Customer Reviews

21st Century Vinyl: Michael Fremer's Practical Guide to Turntable Set-Up

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If you have ever wondered how to set up your turntable so your vinyl sounds like it is supposed to sound, this video is an enourmous help. Written, acted and produced by Michael Fremer, one of the very few Vinyl Gurus I have ever seen who can communicate and is listenable - and watchable. This video is both very informative and entertaining. Apart from the setting up of three turntables in three different price classes, all of which he does very well. Michael gives a short introduction to diferent LP qualities, from "Virgin" vinyl - British, to "Streetwalker" vinyl - American. And, during the various set-ups, he admonishes us, the watchers, to "don't go crazy" during set-up. At the end of the video, he introduces us to his personal turntable, the Continuum Audio Labs "Colibri". Said piece of equipment costing around USD 100,000. Michael, when it came down to it, "went crazy".
Very, very highly recommended.

Anybody who is familiar with Michael's work knows he is a staunch supporter of analog and is a walking encyclopedia of the many options for acquiring vinyl LP's and turntables. But what's surprising about this disc is not his breadth of knowledge or willingness to share it, but the fact that he can make a potentially dry subject thoroughly entertaining. Music lovers will gain a lot from this disc, including a whole lotta (intentional) laughs. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed watching this video, Mr. Fremer even showed how to
set up my turntable the VPI Scout. Before this video my turntable
set up knowledge was limited at best. The next time I buy a new
cartridge I will be setting up my turntable myself...

In addition to being a well respected audio equipment reviewer, Fremer is, no doubt, an expert in the vinyl field. It certainly makes perfect sense to learn turntable set-up from the very best. Unfortunately, the video is a bit disappointing. As a "how-to" guide, it skips some glory details -- several sections were cut short. It seems to me that Mr. Fremer was terribly bored by having to set up all these tables. But the details are exactly what the newbies need. Did I learn something I don't know before? Absolutely. Can I set up a VPI Scout all by myself? Well, I "guess" I could. From the perspective of providing info on vinyl, it did a reasonable job. But I certainly expect more from such an expert. Would I recommend it to someone who wants to set up his/her own table? Yes, it is only video I know of. Nice try, Mr. Fremer. But you can do better.....

Having been away from vinyl for many years, I needed help in setting up my newly purchased turntable. Yes, there was at least 10 minutes of useful information. However, Mr. Fremer's battle stories quickly wear thin for me and seem more appropriate for a blog. I didn't shell out $$ for poorly produced entertainment--I want a brain dump from an expert that goes beyond what I can pick up in a couple hours of reading audio forums. The production quality reminds me of an bad '80s corporate training video. This is a shame, there are a bunch of newbies like me who want more information, but this disc took the easy way out.

21st Century Vinyl is a must have for anyone with a turntable.
It meticulously takes each step in the set up process and fully explains it on three popular, or at least, representative, current turntables.
It is an invaluable reference which both explains, details and reviews the use of a turntable.
I would heartily recommend it. However, both myself and a friend's wife (the friend also has the disc) commented on the way the presenter handled the LP's at the beginning of the disc. Definitely, do not take this as the way to handle your valuable and in many ways irreplaceable, LP's. throwing them aside, placing hands on the playing surface and pushing the record back into the cover before casting it aside! Oooh, made me annoyed.
In any case, despite this minor gripe, a very solid and well-presented disc with a small element of whimsy from on-screen notes (such as "You didn't see that!" when the presenter accidentally knocks the tonearm off it's rest while explaining something......) make this an essential companion for turntable owners.

I have been a music fan forever. But I was always upset by the results I got from record players/turntables. All the surface noise, the snap crackle pop during quiet passages drove me nuts. When Compact Discs arrived I sold all of my albumns and started over. But, to face reality, the sound just isn't as good. So after several years of trying to ignore it I came back to Vinyl. The first thing I learned was that I never really understood how to properly set up a cartridge in a turntable. After much study I concluded that I might not ever learn how and why doesn't someone make a DVD about it. about three days later I stumbled upon this DVD by accident. Knowing that M Fremer is the resident Guru of vinyl at Stereophile I snapped it up. Mr. Fremer has made a most informative video about how records are made, some history of vinyl, and how to set up your turntable. He walks you through setting up three different turntables. The tape does not seem to be overly rehearsed, or edited. As he encounters problems he deals with them and explains his thinking rather than stopping the tape and eliminating the problem. Very real world way of doing things. I found this product most enjoyable and enlightening. My Turntable sounds better than ever also.

I liked this dvd. Michael Fremer is very funny and obviously loves vinyl. He shows you three turntable setups as well as goes over the history of the format. He spends some time in a cutting studio, and shows you his continum caliburn ($100,000) right at the end. The only thing I wish this showed was the rest of his stereo, just out of curiosity, and I wish he put discs on and played them. I suppose he couldn't without paying royalties, but still, it would have been neat to hear. (even though a DVD)

Let me start by saying I love LP playback. I have spent a lot of time and money putting together a fairly transparent analog front end. So I'm in the choir as they say. And maybe that's why I was so disappointed with this DVD.

I also want to say I like what I've read and seen from Mr. Fremer. I'm glad he's out there championing this rich, unique and beloved medium. He's been fighting the good fight against the socially maladjusted, radical objectivists --- and I thank him for that.

But this video boarders on pathetic; It's awkwardly unscripted, poorly edited, and seemingly carelessly brought to market. He didn't even bother to re-take a few shots, he just put caption balloons over the video explaining what should have been said or shown, while he's telling you wrong or incomplete information. -pretty shoddy.

And as far as instructing people on how to set up a tonearm/turntable, you really have to watch him set up all 3 decks to get all the basic information. I really think this info would be better delivered as one clear, linear presentation and not dispersed over 60 minutes of redundant video and diluted with snarky one-off attempts at being funny or clever; or with long, drawn-out shots of him fidgeting to get the nuts on the cartridge mounting screws in real time.

It's only a good source of this info because it seems to be the ONLY source of this info. But so poorly done, it'd be easy to better if someone had the same resources.

The DVD has an "Easter egg" too. I think it can be accessed by FF'ing through the end of the main video. It's a 30minute black and white film made of Mr. Fremer back when he was a stand-up comic (?). Seems people didn't think he was funny back then either.

I don't know what to say; buy it if you don't think all the various online guides to cartridge set-up are sufficient for your understanding. Not sure what watching Mr. Fremer set up a 'table provides over doing a little internet research. But if you've done that research and it's still not coming together for you, go ahead.

21st Century Vinyl gives you an explanation and education about the analog recording technology that can still compete and often surpass digital recording methods. The book and video give those who have forgotten and those who never knew about or understood vinyl records and turntables, an education from the expertise of a pro.