Vinyl records have popped back into public view with their recent resurgence. As music becomes entirely digitized and computerized, a large number of music enthusiasts are turning back to traditional ways of listening to music, which they consider to be superior.
Many vinyl enthusiasts find it thrilling to scour the nook and cranny of every specialty record shop and thrift store to find the perfect album. Just like there are things every business professional must know, there’s also a lot to consider if you want to be a professional vinyl record collector.
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
If you’ve recently gained interest in vinyl records and want to gather a fine collection yourself, then here is how you should start:
Buy a Record Player
You need some sort of a speaker to listen to music, in whatever form it is. For vinyl, it’s a turntable or record play. Before starting a record collection, you need the device to play it on. While many people believe it might be challenging to find a record player in this day and age, it’s actually not as hard as you may think. Since the recent interest in vinyl records, the demand for turntables has increased dramatically, and companies have started manufacturing them accordingly.
In fact, in addition to local record shops, vinyl record players can also be found in large retail stores like Walmart and Target. Now obviously, the cheap record players from Walmart won’t sound as good as a well-built, superior sound system. So, it depends on how much you’re willing to pay for your listening experience.
Go Shopping for Vinyl Records
Anyone can just go to iTunes or Spotify to listen to music. Still, the allure of vinyl is going to a local record store, feeling the material, the texture, cover art, and holding the album in your hands. It’s also reasonable to visit an online record store if you don’t have a local one nearby.
Try to avoid second-hand records from a garage sale or a random guy’s attic since those are usually damaged and badly scratched. Pick a store that stays active and orders regular shipments of new vinyl records. Though it might be a bit difficult to find a reliable store, it’ll all be worth it once you do.
Store Your Records Correctly
Your precious vinyl collection shouldn’t be stored in an old cardboard crate or any DIY crate that you learned from Youtube. If you’re serious about your record collection and want your vinyl records to last longer than a few weeks or months, investing in a proper record storage unit to protect them is crucial. You can find several wall-mountable and portable storage units specifically designed to hold vinyl record collections.
Clean Your New Vinyls
You can find tens of thousands of suggestions after a few hours of googling, but not all of them are the brightest, especially those telling you to use a toothbrush or put them in a dishwasher. Records need to be kept clean and away from dust or debris that could distort the sound. A few ways to do this is:
Dry Cleaning
Before and after playing a record, wipe it down using a carbon fiber brush. Using the brush lightly will ensure that the record is clean from dust particles and dirt.
Wet Cleaning
Wet cleaning is ideal if you want a thorough or deep cleansing of your record collection. It’s done using a mixture of water and record cleaning fluid. Additionally, clean with a fiber cloth and then dry with a separate microfiber cloth.
Wood Glue
Don’t let the bizarre name confuse you, as wood glue is an old yet effective way to pristine vinyl, but not many know of it. The way it works is that it’s very similar to the material of a record, so it doesn’t stick to it. Instead, it clings to everything else on it and removes it.
Invest in a High-Quality Setup
Once you’ve heard a vinyl record through a friend’s more luxurious setup or in public in a record store with expensive stereo equipment, a cheaper home setup doesn’t sound as good anymore. The sheer clearness of audio and wide range of sound is enough to make any vinyl aspirant’s heart pop out. But even if you have the budget for a more elegant setup, how do you know which one is the best for you?
The U-Turn Orbit Plus with Preamp and the Rega Planar 1 Plus are excellent turntables for beginners. They are suggested by countless experts as the best record players to introduce new people into the world of audiophiles.
Get a Pair of Headphones
Headphones were first created as just another component of an expert stereo system. Wearing headphones was used to enhance the listening experience indoors. So it comes as no surprise that headphones are an ideal way to listen to vinyl records.
The headphones you use don’t need to have the newest audio fixtures or be worth thousands of dollars. As a matter of fact, the simplest headphones with vinyl cushions around them will suffice. The listening experience becomes much more intimate, and the sounds become pleasant.
