Topic: Noise during playback of Vinyl Picture Discs!

[Jonas Karlsson]

Hey!

Another try to find out why both of my newest bought picture-discs sound awful at playback.

Noise can only be heard when I play these picture discs (Iron Maiden - Number of the beast + R.A.T.M first album).

Listen to the sample and help me explain what it wrong... please 

http://snd.sc/11ihE1u

Jonas, Gothenburg, Sweden

[dallman]

Picture discs are well known for having inferior sound due to the vinyl used, but in this case I think your tracking is off. It sounds like the needle is rubbing inside the groove, and the sound is repeated over and over, so I'd carefully check needle and cartridge alignment. See if this helps: http://www.soundfountain.com/amb/ttadjust.html

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

I recently scored a brand new picture disc from the 90's (still sealed when I got it). I was excited to score this record in "mint" condition. First play was AWFUL. As as bad as some of the 45's from my childhood that I stored on the floor!

I did put the disc through a good cleaning and that helped a little bit but it still sounds like crap.

[robeti]

Of course picture discs sound crap. No need te be an expert to figure out why...

[George2]

Well, welcome to the turntable world of the past.
I've listen to this sample as well as your previous sample.
How many gram weight?  Many lighten a bit, and/or try remounting stylus.

[Jonas Karlsson]

Of course picture discs sound crap. No need te be an expert to figure out why...

So please enlighten me, cause I've got no idea - but would very much like to learn why...

[Jonas Karlsson]

Well, welcome to the turntable world of the past.
I've listen to this sample as well as your previous sample.
How many gram weight?  Many lighten a bit, and/or try remounting stylus.

I will return my picture discs, too bad the very first R.A.T.M release only came remestered (20th anniversary) as CD or picturedisc LP... It sounds awesome except for the noise!

I think I got it right when I mounted my recordplayer - but I really had no clue what I did. Just tried to follow the instructions in english (which sometimes can be hard for a Swede) 

Think I'd better try to redo it again. Really had no idea what I was doing with the counterweight etc and I defenitely have no scale to measure the exact right weight etc...

/Jonas

[dallman]

Picture discs use an inferior vinyl and aside from cost, I dont think you can get the high quality mix with the method required for a picture to be onthe vinyl. It is not virgin vinyl which plays more smoothly. That is my very unscientific explanation as I was told when I bough my first picture disc in 1972. That said, I don't think your issue is so much the record as how your cartridge is seated in the tonearm. However if you are not experiencing this issue on any other records then logic would dictate I am wrong. Picture discs are really just collectables (not necessarily valuable collectables, but manufactured for that purpose) and are not designed with playing them in mind as they were made to be seen not so much heard. So I'd keep it if it had meaning to me but I'd return it if the music is your only end result.

[acidjack]

^^ Funny, I have a rerelease of an old Damned album on picture disc (I think their 3rd record, but if not, their 1st) and it actually sounds fine. Only picture disc I own, though. 

[robeti]

Of course picture discs sound crap. No need te be an expert to figure out why...

So please enlighten me, cause I've got no idea - but would very much like to learn why...

The picture on the picture disc is not printed on the vinyl. It's printed on paper. Over that paper print comes a very thin transparant layer of clear vinyl on wich the music is pressed. So a picture disc is a paper print sandwiched between two clear vinyls. Basically the quality of the vinyl used for a picture disc is inferiour because it's thinner. The depth of the groove is different compared to normal vinyl. When regular vinyl is being produced the sound is the most important thing. Picture discs are primarily produced for their looks.

I thought this was common knowledge....

[ellaguru]

oh yeah..my mudhoney egbdf picture disc sounds horrible too. 

[Jonas Karlsson]

The picture on the picture disc is not printed on the vinyl. It's printed on paper. Over that paper print comes a very thin transparant layer of clear vinyl on wich the music is pressed. So a picture disc is a paper print sandwiched between two clear vinyls. Basically the quality of the vinyl used for a picture disc is inferiour because it's thinner. The depth of the groove is different compared to normal vinyl. When regular vinyl is being produced the sound is the most important thing. Picture discs are primarily produced for their looks.

I thought this was common knowledge....

Well it is now 

Pretty sad that RATM did not release this remaster on a regular vinyl (perhaps they will do later on?, but I'll return both of the albums.

I did, however, set the weight on the needle a bit lower which made the needle absolutely straight when playing the records. It was a bit heavy before, making the needle turn a little to the left while playing.

[nardo]

Well, welcome to the turntable world of the past.
I've listen to this sample as well as your previous sample.
How many gram weight?  Many lighten a bit, and/or try remounting stylus.

I will return my picture discs, too bad the very first R.A.T.M release only came remestered (20th anniversary) as CD or picturedisc LP... It sounds awesome except for the noise!

I'm not sure why you think that about the RATM album. I bought the deluxe box and my LP is 180g black vinyl. You can also  buy the 180g vinyl with a 2012 release date online at e.g. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rage-Against-Machine-20th-Vinyl/dp/B009XSVXT2/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1354375303&sr=1-2.

[thunderbolt]

I'd just echo what's been said.  Oftentimes it's poor grade vinyl coupled with a lot of debris on the surface.  After accumulating several thousand records, I bit the bullet and bought a VPI vacuum record cleaning machine.  There are manual alternatives for about $100.  If you have a lot of records, it may be worth the investment.  I've bought thousands of dirty records and they all benefitted from a good cleaning.

[Jonas Karlsson]

I'm not sure why you think that about the RATM album. I bought the deluxe box and my LP is 180g black vinyl. You can also  buy the 180g vinyl with a 2012 release date online at e.g. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rage-Against-Machine-20th-Vinyl/dp/B009XSVXT2/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1354375303&sr=1-2.

I not only think, that's all we can order from Swedish shops right now... We only have a vinyl that was released in 2010. Perhaps I should order it from amazon instead, we'll see. It sounded great with the remaster - except for the noise coming from a bad picture disc. Perhaps I'll get my copy from a recordstore in town instead...

/Jonas