This Place Smells of Chicken

What does the title have to do with music, and furthermore, this post? Not much of anything, however, I am at work, and this place smells of chicken at the moment.

I have successfully digitized all but 2 sides of vinyl from my collection of 45 records. However, I'm not wholly thrilled with the results. Perhaps it's the quality of the record player I am using (more on this in a moment), but far more likely is the fact that I didn't give the records a proper cleaning prior to recording them. I can do quite an admirable job cleaning up the clicks, pops and 60 cycle hum from the recordings using Adobe Audition, but I feel that having a better source going in, I'd have better material to work with. Garbage in, garbage out and all that.

I'm hitting up the CD and Record Show here in town tomorrow, and hopefully I can find some tips on cleaning vinyl. And while I'm there, I'm going to look for some storage sleeves.

As for my record player: I like it, for what it is and I don't regret buying it. However, I have recently learned that the weight of the tone arm on the Crosley player might damage some records on repeated plays, so for the time being I have to keep playing on the turntable to a minimum. I have started researching for a replacement turntable down the road, but it's a tough slough. I have found turntables are referred to in one of two ways: 1.) Use as a DJ turntable, or 2.) Use as an audiophile turntable. The first is obviously of no use to me, and the second causes me many problems.

Firstly is the cost. Turntables can range it price from $400 to $15 000, the low end of the scale is rather manageable as far as these things go. However, I've heard complaints that vinyl picked up used can sound fine in store, but on high end equipment it becomes unlistenable. If you can't enjoy vinyl unless it's brand new, then what is the point? I can understand the desire for ultimate fidelity, but if it comes at the cost of enjoyment then the fidelity becomes a hinderance and that is something I cannot put up with.