PERHAPS you have seen the proliferation of record stores, both online and of the brick-and-mortar variety. You are intrigued by the scores of people hunched over crates of vinyl LPs at bazaars, wearing the look of obsessive collectors transfixed with finding the next hidden gem.
Maybe you just want a deeper connection with the music that moves you, preferring tangible media to hold and feel rather than just a folder on a digital device or a click on a streaming site.
Whatever the reason, here are a few tips and pointers for newbie collectors looking to be a part of the vinyl revival.
Costly affair
What was once the preserve of a few diehard nostalgists, vinyl records have arisen phoenix-like over the past decade to, once again, become the best-selling physical format. It has overtaken compact discs with factories making the silver digital format reporting plans of lower output with a view to phasing out. Record pressing plants, meanwhile, are unable to keep up with demand.
Make no mistake, vinyl records are very much in vogue and have premium price tags to match. New albums by popular artistes start from about RM140 onwards, with Taylor Swift’s latest double vinyl album retailing above RM200.
Even used specimens reflect this boom with almost nothing to be found below RM40, even bargain bin fillers. So be prepared to spend if you are intent on building a decent library. The cost of streaming subscription pales in comparison, so it will depend on whether you are getting into this as a momentary fad or to fully explore the magic of analogue sound reproduction.
Hardware options
Unlike the cost of the records themselves, it is worth noting the vinyl resurgence has seen many hi-fi manufacturers offer a greater range of record players.
Note, you will either need an amplifier with a dedicated phono input to play records. Otherwise, you will need to invest in a phono preamp to boost the lower frequency signal generated by the turntable to the power amp. However, these days cheap-and-cheerful budget options such as the Audio Technica AT-60XBT now include in-built phono preamps allowing you to just plug-and-play. Budget turntables normally retail for under RM1,000 but be warned, you get what you pay for. So do not expect to be blown away by spectacular sonics from these wallet-friendly options.
The best advice is to do the necessary due diligence – read up, window shop and audition.
Speed matters
Vinyl records are available in two playback speeds 33 and 45rpm. The former are typically pressings for full length albums or LPs (long players). The latter are faster speed singles or EPs (extended play), with wider grooves to facilitate a wider soundscape and deeper low end for club DJs to get the bass pumping.
The improved sonic quality of singles mean some enthusiasts favour collecting 45rpm records but fret not, all record players will have a speed button allowing playback for both. However, only few turntables will have the option to play 78rpm records, which were designed for older gramophones.
Vinyl records are typically 12 inches in diameter but are also available on seven inches and 10 inches single formats. Seven inch singles were especially popular in the 1960s when pop music was seen as a disposable fad, with the format designed to be cheap and easily accessible to a youth market.
TLC required
There is a popular meme among hi-fi gear heads depicting a couple of middle aged vinyl enthusiasts espousing how much they enjoy the cost and inconvenience of playing vinyl records.
This is partially true as unlike compact discs or streaming, there is quite a fair bit of care required with vinyl records. They need to be properly stored (standing upright) and away from heat.
If you are looking to buy pre-loved specimens, some degree of cleaning will be required. Even new LPs these days come caked in dirt and fingerprints requiring a wipe down with the proper cleaning gear.
Great thing is DIY cleaning kits are readily available online and many record emporiums offer machine-cleaning to help bring mouldy records back to life. The latter typically costs about RM5 per LP.
Snap, crackle and pop
Newbies must be aware that records tend to have “surface noise”. In many instances, snaps, crackles and pops will be audible at the start of each song, especially during the quiet or silent passages of a record.
Those expecting the ultra-clean playback of digital formats will be shocked at the audible static but as the late BBC One radio presenter John Peel famously remarked: “Somebody was trying to tell me CDs are better than vinyl because they do not have any surface noise. I said ‘listen, mate, life has surface noise”.’
Social hubs
There has never been a better time to start a record collection despite the escalating prices. This is because the vinyl boom has sparked a rush by record labels to reissue retrospective titles.
Classics from yesteryear and hard-to-find rarities are being reissued in great numbers. So you will be able to find various audiophile high-fidelity pressings of multi-platinum hits such as Dire Straits’s Brother In Arms and Eagles’s Hotel California. The recently released Mobile Fidelity pressing of the latter record is retailing close to RM1,000 in local stores!
Similarly, obscure titles from niche genres are being made available after years of being out-of-print. A recent example is the reissue of Satryicon’s much sought after debut Dark Medieval Times, with originals and even bootleg pressings fetching ridiculous prices on the secondary market.
One very cool thing about vinyl collecting is that physical stores have become social hubs for like-minded music fans. Making new friends and acquaintances is surely one of the plus points of a hobby.
Records are fun
If you have not been put off by the comparative inconvenience or that record collecting has become a luxury past time aimed at elitist hobbyist, you will be rewarded with a fulfilling journey into analogue sound.
The warmth and detail of the playback will make all the effort worthwhile and the pleasure is doubled when you have managed to track down that difficult-to-find rarity.
Like any worthwhile hobby, patience and perseverance will be richly rewarded, not least in transforming your home into a hi-fi haven filled with your favourite tunes being reproduced on an evergreen format.
