Community Corner
Vinyl Still Spins: Find Out How a Record Player Works
Learn the basics of how to set up, operate and maintain a turntable.
Once thought to be dead, a victim of the digital age, turntables are making a comeback thanks to a resurgence of vinyl records.
Teens today want to listen to their parents records, according to Mike Sheppard, owner of Northern TV since 1993.
"In my day that would have been a sign of Armageddon," laughs Sheppard. "But younger kids like that rock and roll from the 50s, 60s, 70s. It’s all coming back and, for that style of music, vinyl and turntables are some of the interconnecting pieces."
Turntable clinic
Sheppard will show hipsters the basics of how to set up, operate and maintain a turntable at the first Northern TV Turntable Clinic from 2-4 p.m. on Dec. 7 at UHF Records, on South Washington Avenue.
"Turntables have come back so strong. Everybody is using turntables again," said Sheppard. "We've serviced more turntables in the last two years than the last 25 years combined."
Find out what's happening in Royal Oakfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
There will be a Q&A session after Sheppard’s presentation.
“If you have a family heirloom turntable that needs some TLC, bring it along for Mike to look at,” writes UHF on its Facebook page. There are only 10 spots available for the “quick diagnosis” so email uhfmusic@gmail.com if you plan to bring a turntable.
Find out what's happening in Royal Oakfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“A Marantz turntable is worth almost twice what it cost new list in 1975,” said Sheppard. “Instead of going down in value, they've come up tremendously.”
Vinyl spins supreme
Because people are returning to vinyl, which many say has a warmer sound, the production of brand new vinyl records is high, Sheppard said."There are two or three presses in Detroit," he said. "One that never closed is at three shifts a day. The records are a little bit deeper now, so there is a little better technology so the sound is much better."
The website recordstoreday.com lists dozens of new vinyl releases—from Bob Dylan to the Flaming Lips to Lynyrd Skynyrd—that will be in independent record stores on Black Friday.
"There is something about going to a shop and spending time looking at records," Sheppard said. "There is a tangibility to it."
If you go
- What: Northern TV Turntable Clinic
- When: 2 - 4 p.m. Dec. 7
- Where: UHF Records, 512 S. Washington Ave.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
