Hello from the Bay Area and Lots of Vinyl

A

astrotoy

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Aug 16, 2014
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I want to say hello. I've been an audiophile of sorts for close to 50 years, more seriously since the late '70's. I have a serious vinyl obsession, and have about 15,000 records, about 90% classical. With regular trips to London for a couple of decades, I have collected almost all of the Decca and EMI stereo classical records from the late 1950's tp the end of the analogue era, all used. Also most of the Mercury and RCA classicals and many other labels. I also have about 1000 pre recorded reel to reel tapes.

Seven years ago, after retiring, my wife and I were discussing my collection and she encouraged me to consider how to leave it as a legacy to my daughter and eventual (now two) grandchildren. I embarked upon finding a way to digitize the collection (or at least the most important 10,000 or so records and prerecorded tapes.) With the help of a consultant, Tim Marutani, I found what I think is a very good way of digitizing and preserving the collection, which is now about 80% finished.

Everything is digitized at 192/24 and declicked, so the digital files can often sound better to my ears than the originals, without the clicks and pops of used records. We did a lot of comparisons of different hardware and software and came up with professional equipment - centered on a Pacific Microsonics Model Two ADAC and a Windows XP computer with Pyramix Software and a Mykerinos Card, both from Merging Technologies. So far I have ripped about 24 TB of files, about 8000 records and tapes and I have about a year left in the project.

I have a dual stereo/mch system, with 5 Avantgarde speakers (a pair of Duos powered by a pair of Cary 2A3 SET amps (about 4 watts each) and 3 Avantgarde Solos for the center and rear channels (self powered) with a Velodyne DD18 sub. Playback of digital files is through a Mac Mini running A+ or JRMC software playing stereo files through a BADA2 and BADA USB, and mch files through an Exasound E28. I also have a VPI HRX TT with Lyra Skala cartridge and two R2R machines which can play 15ips 2 track as well as 4 track stereo 7.5ips tapes.

My wife and I get to attend about 90 classical music concerts, mostly in the SF Bay Area, but 20 or so a year on our annual month long sojourn to London.

Finally, as I have posted elsewhere on this list, I have recently completed a book, Decca:Supreme Stereophonic Legacy, published by First Impression Music, which also includes 4 CD's, all produced by FIM owner Winston Ma. It was released earlier this month.

That is probably more than enough for now.

Larry Toy
 
Larry...welcome to AS :hi: Your archiving story is amazing and your obsession for music and the hobby is great to read. If you have 1 more year to go for 2K more records, that must mean it took you at least 4 years to do the 8K records already, which is a testament to your commitment to preserve all this great music to your daughter and grandchildren. Thx for sharing.

To have an all Avantgarde multichannel system to boot with excellent front end and amplification must be quite the thrill as well. Thx for introducing yourself.
 
Nick and Cyril, thanks. AS looks like a great place to learn and contribute. You are correct in your time estimate. I had guessed it would take about 5 years and it looks like that will be about right. At this point, after starting off with various beginners errors, I am currently running at about 10 records a day, and we are home about 300 days a year. With various starts and stops, I can do about 2500 albums a year, which is about what I have left to do.

Larry
 
Welcome Larry!

Looking forward to getting ahold of and reading your new book on the history of Decca Records!
 
Welcome Larry,

I'm an avid record collector as well, starting at the ripe age of 6, and own slightly over 21.000 LPs give or take, but mine are 98.5% jazz! yet of late due to extreme flare ups of Gout, I'll been enjoying downloads since the beginning of 2011, and find it much easier having access to tracks/songs at my fingertips - as it's getting harder and harder to walk back and fourth to cue up one LP.

But it seems you're still enjoying the quest, and plan to leave them for your daughter and grandchildren, which is a beautiful gesture. And I for one shall be following your post, as we both seem to have a bond merely based upon the fact, that in all my years listening to music you are the fourth person I've encountered with over 15.000 LPs besides my three buddies here in Michigan, would have vast collections more so then mine, but only what some would term entry level systems at best, but the jazz LPs these guys can pull out, that most aren't remotely award of, surprised even me.

Yet, it made me realize one very important thing years ago, each of these types have their priorities in order, because as I see it, ones system should never cost more then what they've invested into their music collection, so once these guys get better components!, it's over, and they'll have that one up on a lot of cats that own multi thousand dollar system, yet continue to play only Audiophile approved recordings, and only have say like 30 LPs and 13 CDs which they play over and over and over again, just to impress friends/associates/peers, yet miss the clue, as to the importance of said music collection.

Let me stop there, as I can be the long-winded book writing sort, but once again, it's nice coming across someone that gets it.

Enjoy your stay, and we'll touch bases later, to that I'm quite certain.

Regards,
O_o scar
 
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