What's behind the resurgence of vinyl?

[Deleted member 116933]

The bass (and treble) from the speakers affects the record player but on digital SSD there is no possibility to affect the bass.
Digital is the best method for recovery and quality.
If you like a bandwith limited sound then vinyl is for you but it is not modern Hi-Fi at all.
You can get 100's of 44.1KHz recordings on a 1TB SSD and 100's of vinyl albums are taking up a lot of space.

Sorry but thats bull ditital bass (lets say sound) can certainly be affected and in some cases more so, by more problematic sources of inference, SSD's are not indestructible either hence there not used for archival purposes and only have set number of read and writes before degradation creeps in. Admittedly its a lot but it will happen. Turnable just generally need a firm support and its generally fine, you're making sound like its and absolute bull ache to get rid of vibrations and its not. A side board will do.

Also one could argue that CD/digital are intentaily limited artificially, raised levels in post (compression) and the rest of the bandwidth is filled with inaudible noise so they hardly using the full potential of the format in most cases, so again i could argue what's the point of digital, its not a clear cut as your making out, neither or are the best medium for sonic retrieval both have the pit falls and pluses for replay.

The only thing you mention here that is factually correct is a growing record clection can be very problomatic

 

[Jimboo]

The golden age of vinyl isn't digital is it? You seem a little confused with that statement. It isn't hard to tell because you find the digital sound so abhorrent. The sound of a digital file used in a wax pressing involves rolling of the top end and brings up the bottom end as Abbey roads Geoff Pesche stated in what hi- fi. Basically the cutting process can in a certain way ruin the production sound as intended. A digital cd will always sound the same , vinyl in the cutting / pressing plant may ,actually will, cause the record to sound different depending on more factors than c.d which if done right will always sound as intended. You prefer the sound of records that I understand. It is a different sound to cd. However , cd with the right equipment is a better format. I think that streaming /hd sources is the future. No one says or uses the term vinyl quality , why is that. I get your viewpoint , blues albums sound involving in a vinyl format. Analogue to digital is often a failure. But , modern re pressings are not right either because as I said it is a cd file on wax , what's the point. It is the same for heavyweight 180 g records , why do they exist. A heavy record in truth means NADA to the sound , pure snake oil.Whatever floats your boat is the most important thing and you are happy with your choice. That is how it should be. As an aside , repress covers are seriously poor compared to the original I think , horrible looking things compared to the originals. I stand by my ideal , released on vinyl , buy an original copy , released on cd only , digital forever. The current vinyl revival is definitely middle aged men buying second hand records , as for the new stuff that is people who never bought records back in the day. It is subjective and there are exceptions. You keep enjoying your sound and more power to you.

 

[DKVinyl]

Like many people of my generation, I have a collection of vinyl that I just couldn't part with. Nostalgia, I suppose, but it's also been in the packing boxes for a few moves now.

Suddenly I see a major resurgence of vinyl and record players. What is old and new again, but I remember when we gave up records in favor of higher definition and clarity. We also gave up the fragility of records, the scratches, the skips...

What drove this movement? I am intensely interested in this reverse revolution from an intellectual perspective.

When CD's came out, I remember being skeptical, but slowly the record stores disappeared and it was much easier for audio related stores, that didn't have records, to carry CD's. Then audio stores added CD players for home and Cars! So, then we had a readily available option for multi use. My first car CD player was awesome, had a tray that ejected and didn't skip a beat. Fast forward 30 years. Now most people have digital downloads, mp3 player, a cell phone that hook up anywhere. Although, all these other options are not tangible and Vinyl is the biggest 'tangible' option. I think the digital takeover has people nostalgic for something tangible. Oddly enough, even millennials who grew up in the digital age. To much screen time. You cant roll one on a digital download.... just a thought

 

[chris661]

Also one could argue that CD/digital are intentaily limited artificially, raised levels in post (compression) and the rest of the bandwidth is filled with inaudible noise so they hardly using the full potential of the format in most cases, so again i could argue what's the point of digital, its not a clear cut as your making out, neither or are the best medium for sonic retrieval both have the pit falls and pluses for replay.

It looks like you've forgotten the horrendous amount of compression (particularly at low-frequencies) that vinyl requires before it's even cut to disc! That would be on top of all the other processing that gets done:

Every piece of music you've seen on CD or vinyl has been compressed and limited. It's part of the mastering process, where the finished mix is sent to a mastering engineer, who will apply EQ and compression to the overall piece of music, to ensure the sound is good (or at least acceptable) on a wide range of speaker systems (anything from laptop/phone speakers to a car stereo to the top-end studio monitors).

As a live sound engineer that also does some recording work, I have access to lots of recordings which DON'T have any dynamic compression, and let me tell you this - you wouldn't want to listen to them. Musicians can have a very wide dynamic range (consider the volume difference from a whisper to a scream). Do you really want those volume swings to happen in your living room?

Chris

 

[Deleted member 108165]

As an aside , repress covers are seriously poor compared to the original I think , horrible looking things compared to the originals. I stand by my ideal , released on vinyl , buy an original copy , released on cd only , digital forever.

Couldn't agree more with this. Having many original LPs and comparing them to remastered versions the originals are without doubt the better sounding. I've found that this applies equally to both formats.

 

[Sir Ken Smith OBE]

1. Hipsters
2. Brick-walled CD's

 

[plastic penguin]

In my house records or vinyl has never been away - it's been a constant through all the different formats that's emerged.

It's not just the sound but the large cover and notes (in some cases you get booklets). It is an experience rather than plonking a piece of music on or in your system.

I'm on my fourth turntable since 1978 and is still the 'go to' format for me.

 

[Markmaguire]

One of my considerations for starting to buy vinyl again is that the artists make more on royalties than the pittance that streaming platform pay. Especially important when they can’t make money on ticket sales at the moment.

 

[jaymcc14]

Hi,

I own a collection of 3000+ records. Many will say it's all about "the warm sound" but I personally feel it's almost like collecting art. Many album covers are a true masterpiece and I always appreciate all the artwork that comes with a record. It also kind of forces you to listen to a full song and or album rather than skipping the tracks on your phone all the time...

totally agree, you feel more connected and involved with the music on vinyl.

 

[iMark]

Whenever I read about "nicer perceived sound" I scratch my head and think of my late father. He was a great lover of classical music and collected many LPs back in the day. He was always disappointed about the sound of LPs because over time the sound would deteriorate due to regular play and conditions. Clicks and pops would really annoy him. I now own a very decent stereo system with the best record player I've ever owned. It's nostalgic fun to play the records from the 1960s and 1970s and I marvel at some of the incredible recorded sound. But the same recordings on a well mastered CD are much more revealing and play without distortion, noise, wow and flutter nor clicks and pops. There is simply no comparison in playback quality.

My father would have loved CDs that would sound perfect every time you play them. I do get the love for artwork, info and legibility of LP covers compared to CD booklets.

 

[DCarmi]

There are so many things wrong with vinyl medium. It is fragile, quite expensive and you have to flip the things over every 25 minutes or so. Also, you have to clean them, carefully and they are extremely unportable and not easy to store.

It is definitely not a fashion statement. Most people I know don't get it.

In my case the rationale is similar as those who e.g. prefer books to ebooks and pictures to eframes. They are just "nice". I prefer them. When I listen to vinyl, I am actively listening and experiencing. I am not letting the music wash over me whilst I am doing something else. I have Spotify for that.

 

[Greenwich_Man]

I find that records sound so much better than CDs

 

[TrevC]

I find that records sound so much better than CDs

I can find the odd example where a CD is inferior, but that's about it. A CD can capture the sound of the master tape, an LP will never manage that. In terms of artwork and nostalgia, of course the LP wins.

 

[TrevC]

1. Hipsters
2. Brick-walled CD's

I've never bought one of those brick walled ones. All of mine have plastic cases or cardboard sleeves.

 

[iMark]

I find that classical and jazz sounds much better on CD than on LP.

 

[nopiano]

I find that classical and jazz sounds much better on CD than on LP.

You’re not alone!

 

[scene]

There are so many things wrong with vinyl medium. It is fragile, quite expensive and you have to flip the things over every 25 minutes or so. Also, you have to clean them, carefully and they are extremely unportable and not easy to store.

It is definitely not a fashion statement. Most people I know don't get it.

In my case the rationale is similar as those who e.g. prefer books to ebooks and pictures to eframes. They are just "nice". I prefer them. When I listen to vinyl, I am actively listening and experiencing. I am not letting the music wash over me whilst I am doing something else. I have Spotify for that.

I think a lot of the vinyl resurgence has been triggered by people who think that music is being controlled by the larger companies, especially those who have the lion's share of the streaming market. As noted by other posters, although there is a vinyl resurgence, it's still quite niche (in plain sales terms) and seen also as counter-cultural. People buy it because they want to make a statement about themselves and want to make sure artists get a fair share.

Yes, records do degrade more than CDs and are a right royal pain in the butt to maintain (cleaning, storing, etc.), but as I noted above they're a bit like wearing your favourite jumper - it may have faded a bit, and lost some of its shape - but it feels comfortable. I have records that I have on CD, ripped to my NAS and have streamed, often higher quality than either the CD or definitely the vinyl - but they don't sound quite right. Not as I think they should sound. Quentin Tarantino gets it - the music in a lot of the films isn't re-recorded, or taken from some master recording, it's straight from *his* copy of the record, so it sounds exactly like he thinks it should sound...

 

[Greenwich_Man]

I find now that by plugging in a digital lead from my CD player to my amp, I can now get much better sound than on LPs.

I'm a convert to digital.

 

[iMark]

Do you mean that the DAC in your amp is better than the one in your CD player?

 

[Greenwich_Man]

It seems that way

 

[Friesiansam]

I resent that statement, me owning what i have is not fashion statement (or for others) i worked hard to save for what i have and i care greatly about the sound that is reproduced, I wouldn't be here otherwise.

For enthusiasts, like you, I'm sure it is not a fashion statement but, for many it is, especially those who buy vinyl just to display them on a wall.

 

[Secretagentmole]

Vinyl sounds better. Maybe it is as simple as that...

 

[Secretagentmole]

Couldn't agree more with this. Having many original LPs and comparing them to remastered versions the originals are without doubt the better sounding. I've found that this applies equally to both formats.

I forgot that aspect when I posted that vinyl sounds better. You do need an original from analogue master copy...

 

[iMark]

I don't agree. Classical music sounds better on CD than on LP, even when the original recording was on analogue tape. The absence of noise, clicks and pops makes a huge difference when listening to classical music.

 

[Secretagentmole]

I don't agree. Classical music sounds better on CD than on LP, even when the original recording was on analogue tape. The absence of noise, clicks and pops makes a huge difference when listening to classical music.

If you are getting clicks and pops either you have a bad record, bad stylus or a bad record deck...