Traditionally, the dead wax between the final grooves and the record label is a relatively benign, uninteresting space. You might find a matrix number, or perhaps a few extra digits referring to the cut or take of a particular record—or maybe, if you’re lucky, the mastering engineer or pressing plant will add their own signature. Look a little closer, though, … Read More
New Bamboo Vinyl Wall Display from Twelve Inch
In a push to improve the quality and sustainability of their products, Sound Matters partners Twelve Inch have switched their popular frameless record display systems from plastic to Bamboo. As a vinyl enthusiast and a fan of natural materials to boot, the new product sounds ideal on paper. Sound Matters dig deeper to see how the new design measures up. … Read More
Live Albums: A Love Letter to Music in its Purest Form
As live music slowly starts to return (depending on where you live), Vinyl Pursuit co-founder Tammy Brown proclaims her love for live albums and why now is the time to turn up the volume on your favorite concerts from rock history. Words by Tammy Brown of Vinyl Pursuit Back in the day, it was easy to dismiss live albums as … Read More
Top Vinyl Record Books For Record Collectors
As record enthusiasts, we like nothing more than to indulge in our hobby. We’ll explore every aspect in search of vinyl nirvana, whether it’s through the pages of a website like Sound Matters, the many excellent resources available on YouTube, or even good old fashioned printed books. Many of us don’t do things by halves, and we’re a stickler for … Read More
Best Way to Clean Vinyl Records? Five Methods – Pros & Cons
Ask ten people how to clean vinyl records, and you’ll undoubtedly get ten different answers. As the saying goes, “there’s more than one way to shine a penny”. Some methods of cleaning vinyl records are more widely excepted than others, of course, but if we take the pragmatic route, I think we can safely conclude that each approach has pros … Read More
Top 10 Most Expensive Vinyl Records Ever Sold
Let’s face it; record collecting isn’t exactly the cheapest hobby, and we’ve all spent more than we’d like to admit on a single record. The good news is, unless you’re a multi-millionaire, there’s a good chance even the most expensive vinyl records in your collection will pale into insignificance compared with the eyewatering exchanges on this list. After checking out … Read More
Watch Out for These Faults When Buying New Vinyl Records
There are many reasons to love vinyl records. After all, when at their best, they sound great, they look beautiful, and they truly add something extra to the whole listening experience. However, while the resurgence in consumer interest for vinyl records is undoubtedly something to celebrate, there is a growing concern within the vinyl community surrounding quality control. In a … Read More
Ten Common Vinyl Record Myths Uncovered
The world of vinyl records is shrouded in many myths and untruths that continue to trigger debate and controversy. Particularly when considering the mastering and production process, there’s a lot to cover. To uncover the truth behind an array of common vinyl record myths, we discreetly interviewed a range of mastering engineer who will remain anonymous – lest we unleash … Read More
What is Half Speed Mastering? – Why It Sounds Better
Sound Matters offer a simple explanation of half speed mastering as a practice while gaining some more detailed insights from experienced Mastering Engineer, Barry Grint. Barry’s work includes award-winning artists George Ezra and Tom Walker, plus many classic projects, including Madonna, Prince, Oasis, and many more. What Is Half Speed Mastering? To understand what the term “half-speed mastering” means, we … Read More
Does 180g Vinyl Sound Better?
Most vintage vinyl records measure somewhere between 120-150g, and for many years, these specifications seemed to work just fine. In more recent years, however, we’re commonly sold much heavier new pressings, often labeled as “Audiophile Quality 180g”. So does 180g vinyl sound better or make any difference to the overall listening experience? Or is it all a great swindle set … Read More