Fred Frith - The Technology Of Tears - double LP Test Pressing

$

35

Test pressing, with pre-release promo sheet. Comes in blank outer sleeves (test pressings typically are made before the sleeve is designed). Title on labels leaves out later-added "The"

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Please ignore light reflections that might be in this listing due to my less-than-ideal "photo studio" setup. The reflections might highlight things like dust on a record that can (obviously) be cleaned.

In contrast to some sellers and dealers, this record's condition was "audio graded" by playing a few cuts on it. The system I use includes a Grado cartridge, Formula 4 tonearm, and ADS or ProAc speakers.  I play the vinyl at high volume with the treble turned to maximum, and listen close to the speakers or closely with headphones. By doing this, surface noise is more noticeable, which is to your benefit as a buyer since you may very well hear quieter surfaces when you play the record "normally".

In addition, I try to be conservative in the grade.  For example, a used record gets the highest rating of "mint" only if it is absolutely pristine. Many of my "near mint", "excellent", or even "VG++" items might be rated by other sellers as a full "mint", and so on.  Essentially, my record grade is based on surface noise, pops, and clicks.  But any record audio grade is completely subjective.  Two people can assign widely different grades to the same record played on the same system - there is no objective measure of vinyl quality. So, if you find an item I sold to be over-rated I will happily accept a return.  I do not have one of the modern record cleaning machines, but religiously clean them with DiscWasher brushes whenever played. That being said, a cleaning with a modern powered cleaner or vacuum will often clean up the sound on decades-old vinyl.

A reminder about vinyl surfaces: do not mistake static discharge through the electronics/cartridge for noise on the record itself.

I do not list records that are Off center, warped, heavily scuffed/scratched, or have other visual damage.  If a record you buy has a skip or other flaw that I missed, I will happily accept a return.

A digression on vinyl records in general. Sometimes a too-low tracking force is used as some people are under the impression this will preserve the surface. However, it can cause a skip or fuzziness in the playback, as well as increase wear on the grooves.  Highly dynamic passages can make the stylus ride up on the sides of the groove. Depending on the tonearm and cartridge used, I recommend a tracking force between 1.2 and 1.9 grams. As for anti-skate, the rule of thumb is to use the same setting as the tracking force.  For more accuracy, one can use a blank area of a record to check the anti-skate, as sometimes the optimal amount is not the same as the tracking force.  A big factor is the quality and characteristics of the tonearm being used.

A lot of the vinyl in my listings was bought new by myself. I will note this in the description.

I always combine shipping. If you win multiple items, wait for an invoice to pay.  New items, not exclusively vinyl, will appear each week if the stars align, so check my listings frequently.
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This is a rare test pressing of Fred Frith's "The Technology Of Tears" on vinyl. The record is 33 RPM and 12" in size, with a black color. It features excellent (EX) record grading and is a Swiss-made product. The LP is a combination of avant-garde, fusion, and jazz genres, with an experimental style. The record label is SST, and the music comes from RecRec Music. The erscheinungsjahr is 1988, and the musiktitel includes "The Technology Of Tears" and other music for dance and theater. This is a must-have for any vinyl record collector or music enthusiast.