Audibly off centre. What does that actually mean?

[Fishdockroad]

A few records have been popping up lately on eBay and are being described as “audibly off centre” but what does that actually mean? Usually, somewhere in the description it says DNAP but noticeably they are graded down and seem to command less money. Example of one such below which I know mentions storage warp but not all of them do. 

Thanks

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F352607265527

 

 

 

[Mick Holdsworth]

Just means the middle has been punched out off centre (as per the record in the link) - to play it you'd have to align it yourself each time, or make a new middle to centre it up yourself

[Frankie Crocker]

They don’t play properly. There is conspicuous distortion to the music. As the record is off-centre, half the record plays at above 45 rpm and the other half at below the correct speed. The record spins around eliptically and each rotation produces a variable sound that wows as pitch increases and decreases.

The record can be re-centred in a number of ways so that it plays the true sound. I think there are threads on Soul Source explaining how you can do this.

Records being pressed off-centre sometimes explains apparent scarcity, as whole runs could be scrapped never to be re-pressed.

[Ljblanken]

Its a pretty easy hack for US (big hole) 45s:

- Put the 45 on the platter (with the adapter in)

- Remove the 45 adapter

- Turn on the turntable and watch the 45 spin. You should be able to see the  hole spinning as a circle and the grooves spinning around "off center" (as an ellipse).

- Take your finger and keep "tapping" the edge of the 45 as the widest part of the ellipse spins past your hand.

- When the grooves look like they are now a circle (and the hole will now look like an ellipse)... just drop the needle and check how it sounds... and then play!

I can do this in about 10-20 seconds, so I can play off-center 45s in my DJ sets!