The future of vinyl in a world of MP3?

[ACEtone]

Can't remember where I read what sounded like a good explanation of why digital just doesn't sound quite right to the discerning listener but I think one of the main reasons stated is that the digitized audio is necessarily 'stepped' - within the narrower 44.1 range the number of steps is significantly fewer. If you have a range of 48k there are more steps, hence a smoother graduation from frequency to frequency. Get up to 192 like pro-audio and you probably can't hear a difference. Or something like that. So if you master with a discerning and experienced ear you can optimize the frequencies to suit the digital medium.
Same old problem persists of mastering being done to sound best on radio in a car though. Neither of which applies to me!

Here's a question: Why record, mix and master at 192kHz if the thing will just be bounced down to a crappy 44.1kHz? I suppose because you CAN (I can't!) and you have full control over all of the tonalities and frequencies until the last couple of steps. Then you just dump 44.1kHz junk on the unsuspecting music 'consumer' - I do this, to my shame! If I could afford to press some vinyl I would do it tomorrow...I think that even digitally recorded audio could benefit from the smoothing involved in the vinyl mastering process. Not that I know much about it.
Still I think the quality of 44.1kHz CDs is acceptable mostly, but it was a poor decision to go so low. I expect this also makes it really easy to make chip based audio equipment (home theater surround sound!!!) that 'sounds OK' without having to include any additional hi-fi circuitry to handle a more complex audio signal. Just conjecture.
I think the expression is trade-off. One which benefits corporations and does not really harm the consumer, but certainly doesn't do us any favours. It has ever been so!

and, and, and, then of course there are just horrible vinyl pressings and low bitrate mp3s that benefit no one at all!

[Jonti]

Failproof test:

My son (18 months old) regularly requests that I play records, and always dances when they're playing.

He *occasionally* requests that I put CDs on, and sometimes dances when they're playing.

He *never* requests MP3s, because he can't see them. If he's lucky, he'll never have to listen to them either.

[robe619]

If the mp3s were at max. bitrate (320kbps) there would be no discernible difference to the sound on CDs.
quote]

One can easily rip their CDs to lossless format.

[stepping razor]

Digital made cds, which a lot of music is mastered on, then goes on to released cds and mp3s. To keep putting the signal through a digital signal twice, three, four times just makes the frequencies a jumble of ones and zero digital siginals, its bad enough with ones and zeros straight when put through a analogue system.

When you put a digital siginal through a 31 band graphics, it can just about work with a one digital signal, if it was recorded on digital using analogue sounds, meaning, not put through a computer, but through a proper digital multi track recorder. An electric keyboard may have a digital siginal but it is different than a computer digital signal unless you use midi.

Crossovers and eqs dont work right when playing a mp3 and computer made music, so what dont work the eq and the crossovers or the mp3s for a sound system person.
Compressed music is where digital falls down, and to just compress it once is enough, but these days it is compressed many times, so the eq only works on a digital computer eq, analogue eqs cant pick up the digital signal it just is a load of distorted noise.

Also what effects the sound is that things nowadays aren`t recorded or passed on in real time, its all fast fast fast as possible which is yet more compressed sound.

Second hand record shops are doing well because people want the record, brings back memories when they were younger, and may not have got the tunes at the time. Same with the jazz Blue Note label that has remastered their back catalogue, it don`t sound like the record, Miles Davis at all, someone has remixed it when remastering it. Only records can get the dawn chorus singing along after an all night record session and dance.

peace

[rasdragon]

Being a person who digitally remasters all of his vinyl (well still working the collection) to mp3 & also on occassion DJ's out, I only take vinyl with me! I would never take out cds, I even put the fact it is all original pressed vinyl on my flyer. I make my mp3s for the occassions I cant play my vinyl & want to hear my collection. Haven't tracked down a [Sound Burger](http://www.retrothing.com/2005/11/sound_burger_vi.html) to ease those moments. I will still be buying vinyl although I dont play out reissues, if the rights are all on the up'n up & the quality is good, then I will lay down some dollars to support the project.

[deehipower]

well what is the difference betwin vinyl rec and lossless format rip from vinyl? as I see, I dont need to move my heavy bag with vinyl to the session, much easier to take 10 cd with lossless rips

[post-man]

I do believe vynl sales have doubled in the last year in north america and cd sales are down dramatically.While legally bought digital d/l have been skyrockting.

.However lp sales are still a drop in the bucket of all music bought and downloaded.Now a days almost all artists put out a limited release of vinyl wich gets snapped up so quickly .i believe it will lead to more.Its a tangible source of music.

[ACEtone]

@Leggo
SISO? I am sure it is GIGO, no? Shall I start a new thread?
I only use dog turds for storing data - I would NEVER actually record music on them.
Would using a thing with wheels on to carry the vinyl around be a bit...um...you know. No point in breaking your back!
--------------

I am sure I mentioned it before, but apparently turntable sales are increasing, which can only mean that there is a similar increase in demand for vinyl.
15 years ago, the choice of turntables was really limited - either pro DJ or audiophile. Now you can get them in any price range, with all the different drive types etc. There are probably more choices now than there were 30 years ago!

There is also an increase in the number of people making music and DJing so the demand for vinyl will be unlikely to decrease. The big vinyl slump was somewhere in the 90s when CD was king, but vinyl, while it will never be the standard medium has its own solid growing market. And it needed no marketing to increase sales - thus it is a genuine market driven resurgence.

I have DJed all of ONE time and loved it. I had only one deck and alternated between vinyl and CDs. I cant say there was a significant difference in sound to my ears (well I was using a fairly decent mixer so I balanced the vinyl and CD output EQs to keep them similar sounding) but the vinyl part was way more fun. I think it was actually easier to cue up tracks on the vinyl.

So how is the humble cassette doing these days?
I know there are still diehard adherents but I am happy to never go back to that...

[ACEtone]

Security? Yeah right...extreme but:
One word. Blackwater. For all your security needs. See your entire culture reduced to ashes.

No need to worry about anything after that.

[deehipower]

the only reason why im use vinyl is quality of tune pon one plate. I mean if 2 tunes pon 7'' costs about 5 usd and 10 tunes pon cd costs 15... it makes me to think twice what im gonna play next

even if it brakes my back )))