Roots Archives Forum

Greetings!
Can someone please explain to me the significance of colored vinyl? Were colored pressing just made for fun? Does it signify a pre-release or a special type or release? It is usually just a limited collectors release? I see some colored vinyl LPs selling for a lot more than the original black vinyl pressings and was curious...

Roots,
Jah Chicken

Colored vinyl is usually just a fun thing. Limited releases and such, however colored vinyls are usually of lesser quality than the black vinyl (that itself is _colored_) audio-wise. The audio quality lessens quite rapidly with those vinyls.

»*The majority of records are pressed on black vinyl. The colouring material used to blacken the transparent PVC plastic mix is carbon black, the generic name for the finely divided carbon particles produced by the incomplete burning of a mineral oil based hydrocarbon. Carbon black increases the strength of the disc and renders it opaque.

Some records are pressed on coloured vinyl or with paper pictures embedded in them ("picture discs"). These discs can become collectors' items in some cases. Certain 45-rpm RCA or RCA Victor "Red Seal" records used red translucent vinyl for extra "Red Seal" effect. During the 1980s there was a trend for releasing singles on coloured vinyl — sometimes with large inserts that could be used as posters. This trend has been revived recently and has succeeded in keeping 7" singles a viable format.*«

Quote is from this link;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramophone_record

I thought that asterisks enabled italic text.

Thanks Kalcidis.. That helps explain it.

Roots,
Jah Chicken

There was quite some discussion on this previously on this forum, try this link hopefully it will help you out a little. Or try searching the forums.

http://www.roots-archives.com/forum/rea ... 383,page=1

I love the stuff. Can't help myself.

I recently discoverd that one of my 'Black' vinyls is in fact a very deep red!!!

This is how it happned:

One of my record decks, the Sony PS-X65 (an old 70 megabeast) uses light beams and sensors to check the size of the record when on auto play (clever old girl she is).

I put on a newly aquired copy of 'Pick up the Pieces' by The Royals on the Magnum label and the LP refused to play. The tonearm kept returning to the rest postion.

I thought the old Sony's aged computer chips had finally given up the ghost but no, on closer inspection I noticed the light beams were actually shining right through the record!

Cool!

Sure nuff, when I held the LP to the light I realised it was coloured vinyl! I've never seen another like it, very subtle. And I don't think the guy that sold it to me realised it was coloured, he certainly didn't mention it.

So now I hold them all up to the light after I've cleaned them on the Moth RCM, just in case!

And I have found one other that looks black but is in fact very dark blue (but I can't remember which one - doh!).

So guys and gals, get checking those all those records with a strong light!

Unless of course you are colour blind.

In which case just enjoy the music.

Sorry Leggo, couldn`t resist

Dave

I disaggree that the sound quality is worse, I know people often say this, but I've not found it to be true... yet...

I think what they mean is that black vinyl lasts longer than coloured. Which is maybe because it doesn't have carbon in it, which is tough stuff, so coloured vinyl wears faster.

And Rootsman, vinyl collecting is about the music yes, but it's also about lots more.

And I am an artist, so you have to allow me to get all romantic about colour and light!

Could come as a surprise, but I listen to other types of music in addition to Reggae.

I buy a fair amount of music from "indie" bands, and lately most has been color vinyl. The sound quality seems better than color vinyl from back in the day, but there hasn't been time yet for me to be able to say anything about its longevity.

One of the most striking color vinyl LPs I've seen of late is mostly clear with fine gold streaks running throughout.

Leggo, how would your laser turntable handle that sort of thing? Also seen various shades of red, green, and blue--some solid, some with patterns.