quality" is and get back to us. Entitled: "a legal right or a just claim to receive or do something"

Try to ask for your money back, the world doesn't owe YOU your personal "perfection" in life.

Now this:

Quote

Mine came with gross black grease bubbles on side c. I tried to clean it up, but it just got worse. All sides get bad pops further into each side. Violet Rays sounded especially muffled. Glad to know I'm not the only one. Shot TopSpin an email about it yesterday and haven't heard back from them yet

is worth a refund or replacement to me.

Do you know that most record pressing machines used today were made in the 1960's to 1980's? There hasn't been a new pressing machine made since the mid 1980's.

[Gr3g3]

Haven't had any problems with any of my records popping ever, until Pale Horse. Gotta shoot Amazon an ole email.

[whywontyoulisten]

HypnoRaygun, on 20 June 2012 - 09:35 AM, said:

It IS listenable, it DOES sound fine, regardless of what others state. As of this posting, my mental state has not been compromised, I know what vinyl and music sounds like. You can listen to it..You can play it.

If you expect us to respect and accept your opinion on this, then you should damn well respect and accept the opinion of others.

[HypnoRaygun]

whywontyoulisten, on 20 June 2012 - 10:11 AM, said:

If you expect us to respect and accept your opinion on this, then you should damn well respect and accept the opinion of others.

:drama:/>

So we are both 100% correct. It is horrible and it is fine. I'm out....

[V for Vergudo]

slunksoma, on 20 June 2012 - 03:28 AM, said:

There is a european version of the LP, the quality of which is apprently much worse. I just called up the record store that I had it preordered through, and cancelled it in favour of the US verion (i'm in the UK).

The UK/European one is:
Number of Discs: 2
Format: Double LP
Label: Virgin/EMI Europe
ASIN: B00835UVY4

The US original is:
Vinyl (June 19, 2012)
Number of Discs: 1
Label: Martha's Music
ASIN: B007P6VLR8

Well, I'm pretty sure the US version is a double too. I mean, you just can't squash an hour of music onto one single disc, specially if it's considered 'better' than a EU two disc version. It would be much more distorted and congested than the european pressing. The ideal would be around 15 minutes per side. Also, there's a reason why Sundazed (and I think the new Columbia pressings too)cut their Dylan monos keeping the grooves far away from the center.

HypnoRaygun, on 20 June 2012 - 09:35 AM, said:

Do you know that most record pressing machines used today were made in the 1960's to 1980's? There hasn't been a new pressing machine made since the mid 1980's.

I don't know, man. Have you listened to The White Stripes 'Icky Thump' on vinyl? It was mastered by Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray and sounds fantastic, just PERFECT.

It's not that we are saying that The Smashing Pumpkins owe us decent quality vinyl pressings, but it would be nice if they were treated with certain care. I really believe that records can sound far better than CDs, but when they are not properly made they can really suck and they are not really that cheap. I'm not buying a record for the big artwork, you know?

HypnoRaygun, on 20 June 2012 - 03:38 AM, said:

I have a good record player as well, and I listened to the vinyl version first.. I liked it, it sounded great to me.

I did not buy it yet, so I'm not saying that it doesn't. There's a soundcloud link above were you can listen to Billy Corgan playing what sounds like a vinyl record and I don't hear any distortion towards the end of any side.

More opinions on the SQ of the vinyls would definitelly help us get to some sort of consensus about this matter.

[bjorn]

HypnoRaygun, on 20 June 2012 - 09:35 AM, said:

In this case, it truly "is what it is"..There is no amount of complaining that will get this album repressed at this stage in the game. Now, maybe future releases? Maybe.. But it was ordered by the band, tested and pressed. It is a done deal. So now..

What do you do with it once you get it and don't like it? It IS listenable, it DOES sound fine, regardless of what others state. As of this posting, my mental state has not been compromised, I know what vinyl and music sounds like. You can listen to it..You can play it.

And FYI.. "Nothing's perfect" is not an excuse, it's a fact of life. If something is not 100% to everyone's standards(which will never happen), then it is not "perfect".. Hence, just about everything in life is not perfect. At the same time, it doesn't change what your opinion is. I like it is fine, you think it is crap. What are you going to do?

You are right. My intention is not to throw a fit in the hopes of getting someone to repress the album. It is at least a "listeneable" pressing. Your arguments about our tendency to feel and act entitled are valid. What it mostly comes down to for me is that if something is worth doing (and Oceania certainly is...), it's worth doing right. If someone does a half-assed job producing something you care about, I'd say it's worth at least it pointing out. Maybe if enough people voice their concerns, future Pumpkins releases will be produced to a higher standard. Saying nothing just because "nothing's perfect" might work for you, but not for me.

[bosmanad]

This doesn't need to be repressed. MIne looks and sounds great. I buy a lot of vinyl. There is no issue here. Move along.

[palm0014]

I have the same issue but upon some research, it looks like it may be something to do with my turntable. Take a look at this:

http://www.audiokarm...p/t-203384.html

ALSO, (I can't find it now) but I read somewhere a few months ago, but it was a mixer/masterer (masterer?!) who mentioned how track orders in the 60s/70s were determined by the fact that quieter songs needed to be put closer to the center of the vinyl or else it would get distorted. So if you take a look at the Zeppelin albums of old, you will notice how the end of a side generally had quieter songs. Take a look:

Zeppelin II:
Thank You (end of Side A)

Zeppelin IV:
Stairway to Heaven (end of Side A) + When the Levee Breaks (end of Side B)

Of course, it's not a perfect science, but that's what they were going for.

[Deleted User Account]

There's nothing entitled about wanting a quality product that you paid your hard earned money for.

Criticizing the quality of the pressing isn't criticizing the band, Billy of all people would want the pressing right so you could hear his album as intended!

[hotoriousDICK]

i too have also read that back in the day quieter songs go closer to the centre because the groove gets smaller there therefore does not have much bandwidth to handle louder frequencies. THis practice is hardly followed nowadays for sure.


ALSO it is surprisingly possible to fit at least 59 mins on one vinyl. I have A tragic kindgom green translucent vinyl and they fit the whole album on one disc. But you're right Vergudo the quality isn't all that... the album is a lot quieter and doesn't sound like it's breathing properly.

To me I think NOWDAYS the proper time and procedures for vinyl making is not done very often this is why I still turn to digital sure it's not big in frequency ranges but you get a good quality bit rate and no problems with artifact noise. HOWEVER when vinyl is done right it's amazing - case in point the deftones reissues on vinyl.

[HypnoRaygun]

I was told I was "picking" on people and "attacking" people in this tread. And if that is the perception I am truly sorry. That was not my intention and I'm sorry if my words were harmful. I guess I shared a bit too much of "my opinion". It was in no way, shape or form trying to stifle other peoples comments or thoughts. I am direct with my words and what I think and if "jerk" or other names are thrown my way, I will gladly take them on with no ill will.

I did not share my opinion because I felt it was an attack on the band, but for other reasons which need not be taken further.

Billy tweeted a photograph and a comment about the test pressing of this album. And this is not a quote because I don't have it right now, but to me, it seemed like he was happy with the results. So if there is something incorrect about the vinyl, it may have to do with the process after the fact of the test pressing.

As all of you know, pressing vinyl is an art and a science and things can and do go wrong. There have been complaints with other pressings from other bands recently as well. Vinyl pressing equipment is old, please look into that if you disagree. My Morning Jacket, and Flaming Lips are two bands who have been plagued by errors in their vinyl. Many complaints and issues were brought up with their situations as well.

I have personally conducted extensive research into pressing equipment, the vinyl record process and all pressing plants in the United States and some of those in Europe. Many are conducting business with very old equipment and making it work the best that they can. I can't say this is the case for this vinyl, but I know it can be an issue. I know Jack White uses United Record Pressing in Nashville, TN Their site and he (or people he works with) is able to look after the quality of the vinyl right there in the town where his company is located. And may I add, perhaps Jack White is a bit more "into" vinyl and the process than Billy and the band has time to be..?

I would love to have the most pristine copy of this music on vinyl as well. If that is not the case we will have to figure out a way to enjoy it or figure out a solution. I personally feel my copy of the vinyl sounds very good and I'm happy with it. It is unfortunate that others are not having the same enjoyable experience.

I'm old and cranky and I mean no ill will towards anyone. I just think sometimes people expect too much out of things..

[Lunatic]

HypnoRaygun, on 21 June 2012 - 08:16 AM, said:

I I can't say this is the case for this vinyl, but I know it can be an issue. I know Jack White uses United Record Pressing in Nashville, TN Their site and he (or people he works with) is able to look after the quality of the vinyl right there in the town where his company is located. And may I add, perhaps Jack White is a bit more "into" vinyl and the process than Billy and the band has time to be..?

The etching on the vinyl suggests that the band again went with A&R who were the same people that did the Teargarden Theme 7" which is definitely not the best sounding record I've heard in my life. And, well, Third Man is Jack's personal record label. He can do whatever he wants and press however many copies on tri-colored vinyl he wants. United is one of the more expensive and luxurious pressing companies still out there today. Being backed by EMI, I'm not so sure that Billy could go with the "best" pressing company.

Also, should I say, that Stan Getz is not the issue here. His vinyl mastering of Gish and Siamese Dream reissues sound amazing. I think this was just a bad press.

[HypnoRaygun]

Lunatic, on 21 June 2012 - 09:13 AM, said:

The etching on the vinyl suggests that the band again went with A+R who were the same people that did the Teargarden Theme 7" which is definitely not the best sounding record I've heard in my life. And, well, Third Man is Jack's personal record label. He can do whatever he wants and press however many copies on tri-colored vinyl he wants. United is one of the more expensive and luxurious pressing companies still out there today. Being backed by EMI, I'm not so sure that Billy could go with the "best" pressing company.

Also, should I say, that Stan Getz is not the issue here. His vinyl mastering of Gish and Siamese Dream reissues sound amazing.

That is who The Flaming Lips used, A&R. And there were complaints about warping and other issues. Even Wayne mentions in this video how there are issues! See here:

http://youtu.be/Ioq70dsUmqI

[CloneMe]

Does anyone know, if there's problems with both the US and European press? That is, if there actually are two different pressings?

[pyrocus]

My vinyl arrived today. I have listened to the entire album (on Wildflower right now) and my copy sounds perfect. No popping, no distortion, etc. I am sorry to hear about the ones who are having problems though. I guess there's always going to be some imperfections in a few copies.

[CoolAsIceCream]

Lunatic, on 21 June 2012 - 09:13 AM, said:

The etching on the vinyl suggests that the band again went with A&R who were the same people that did the Teargarden Theme 7" which is definitely not the best sounding record I've heard in my life. [...]

Also, should I say, that Stan Getz is not the issue here. His vinyl mastering of Gish and Siamese Dream reissues sound amazing. I think this was just a bad press.

the gish and siamese dream reissue were also pressed by A&R.

[MrLee192]

After reading this, thank god i use CD.

[PumpkinsRockOn]

I'm also getting distortion on my vinyl. I expected it on the last track of each side, but mine seems to start about two songs in on each side. Essentially, the first track of each side is free from distortion and sounds beautiful, but after that, things start getting worse. I'm adjusting my anti-skate and various things, but haven't got a better sound yet. I'll keep working on it. If anyone can make some adjustments to reduce the distortion, please post so that I know it's just the settings on my record player. Still, I listen to lots of vinyl, and this is the most distortion I've heard from any of my records. It's annoying because I listen to vinyl for the superior quality, but now I'll just end up playing the CD. I can't imagine that some copies sound crappy while others sound excellent. If they are all from the same pressing, shouldn't they all sound the same?

[Lunatic]

CoolAsIceCream, on 21 June 2012 - 11:37 PM, said:

the gish and siamese dream reissue were also pressed by A&R.

I know that. I'm just saying that while Gish and SD sound great, for some reason my and some others' copy Oceania is a poor press.

[HypnoRaygun]

If anyone wants a video of a specific song with high quality audio posted on YouTube let me know. It would be a test to show how my vinyl copy sounds.

[bjorn]

PumpkinsRockOn, on 22 June 2012 - 09:02 AM, said:

I'm also getting distortion on my vinyl. I expected it on the last track of each side, but mine seems to start about two songs in on each side. Essentially, the first track of each side is free from distortion and sounds beautiful, but after that, things start getting worse. I'm adjusting my anti-skate and various things, but haven't got a better sound yet. I'll keep working on it. If anyone can make some adjustments to reduce the distortion, please post so that I know it's just the settings on my record player. Still, I listen to lots of vinyl, and this is the most distortion I've heard from any of my records. It's annoying because I listen to vinyl for the superior quality, but now I'll just end up playing the CD. I can't imagine that some copies sound crappy while others sound excellent. If they are all from the same pressing, shouldn't they all sound the same?

I think you're right, any copy of the record will likely sound the same on your turntable. You can try this Stevenson alignment protractor to adjust your cartridge. It sets the null point closer to the label to help compensate for this kind of distortion. I think it helped a little on mine.

[V for Vergudo]

HypnoRaygun, on 22 June 2012 - 02:40 PM, said:

If anyone wants a video of a specific song with high quality audio posted on YouTube let me know. It would be a test to show how my vinyl copy sounds.

That would be great. Is it side A that has four songs? If so, I guess Violet Rays would be the best choice. Then again, is your copy made in the US? Because lots of people seem to be getting bad copies and maybe accepting them instead of trying to replace them. If they actually see (hear) that there are copies that sound good even that close to the center, that would be very helpful.