Black or coloured vinyl, does it matter?

[Oxfordian]

Now coloured vinyl, picture discs and the like have been with us for many years, but I have watched and read a few reviews over the last month or so whereby the coloured vinyl version of an album got a bit of a slating compared to the traditional black pressing in terms of sound quality.

However, the latest pressing of Miles Davies ‘Kind of Blue’ the rather nice UHQR version is on a type of clear vinyl, which apparently sounds just superb, the best sounding KoB that you can own (if you can get one).

Sitting on my RP3 at this moment is a blue pressing of Joe Bonamassa’s ‘Live at the Sydney Opera House’ and that sounds very very good indeed.

Just curious on whether the forum’s vinyl addicts have a view on whether there is a difference or not between music pressed on a traditional black disc and coloured pressings?

Or is it simply down to someone taking the time to do the job correctly irrespective of the colour of the vinyl?

 

[Deleted member 108165]

Or is it simply down to someone taking the time to do the job correctly irrespective of the colour of the vinyl?

All my collection is Henry Ford black, but would hazard a guess that your above statement kinda fits the bill.

 

[Oxfordian]

All my collection is Henry Ford black, but would hazard a guess that your above statement kinda fits the bill.

Love that ‘HF Black’, brilliant.

The reason I ask is that the comment that went with the complaint about sound quality was that vinyl comes in different formulas, and coloured isn’t made the same as black, hence the alleged difference in quality.

 

[petergabriel]

It used to, back in the day, but not anymore. I have coloured, splattered, you name it vinyl, that are quiet and very good sounding, and I have noisy and flat sounding black vinyls - and vice versa. Generally it depends more on the pressing facilty, like e.g. Nucleat Blast use a really sh…. facility that makes warped, noisy vinyl almost every single time, and then you have Sony/Music on Vinyl that imo always makes perfect, great sounding vinyl.

 

[Oxfordian]

It used to, back in the day, but not anymore. I have coloured, splattered, you name it vinyl, that are quiet and very good sounding, and I have noisy and flat sounding black vinyls - and vice versa. Generally it depends more on the pressing facilty, like e.g. Nucleat Blast use a really sh…. facility that makes warped, noisy vinyl almost every single time, and then you have Sony/Music on Vinyl that imo always makes perfect, great sounding vinyl.

So far all my coloured LP’s sound absolutely fine, if the comment only came once I would probably have ignored it, but hearing it / reading it a few times made me think about it and whether there was any validity in the comment.

 

[Al ears]

Never had any issues with modern coloured / patterned vinyl.
I have heard the early picture discs were best avoided but as I don't own any I cannot comment on these.

 

[Deleted member 116933]

Love that ‘HF Black’, brilliant.

The reason I ask is that the comment that went with the complaint about sound quality was that vinyl comes in different formulas, and coloured isn’t made the same as black, hence the alleged difference in quality.

Funny enough I work with injection moulding and other moulded plastics, specifically toys. and the statement is largely false.

The pellets come pre coloured nothing added at the plant, there are certain colours that can make things brittle and there your fluoro types glow in the dark kind of colours. Other than that just a release agent is used. No other chemicals

Everything else is fair game. The funny thing is, the colour that most say to stay away from is clear and guess what what it’s the purist. No additives nothing. Black is just the cheapest and that’s the sole reason its used most, that’s all there is to it.

 

[Al ears]

Funny enough I work with injection moulding and other moulded plastics, specifically toys. and the statement is largely false.

The pellets come pre coloured nothing added at the plant, there are certain colours that can make things brittle and there your fluoro types glow in the dark kind of colours. Other than that just a release agent is used. No other chemicals

Everything else is fair game. The funny thing is, the colour that most say to stay away from is clear and guess what what it’s the purist. No additives nothing. Black is just the cheapest and that’s the sole reason its used most, that’s all there is to it.

I find it difficult to see cueing up, and the dust, in clear vinyl.

 

[Deleted member 116933]

I find it difficult to see cueing up, and the dust, in clear vinyl.

That may be but technically that's the one

 

[Oxfordian]

Funny enough I work with injection moulding and other moulded plastics, specifically toys. and the statement is largely false.

The pellets come pre coloured nothing added at the plant, there are certain colours that can make things brittle and there your fluoro types glow in the dark kind of colours. Other than that just a release agent is used. No other chemicals

Everything else is fair game. The funny thing is, the colour that most say to stay away from is clear and guess what what it’s the purist. No additives nothing. Black is just the cheapest and that’s the sole reason its used most, that’s all there is to it.

Now that brings a bit of clarity to the discussion. Thanks.

 

[Vincent Kars]

Maybe this one is of use:

Discogs Digs | Discogs

Discogs Digs is the place to start your journey of music discovery. Explore recommendations, unique stories, guides, and more.

blog.discogs.com

 

[daytona600]

LP vinyl is clear & they add " carbon black " as they replaced black 78s in the 50s
Black also better to defect pressing faults compared to Clear vinyl
UHQR clarity vinyl are non magnetic with no added carbon black pigment clear vinyl with 5/6db reduction in noise floor
and Flat edge profile Edge to sit flat on the on the platter of a turntable for constant Azimuth / SRA originally produced in the 70s by JVC japan for mobile fidelity anadiscs

The 200-gram records will feature the same flat profile that helped to make the original UHQR so desirable. From the lead-in groove to the run-out groove, there is no pitch to the profile, allowing the customer's stylus to play truly perpendicular to the grooves from edge to center. Clarity Vinyl allows for the purest possible pressing and the most visually stunning presentation

Developed by NEOTECH and RTI, MoFi SuperVinyl is the most exacting-to-specification vinyl compound ever created. Analog lovers have never seen (or heard) anything like it. Extraordinarily expensive and extremely painstaking to produce, the special proprietary compound addresses two specific areas of improvement: noise floor reduction and enhanced groove definition. The vinyl composition features a new carbonless dye (hold the disc up to the light and see) and produces the world’s quietest surfaces. This high-definition formula also allows for the creation of cleaner grooves that are indistinguishable from the original lacquer. MoFi SuperVinyl provides the closest approximation of what the label’s engineers hear in the mastering lab.

 

[Oxfordian]

Maybe this one is of use:

Discogs Digs | Discogs

Discogs Digs is the place to start your journey of music discovery. Explore recommendations, unique stories, guides, and more.

blog.discogs.com

Excellent article, thanks

 

[Oxfordian]

LP vinyl is clear & they add " carbon black " as they replaced black 78s in the 50s
Black also better to defect pressing faults compared to Clear vinyl
UHQR clarity vinyl are non magnetic with no added carbon black pigment clear vinyl with 5/6db reduction in noise floor
and Flat edge profile Edge to sit flat on the on the platter of a turntable for constant Azimuth / SRA originally produced in the 70s by JVC japan for mobile fidelity anadiscs

The 200-gram records will feature the same flat profile that helped to make the original UHQR so desirable. From the lead-in groove to the run-out groove, there is no pitch to the profile, allowing the customer's stylus to play truly perpendicular to the grooves from edge to center. Clarity Vinyl allows for the purest possible pressing and the most visually stunning presentation

Developed by NEOTECH and RTI, MoFi SuperVinyl is the most exacting-to-specification vinyl compound ever created. Analog lovers have never seen (or heard) anything like it. Extraordinarily expensive and extremely painstaking to produce, the special proprietary compound addresses two specific areas of improvement: noise floor reduction and enhanced groove definition. The vinyl composition features a new carbonless dye (hold the disc up to the light and see) and produces the world’s quietest surfaces. This high-definition formula also allows for the creation of cleaner grooves that are indistinguishable from the original lacquer. MoFi SuperVinyl provides the closest approximation of what the label’s engineers hear in the mastering lab.

Wow, that is a great reply, I have learnt a lot thank you.

 

[Gray]

It's been a while since I've played any vinyl, but I know there's a nice transparent blue and a shocking pink one in the collection.
Both sound excellent, because they're well recorded 12" 45 singles.
No different to a black 12" (45) though.

 

[Loverobot]

I find it difficult to see cueing up, and the dust, in clear vinyl.

Its remarkably difficult to see the liquid on the RCM with clear vinyl - black is sooo much easier