I was browsing Music Direct, and see that there are three different formats for LPs? 180g, 200g, and extended-play 45RPM are what I've seen. Do any of these formats pose any particular problems for a turntable?
I think you may have a slight misunderstanding of what's going on. 180g and 200g aren't formats pre se, they're weights. A 200g LP weighs considerably more than a standard LP. Generally speaking, it also sounds considerably better than a standard LP. It's not a different format such as SACD vs HDCD.
Thier are a couple of different speeds - 33, 45, and 78. Most vinyl nowadays is 33, but 45 is still popular. 45 is usually used for singles or short albums. 78 isn't produced too much anymore as far as I know. I've heard that from a sound quality perspective, 45 is superior to 33. I don't know about 78.
None of these should really pose any challenges. The heavier vinyl may be thicker, which may throw off VTA, but the difference in VTA may be negligable. Most turntables will play 33 and 45. You either have to change speeds with a switch, or put the belt on another pulley that's already on your table. A lot of tables won't do 78 without installing a special pulley, but they're available for a lot of turntables.
To make a long story short, you shouldn't have any problems with any of the records you mentioned. The only one that may be an issue is 78, which you didn't mention.
Some of this I already knew, but when you go out to Music Direct, and they have different categories for 180g and 200g LPs, or you see things like a 12" 45 RPM records, I was just curious what they were. My direct-drive turntable (still in transit) probably just has a switch to change between 33 and 45, if necessary.
In analog recording speed is king. The faster you pass the media past the pickup head, the more information you can pack into each "bit" the pickup reads. Recording at 45 R.P.M. manages to put more information past the pickup than the same signal recorded at 33 R.P.M. More signal per "bit" means a lower noise floor and subsequently higher dynamic range capability and potentially more low level detail. Of course, both of those qualities have to be on the master before changing recording speed can make a significant difference. Along with higher speed comes shorter playing times. Symphonies can stretch to several discs which would require cleaning and changing between movements. And the differences in playing time can easily be swamped by the quality of the playback equipment.
180 and 200 gram discs refer to the weight and thickness of a LP disc. With more material between sides there is a decrease in bleed-through and a tendency to avoid warping. The groove can be cut deeper and with a wider side to side groove velocity assuming the playing time of the side can be maintained. All this should add up to better sound. The quality of the original recording and mastering techniques are really the important items here. The idea that the company takes the time to use better vinyl should indicate they also pay attention to all details of production. This attention to detail normally includes using clean, v!rgin vinyl with no additives in order to get lower noise floor to the playback media.
Personally, I wouldn't be too concerned about the weight of the album's vinyl. Buy the music you like in whatever "format" suits your budget and taste. There are still plenty of great sounding albums that were/are produced in what you might consider mass market quality. If you are buying from an "audiophile" oriented company such as Music Direct, you can count on good quality. If you have questions about any particular recording, companies that cater to the audiophile market will answer your questions.
Thanks for your explanation! I guess it wasn't such a dumb question, after all! (I know, there are no dumb questions, just dumb answers!).
I was just curious. I saw a few albums out there that would be a welcomd addition/replacement to those I have. One or two others that I would have liked to see were not there, and perhaps the record companies didn't wish to remaster those. Herbie Mann at the Village Gate was one in particular. I have that LP in mono only. I'll probably be able to find it in the more "popular" sites. We'll see.
OK, to me a 45 is one song per side and small in size, right? So a 12" 45 is an entire album made to run at 45rpm?? Are all "full size" vinyl 12"?? As you can see I grew up in the cassette era.
All "full size" discs are 12". They can spin at either 33 or 45 R.P.M. Obviously if you are at 45 R.P.M. you can't fit as much time on one side of the disc. Therefore albums like Credence Clearwater that would fit an entire album on two sides are now four sides when converted to 45 R.P.M. There are also 45 R.P.M. singles which are directed more at the portable disc jockey market.
I seem to remember "singles" were 45 rpm and LPs or "albums" were 33.3 rpm.
There were also EPs for "extended play". They usually had two songs per side. They were the same size as singles, but I forget the speed. I think it was still 45 rpm, like singles. Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour" was an EP.
I also remember 78 rpm discs, but they were brittle, and 10".
I've found no advantages to heavyweight vinyl (180g or 200g) although theoretically they have the potential to sound better and to avoid warping as explained by Jan in a previous post. In reality, the pressings on heavyweight vinyl and regular vinyl seem to be identical if cut from the same source. Classic Records has issued several of the same titles on regular weight and heavyweight vinyl. The latter is not sonically superior as you might assume. Also, Classic has had quality control problems with their heavyweight vinyl pressing, including the production of warped records, especially with their 200g issues. In short, save yourself some money by buying regular weight records if you have the choice. You won't be missing anything.
On the other hand, 45rpm records do sound noticeably better than the 33rpm version. Classic and Analogue Productions have reissued a number of albums on 45rpm discs. The same "information" in the groove is spread over a larger area compared to a 33rpm disc, resulting in sound that is more detailed, more dynamic, and having more air. The 45rpm albums I've listened to sound spectacular. The downside is you have to get up frequently to change sides and discs. A single 33rpm record with two sides is usually spread over four sides on two 45rpm records or, in the case of Classic, four single-sided records. The 45rpm records are also very expensive.
Standard stampers can stamp out records up to 165g. You need a bigger more robust stamper to stamp out anything heavier. There are several things which will contriute to th efidelity received from a heavy alum including the quality of the vinyl itself. Most of the latest issues from the likes of Speakers Corner, Classic, Analogue and Alto are pressed on 100% virgin vinyl. In the old days albums used to be melted down and new ones pressed from reconstituted vinyl. Reconstituted vinyl is more pliant whereas virgin vinyl is actually quite a bit harder. This makes bleed-through less likely as well as a more hardwearing surface.
That said, it doesn't automatically mean that the records will definitely sound better. I found that many reissues have been remastered to death (even though they're using original masters) and the life of the recording has been removed. In general, tough, they're pretty good.
I recently purchased some reissues from Spoon, many of which had imperfections in the pressing. Tempting as it is, I would stay away from the Can reissues coming out from Spoon.
The record store where I got them said they'd been having comlpaints about them and were considering discontinuing them.