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Re: The future of vinyl in a world of MP3?
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 3:24 pm
by Meshach
I had all my vinyl stolen 17 years ago, I've worn out all my cassettes and I live in a part of the world where there are no decent record shops selling reggae.
As much as I would love to, I will never buy vinyl again.
Despite it's drawbacks, mp3 is the only way that I can listen to those records that I had lost and discover an even vaster reggae universe albeit on a slightly inferior format. My ears are wearing out, anyway.
Before answering the question though, you need to ask yourself what would YOU do if you lost your vinyl collection through theft or fire and had to start again?
Re: The future of vinyl in a world of MP3?
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:03 pm
by Litelet
kukuman wrote:I suspect "vinyl warmth" is either distortion of the signal by the vinyl, or it's a type of placebo effect. quote]
Of what Ive heard, it would be a signal distorsion in the middles.
Nowadays digital producers claim that they get the exact sound they record, which is true. Analogic change more the prime sound. But people like Lee Perry or Coxsone were using this "analogic distorsion" to create the music, I mean by this that they had in mind the final result on the plate and created sounds according to this.
Creativity has always been expressed through the way you manipulate the technology as well.
But Im certain that most nowadays digital music is not created with the "record distorsion" in mind, so there is no real reason to put it on record others than for business purpose.
Re: The future of vinyl in a world of MP3?
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 4:46 am
by kukuman
Litelet wrote:Of what Ive heard, it would be a signal distorsion in the middles.
Nowadays digital producers claim that they get the exact sound they record, which is true. Analogic change more the prime sound. But people like Lee Perry or Coxsone were using this "analogic distorsion" to create the music, I mean by this that they had in mind the final result on the plate and created sounds according to this.
Creativity has always been expressed through the way you manipulate the technology as well.
But Im certain that most nowadays digital music is not created with the "record distorsion" in mind, so there is no real reason to put it on record others than for business purpose.
Those are all good points. Music today just isn't meant to be recorded to vinyl.
Re: The future of vinyl in a world of MP3?
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:54 am
by ACEtone
@meshach
I've listened and collected in all formats. Vinyl was and is great, tapes were and are great (but they don't last!), CDs are still great and mp3s (preferably high bitrate) are great too. So in answer to your question - if my vinyl collection were to be stolen I'd figure out a way to hear the sounds no matter what - without spending too much.
Sorry to hear you got robbed...leaves a really bad feeling...
Re: The future of vinyl in a world of MP3?
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 4:17 pm
by 6anbatte
Must admit I am intrigued by this as every shop I go into in London is stocking more and more vinyl as opposed to less.
Most new releases in, for example, Rough Trade are on vinyl.
Examples off the top of my head;
Animal Collective
Fleet Foxes
Bon Iver
Vampire Weekend
Benga
Even a couple of years ago a lot of the shops I visited didn't even have vinyl sections, but now they do.
The other interesting thing is that if you buy the vinyl you get the mp3 download free with it.
Maybe people are just collecting the vinyl, but listening to the free mp3s!
Incidentally, regarding the sound of vinyl against digital formats - I don't see that as the issue as the reason I prefer listening to vinyl is the *"ceremony"* of the listening process. You just do not get that listening to digital music.
Does the music sound better? Well, it doesn't matter as that isn't the point.
Re: The future of vinyl in a world of MP3?
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:25 pm
by ACEtone
regarding the sound quality thing - if the reissue people did a better job (some do) the digitized versions would not and should not sound much different to the vinyl.
If the mp3s were at max. bitrate (320kbps) there would be no discernible difference to the sound on CDs. CDs vs Vinyl? - some are good some are bad...
There is definitely some ritual involved in the playing of vinyl. The visual and tactile aspects enhance the listening experience.
Children take note when you take a record from the sleeve and put it on the turntable.
Pressing a button on a CD player or mp3 player doesn't quite have the same impact.
Maybe 12" CDs (laser discs anyone?) would be a bit more showy, but ridiculous!
Let's not forget that the mechanics of the turntable are by necessity exposed - and there is nothing more fascinating than looking at a finely engineered machine in operation.
The works are all enclosed in a CD player and mp3 players have no moving parts. Boring!
But whatever format, the music still comes out the speakers and that is the most important part...
Re: The future of vinyl in a world of MP3?
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:04 pm
by Litelet
ACEtone wrote:there is nothing more fascinating than looking at a finely engineered machine in operation.
That is more than true... I just cant listen to CDs anymore... Watching the label and wax spinning is the beginning of the meditation state...
hypnosis...
Selecting singles tune after tune is a wicked thing too, with records. So you can manage your own musical pleasure, not playing too much the best ones to keep dem alive, adding sometimes a scattered record that you dig in the "left apart" stuff, at the bottom of the shrank...
One thing to add is that those "digital remastering" made from the studio tapes and released on digital format, kill a bit of the original vibe. Cause those were aimed to be played on wax, with that special sound. Im absolutely certain that consciously or not, the man at the mixing desk was setting the sound with the definitive wax sound in mind, and even correct it dis way after the test press. So digitally remastered is not a sign of quality for me, conscerning the analogic sound.
Re: The future of vinyl in a world of MP3?
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:16 pm
by ACEtone
Yes! The tunes should be mastered for the specific format.
Also note that CDs at 44.1kHz are really not optimal sound quality. This was a compromise made during the development of the CD so that more minutes could fit on the discs.
At the very least they should have made the standard 48kHz.
When I hear or read, 'CD Audio quality' I can't help but grunt in disapproval. What a scam! Who are they to say what frequencies I can or cannot hear!
Still if handled properly CDs can still be pretty good (B&F releases are my favurite example of how it should be done) and the CD format is not on the way out just yet...
Re: The future of vinyl in a world of MP3?
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:14 pm
by Meshach
Litelet wrote:ACEtone wrote :
Selecting singles tune after tune is a wicked thing too, with records. So you can manage your own musical pleasure, not playing too much the best ones to keep dem alive, adding sometimes a scattered record that you dig in the "left apart" stuff, at the bottom of the shrank...
This is an important point - I have noticed that I'm listening more to my own playlists than actual albums these days. In fact half the time I spend on the computer seems to be creating playlists for different scenarios (one for the car, one for going to bed, one for Sundays, etc.) Maybe that's for another thread...
But the actual process of putting individual tracks together has got me longing to go back to vinyl again where I can stand up as I spin them and study the artwork and the labels...
Re: The future of vinyl in a world of MP3?
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 8:00 pm
by Mark
there was a thread were Ernie B said that vinyl sales are going fine. It seems mostly cd sales suffer from "mp3's"