1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: All Zone Media. Hello, and welcome to your weekly Better 2 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 1: Offline Monologue. I of course amed Xytron, and this week 3 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 1: I'm going to be talking about something completely analog vinyl. Okay, 4 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: it's not completely analog. There's some electricity anyway. Now, some 5 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: of you might have paid attention. Now. I've been talking 6 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: the last few months about my mental health journey and 7 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:30,319 Speaker 1: all that shit, and a big part of feeling better 8 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: about myself has been finding ways to relax. I'm not 9 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: like a lot of people, so I've had to I 10 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:38,200 Speaker 1: have to teach myself things. I really have to sit 11 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: down and say, like, look, Heed, you're gonna try and 12 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 1: work out what relaxing feels like. And I've literally had 13 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:46,919 Speaker 1: to teach myself and I'm getting close. And a lot 14 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: of this has been about returning to older music and 15 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: letting things just kind of play instead of pecking around. 16 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: So the older music in questions like Joe Cocker, Charles Mingus, 17 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: Lee Morgan, Derond do Van Morrison. And as part of this, 18 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: I decided to get into vinyl because I was walking 19 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 1: around with my dear friend Tory Elliott wired and she 20 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 1: said we're gonna go on a field trip and I said, 21 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: I don't like change. Where are we going? She took 22 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: me to Music City in in New York City and 23 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,039 Speaker 1: it was just full of Vinyl, and I thought, you 24 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 1: know what this looks like fun. I want to get 25 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 1: one of these every week I'm in New York. So 26 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: I have been doing so and it's been great. Genuinely, 27 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: it's been wonderful for me. And I want to kind 28 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: of walk you through why and how vinyl works, because 29 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: surprisingly enough, there's not been a ton about it. There's 30 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 1: been a lot of audio pervert stuff and there's been 31 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: people saying, oh, Vinyl's having a resurgent fuck all that. 32 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 1: I just want to talk about listening to him. So 33 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 1: if you don't know how it works, it is delightfully analog. 34 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: And I did not know how it worked before, so 35 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: I had to look it up. So a record player 36 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: is made up of a few pieces. The platter where 37 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: you put the record, the belt that spins the platter, 38 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: the spindle, which is the thing that you put the 39 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: record on like the hole in the record goes on that, 40 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: the motor which turns the platter to spin set record, 41 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: under tone arm which holds the needle, or the stylus 42 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: which sticks on to the record and goes along the 43 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: grooves of the record, sends the signals to the cartridge, 44 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: which is the little box on the top of the 45 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: stylust that takes the vibrations and turns them into electric 46 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 1: call signical signals that play music signicholls. We're not editing it. 47 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna let that one fly. Now. If I 48 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:19,799 Speaker 1: miss the piece there, do not bother correcting me. I'm 49 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:21,359 Speaker 1: not going to edit it. I'm not going to fix it. 50 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: But in simpler terms, it's quite literally a record player 51 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 1: go BurrH Now, I basically only spend my money on 52 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: diet coke and going to baseball, so I allowed myself 53 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 1: a little bit of an extravagance. So I got myself 54 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: the Orbit basic turntable from Uturn Audio, which is the 55 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: wirecutter's budget pick, along with their Ethos speakers, which sent 56 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: me back about a ground. You can go cheaper on 57 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: record players than speakers, but I think this is absolutely 58 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:44,640 Speaker 1: a place where you get what you pay for. Based 59 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: on a little googling, it seems getting a cheaper record 60 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: player can literally destroy the records, because if the needle 61 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: and the cartridge aren't good, it scrapes them. I didn't 62 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: really understand why, but it sufficiently scared me. I'd also 63 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: already bought the other things, so it didn't really scare 64 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: me that much. I should know. I've got the all 65 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: Big Basic because it has a preamp built into it, 66 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: meaning that you can just plug it directly into some 67 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: speakers rather than having to get a separate amplifier. If 68 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 1: you're not super technical, just know that this means I 69 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 1: plug go red and yellow cables, red and white maybe 70 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: into a speaker, rather than a giant box that has 71 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: a bunch of other stuff. I also got something called 72 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: a Q lever, which is a little arm that delicately 73 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,360 Speaker 1: raises or lowers the arm and the stylus onto the record. 74 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: You need one of these. You must have one. It 75 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: might ape like hands would probably just shove the needle 76 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: repeatedly into the record, destroying a beautiful relic of the sixties. Anyway, 77 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: all this took about ten minutes to set up, and 78 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: it was mostly because it was learning how record players 79 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: work as like when, and also I was on two 80 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 1: hours of sleep. I'm thirty nine years old. I shouldn't 81 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: be taking a red eye. You have to loop the 82 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: belt around the platter which the round bit and then 83 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: click some stuff into place, then connect the speakers with 84 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: the cables that come with it, and there you go. 85 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: You just kind of start playing records. Now, as far 86 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: as actually getting records, I'm a nasty freak, So I 87 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: decided to go to a website called discogs dot com, 88 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: which is both a great place to organize what records 89 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 1: you have and by the ones you've done. I decided 90 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: to get a selection of classics from the sixties and seventies, 91 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: originals Joe Coccus with little help for my friends, Charles 92 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 1: Mangus Is Black Saint and The Sin Lady, Lee Morgan's Cornbread, 93 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: Van Morrison's Moondance, in part because I wanted to hear 94 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: them as they were played on release, and in part 95 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: because these are records that came out with my mum 96 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 1: was in her twenties, which is when I moved to 97 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: New York. So I was kind of like, mather fuck it, 98 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 1: play records like my mum. I also got a few 99 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:29,839 Speaker 1: newer records and remasters of things like Queens of the Stone 100 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: Age's Songs for the Deaf and working with the Miles 101 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:34,719 Speaker 1: Davis Quartet, as well as this insanely high end limited 102 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 1: edition pressing of Miles Davis's Kind of Blue because I 103 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 1: was curious and I had some Amazon credit. Now, the 104 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 1: reason I got such a selection was I was curious 105 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: whether things sounded different based on how old they were, 106 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 1: and whether the whole vinyl sounds better thing was a myth. 107 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,360 Speaker 1: And the answer is yes, they do sound different, and no, 108 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:57,280 Speaker 1: it's not really a myth at all. The original fam Mingus, 109 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 1: Morgan and Morrison all sound different old, but not in 110 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,720 Speaker 1: a way that's crackly or bad. The percussion feels a 111 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:06,600 Speaker 1: bit more present, and the bastones are a bit more forceful. 112 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,600 Speaker 1: It feels I don't even know how to say it, 113 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: because I'm not a music journalist, but it feels round her. 114 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: It feels more alive, and I realized this might be psychosomatic, 115 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 1: a thing I'll say later, but and I'm going to 116 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 1: be honest, like Cocker's help. With help from my friends, 117 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: I've listened to this album a great deal digitally. It's 118 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:27,360 Speaker 1: down pitch and it has a softer field to it, 119 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: and it just sounds different in a nice way. Describing 120 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: sound with words is difficult, which is why I'm not 121 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 1: a music journalist. But the way these record plays was 122 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: and is incredibly special. And what was heartening was even 123 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 1: the cheaper by which I mean thirty bucks records I got, 124 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 1: like Herbie Hancock's Imperior and Ile or Aren't Blackie's Caravan, 125 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 1: they still played marvelously. And I must say Caravan is 126 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: a fucking incredible record. Just the drums at the beginning 127 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: is insane. I stood up and I did the Leonardo 128 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: DiCaprio pointing thing at my record player. And all of 129 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 1: this is possible because we kind of live in the 130 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: golden age of vinyl. We've got these dedicated audio engineers 131 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: who dig out master tapes and perfectly press them onto 132 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: these gorgeous records and they sound amazing. And my favorite 133 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:13,799 Speaker 1: example of that is this UHQR pressing of Miles Davis's 134 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: Kind of Blue or mentioned earlier, and it came from 135 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: this company called Analog Sounds, and it just sounds insane, 136 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:21,039 Speaker 1: like the instruments are in the room and Miles Davis 137 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:23,039 Speaker 1: is watching. We write a post saying what if Anthony 138 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:26,280 Speaker 1: boor Daines saw JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. I don't think Miles 139 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:29,479 Speaker 1: Davis would love that. I think I think Charles Mingus 140 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 1: might have liked jojo, but I don't think Miles Davis 141 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:34,600 Speaker 1: would have. This is based on my very thin knowledge 142 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:37,799 Speaker 1: of jazz history. Email me if you have any thoughts 143 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 1: about this, what famous musicians would or would not like jojo? 144 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: But nevertheless, the UHQR stuff is insane. I'm going to 145 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:46,359 Speaker 1: put a link to them in the notes I'm going 146 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:48,599 Speaker 1: to there's a story from the Times I believe about them. 147 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 1: It's just there are people dedicated to vinyl right now, 148 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:56,719 Speaker 1: more dedicated than any tech ceo, and they love it 149 00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 1: and perhaps it will destroy them like a cursed ambula, 150 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 1: but they have found this incredible way of recreating music. 151 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:07,120 Speaker 1: I guess if you could even call it that, and 152 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: it sounds just bonkers. I've already ordered a few others 153 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: because I really wanted to hear Steely Dan's dirty work 154 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: on an extremely expensive vinyl. And I'm not even being sarcastic. 155 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: That song is a complete banger. And if you disagree 156 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 1: with me, you're simply wrong. I love listening to vinyl 157 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:25,160 Speaker 1: and it's changed how I listen to music for the better. 158 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: The convenience of digital audio means that I have this 159 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: kind of bad habit. I imagine some of you do 160 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: as well. I skip around, I repeat songs. I find 161 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 1: myself stuck in these musical ruts. I'm just listening to 162 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: one or two songs again and again and again because 163 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 1: of my emotion, or stay because I want to feel 164 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 1: a certain way up, because I want to sustain or 165 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: mood or banish a mood. And while that can be useful, 166 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: kind of takes the fun out of music at times. 167 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: Vinyl obviously naturally forces you to sit with at least 168 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 1: one side of it, and I found myself keeping going regardless, 169 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 1: like I'll flip it o now. Redditors and engineers will 170 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: argue that vinyl does not sound better, but I am 171 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 1: moron fully disagree. I've listened to LPs I'll Sleep when 172 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: You're Dead maybe one hundred times in MP three that song. 173 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: That album even got me through college. Without it, I 174 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: would have probably got on the train out of Aperistwyth 175 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 1: and simply never returned. I wouldn't have gone back to 176 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: London either, But that album helped me. And I will 177 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 1: tell you the vinyl based version is different. The sensor 178 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 1: more insistent. It feels dystopian and brutal. It's overwhelmingly dire, 179 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:35,200 Speaker 1: and it's because vinyl sounds warmer and more present. And 180 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:37,200 Speaker 1: I don't know if this is all in my head. 181 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:40,320 Speaker 1: I really do not, but I am someone that is 182 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: naturally a bit cynical, and I'm just having more fun 183 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: listening to music than I ever have in my life. 184 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: Instead of those loops, instead of finding myself kind of 185 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: just using music as a tool, as just a thing 186 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 1: that exists in my life, it's become this deliberate, not 187 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,200 Speaker 1: even moodsetter, because sometimes you know, you might feel like 188 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: an album, you don't feel like a song, and you'll 189 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 1: find yourself really enjoying something you didn't really think of. 190 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:08,840 Speaker 1: Marjorie with a little help of my friends. For example, 191 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: a song that I on my MP three's would skit 192 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 1: every time has this warm Hammond organ shit to it. 193 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:19,680 Speaker 1: This just sounds marvelous. And you can also talk about 194 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:22,440 Speaker 1: music in this incredibly insufferable way like I am right now. 195 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:24,920 Speaker 1: But I don't know insufferable or not. I'm having the 196 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: time of my fucking life with this, and I really 197 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 1: recommend you do too. The ritual of putting on a 198 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 1: record feels good, the sounds amazing, and we're in this 199 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:36,960 Speaker 1: digital age defined by convenience of a joy, and it's 200 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 1: a deliberacy and a way of focusing more. Even if 201 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:45,559 Speaker 1: it's on in the background, it feels more significant. I 202 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:47,679 Speaker 1: don't know, I'm talking in the wanky way that i'd 203 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 1: usually make fun of AI people for. But this is music. 204 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 1: You can be emotional, you can be esoteric with the 205 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 1: things you love. You're not hurting anyone. Telling people that 206 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,439 Speaker 1: vinyl is super period or makes you feel better because 207 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 1: it is a very personal experience and you can quite 208 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 1: literally travel back in time. You can pick up things 209 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 1: from the sixties or the seventies and hear it as 210 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:14,240 Speaker 1: they were then. And yeah, there are some crappy vinyl pressings. 211 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 1: I'm hearing that No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom just doesn't have 212 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: a good vinyl release, which sucks because that's one of 213 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:24,080 Speaker 1: my favorite albums. But it's helping me return to albums 214 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 1: I love and listen to them deliberately and with just 215 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 1: a whole new different sound stage. I guess you'd call it. 216 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,800 Speaker 1: I don't know whether or not this is exact or our, 217 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 1: whether it's anything more than just the ritual and the 218 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:41,880 Speaker 1: environment that's making me feel this way. I feel fucking 219 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:45,720 Speaker 1: good doing it, and I can't. I just cannot recommend 220 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: it enough. Give it a go if you've been considering it. 221 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:51,520 Speaker 1: I found peace and happiness now peace, and I think 222 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: you will too,