Yakima, WA | Vinyl record enthusiasts coexist with digital universe: I’m an analog user in a digital world. But I’m also a digital user in a digital world. You can be both. No need to shun one over the other. Like many people, living through generational changes has allowed me to weave in and out of these two worlds on a daily basis for much of my life until coming full circle through musical preferences. As a younger member of Generation X born in the mid-1970s, my dive into music began with an inexpensive turntable geared toward children and the soundtrack to “The Muppet Movie” to go with a pair of albums spoofing contempory blockbusters — “Urban Chipmunk,” playing off the soundtrack to “Urban Cowboy,” and “Sesame Street Fever,” mimicking “Saturday Night Fever.” By the 1980s I was deep into cassette culture and rocking with my boombox. And in case you were wondering, the first casette I bought with my own money was “Stay Hungry” by Twisted Sister. Hair metal at its finest.
Frederick, MD | Downtown Frederick record stores shift to more online sales in midst of pandemic: Since late 2013, Vinyl Acres, a shop nestled underground on East Patrick Street — not too far from the Square Corner in downtown Frederick — has been a destination for audiophiles and vinyl record shoppers looking to expand their collections. But recently, due to the dangers of operating a record store during the coronavirus pandemic — where people often leaf through rows of albums — Bob Berberich and his wife Martha Hull, the co-owners of the shop, have decided to permanently shut their doors at 25 E. Patrick St. …At first, when Sam Lock, the owner at The Record Exchange, had more limited hours, Wolfe was seeing less competition, he said. But even since Lock has expanded his hours, online sales have been strong at Rock & Roll Graveyard, Wolfe said. “Now I have my entire new inventory online, so it’s been helpful for me, for people who don’t feel safe going into a store,” Wolfe said. “And plus most things … it’s much more affordable than shopping in a record store in New York City and Los Angeles, so the prices are a lot more affordable.”
Devizes, UK | Vinyl Realm in Devizes owners forgive drunken vandal who smashed window: Owners of a Devizes record shop who were horrified to find one of their windows had been smashed by a late night reveller have forgiven the vandal after he found sorry wasn’t the hardest word. Jacki Harvey and Pete Bennett, who run Vinyl Realm, were shocked to be told their historic premises in Long Street had been vandalised in a ‘mindless act of drunken criminal damage.’ Jacki said: “There were no words to describe his actions. No words.” In addition to the broken panes of glass a guitar on display in the window was also damaged. But on the Monday after the drunken rampage which started after he was asked to leave The Lamb pub the man, in his 20s, rang Jacki to apologise and said he had no memory of what had happened. Jacki said: “I respect him for coming forward and apologising. He said it was completely out of character. He had used his elbow to break the glass and when told what had happened realised it was him…
Washington, DC | ‘Holy grail’ of Beatles’ rarities, signed on train to DC concert, up for auction: While the most casual music fan knows The Beatles first live appearance in the United States was Feb. 9, 1964, on the Ed Sullivan show, some aren’t aware their first U.S. concert was two days later at the Washington Coliseum. Now, a piece of Beatles memorabilia, being hailed as the “holy grail” of collectibles is up for auction: A “Meet the Beatles” promotional album, signed by all four band members for guitarist George Harrison’s older sister, Louise, as they traveled by train from New York City to D.C. on Feb. 11, for that evening’s show in Northeast D.C. “They couldn’t fly because there was so much snow in Washington — eight inches — so they had to take a train,” said Bobby Livingston, executive vice president of RR Auction, which is conducting an online auction of the album. What makes the signed album so desirable is that it captures a legendary moment in Beatles lore with an insider’s vantage point in the hours after the Sullivan show had launched American hysteria. “The Beatles were inaccessible,” Livingston said. “By the time they got to the United States, U.S. albums (“Meet the Beatles”) were different from the Parlophone versions in the U.K. (“With the Beatles”). So, you couldn’t really get to the Beatles and have them sign a promo album of “Meet the Beatles.”
Your Music on Vinyl – Create Your Own Custom Vinyl Record: Today millions of tracks are available at the click of a button – just a stream away. As an artist you can easily distribute your music online with the help of distribution services as ‘Spinnup’. Wouldn’t it be nice to bring tangibility back to your music? We’re talking to our friends at Vinylify about how to create limited runs of vinyl as an independent artist and for what you could use it for. While it’s never been out of fashion with diehard fans, the nostalgic connection to vinyl in the digital era is at an all time high. Connecting the accessibility of digital with the tactile satisfaction of an actual record is at the heart of what Vinylify is doing. Vinylify is an online service for artists to create their very own unique 10” vinyl record. Everything can be personalised and the process is simple – using their streamlined “vinyl creator tool”, but more on that later.
Forbes: Review: Pro-Ject Phono Box Ultra 500 MM/MC Phono Preamplifier: If you’re a big music fan, there’s a decent chance you own a turntable, or are considering buying one. After all, vinyl records have become so popular as a format for listening to music that for the first time in decades, sales have now eclipsed CDs. While the turntable gets all the attention in a vinyl listening setup, there’s another component that can have a huge impact on how records sound: the preamplifier. Pro-Ject has a very attractive choice for those who want a premium listening experience in the limited edition Phono Box Ultra 500. The signal produced by a turntable is extremely low-powered, so before being played back on a stereo system it must be amplified. That’s where a phono preamplifier (or preamp) comes into play. This component takes the signal from the turntable and amplifies it to the point where it can be played through a stereo system. You can’t just plug in a turnable to the AUX input on a stereo system without preamplification. Where things get a little confusing is with built-in preamplifiers.
