How to enjoy your records everywhere

vinyl-lps-to-cd-mp3

I want to tell you about the latest offering from Vinyl for The People. Starting in January, we will convert your precious LP’s to digital formats up to DSD 2x.

Pre-orders are open now, and I’m offering introductory pricing for orders submitted before 31 December!

Choose a conversion package:

Basic ~~$25.00~~ $19.95 (introductory pricing)

Convert your LP to digital format of your choice (FLAC/WAV) 44.1kHz @16 bit
Apply metadata and album art to files
Send converted files to provided e-mail address
Standard return shipping with tracking

Premium ~~$45~~ $38.25 (introductory pricing)

5 stage album Cleaning
convert to a digital format of your choice WAV/FLAC/ALAC in bitrate of choice 44.1 – 192kHz or DSD Standard or 2X
Mail cleaned and converted albums files on Thumb Drive with albums in folders arranged by title.
Files uploaded to our cloud and made available as completed

Multiple Album packages

A multi-album package is the best value for the conversion service; you can pick your favorite LP’s and have them converted at one time. Up to 28% savings compared to converting your library one album at a time.

Basic Packages (at limited time introductory pricing)

10 albums – $180
15 albums – $270
20 albums – $360

Premium Packages (at limited time introductory pricing)

5 albums – $200
10 albums – $400
15 albums – $625

Ala Carte Services

Album burned to CD – $5

Album burned to Audio DVD -$12

Rush service – +20% of service cost + Shipping

Rush shipping – Starting at $35

Gift Delivery (perfect for the holidays) – $15 personalized handwritten note, gift wrapping, and thumb drive with album(s) loaded onto it

I am a huge proponent of enjoying music on vinyl. That doesn’t mean it’s convenient. I’m okay with that. The experience of putting on an album and listening to it on your stereo doesn’t compare to scrolling through your digital library and clicking play.

A few weeks ago my amplifier died from loneliness while I was in DC. Okay, I’m not sure why my amp died, and gladly I discovered that right before I started packing. However, my flight coming back from San Jose a couple of nights ago would not have been as nice without a few choice albums loaded onto my iPod.

[Onkyo HF app screenshot]

You can listen to your favorite albums in the highest quality, wherever you are! Click here to schedule a discovery session to see how we can reach your listening goals.

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Moving to California, 3 years in photos (Farewell Oahu)

My time in the aloha state has come to an end. It has been a good 3 years, and I’ve built some great memories with some phenomenal people.

I’ve had the opportunity to:

Hear some great music from some of my favorite artists

And

I’ve gotten to see Vinyl for The People grow from an idea to reality. So many people have provided feedback, encouragement, and graciously given their time to provide content for the website, and many of you have purchased my goods. I appreciate every exchange.

I’m excited to be heading to San Diego and look forward to growing Vinyl for The People into a larger community of collectors and enthusiasts. See you soon Hawaii.

–Tom

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Why no Virgin Vinyl Sunday?

My amplifier died.

I was pretty bummed, and I’m looking forward to getting it repaired once our household goods get to California.

Virgin Vinyl Sunday will resume once I get to California.

15 Pet Peeves of Record Collectors

15. Buying a reissue and discovering it is mastered from a CD and sounds like shit – If you wanted CD music, you would purchase a CD. You can check the source of your albums online before you buy or look for editions made from master tapes like MFSL.

14. Getting that album you preordered and, and waited, and waited for; only to open it and find it’s warped – This happened to me on Record Store Day, The Doors 3 LP live album. I was recording a Virgin Vinyl Sunday video, and I got to the 3rd album, and lo and behold…warped. My favorite record store took it back and gave me credit.

13. When people that play records without cleaning them – This is self-explanatory, but you can help resolve this issue. Friends don’t let friends play dirty records.

12. Seeing others suffer through number 14 – You feel sorry, and hope your next dig doesn’t suffer the same fate. Warped records aren’t something you would wish on your enemy unless they are the kind of people that let #13 happen.

11. When people don’t understand that you want to stay in and listen to your records – Listening to music on vinyl is an experience, a ritual if you will. Sometimes, listening to music is more desirable than the company of others.

DJ Hapa Boy - Honolulu, Hi — DJ Hapa Boy – Honolulu, Hi

10. When people ask if you are a DJ – If see me scratching like DJ Hapa Boy, then I can understand that question. When you come across people with groceries, ask if they are chefs, and see their response.

9. People tell you records are obsolete – Betamax, cassettes, microfiche, and VHS are obsolete, not records. The technology is dated, and has disadvantages, but not obsolete. There’s a laser turntable; I haven’t seen any updates the aforementioned

8. When people pluralize records as “vinyls” – many people are challenged by the English language, and for good reasons. It’s convoluted, uses spellings that are different just because, and is wrought with rules that don’t always make sense. The plural of deer is deer, as it is with vinyl.

7. People call you a hipster – There’s something about the word hipster that makes my skin crawl. I think of ridiculous mustaches, craft beer, fixie bikes, and skinny jeans. I don’t identify with any of those things, but I do love records. You don’t lump vegans in with the anti-establishment crowd, or do you?

6. Having to work on April 18th (Record Store Day) – Record Store Day has come under scrutiny, but for most, it’s a time to share your love with fellow collectors and enthusiasts, get some limited edition pressings, swag, and much more. I’ve spent my last three at Hungry Ear Records in Honolulu, Hi.

The last Eric Roberson show I went to, I inquired about pressing his albums on vinyl.

5. That album you wanted was never pressed on vinyl – I am a huge Eric Roberson Fan. I’ve seen him perform live three times, and have his entire discography in digital format.

Photo by Pedro Fernandes — Image by Pedro Fernandes

4. “Vinyl is back” – Yes, Record sales have had a dramatic rise over the past seven years. Vinyl sales account for just under 10% of total album sales. The thing is, to record collectors the records never left. Your local record store has never stopped carrying them. Stop saying it’s back, you hipster.

3. Someone says, “I had a bunch of records that I just threw out, I wish we met earlier” – why would you tell me this? I mean are you some sick masochists that find pleasure in bringing pain the hearts of others? You wouldn’t tell someone that likes dogs, “Oh, I just put down my Golden Retriever. I wish I knew you were a dog lover; he just needed a good home”, would you?

2. The limited edition or random 180-gram pressings of an album you want – Albums pressed at Pallas in Germany (left record) typically sound great, are less prone to being delivered like #15 and are going to cost a premium. Are audiophile pressings worth the extra coin? You’re going to have to get both to find out.

1.The Crosley Cruiser – Start here, don’t stay here. While suitable for dipping your toes into the pool of vinyl, these little cuties can be found everywhere from Urban Outfitters to Wal-Mart. They don’t sound very good and can ruin your perception of the pleasure of listening to music on vinyl.

There are a lot more things that irk the record collector, subscribe here to find more and don’t forget to follow us on social media, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Ice cream on the North Shore for Breakfast

This past Saturday started like most. I woke up just after sunrise, catching a glimpse of a gorgeous sky. Looking at the time 6:07, I start to prioritize my day. The first thing I normally do is nuzzle up to my sleeping girlfriend who is currently in Plam Springs. That was the first difference of the day. Then I look at my phone for messages and notifications. I didn’t plug it in last night, so it’s dead. Which means I have to read something on paper for my morning pit stop.

Enter Record Collector News a publication I picked up at Amoeba a few months back. That’s not what sparked this post, I digress. Completing my morning ritual, I get ready to head to the barbershop. After checking the weather, I opt to ride instead of driving.

Heading out, I notice a small fray in my favorite jeans that 7 for All Mankind may have discontinued . A muted “nooo” from beneath my helmet and I move on. Not much I can do about that one, I conveyed to myself[once I got home I ordered a couple of pairs, my jeans are still relevant]. Traffic is dense for 8 am on a Saturday, but I weave my way through and open up when I get past Waikiki. Atlantic Top 60 – Jazz, Jive, and Strut playing from Tidal in my helmet. There is nothing between the road and I except for slow moving traffic. The Aloha state has plenty of that.
Arriving at the barber shop, I remember that I didn’t make an appointment. So I’m faced with two choices…unfamiliar hands cutting my hair or come back tomorrow.

I don’t like waiting.

So, I go outside to decide which I would rather do. Typically, I vape while deciding what to do next. But today was different, I went outside, hopped on my bike, and rode off. No destination in mind, nor thoughts about the uncompleted grooming, just the playlist, bike and the road. Now I’m eating ice cream for breakfast.

The events of this particular Saturday morning are similar to how I feel listening to music. The decisions to be made are the artists, changes in plan are the tracks, and each of the 86,200 seconds we have in a day are the individual notes. I could delve deeper into the metaphor, but I just finished eating ice cream for breakfast…I think I’m going to keep riding.

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Keep spinning,

Tom

Melody Gardot – The Absence (Virgin Vinyl Sunday)

“Love me like a river does; cross the sea…love me like a river does; endlessly”

Those were the lyrics that introduced me to Melody. That was in 2007 in the basement bar of the Dolphin Striker in Portsmouth, NH. I recall the night very well, I was celebrating the fact that I had been in the Navy for 5 years.

Virgin Vinyl Sunday this week is Melody Gardot – The Absence. Her third album and one that I’ve had in my waiting to open backlog for about 6 months. After listening, I don’t know how I let it sit there unopened for so long.

I find her story to be heartwarming and a true inspiration. The same year I joined the Navy she was run over by a car while riding her bike. That accident left her unable to speak and walk. She also suffers from photosensitivity (as do I) and hyperacusis (extreme sensitivity to normal sounds). It’s amazing that she when on to record so much great music.

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Keep Spinning,

–Tom

Maryanne Ito – Living in Stereo Episode 3

I had a great time talking with Maryanne. She has been on my radar since 2009 when she was with a band called Rocket Powered Cadillac. When I went to see the band, I was invited to the show by my friend Danny who was dating the drummer, a young lady named Pinky. My reason for mentioning this is interesting. You see, Pinky and Danny have since gotten married. I served on the USS Santa Fe with him, they say the submarine community is small, but the odds of both of us being stationed here again in Hawaii were pretty incredible.

Maryanne has an album out that you can take a listen to here.

Without further adu…

Muddy Waters – Folk Singer

This week I have been in a bluesy mood. My go to of the moment is Muddy Waters, I’m guilty of streaming most of his catalog as I only have Folk Singer on vinyl. I talked about my interest in blues in this blog post and while most of my listening is jazz, classic rock, and soul; the blues have had a hold on me since my time at Virginia Tech.

My copy of Muddy Waters – Folk Singer is an Analog Productions reissue and it sounds pretty damn good. It sounds the most holographic of the albums I’ve listened to this week. If you’re feeling blue or don’t have anyone to drink 3 fingers of scotch with. Mr. Waters makes for great company. Inversely, if you have a hankering for a “Big Leg Woman” then he also knows what you’re talking about.

The first of blues reissues that I’ve purchased, but surely not the last.

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Keep Spinning,

Tom

Vinyl is Back (Milennial Listening Pt. 2)

Today is the last day of not listening to records. I figured it’s only fitting that I write a follow-up to my post from a couple of weeks ago. I’ve learned a few things since then; the most prominent being that my outlook on the day changes when there’s no analog detox when I get home.

Before you think, I’m going to show my analog loving ass. Let me say that streaming has revolutionized the way we listen to music. Countless albums at our fingertips, where ever we want to listen to them. That’s a something that wasn’t in mind when I was a kid.

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I don’t think anyone that didn’t use dial-up to connect to the internet can fully grasp that paradigm shift, it took 40 minutes to download that “hot” new single at 128 kbps in 1996. The average album has 11 tracks; that adds up to 6 hours and 40 minutes. Comparatively, I can download the entire HBO series True Blood (36 episodes with a file size of 43.2 GB) from iTunes in 3 hours and 36 minutes, albeit with an internet connection that’s over 300 times faster.

Enough nerd, I’m not here to talk about connection speeds. Two weeks ago I said, “I will clean, catalog, and organize them; just no listening. As I write this, I’m using my underutilized Sonos bridge, fed to my preamp via optical cable.” Since then, I’ve learned that temptation is quite the challenge. Every time I go to turn on the preamp and amp my Superscoutmaster whispers to me, “Come on buddy, just one side…you don’t have to tell the readers.” I wanted to know just how bad my love jones for records is, so I had to see this experiment through to completion.

All of this listening required me to get the CD books out of the car. Yes, my car still has a CD player. I say that because my 2015 Dodge Ram did not come with as standard. It did have an SD card slot, 3 USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth, and satellite radio (which isn’t available here in Hawaii). The first thing I noticed was how disorganized my CD’s had become since my Mcintosh CD/Bluray player got stolen. I don’t listen to them much outside of the car anymore. An upgrade may be in order shortly. I came across a few albums I forgot that I bought, a deluxe version of Giant Steps, Chuck Brown – We Got This (his last live CD), Melody Gardot – The Absence. It was like striking digital gold.

Over 20 years of collecting CD and all I have to show are these

As much as I appreciate the huge cover art, liner notes, and pictures of music on vinyl; I tossed almost every CD jewel case I had. Aside from my newest additions to the collection, every CD resides in my iTunes library and its backup. I consider that an exercise in downsizing.

My DAC (digital to analog converter) inside of the McIntosh C50 is good, but not great. I have been on the fence of upgrading it since building my current system. There is a divide in my fiscally responsible self and the audiophile. Sadly they share the same wallet. The two schools of thought are the Chord 2qute ($1,795 from various vendors) and the Wyred for Sound DAC-1 LE (direct from W4S $1,124 with Femto clock). You can tell which prefers which by the price of each piece of gear. I have not heard the two units in a shootout but heard them in two different systems. I do not trust my month’s old aural memory, so I’m still on the fence. Upgradeitis doesn’t strike me often, so I’m in an unusual space.

For now, I’m going to turn on my phono stage and get it ready for tomorrow. I’d hate for that first listen to be a cold start. My time spent getting reacquainted with CDs, iTunes, and Tidal has been good. But we both know that I will always feel, dropping the stylus on a clean record is several times better.

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Vanessa Fernandez – When The Levee Breaks (Virgin Vinyl Sunday)

I’ve been waiting for this album since I heard a whisper of it being made. I’m a pretty big Vanessa Fernandez fan and am looking forward to having her as an interviewee on Living in Stereo. So, if you’re reading this Vanessa…now you know. When The Levee breaks is a 45 RPM 3 LP album of Led Zeppelin covers. The album sounds phenomenal and my only gripe is that there isn’t more music. There are bonus songs on the vinyl version (gasp), as it should be. Take a listen to Kashmir in the video.

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