starting a vinyl collection, have questions

[AnimusDivinus]

im starting a vinyl collection which will go high fidelity before too long.. my biggest concern is wear... how many times can i play an average record before theres a noticable decrease in audio quality?.. im concerned that maybe in the future should a record ever go bad that i wont be able to find a replacement.. currently i can find my music on vinyl, but i dont know how long thats going to last.. im just worried about losing the vinyl to wear and never being able to replace it

also id like to back these up into a computer if at all possible... i dont believe its at all possible to do while preserving the analog soundwaves of the music.. is it?.. seems it would have to be converted into some ultra high flac file.. something like 96,000 or better herz at 24 bits.. but how close to the tone and sound of the origional record would this be?

all that being said if i DID back my music up this way would it ever be possible to convert the signal back into an analog one to listen to, or maybe someday make copies of the origional record?... ive noticed i can get a record cutting lathe for under $1,000... so it might be an idea im willing to invest in.

[kstagger]

For really valuable records, you can always do a needledrop - cutting the record to a digital file which you can burn to CD or listen to directly from the PC.

Other than that, record wear hasn't been a big issue for me. It helps to have a properly setup turntable, clean your dirty records, maintain a clean stylus, and take lots of care. For your ever-favorite records, it doesn't hurt to buy a backup.

I have roughly ~1000 records, so I'm not exactly playing the same ones over and over.

[kevinkr]

I currently have about 500 LPs having culled several hundred recently.. Some of these are nearly as old as I am, and I am not worried about any of them wearing out before I do.

The important thing is to keep them reasonably clean, and to play them on a properly set up TT with always good stylus on the cartridge of choice. A better cartridge that does not exhibit high frequency mis-tracking would be a great help as well.

Usually best not to play repeatedly at one sitting as the vinyl is deformed and heated by the playback process and needs some time to recover. Note also that I have never taken this bit of advice seriously but you might want to.

I have come full circle on the tracking force thing, for many years I had high compliance MM cartridges tracking at 1.5gms or less, then lower compliance MC cartridges tracking at 1.5 - 2.5gms, and now finally I'm running a new SPU tracking at 4gms. As a kid I played some of my albums hundreds of times at 4gms and they are still perfectly playable today.

What is important is to keep the stylus clean, check it for wear regularly, and replace it at the first sign of trouble.

Handling the records by their edges and center, putting them away immediately when done and cleaning as necessary will keep them in great shape.

[indianajo]

I have records I bought in 1958. I had some trouble with record wear with my Mother's ceramic cartridge record player, but she bought it with Top Value stamps. Probably had a tip weight of 5 grams or more. I started using 1.5 gram mm cartridges in 1970 when I bought an AR turntable, and the problem stopped. I check my diamond for cracks occasionally, I had a couple of things ripped up when the Grado FTE diamond blew a chunk. I've been using a Shure M97 type IV for thirty years @ 1.5g, it has been no problem. I have records from 1970 on that sound great on my new used speakers. I wash records occasionally to get the dust down, if they have anything stuck to them I use soap not containing body oil. (Ivory, Palmolive). Used records sometimes respond to a good cleaning, and sometimes they are just trash.
I used to back up records with reel to reel tape, but that went the way of the dinosaur. Modern formats come and go, it is hard to predict what is going to last.

[bobrown14]

Originally Posted by kevinkr

I currently have about 500 LPs having culled several hundred recently.. Some of these are nearly as old as I am....

+1 - Do you think you will say that about a CD in the future?

Keep em clean and don't play them with a crappy TT/cart or a worn needle and you're kids will be listening to them well after your gone. I've got some of my Dad's LPs and listen to them from time to time. Those LPs are older than I am and sound good. My dad would have been considered one of those audiofools if he was still around. His gear was all tube, wish I still had it.

Cheers,
Bob

[kevinkr]

Originally Posted by bobrown14

+1 - Do you think you will say that about a CD in the future?

Keep em clean and don't play them with a crappy TT/cart or a worn needle and you're kids will be listening to them well after your gone. I've got some of my Dad's LPs and listen to them from time to time. Those LPs are older than I am and sound good. My dad would have been considered one of those audiofools if he was still around. His gear was all tube, wish I still had it.

Cheers,
Bob

I'm purchasing new and good used vinyl on a regular basis, and in the past have inherited large and largely unwanted collections from some local libraries and elsewhere - most of these if in good shape are so obscure that I can't relate to them, the rest are in such bad shape that unless rare I don't play them - these are the majority of the culls I mentioned.

I no longer purchase new CDs if the music is available on vinyl or SACD. I do still buy used CDs from time to time, and I have culled the CD herd as well. I have fewer CDs overall than vinyl..

I have a lot of 25yr old CDs which still play fine and a few that don't.. How they sound is another question, some from the late 1980s and onwards are quite good, others and some very early ones in general don't sound very good.

Hope that answers the question..

System is all tube on the analog side of things and soiled state on the digital side until I decide to redo my DAC (again) with transformer/vacuum tube based I/V converters.

I'm listening to vinyl right now..

[paulintheuk]

I agree with the comments made by others, keep records clean, watch needle condition and records should last perfectly.

I have original Beatles and 50's jazz records that are as clean as new.

Enjoy getting into vinyl, you'll love it

[soundalot]

Cleanliness is of utmost importance. Keep any contaminants off the surface(fingerprints etc). Correct turntable and arm set-up are also very important. Cartridge tracking force adjustment is critical. Do not always use the manufacturers lowest tracking force Spec. A test record is a good purchase, e.g. Hi Fi News test record. I'm sure there are other suggestion available on the forum.

[harwoodspark]

I have quite a few records that I bought new, many over thirty years ago. They've been looked after but have been played many times and none have ever been cleaned. Yes I know I should maybe invest in a cleaning machine, but most of these records still sound fine and they all play perfectly well. Records are meant to played and enjoyed anyway, not left on the shelf like some antique!

[counter culture]

All these replies so far are from vinyl freaks.

I had vinyl when vinyl was all there was to be had - it was a nightmare. What these guys aren't telling you is that disks are truly fragile and can be ruined by a single stray particle of grit.

Realistically, don't do it. There's nothing to be gained and everything to be lost - all in pursuit of something that doesn't exist.

'life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday' - Gibran