Picture Discs


This will be just a "getting the frustration out" ramble, but i bought my first picture disc at Record Store Day Saturday.  One on my favorite childhood albums, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, "Pictures At An Exhibition".

The surface noise on this "thing" basically makes it unlistenable. Though it's a live album, it's relatively quiet in many places and just dreadful to listen to. It sounded like there was a big sticker covering the grooves.

Is this normal for picture discs? I've seen a lot of them on the shelves over the years, but never tempted to buy one until this weekend. I didn't clean it before play but i can't imagine that would make any difference.

Oh well....guess I now own a novelty item.

nicholsr

@baylinor - Black vinyl is just as colored as swirly paisley. Vinyl comes clear before it's colored. I don't know why you would want to stay away from those, often put out by Audiophile labels like Acoustic Sounds. 

@larsman 

Thanks for the clarification.

That would be correct, vinyl is originally clear, however carbon black is added to it to get the color black and that material adds structural strength to the vinyl. Hence black is best imo.

Vinyl record sales are booming and as production expands I suspect that we are going to see a quality decline especially for things like picture disks. I haven't ever bought a picture disk but it looks like one doesn't buy this stuff for the sound quality. This post made me realize that the only vinyl records I buy these days are audiophile pressings.