"Records are made to be played. Play them. Play the damn things." Beautiful :) and awesome video!

Play your records and enjoy them. Life is too short to let them sit.

I caught one video where they were testing turntables by playing a record 100 times. Even the cheap turntable, even though it had a little wear, was still very listenable. It's more likely you'll get tired of listening to the record before actually wearing it out.

I’ve watched this video a couple times. I love your down to earth approach! Records are meant to be played. Cars are meant to be driven! If you obsess over it you are robbing yourself of the pure joy of using it! I used to archive my records on tape. I still have working equipment which I could use for that purpose but I don’t even bother with that anymore. I just “play the damn things”! Best advice anyone could give. Just enjoy life! If they wear out or become too staticky, I simply use to money I saved from NOT buying an expensive high end system and buy more records. I think they sound pretty amazing on my modest Parasound Classic amp and preamp and my mint condition Technics SL1200 MKII with Ortofon 2M Blue! Anything more would exceed the acoustics of my very modest listening room!

My solutions to assuring my records last are: 1. All the recommendations Craig makes regarding turntable set up and stylus maintenance, 2. Clean every record before playing if only with a brush, 3. handle records only by the edge and label, 4. Put record back soon after playing, 5. If you are going to be listening many times over, either make a copy to listen to (as Craig suggests) or buy a Cd stream online or download -- especially useful for car, phone, and work, and finally my favorite, 6. Buy lots of records! Have so many stockpiled and coming in that you can't listen to one too many times because others are waiting to be heard.... (Added later) and 7. Never loan a record. It will either never return or be damaged.

Great video Craig and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it."Records are made to be played"...EXACTLY. I have an original 1977 pressing of the Stranglers"no more hero's" and to this day it still sounds fantastic,clear as a bell,no distortion and no surface noise.I would bet I've played that album over 100 times over the years!! If you look after them and your turntable then there's no reason why your records won't last you a lifetime. Keep up the good work

Ha! Every time I start a new hobby there Craig is! I've been watching his homebrew videos for years. Subscribed...

Subbed. Great channel with straightforward and insightful commentary and none of the useless digital vs. analog fanaticism.

I love your parting words, "Play the damn thing"

And there was another great video..thnx man...you've helped me out of several problems,in this video but also the one where you very specific explain how to setup the turn-table. Many thanks from the Netherlands..👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Thank you for taking the time to do this!

soothing and captivating voice, i really enjoyed this. thanks for the upload.

I'm still playin records that came out in 1955

Great information and video. Learned a lot of useful info to start with.

Your videos are so informative. I've learned so much from watching thanks for uploading

Wow right off the bat. I learned something. Level the turntable with the level on the platter. I have been doing it all wrong.

I have my father's records that he had played hundreds of times on many turntables 30 years ago and after a good clean they sound as good as my new ones. And tape will not wear out for a good few centuries.

ive had and played my vinyl collection for over 30 years , and they have been played alot , being im a dj ,, still playing them now 2022 ,, and they still sound fine ,,great video 😎👌😊

I would love to see a video on Vinyl archiving. I've done a bit of this recently but never been that impressed with the results. Great video.

Fantastic video... Fascinating... Thanks very much all the way from the UK....

I have a linear tracking turntable so a lot of the inner groove distortion issues are eliminated because it tracks the groove in a straight line in the same way records are cut on the cutting lathe. Mine is a Technics SL-3 and I love it. If you love vinyl, I say just play the damn things. Vinyl is meant to be enjoyed and listened to, not just sit on the shelf doing nothing. If you look after your records well and play them on a decent turntable they should last a very long time. Vinyl rules!

dozens?? man I have records I guarantee I have played...probably 1000 times, and sound fine. keeping your records and stylus clean & your table setup correctly will keep your records sounding awesome for damn near a lifetime. if they started sounding shitty after a few dozen spins, or even a hundred, I would've worn some of my fav records out in the first month. keep em clean and they'll outlive you

Please make more videos and more often. They're really great.

I have a record I bought in 1962 which still sounds great.

Absolutely in agreement with ALL you told us in this video. Nothing else to add. Thank yiu so much for the abdolute huge informations you explained. Congrats to you. Danilo

Love your videos! keep on homebrewing and listening to vinyl!

Thanks for posting! Love your sensible, down to earth attitude! Play on, bro! :-))

I'm so happy to have found you on here. I can tell you are speaking to my type of $$$ range vinyl lovers.

Congrats on your channel milestone. Keep up the awesome work.

Great advices, awesome video! You are like a very wise guy. Cheers!

Subscribed. I refurbish vintage audio equipment. Mainly reel to reels and have several turntables that I've been bringing back to life. Your knowledge will help me a lot. Thanks.

great channel and great info...love it thanks man

Yes, this video was informative, and very helpful, and maintained what I believe about analogue playing. Myself, I have a Harmon Kardon TD302 (of 1988), and it still works fine. By the way, I forgot to thank you for getting me to explain my idea; my philosophy of the technology of analogue in comparison to digital reproduction; in this case the listening of music, from vinyl records, and music CD. Also, sorry, I did not get your real name, Graig; I called you "Mr. Vinyl TV". Thumb up, another great video. Thanks Graig. Furthermore, yes I agree, vinyl is final.

Great video!!! please do on archive. I'm learning more today than I ever have had in the vinyl day so of my life.

Great , i really enjoyed it, vinyl records are the best and if you keep them by the all rules than you can play them lots of times...i have vinyls from the '50 -'60 ( most of my collection) and they sounds great ...Elvis, Beatles .....love the sound

absolutely fantastic video. your the man! keep it up. alot of need to know information . thank you.

YOUR VIDEOS ARE EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE!!!! THANK YOU!!!!

watching this from mexico, thanks for the info !!!!

i have some records that used to be in a jukebox and others that came from a radio station, all of which have been played hundreds of times and they still sound good

You simply the best 😇😇😇😇😇 you pour lot of information , once again thank you very much , keep going - Adios Amigo 🙂 riaz from Kerala : india

I never think of wear when i play my records, as long as they are clean and the needle is not worn So far i havent noticed any wear on any of my lps, and some of them have probably played more than 100 times, maybe more i guess

after more than 25 years of cutting records for the industry: This video is to the point! Well done!!!

wow thanks a million times i have learn a lot today im new to vinyl its a new passion for me and my wife and we love it excellent video!! thanks thanks thanks!!:)

subbed. love the detailed and insightful videos.

Thank you so much for sharing the knowledge.

Awesome video Craig, I would like to see a video on recording records and the computer and tape decks and how to wire in a reverbbb, cheers (17)

Hey Craig really really like your vinyl videos I’ve learned a lot from you and I thought I knew a lot lol. Can you please make a video on how to properly print the protracter from vinyl engine the proper size and exactly how to use it? I have a vintage Pioneer PL-50 turntable that has been completely refurbished and still OEM. I love the vintage stuff. Thanks Craig your the best man. Take care and keep producing

as long as ur extremely careful with your records by making sure the paper inner sleeve does not touch the record when removing it from the inner sleeve or buying other non paper inner sleeves to minimise chances of scratching ur records when removing from inner sleeves. also keeping your records clean and reguarly dust them with a record cloth/brush and put them back in their inner sleeves when you are done with them they will sound great for years and i mean years. i have some records that i have owned for years and have purchased new and i think they sound just as good as the day i bought them. i do not spend hundreds of dollars on vinyl to mistreat them and have them become scratched and noisy junk. the only reason a record would sound worn or damaged is because they are heavily scratched or very dirty. hell i have some 30 to 40 and up year old records in near mint condition that i think sound like they were hardly played if not played at all and were brand new. not all my records sound amazing. but like i said those records do have a few scuffs here and there and therefore have some background noise because of that. but generally 98% of my collection sounds great because i know to only buy vg to near mint condition records

thanks for the great video:Happy new year from Hungary!

I would love a video on archiving!!!!

I have played a copy of an indie band album over 500 times before I noticed some sound deprivation. In my case, it was St. Paul and the broken bones on a Kenwood linear tracking turntable. I still play my worn copy most of the time, but I loved the album so much I bought another copy!

Great advice Craig.. Thankyou

When I was in the service , we would tape our own new records & those bought by our friends. I would copy most to my AIWA 3800 cassette deck (3 heads), or to my AKIA GX-77 (reel to reel). Sometimes doing both at the same time. Great info, thanks.

Good information, usefull video thanks, Jacques

You're the best ! Thank you very much .

Oh wow! I used to do the same thing (recording a new album onto cassette to listen to till the tape wore out) back in the 80's :) I did it because often I wanted to hear my music in my vehicle and I had a cassette deck in it, or when I was at a friend's that only had a cassette deck in their home and no turntable. It was great for that.

Some records sound great no matter how many times you play em,I have an old 60’s vinyl by the Melbourne jazz group Big Red Onions,the album is called Big Band Memories,it’s a fantastic record.

Great video as always (great personality)... And for all you lot that really new to vinyl but act like you're veterans, just for a few minutes take time to appreciate what vinyl is and for the time it came about too. There's audio embedded into some plastic which any really slim pointed object can be used to read the vibrations from the nanoscopic grooves, kmt. . Me personally, vinyl gives me that feel that the artist may have been present when the vinyl was being cut which is the truth for all artist especially on their first album or single, who wouldn't want to see that process in the flesh, sorry, what musician wouldn't want to see it, I'm sure a music fan wouldn't want to miss it either I'm sure. .

Finally someone who doesnt completely dismiss digital. I see all mediums as far surpassed the human hearing comprehension if done properly.

Rockin' the hair Craig!!

Good tips Craig , I have never got rid of my Vinyl for over 40 years and have some records that have been played only once because I taped it Cheers

Good video. Thanks for the information.

Please make more videos, you rock man!

Another way to ensure not only listening pleasure, but the longevity of your vinyl records is to clean them regularly. A brush is good for surface cleaning before play. I use a wet cleaning system to soak the grooves and saturate and remove the micro dust and debris. I also clean the stylus before it tracks another record.

vinyl is final indeed :) great video, one of many others! cheers!

So glad to be hearing that vinyl is meant to be played. I love my records, way too much. I own an AT-LP120, i've set it up just right, but i still feel a small slash in my heart whenever i drop the needle and i hear even the tiniest bit of crackle, because i just know that that piece of plastic isn't gonna last forever, but i'm glad an expert agrees on vinyl meant to being played.

Love your videos brotha!!!

I really enjoy my turntable, I think my favorite band on record is Electric Light Orchestra . If anyone is looking for some amazing vinyl, and you liked ELO , you will be amazed with the overall quality of the sound the achieved back then.

14:53 Paraphrased: "Dozens of times [before friction wear becomes noticeable], but ticks and pops will occur before that point" (with everything properly aligned, tweaked, etc.).

Always great info Brother :D

You're a guru, mate. Thanks for your videos. They are incredibly helpful.

ultimately play it listen to it smile and enjoy it then play it again, job done.

OMG. i have 45s and 78s from my mom. that are 60 years old. still sound great today

Nice video man... When I record my old records, I actually like the crackle and pop captured. You still get the vinyl sound on tape or MP3. I guess people hate it, but I think that's part of the experience of listening to records. Love your work.

your records should last your life time if they dont you have cheap table or its setup wrong get a cleaning machine even a spin clean is good

miss you craig.i moved back south and only have this smart phone to work with for now.no computer for a while. miss Friday nights.god bless

in I think 1963 I bought my very first Album - It was Meet The Beatles, (I was 6 years old) - I still have it and it still plays amazingly well. I realize I was a kid and had no clue about how to properly care for Vinyl Records - But here's what I did know - My family was dirt poor - My Dad more than anyone else taught me at a very young age (Many thumps and lumps on my head from small tools I never put back clean or( "Put it back where you got it / THUMP") - So yeah, even at that age I learned to take very good care of things. Yes, I cleaned them off with a T-Shirt, gently, but yeah, T-Shirt. Anyway, I still have my entire collection - except for about 100 Records I had stolen while in the Navy by a "Buddy" I let stay in my apartment who left in the middle of the night one night and took all my Vinyl with him - Thankfully, the vast majority of my collection was still at my parents home. I bought and still have the original Disc-washer system and a Zero-Stat Gun - I use them and my own DIY Cleaning solution with Water and Alcohol and a tiny bit of Jet-dry. No static, no dust , my TT is in an enclosure with glass doors so extremely low dust and it also has a dust cover. I love it. I don't agree with the vague term "Dozens of Times" though.

Hey, Craig! I don't know what is it, but your voice has a calming efect upon me. That was how I discovered this channel of yours. I mean, you sing when you just talk. Anyway, I can't say I am new in vinyl. OK, I must admit, I don't have a turntable, but I am going to buy one, just as soon as I can decide. What would you recommend between Audio-technica LP120X USB and the AT LP5X? Because I like Audio-Techinca products and their turntables (I only saw and listened to them online) and, well, that is as high as I can get, financially talking. Thank you!

I play my records but not too often as i want them to last a life time since most I've spent a bit on or what i consider a good amount on. I have a turn table just like yours and its a darn good player with the right cartridge the cart i have is a Ortofon 2M Red. Great video.

Good info, thanks for the video

Great video, thank you.

I really dig your videos. When are you gonna make another?

can you make a video about cleaning your records? Maybe depending on buying new and picking up old and used? thank you. just subbed to your channel.

Hey Craig. I've really been enjoying your videos. Great job. I'd really love to see an instructional on using Audacity. I also have the AT-LP 120 and a few Japanese pressings that I want to archive asap. I would really appreciate any advice. Thanks and keep it up.

I have still to learn a lot (and drink a lot, too, I guess), to be satisfied with the sound of cassette-copies of my vinyls. 😂 But, again a great video by Craig ...

Linear tracking turntable baby. I love my PS-LX520.

I think that on a properly collaborated setup 50 plays would peak in quality. Pressing plants are usually not clean and rushed off the lathe to market (coated in tiny particles sometimes new). I would argue that level of treading would form the groove to where the lp is broken in and sound stellar with given care. I have been respinng some of my prizes a couple times over and find the amount of background noise is at most given times down to air quality. Sibleance is not something i have experienced first hand but if it's a comp with 15 tracks per side, set up with bad alignment by previous owner i had 1 where the songs bleeded through eachother with echo, often times thin grooves on bargain k-tel lps if mistracked will burn through the compression. That was my finding when new to the ritual, these days, if it looks bad, it won't touch my AT-LP1240.

Thanks for the info

I have mono LPs made in the 1950s that sound amazing and I have now clue how many times they were played as I got them used

My record collection runs from mid 60s to mid 90s, not played on high end equipment : i.e standard record player/ music center which did have anti skate tone arm weight Then an ordinary Philips rack system which lasted from 1986 to 2016, tracking weight for the styli for these went from 5 to 8 grams. I now have much better equipment and I can say that these records sound as good if not better than c.ds of the same records even after all these years of playing. So in answer to the question how many times can you play a record, look after your records and you can play them for many many years and they will sound as good as when you first bought them

Good stuff - thank you!

Thank you so much. Learning a lot. I recently bought a Denon DP-30L and Yamaha Natural Sound Stereo Receiver CR 1040. I am new to the LP records. what are good speakers? I like many genres but my preferred is the Classic Symphonies.

Thank you make learn a lot for setup my turntable.

I'm looking forward to the lining up the cartridge video as I have a Rega Planar 3 that sounds great except for INNER GROOVE DISTORTION. In fact a video on how to minimise inner groove distortion would be great too!

Great info, 👍😃🇦🇺

I was told that cd discs, since there wasn't any physical contact with heads carrying diamonds could last "forever" so as to say but in fact they do worn out too. As a testimony to this, a few years ago, I had to put a Deep Purple digital recording to the trash can because one could hear some scratchy noise in medium and high frequences, as a kind of veil shadow sound turning and turning... I tried to rip the songs and work them with Audacity but didn't succeed in removing those parasite noises so I fetched the same tunes on Deezer as new instead and am happy.

There was studies done on this question in the 70's. The experts empathically say the moment a record is played the stylus wears out the high frequency modulations (on the grooves). Most listeners will hardly notice the degradation due the high frequency harmonics from the music itself. In other words the losses are masked. BTW, record grooves are similar to nuts and bolts. Each time you tighten them and loosen them the threads wear out, but it still work until they are so worn out to the point they no longer serve their purpose.

I had a seesaw type scale, so I could figure out the pressure. 5 pond is the value, that initially was used on microgroove records, especially when piezoelectric cartridges were introduced, initially with salt crystals, cheap but not stable. Later came ceramic and today, that's the only kind of piezoelectric transducers, you can buy. It's important, when you restore old record players or phono tape players (so called Tefifon) and doesn't want to convert them to magnetic cartridge.

Hey cool video, thanks for putting my mind at ease. Is that an audio technica at lp120?

Hi Craig, Many years ago when I brought a brand new album and I didn't want to play it continuously. Back in the 70's I would archive my albums onto 15 IPS half track reel to reel recorder and Ok you might have to put up with a minor amount of tape hiss but you could at least play it loud if you wanted to. OK I was in the trade so the cost if 10" spools of tape was not a great concern. I also used to archive not cassette which was also good. Anyway we are now in the 21st century and we have SD cards and dedicated PCM recorders and Flack player. I do like digital and I now archive straight onto my Olympus digital PCM recorder. I have lots of options going right up to 96 KHz/24 bit down to MP3s which I don't use. I have never considered the audio stages of computers to be of a high enough quality for digital archiving. I have recorded an album ono an SD card in my Olympus recorder I will happily copy the card to my dedicated Audio Hard Drive on my computer once it has been digitised via my PCM recorder. Thanks for your very informative videos and I would like to see more on archiving. A long time ago I brought one of these Pono Hi Res players but I could never get my head round recording stuff and by passing Apples iTunes to get the files onto the Pono player. I do like my Olympus recorder which I call my iPanda. When I go out I can listen to music and swap SD cards if I need to. I just thought an alternative approach to digital rather than using an iPod or Apple iPhone 5s with only has a capacity of 64 gigs would be better.