[vinyl_lady]

Hi Laura: I must of had some good luck here in IL, as I've found loads of great records in the $1-$5 price range. The cheaper ones I've usually gotten at yard sales, flea markets, church sale, antique malls, Goodwill, private parties, etc. I always try to keep a look out for these opportunities.

You have done well indeed. I lack the patience to shop yard sales, $1 bins, etc. Since I don't subscribe to the local paer it is hard to find out about yard sales. About the only time I do a $2 or $1 bin is at the local public radio station's annual fundraising sale. My used record shopping is pretty much record stores on my travels and if I really want a record I will try to find it from eithe Discogs or Craig Moerer's Records by Mail. I have had excellent results with both.

The point of my post, on this thread, is that I believe that most collectors (us) keep pretty good vinyl on hand, and that it would be hard to justify a higher dollar purchase for buying a machine to "fix" warped records, than to just simply replace a few bad records. BTW, I've had really great luck cleaning records, and turning what others thought were "bad" records into real gems! 

I agree with you. I am very picky when looking at used records. It has to be M/NM or VG++. I also have had good results after cleaning dirty used records. I too have found some real gems that were scratch free but with lots of fingerprints or otherwise dirty. I thought about a flattener at one time but decided it was too much money for the little use it would get.

Happy listening

It's a neat hobby for sure

[orthobiz]

Paul, you make some good points regarding the rare and irreplaceable collectibles. Hard to find, and maybe never to be found again... However, how many actually warped albums do you got in the man cave?... compared to how many albums do you actually have? ... compared to how many times do you repeat listening to the same album on a yearly basis?

My daughter has at least 5 warped records we are gonna try. I ordered it today.

Paul

[bside123]

My daughter has at least 5 warped records we are gonna try. I ordered it today.

Paul

Let us know how it works in real time. Is it possible to send before and after pics? 

[orthobiz]

Let us know how it works in real time. Is it possible to send before and after pics? 

Will do, unless it makes the records into one of those hip popcorn bowls!

Paul

[simoon]

My cousin owns one of these. He swears by it. He said it is successful even on slightly warped records.

Too bad he lives in another city, so I can't give first hand knowledge.

I don't have any badly warped records, but I think I will order one as soon as the pouch thingy is available.

[analognut]

This does a terrific job of flattening any warped record   

Sota Star vacuum turntable:

[TheChairGuy]

Anybody remember the old Thorens Disc Stabilizer system?  It was an accessory outboard vacuum hold down for supposed to work on any turntable.  I tried mightily to make it work on 2-3 tables and could never get it to.  Replete with it's own fish tank motor, that POS still sits in it's original box up in the attic today.

Those where the days of pretty cheap vinyl accessories...it still stung to be taken for $120.00 from Thorens back then (heck I think the original TD-316 table I owned was only $350.00 circa 1983 or so )

I have found in the more recent years, that a combination of outer and inner clamps has rendered the issue of warping down to barely there now. The VPI unit has manufacturing costs and dealer costs built into it, so it's pricey at $700.00.

Via consumer direct, the Canadian chap called TTWeights makes much more cost effective outer record clamps that tame warpage (and at the same time probably damp down the vinyl itself for better fidelity)

http://www.ttweights.com/480_gram_alloy_outer_ring.html

The outer record rings have been of notable benefit on all tables tried; inner record clamps I tend to have to strain to hear any benefit at all (except on clearly warped records)

Here's to higher fidelity and better warp tracking 

[orthobiz]

Analognut, you have a good solution. Chairman of the Circle, I use a periphery ring on my (your) table.

But my kids don't have vacuum/clamp solutions available to them AND if this oven thing works it will be better than forcing a warped record to be temporarily straight.

Haven't received it yet...

Paul

[doug s.]

one reason (among many) i like my oracle delphi turntable is that its platter is ever-so-slightly concave; this along w/its supplied clamp really helps flatten slightly warped records.  really couples records well to the platter, even if not warped.  no need for periphery rings w/the oracles, imo...

doug s.

[TheChairGuy]

one reason (among many) i like my oracle delphi turntable is that its platter is ever-so-slightly concave; this along w/its supplied clamp really helps flatten slightly warped records.  really couples records well to the platter, even if not warped.  no need for periphery rings w/the oracles, imo...

doug s.

These concave platters or mats, even if slight, bow out the edge of the record as bad as or worse than most records would sit on a perfectly flat platter.

As well, the eeny-weeny needle is forced to navigate a slight downward slope - certainly not helping tracing performance in itself.

Your Oracle would likely still benefit from an outer record clamp....as the effect of these clamps are 2-fold.

I'm not sold on the idea of a concave platter - it may simply swap one set of problems for another (tho the new problems may be less audible than the old - beats me  )

Other than convenience, an outer clamp (with or without an inner one) on a flat platter/mat is simply just a winner

One day I'd like to hear a deck with a vacuum hold down to see what positive benefit over an outer ring it may be providing.

John

[doug s.]

These concave platters or mats, even if slight, bow out the edge of the record as bad as or worse than most records would sit on a perfectly flat platter.

As well, the eeny-weeny needle is forced to navigate a slight downward slope - certainly not helping tracing performance in itself...

wrong and wrong.  ever actually notice how most all records are fatter in the middle than at the edges?  the proof is in the tasting.   

doug s.

[neobop]

Oh contraire,  records have a raised edge and label area.

The original Sota delrin supermat was concave at the edge to accommodate. Most rubber and hard mats also have a depression for the label area.

Most vacuum platters have a soft mat. Vacuum must be applied judiciously. It's very easy to get an overdamped and lifeless sound.
neo

[doug s.]

Oh contraire,  records have a raised edge and label area...
neo

the oracle platter stops just before the raised edge, at the thinnest part of the record.  my records set perfectly flat on the platter w/clamp engaged.


doug s.

[tomytoons]

I just purchased a Groove Tracer Acrylic platter. It is completely flat except for the cut label area and a cut on the outside rim where the thick edge of the vinyl sets. No gradual concave slope towards center and used with a clamp works very well for warps. I don't really have anything badly warped.

[orientalexpress]

any update? before i order one



lapsan

[doug s.]

any update? before i order one

lapsan

are you talking about the groove tracer platter?  i have never tried it, but i am sure it's gonna make a rega better, as all the comments indicate.  however, for the price, i would not bother.  i'd sell your rega and get a wintage empire, which, with a better tonearm, (like o-l rega rb250?), will outperform a tweaked to the max rega, imo...

ymmv,

doug s.

[orientalexpress]

regarding Flatten Warped records.interesting to see if it's work,before i order one.Thanks



lapsan

[doug s.]

regarding Flatten Warped records.interesting to see if it's work,before i order one.Thanks



lapsan

oops...  i, too, have been curious about orthobiz's/paul's results...

doug s.

[orthobiz]

Well, weeks later after my order and...

It never arrived. So I called the company and they said they never received the order. I waited for my credit card statement and...

Guess I never placed the order!

So instead of a report on how it works, I'm reporting that I never put the order in! I'm gonna do it now, though. Stay tuned but DO NOT hold your breath!

Paul

[Wayner]

I thought I was the only one that did shit like that!!!@!