Getting in the Groove - My Soft Spot for Records

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        Nowadays we tend to take for granted our access to music and it’s unmatched level of portability. Streaming apps like Spotify bring thousands of songs to your fingertips anywhere that you have connection to the internet. We become more of a digital world with every passing second as time and technology march on, granting a level of interconnectivity that our ancestors could never have imagined. Convenience is a driving factor in an increasingly busy schedule, so it would seem counterintuitive to think one of the most inconvenient music mediums would make such a spectacular comeback. For some, it never left. I’m referring of course to the wonderful world of vinyl. 



         I will always have a soft spot for vinyl, as it was what truly got me started into the audiophile hobby. My first player was nothing to gawk at, a GE integrated unit built into a plastic plinth and some boom box speakers I found leftover in the basement. Being one of my most lackluster creations I’ve cobbled together I held low expectations of what sound I expected to come out of the speakers. The first time I lowered the stylus into the groove changed my life forever as the warm involving music set me aback. How could something so damn ugly actually sound amazing? I had grown up recording the radio on cassette, besides that my only exposure in the world was digital music usually downloaded from Limewire in who knows what quality. The sound of a record was different, it held life and a sense of realism in the drums and guitar. The cold digital landscape I had known was now a relaxing night by the fire, basking in the inviting warmth with an occasional pop and crackle. The flame of my audiophile passion was lit as goosebumps encompassed my arms and in that moment, the only thing that mattered was the music. 


Credit of this photo goes to Bass Ackward on YouTube, as I don’t have any good pictures of my original unit. Link 

            The GE record changer was a fantastic entry into records for me, but it was hardly going to cut it for me as an every day player. The glorious 70s banana yellow mixed with the 90s grey plastic and chrome speakers was a bigger eyesore than I was willing to live with. I’ve always had the mindset of “Let’s make it better”, so within the week I was scouring the local Goodwills and flea markets for the next best thing I could find. It wasn’t long before I found myself a Technics SL-Q2 coupled with a Pioneer SX-650 receiver. It quickly became a weekend ritual for me to frequent the local spots, flipping thru the crates of albums like an adult treasure hunt. You can browse thru the albums I’ve picked up in my travels via the discogs link below. 

https://discogs.page.link/Vpx6

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