Don’t do what you see DJs doing!!
L.O.S.D. "Organic 23"; disco in vinile 5 pollici e copertina
Questo post e’ dedicato ai pionieri dell’hip hop del turntablism e dello scratch: Kool DJ Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Grandwizzard Theodore, Grandmaster Flash, Grandmixer DST (AKA DXT), Charlie Chase, Red Alert, Scott La Rock (RIP), Jam Master Jay (RIP), Eric B, Terminator X, Steve D, DJ Qbert, the X-ecutioners, DJ Craze, A-trak, Mix Master Mike.
Spulciando le pagine della rete ho trovato questo articolo che avvisa i collezionisti di vinile di NON FARE COSA FANNO I DJ con i dischi (vedi titolo dell’articolo). Mi sembrava divertente pubblicare l’articolo e dedicarlo a tutti i dj, agli skratcher, ai turntablist e a tutti quelli che cercano dspingere l’idea del giradischi come strumento musicale. In effetti è vero che la pratica dello scratch rovina inevitabilmente il supporto vinilico, ma si puo’ ovviare a questo inconveniente in vari modi:
1: usare delle puntine con punta sferica o ellissoide (io uso le ortofon concorde perche’ mi trovo bene, non per fare pubblicità, ma hanno un suono pulito e soppoortano bene l’usura provocata da scratch ed altre manipolazioni)
2: non caricare troppo peso sulla puntina del giradischi (3 grammi di peso bastano per non far saltare la puntina e non consumare troppo il solco; attenzione a bilanciare bene il contrappeso)
3: non essere grossolani e non avere la mano pesante quando si manipola il vinile sul giradischi, cercando di non far saltare lo stilo (puntina)
4: usare dischi appositamente creati per lo scratch e i turntablist che generalmente hanno solchi piu’ profondi dei normali dischi (dipende anche dal formato e dalla velocita’ di rotazione 16, 33, 45 o 78, piu’ alta e’ la velocita’ di rotazione piu’ il solco e’ profondo, in teoria) il che fa si’ che il suono non perda le sue caratteristiche e duri un po’ di piu’ anche se sottoposto alle sollecitazioni tipiche dello scratching. I suddetti vinili, chiamati battle breaks o scratch tools o piu’ semplicemente tools (arnesi, attrezzi, strumenti), sono reperibili in qualsiasi negozio di dischi specializzato per i DJ oppure via internet, e ne esistono a centinaia anche sul mercato italiano
5: procurarsi piu’ copie di un vinile che usate spesso in modo da avere una copia di riserva se il suono perde le sue caratteristiche e la sua dinamica originale (gia’ dopo pochi ascolti si ha una perdita quantificabile in kilohertz sulle alte frequenze*) o viene accidentalmente graffiato; inoltre con due copie identiche si possono fare cose che sono impossibili con una sola (per esempio il break beat, ovvero creare un beat prolungando indefinitamente un break di batteria).
*
da wikipedia: "La RIAA ha quantificato la riduzione alle alte frequenze in base al numero di ascolti e sarebbero udibili: fino a 20 kHz dopo un ascolto, 18 kHz dopo tre ascolti, 17 kHz dopo cinque ascolti, 16 kHz dopo otto, 14 kHz dopo quindici, 13 kHz dopo venticinque, 10 kHz dopo trentacinque, 8 khz
dopo ottanta ascolti. Il degrado può aumentare, se si ascolta il vinile
ripetutamente in rapida successione. L’enorme pressione dello stilo
sulle pareti del solco, equivalente a circa una tonnellata per
centimetro quadro per ogno grammo di peso in una scala microscopica,
causa una deformazione delle pareti del solco generata dal calore e la
conseguente distorsione sonora."
Un ringraziamento particolare a DJ Craze per le preziose informazioni contenute nel suo mix & scratch workshop per la BBC che potete trovare qui: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onemusic/djing/scratchp01.shtml
THX
—–
english text:
This post is dedicated to the pioneers of hip hop music of turntablism
and scratch: Kool DJ Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Grandwizzard Theodore,
Grandmaster Flash, Grandmixer DST (AKA DXT), Charlie Chase, Red Alert,
Scott La Rock (RIP) Jam Master Jay (RIP), Eric B, Terminator X, Steve
D, DJ Qbert, the X-ecutioners, DJ Craze, A-trak, Mix Master Mike.
Reading the web pages, I found this article that warns
vinyl collectors to DON’T DO WHAT YOU SEE DJS DOING with records (see title of the
article). I publish it beacause it seemed fun at the fact that I do dj sets for over
11 years and in fact it must be said that the practice of scratching
inevitably ruins vinyl supports , but you can avoid this problem in
various ways:
1: use a needle with spherical or ellipsoid stylos tip (I use ortofon concorde because is good for me, but there’s also anternatives to it, i believe)
2: do not load too much weight on the turntable arm (3 grams of weight
enough to prevent needle skipping and not consume the groove too much; be careful
balancing the arm counterweight)
3: do not be coarse and do not be heavy-handed when handling the record on the turntable, trying not to skip the needle while scratching
4: use records specially created for scratching and turntablists who
generally have deeper grooves than normal records (also depends on
the size and speed of rotation 16, 33, 45 or 78, the highest is
the speed of rotation the most the groove is deep, in theory), which means
that the sound does not lose its dynamics even when
subjected to the typical stresses of the scratching techniques. These records,
called battle breaks or scratch tools or more simply tools, are available in any record store designed for DJs or via
the Internet, and there are hundreds in stores
5:
obtain more copies of a record you use often in order to have a backup
copy if the sound loses its features and its dynamic original (already
after a few listenings there is a quantifiable loss in high
frequencies kilohertz*) or if it’s accidentally scratched; also with two
identical copies you can do things that are impossible with one (for
example, break beat, to make a beat or create a break indefinitely prolonging drums breaks).
* from Wikipedia: "The RIAA has quantified the
reduction of high frequencies based on the number of hearings and would
be audible up to 20 kHz after a hearing, 18 kHz after three hearings,
17 kHz audience after five, 16 kHz after eight, 14 after fifteen kHz,
13 kHz after a twenty-five, 10 kHz after thirty-five, 8 kHz after eighty hearings. degradation may increase if you listen to the vinyl
repeatedly in rapid succession. enormous pressure of the stylus on the
walls of the groove, equivalent to about a ton per cm square for each gram weight in a microscopic scale, causes a deformation of the
walls of the wake created by the heat and the resulting distortion
of sound."
Special thanks to DJ Craze for the valuable
information contained in his mix & scratch workshops for the BBC
which can be found here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onemusic/djing/scratchp01.shtml
THX
da http://vinylfanatics.com/content/view/41/38/
Record Care
Written by Administrator
Thursday, 31 August 2006
Forum discussion
Hardware related
1- clean your LPs preferrably using a record cleaning machine or at least
manually with a good brush and cleaning solution.
2- clean your LPs prior to their first play to remove mold release
compound. Use a special deep cleaner that removes mold release compound.
This will help prevent pops and clicks.
3- use a good support system for your turntable. Some suggestions are a
wall-mounted shelf, a good rack, and/or a rack with a specialty platform
such as a Neuance platform.
4- Use a better inner sleeve than those usually provided.
Nagaoka and Mobile Fidelity sleeves are reccommended.
Many people also prefer plain white rice paper sleeves.
5- Store your records tidily and vertically.
Partitions about a foot square are good.
6- Use a good turntable and cartridge/needle. Worn needles, or where there
is too much or too little weight resting on the record can all damage it. A regular
service of your TT is not a bad idea also, both for protecting them and for
getting the best sound quality out of them.
7- Don’t leave finger prints on your records.
They leave greasy smudges and attract dust. Try and use the edges and the labels to hold
your records. Don’t do what you see DJs doing!!
Thanks to Terry P for some of these tips.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 18 October 2006 )
Storia dell’Amen Break
da http://nkhstudio.com/pages/popup_amen.html
Can I Get An Amen? is an audio installation that unfolds a critical perspective of perhaps the most sampled drum beat in the history of recorded music, the Amen Break. It begins with the pop track Amen Brother by 60’s soul band The Winstons, and traces the transformation of their drum solo from its original context as part of a ‘B’ side vinyl single into its use as a key aural ingredient in contemporary cultural expression. The work attempts to bring into scrutiny the techno-utopian notion that ‘information wants to be free’- it questions its effectiveness as a democratizing agent. This as well as other issues are foregrounded through a history of the Amen Break and its peculiar relationship to current copyright law.
"History of the Amen Break" video (http://www.jahsonic.com/Breaks.html)
link:
storia del disco fonografico di vinile
wikipedia (italiano) – http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disco_in_vinile
wikipedia (english) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinyl_record
bbc – http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/features/vinyl/
web ticino – http://web.ticino.com/pagna/Pagine/Documentazioni/Supporti%20audio%20e%20video/Disco%20in%20vinile.htm
the vinyl institute – http://www.vinylinfo.org/materialvinyl/history.html
vinyl by design – http://vinylbydesign.com/site/page_two_col.asp?CID=2&DID=3
history of vinyl feature contents – http://vinylbydesign.com/site/page_two_col.asp?CID=2&DID=3
polyone corp. – http://www.polyone.com/ind/hist/
the history of sound recording – http://www.thelaughingpapillon.com/hist_ix.php
cura del disco fonografico di vinile
guida dischi in vinile – http://www.guida-acquisti.com/musica/dischi-vinile.php
simply vinyl – http://www.simplyvinyl.com/vinylcare.asp
hydrogen audio – http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=21&t=9050
vinylcare.co.uk – http://www.vinylcare.co.uk/
laventure.net – http://www.laventure.net/tourist/good_sound5.htm
fine living – http://www.fineliving.com/fine/favorite_things_essentials/article/0,1663,FINE_1426_1311974,00.html
storia del turntablism
wc blog – http://writers-connection.noblogs.org/gallery/676/disco_concet.txt
jahsonic – http://www.jahsonic.com/Scratching.html
hip hop network – http://www.hiphop-network.com/articles/djarticles/scratchdjhistory.asp
digital scratch – http://www.digitalscratch.com/ds/features.html
wikipedia (english) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turntablism
pedestrian – http://www.pedestrian.info/PedestrianHistoryofTurntablism.pdf
Stroboscopio per il controllo della corretta velocità del piatto