Before I write about Music Hall's MMF-9 turntable (above), in my March 2003 review, I wrote that the SME 30/2 turntable's combination of attributes "might just make it the finest turntable in the world." Earlier in the review, I'd said, "The SME 30/2 is perhaps the most tonally neutral turntable I've ever heard. Only the Rockport System III Sirius, which includes an integral tonearm, is in the same league, and it doesn't stand up to the SME's low-frequency extension and solidity." I wrapped up the review with: "Overall, the SME Model 30/2 is the best turntable I've heard."

Here's the "reveal" for the five file SAT pick up arm comparison featuring the Ortofon MC Century. Thanks to all who participated and expressed their opinions.

At Making Vinyl 2018, the "Women in Vinyl" panel produced a wide-ranging discussion that mostly stuck to business and occasionally dealt with being a woman in the business world generally and the music business specifically. The first panelist to speak provoked the audience with a spirited defense of the compact disc (you youngsters look that up) and from there the back and forth generated a well focused perspective on the business of vinyl from a female point of view. And yes 'Women in Vinyl'" does sound like a John Waters movie.

Nonesuch email blast just now announces 50% off "everyday low prices" for the next 24 hours on all vinyl, CDs, MP3s, FLAC, HD merchandise. Just enter promo code AUTUMN at checkout. Nonesuch is one of the only labels that does not sent reviewers any vinyl promos so I'll be shopping too. Sale ends 1PM Tuesday October 16th (the 2000 Year Old Man's birthday).

“If there’s one thing that ties the two EPs together, it’s that all the songs are about moving,” wrote Brooklyn-based indie rock band The Dig in a recent press statement. Over the course of their move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, they wrote and recorded the songs that would make up two new EPs, Moonlight Baby and Afternoon With Caroline. After dropping tracks from these releases throughout the year, the latter has finally been released in full and both EPs have been paired for a new vinyl release courtesy of Roll Call Records.

After brief opening ceremonies at "Making Vinyl" event in Detroit October 1st and 2nd, co-founder/organizer Larry Jaffee introduced Record Store Day founder Michael Kurtz who moderated a fascinating panel intended to explain "why and how nearly 750,000 records were sold last April 21st in the U.S." and more interestingly how these releases were chosen, manufactured and distributed.

The file identities of "MMM"are as follows:

The all-in-one turntable market has one gargantuan issue looming over it: the Crosley Cruiser. With everything an analog neophyte thinks he or she needs, these $70 “turntables” sell by the boatload, only to seriously damage records after but a few plays with their five grams of tracking force. Why are they so popular then? Because they’re small, inexpensive and the purchaser doesn’t have to think about piecing together an entire system; it’s right in front of them. Even so, it still feels extremely wrong to spend $100 on a vinyl box set and subject it to the evils of a $70 turntable.

Here's the poop directly from Rega:
"The Planar 8 was inspired by the ultimate Rega turntable, the 'Naiad'. We decided early on that instead of an evolution of the previous RP8, the new Planar 8 was to be developed and engineered to encapsulate the essence of 'Naiad' at an affordable price. Our aim was to deliver a level of performance far beyond what has been achieved at this price point before.

The second edition of "Making Vinyl" was an even greater success than last year's, which was plenty good. Following Record Store Day founder Michael Kurtz's panel "Record Store Day 11 Years Later", AnalogPlanet.com editor Michael Fremer ran "New Vinyl Plants Fire Up the Presses", which you can watch here. (Photo: Discogs sandwich of Jeffrey Smith and Sean Cannon).