Lps pressed on discs weighing more than 200 grams?

[JCOConnell]

Has any record company ever experimented pressing Lps at weights greater than 200g? I know it would mess up our VTA settings but maybe it would reduce warps even further or have some other benefits?

[MylesBAstor]

I always thought people who weighed their albums were slightly weird. I remember a couple of years ago people complaining about a couple of Chad's 180 gram releases being under 180 gms. Other than someone with a severe case of OCD, who would weight their records.

That said, I think they are pushing the limits of getting the nugget evenly spread at 200 gms. Remember all the issues that Classic had with their 200 gm albums?

[MylesBAstor]

Yeah it is ironic. Being slightly weird is being like slightly pregnant. Either you are or aren't!

[lasercd]

I weigh my albums.

[1morerecord2clean]

Ok. Kenny G and I have been schooled in the Lloyd Walker school of changing VTA with changes in record thickness or weight. Yes, we know plenty of people who weigh every record and record it and have hash marks on their VTA tower for those weights. You will be hard pressed to find records weighing what they are claimed to weigh. They all vary. Happily I no longer change VTA. That changed with better mechanical isolation and better cartridge set up. My apologies to Lloyd and those enrolled in his school.

[Johnny Vinyl]

I always thought people who weighed their albums were slightly weird. I remember a couple of years ago people complaining about a couple of Chad's 180 gram releases being under 180 gms. Other than someone with a severe case of OCD, who would weight their records.

That said, I think they are pushing the limits of getting the nugget evenly spread at 200 gms. Remember all the issues that Classic had with their 200 gm albums?

I'll bet some of them returned those LPs thinking they got jipped! LOL!

The 200g Tubular Bells was one of them.

[Rob]

i don't own anymore mobile UHQRs but they were some thick slabs o' wax. someone with a gram scale and a UHQR handy should let us know. I won't go out of my way for a 200g pressing if it comes that way I wont complain either...I also have a few 200g records that are bowed, so there you go.

[MylesBAstor]

i don't own anymore mobile UHQRs but they were some thick slabs o' wax. someone with a gram scale and a UHQR handy should let us know. I won't go out of my way for a 200g pressing if it comes that way I wont complain either...I also have a few 200g records that are bowed, so there you go.

Weren't the UHQRs 200 grams?

The albums that piss me off are the ones that aren't 12-inches in diameter and can't be clamped and ergo warps can't be eliminated. Classic and some Acoustic Sounds but worst were the paper thin, original TBM releases. No way of getting those warps out w/o vacuum.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Weren't the UHQRs 200 grams?

The albums that piss me off are the ones that aren't 12-inches in diameter and can't be clamped and ergo warps can't be eliminated. Classic and some Acoustic Sounds but worst were the paper thin, original TBM releases. No way of getting those warps out w/o vacuum.

I've never measured the diameter of any record, plus I don't use one of those ring clamps, but have you found many of those? What are the variances ?

[MylesBAstor]

I've never measured the diameter of any record, plus I don't use one of those ring clamps, but have you found many of those? What are the variances ?

It doesn't appear to have to be much less than 12-inches for the clamp to slip down over the record.

[astrotoy]

I've had a few records that were smaller than 12" and the VPI ring would not hold them OK if they didn't have a dish warp. I specifically bought the AIr Tight Disc Flattener to remedy dish warps. Doesn't do much for the very occasional rim warp. The main problem I had with heavy records were the 45 RPM one sided pressings that Classic Records did. Many of them had signficant dish warps.

Larry

[MylesBAstor]

Yeah I know. We talked about warps in another thread and I still can't pull the trigger.

[MylesBAstor]

I've had a few records that were smaller than 12" and the VPI ring would not hold them OK if they didn't have a dish warp. I specifically bought the AIr Tight Disc Flattener to remedy dish warps. Doesn't do much for the very occasional rim warp. The main problem I had with heavy records were the 45 RPM one sided pressings that Classic Records did. Many of them had signficant dish warps.

Larry

Couple of LPs from Classics could have been used as fruit bowls including my 4 LP Simon and Garfunkel set. So rather than fixing the problem, you could pay Classic extra to get specially selected LPs that reportedly weren't warped beyond belief.

[JCOConnell]

I've had a few records that were smaller than 12" and the VPI ring would not hold them OK if they didn't have a dish warp. I specifically bought the AIr Tight Disc Flattener to remedy dish warps. Doesn't do much for the very occasional rim warp. The main problem I had with heavy records were the 45 RPM one sided pressings that Classic Records did. Many of them had signficant dish warps.

Larry

That's unacceptable. Glad I didn't buy any of those.

[Guest]

I wish manufacturers were more concerned with the chemical composition and quality of the pellets than the weight of the record.

[MylesBAstor]

I wish manufacturers were more concerned with the chemical composition and quality of the pellets than the weight of the record.

In what way Tim?

[Guest]

I wish manufacturers were more concerned with the chemical composition and quality of the pellets than the weight of the record.

In what way Tim?

First, I'm not a chemist. But I know that pellets of PVC are used to make records; they are what composes what (I think) is called the biscuit - lumpen vinyl which is pressed into the physical record. That PVC can have different compositions which are the result of the relative purity of the PVC itself and different additives in different amounts, included, for example, to facilitate thermal buffering, prevent oxidation and assist with mold release. Some vinyl pellets are, for lack of a better word, cleaner than others and not all are 'virgin' vinyl pellets. What percentage of the pellets must be virgin before the lot is considered virgin?

My limited understanding suggests there are a limited number of pellet suppliers and pellet composition varies across time based on all sorts of variables. Record manufacturers may not have much choice as to what is available at the time, or may choose to keep cost down. Not being a chemist I'm not in a position to test various records vinyl composition relative to sonic goodness, but given that a certain percentage of records come freshly out of their jackets as crackly/noisey (with no amount of correction from cleaning) I am convinced that vinyl quality has a direct impact on sonic results. I've heard no claims that heavier records sound better, only that heavier records are associated with greater expense (makes sense.)

Lathe Trolls

Rimtec

[Rob]

When Mike Hobson & co. (Classic Records) were pressing at RTI they found the optimum 'mix' was a certain percentage of new pellets to used ones (regrind). In fact RTI kept segregated batch of custom mix for Classic's exclusive use. Apparently there is as much art as science in formulating 'the perfect' vinyl composition for turning out quiet pressings.

[JCOConnell]

I haven't heard any vinyl as good as JVC's "Super Vinyl" used by mofi from late 70's to late 80's. Unfortunately it was a proprietary product and they never licensed to any other company after they stopped pressing vinyl in the late 80's. The records were transparent dark brown when held to a bright light.