Vinyl collectors are the types of people who like their music to sound pure and unaltered, seeking out releases and equipment to ensure the best sound. Well, now there is a new product on the market to keep the enthusiasts happy.
Ryan Shaw from Leeds has managed to find time to develop and produce his Master Sounds vinyl weights, all while running his own record store Electric Avenue Records.
The initial inspiration came from a passion for music and music quality, as he tells Teshno: “The main drive for manufacturing my own was that I was seeing the art of playing vinyl records in a club dwindling due to the digital revolution, decks were almost an afterthought and thus quality in sound was being compromised.
The product works by placing it on top of a record. It somehow solidifies the sound by increasing bass response and high and mid-range frequencies. It also reduces needle skipping and according to Ryan “steadies everything up in the mix.”
Now the skeptics among you will be raising your eyebrows, but according to sponsors of the idea Mr C and Darshan Jersani (Metro Area) they really work – and they work well. R+S have gotten involved with their special 30th anniversary batch selling out.
With an ethos to keep things locally produced in the UK and with extreme attention to detail I have a feeling these will make their way into collectors’ array of equipment.
Whilst this may take a while to catch on in clubs (the image of having a weight on top of a record to me is not aesthetically pleasing) I can see these really working on the ever popular boat parties on the Adriatic Coast. The wind and waves cause problems to the purveyors sound on such voyages and this could be just the answer.
Take a peek at them in action in Darshan’s Boiler Room session.
By Tom Rae
