RSSVinyl is here to stay, for now
Aug 25
Are records on their way out, finally?
So, apparently we don’t know yet. I’ve always been a CD person, myself. Some of my friends are record junkies, but I’ve never fully understood why. I did recently finally start to believe that records can sound better than CDs.
It really boils down to a digital vs. analog format question, and the digital side typically restricts it’s range of frequencies to those that can be heard by the human ear. It does make sense to me now that analog can have a richer sound, mainly because the supposedly “inaudible” frequencies can still have an effect on what we hear. For example: when mixing and post-processing a recorded track those inaudible frequencies can still impact the audible range. An example might be when equalizing the track – some audio may now come into the audible range that wasn’t previously. I guess that’s partially an argument for analog recording but perhaps not an analog final product.
Will I start buying records now? Of course not. I’m definitely willing to accept very slightly lower sound quality for the convenience of CDs. I’m not going to install a record playing in my car or lug all that stuff around.
Contrary to most people these days I haven’t fully jumped on the mp3 bandwagon. Sure, I copy all my CDs to mp3s for convenient playing while on the computer and on my player, but I’ve never gotten into mass downloading or purchasing online. I like owning the CD, or I guess some physical manifestiation of the music. This is partly because I know how fleeting something digital is, but mostly because I think music should be purchased. I don’t care about the legalities of it but artists do need to be paid or else we’ll lose full-time musicians. Yes, perhaps there are better schemes we could invent to get more of the money to where it belongs – the artists – but in absense of that we can’t just stop paying the artists. One solution is to buy from smaller labels, which naturally pay the artists a higher percentage per CD.
Aug 25, 2006 @ 11:21:24
My music collection is primarily MP3s, but lately I’ve begun actually paying for CDs. There are two reasons for this. First, the CDs I buy are generally for bands that aren’t on a big label, so I figure they can use all the help they can get.
Second, I realized that any music saved to a harddrive in a digital file format like MP3 is ultimately doomed. Within ten years, the majority of those files will be gone. Whether it’s because the file format is out of date, the computer crashed or the iPod was stolen, digital music has a limited shelf life. CDs and vinyl records get traded, sold, autographed, and collected every day. They become more valuable with age, instead of less.
Oct 06, 2006 @ 10:02:01
Well I have been a vinyl DJ for many years and to me I am just happy with what I am used too. The are many reasons why I have not switched over to Cd’s or MP3′s. Let me break it down..
Cd’s positive-
1}As a DJ who travels Cd’s are a great choice because of their easy storage and weight.
2}Cd’s are much cheaper to acquire vs Vinyl which usually cost 7-10$ dollars a record as where most wave files, downloads, and CD masters are 2-4$ a track.
3}Some{not all} wave files ala CD formats sound crisper and cleaner on a big system
4}If you play Cd’s you have a better chance of getting new and undiscovered artists
Cd’s-negative
1}Your tracks will and can skip during a DJ set due to easy damage
2}Some people do not understand what compression means and how bit rates affect your MP3′s when you play it on a big system. I have often heard DJ play MP3′s that are too compressed to play on a big system{they sound very distorted}.
3}Cd’s in many ways have taken away the the road of making money for the artist in general. The Cd’s industry has so many outlets that many of today’s artists are losing money. A cheaper format means less money for the artists, plain and simple.
Vinyl-Positives
1}Vinyl has more of a full sound as opposed to Cd’s with more of a hollow sound. This just boils down to analog vs digital{they both are cool}
2}As it stands now there is a greater selection of cool tracks{white labels} and some major releases that never make it to CD. Some of the worlds major labels have withdrawn from the digital format{for what reason I have no idea}. Its often the case that someone will purchase the vinyl and put it on a CD for easy access so in that case it will be available, but not in the best format{IE vinyl to CD download may involve compression}.
3}Vinyl is almost impossible to damage and I speak from experience. I have played many outdoor parties with dust, moisture etc and my most of my records still sound as good as the day I bought them{I take care of my vinyl, some people don’t}.
4}Vinyl gives back money to the artist because there is a lot of time and effort{IE artwork, pressing etc} put into most records. This makes it a more appealing product in general and costs more to purchase. Pressing a record and selling to a store helps the artist acquire major funds even before the record is sold. Its very simple really if you think about it.
5}The hunt for vinyl is always a lot of fun. I have found that many old tracks, rare songs, and limited test pressing can only be found on Vinyl. Everyone has access to Cd’s and often if you attempt to look for older stuff or rare fun you will not find it on CD. Being a DJ mean being diverse, and hunting down that one cool record can be a lot more of an experience than just downloading a wave file that 10,000 other people downloaded today. The CD industry is a lot more watered down {just my thought, not a general statement} because everyone and their momma has the same tracks. This is not the case with vinyl DJ’s.
6}The feel of a vinyl record is much more physical and enables you to get more creative with your mixes. I love the way the records spins and I really enjoy the manual control.
Vinyl-Negative
1}The weight of vinyl can be almost frightening at times. Naturally they weigh a lot and for that reason they can become annoying at times.
2}When a record does get some damage you can not fix it{depending on the severity of the damage}. One of the major drawbacks to vinyl is the fact that records are not easy to obtain in most cases. Once their gone you must wish them good bye. In this department Cd’s take the cake.
3}Storage can become a problem and in my case I have over 20,000 records and I was running out of room 3 years ago. Unlike Cd’s they take up a lot of room and came make your studio look some what buried{which is not a bad thing}.
So in any case both formats provide a great experience and its all comes down to personal choice. They both have their pro’s and con’s so in the event you decide to play both, you will have the upper hand because both formats have negative aspects. The future of vinyl is strong, we will just have to see what happens.