• Written by Rich McNabb • Proofread & Edited by Claude AI
I just finished adding my entire record collection to Discogs, the largest online music database where collectors buy and sell with each other. A look at the collection itself, my home listening setup, and how it all came together.
I just finished adding my record collection to Discogs, the largest online music database where collectors buy and sell with each other. If you’re on there, let’s connect on Discogs.
My first introduction to TOOL was after their second studio release, Ænima in 1996, and I’ve been a massive fan ever since. I became a member of TOOL Army (the fan club) in 2005 and have been lucky enough to see them perform live three times. This is an extremely rare original 1996 TOOL Ænima sealed (unopened, unplayed, out of print) vinyl 2xLP gatefold.
Purchased from eBay on 19 July 2002 and not a reissue or unofficial release. It’s been stored upright in a solid record carrier case, never played, and handled with care. Based on my research, a comparable copy in the original factory seal is currently selling for around US$1,999.99.
We get a lot of direct sunlight upstairs, so the turntable’s currently living in a wardrobe with the doors taken off. It’s a makeshift setup rather than anything properly designed, though it does the job of keeping things out of the sun. There’s a proper custom build for downstairs, more on that once it’s finished. In the meantime, here’s everything I’ve got set up in that little upstairs corner.
Turntable and preamp
Cleaning
Speakers
After chatting with a friend about wanting to learn drums, he mentioned he had an electric kit he could play at 4am with headphones on without waking anyone up. The following week I was at the music store picking up my first kit. Below is a breakdown of everything I have in my practice room.
Electronic drumkit
Drumsticks
Pedal, throne and laptop stand
Sound and timekeeping
Practice (acoustic)
Online lessons and training
None of this started as a plan. A Discogs profile turned into a proper hobby, the listening setup grew out of wanting to hear it all a bit better, and the drumkit was really just an excuse to make some noise of my own at 4am without waking the house.
What ties it together is having a corner of the house that’s just for the joy of it. No deadlines, no deliverables, just picking a record or sitting behind the kit for twenty minutes. It’s become one of the better ways I switch off after a day of design work.
If you’re building out something similar, a few stores I keep are worth checking out first.