VINYLSTACK / THE LISTENING LAB

A little beautifully
imperfect.

The music stays the music.
A little dust. The occasional pop.
Just enough to feel the record.

THE CLASSIC / WALNUT

Wrong TrainTheo Calder · Side A

Keep the record moving. Hear its surface.

A stuck groove

Play a few seconds, then catch the needle in a single turn.

This pressing’s pulseWaiting for the needle

DustPopsScratchesSurface noiseComing up

Colour is what you’ve heard; grey is coming up. Small contacts, sharper pops, red scratch ticks—and a blue ribbon when surface noise is on.

0:00−0:00

Preparing your record33⅓ RPM · ONE CONTINUOUS GROOVE

TWO ALBUMS. YOUR NEXT LISTEN.

Choose your album.

Full albums · No music subscription needed

Or choose from Your Crates

Search your albums by title or artist. Choose a pressing to put it on this deck, with its artwork, labels and track list. Your two demo albums stay below it.

Your collection stays unchanged. Full Apple Music playback needs a connected subscription; otherwise available 30-second previews play. This deck takes vinyl pressings; CDs and cassettes stay in Your Crates.

02 / THE FIRST & LAST TOUCH

The needle has a voice.

Real needle recordings, with a gentler touch. Keep their texture; choose a comfortable level.

Original · recorded needle sounds.

Needle & mechanism 50%

SilentPresent

Independent of music and Presence. 50% is the gentler starting point; Original at 100% matches its previous level.

These move the actual arm. Landing cues your current track; run-out ends playback and returns the arm. Clean keeps your needle-sound choice.

03 / MAKE IT YOURS

Your listening signature.

Save your pressing character, Clean or Vinyl character choice, Presence, overall level, surface noise, occasional scratch and needle sounds. Use the same balance here, in The Deck and Your Crates.

Saved in this browser on this device. Music mute and stuck-groove damage are temporary; each record still has its own character.

Inside this record Side A + Side B

On this pressing

01 / LISTEN FOR THE DIFFERENCE

The character
of a record.

Press Play, choose a character and compare it with Clean. The song keeps going.

Choose a pressing character

Classic black vinyl

The clicks and pops you already know. Keep shaping your own mix below.

Changing character previews a matching disc finish here. Your saved crate pressing and centre labels stay yours. These are adjustable interpretations; scratches are optional.

Does colour change the sound?

Black, clear and single-colour pressings can all sound quiet. Compound, pressing quality and condition matter; colour alone does not predict the noise. Picture-disc construction can bring more surface noise, but every pressing differs.

A zoetrope is an animation design, not a sound-quality rating. Digital picture discs can sound as clean as you choose.

Further reading: Gotta Groove · MoFi · Pirates Press quality standards.

Ready when you drop the needle.

Presence 100%

SubtleUp front

Bring clicks, pops and scratch ticks forward. Surface noise stays unchanged. 100% is the original mix.

Overall character 65%

A little dustWell-loved

The space between the pops

Almost silent between the clicks. The soft surface texture is optional.

The occasional scratchA tick at the same point on each turn, for a few turns.

Fresh dust every listen. Each side has its own character.

THE ART OF LISTENING

These sounds are made for VinylStack. They follow the needle on the spinning record, through the spaces between songs and the final groove. They fall silent when you pause or lift the needle.

Headphones will help you find your favourite balance. Save it when it feels like your record.