Another vinyl post

[3db]

Its clear to me that vinyl will never die. It will always remain a niche market but I suspect that niche market will increase 10 fold before reaching its plateau.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080609/ap_on_hi_te/vinyl_retailers;_ylt=AjahyHwGuGTT7JFal.fd3JKs0NUE

 

[Pyrrho]

Interesting article. Here are some quotes that I found particularly interesting:

But it's not just about the sound. Audiophiles say they also want the format's overall experience — the sensory experience of putting the needle on the record, the feeling of side A and side B and the joy of lingering over the liner notes.

"I think music products should be more than just music," said Isaac Hudson, a 28-year-old vinyl fan standing outside one of Portland's larger independent music stores.

Nearly 450 million CDs were sold last year, versus just under 1 million LPs, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Based on the first three months of this year, Nielsen says vinyl album sales could reach 1.6 million in 2008.

Even with the "resurgence" of vinyl, it is still a very tiny percentage of the overall market, and very tiny compared with CD sales.

"Once I got my first iPod ... I'm looking at my wall of CDs and trying to justify it," Millar said. "The things I like — the artwork, the liner notes, the sound quality — it dawns on me, those are things I like better on vinyl." He welcomed back the pops and clicks, even some of the scratches.

"I like that fact that it's imperfect in a lot of ways, live music is imperfect too," Millar said.

My guess is that the market for vinyl will grow a bit in the near future, but will then decline again, like most fads. Only time will tell, though.

 

[itschris]

I have to say that I've been picking up albums here and there over the past year. My wife drags me to antique shops, especially when we go on road trips, and I needed something... anything to make it bearable. One day while about to fall into a coma at an antique shop the wife was only half way through after 30 mnutes, something caught my eye. An old Styx album with Lorelie on it. I always loved that song. I figured what the hell and bought it. 150 miles down the road, we found ourselves at yet another antique shop. They must of had over 1000 records... no joke. The wife was the one begging to leave this time... and I walked out with about 10 lps... mostly odd 12" stuff and remixes from my 80's days, but some good finds nonetheless.

I agree that there's more to the experience of an album... cd is kinda the same but not really and certainly downloading leaves a lot to be desired in that way. At some point, I will pick up a solid turntable and give my discs a spin, but for now, it's been fun collecting.

 

[Rickster71]

I do miss the bigger sized album art. It gets lost with a small CD jewel case.

 

[Pyrrho]

I do miss the bigger sized album art. It gets lost with a small CD jewel case.

I miss it, too. However, when it comes time to put things on shelves, I like the smaller CDs. A lover of downloads can claim the most advantage on shelf space, but it is the worst for album art.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

I do miss the bigger sized album art. It gets lost with a small CD jewel case.

I agree. That is the one and only advantage of vinyl.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I miss it, too. However, when it comes time to put things on shelves, I like the smaller CDs. A lover of downloads can claim the most advantage on shelf space, but it is the worst for album art.

Maybe someone can figure out and include downloadable art. Load it up on a computer and display it with the music Then, it might be bigger than the vinyl cover

 

[chadnliz]

Maybe someone can figure out and include downloadable art. Load it up on a computer and display it with the music Then, it might be bigger than the vinyl cover

That would still be somewhat of a disconnect, sort of like digital as a whole, it
fills your ears but leaves your heart empty.

 

[3db]

Maybe someone can figure out and include downloadable art. Load it up on a computer and display it with the music Then, it might be bigger than the vinyl cover

What??? No way!! I'm not gonna downloaded some undersamplled harsh sounding cover art. The covers on albums sound much better than their "tiny wish I were big cover art" of CDs

 

[mtrycrafts]

What??? No way!! I'm not gonna downloaded some undersamplled harsh sounding cover art. The covers on albums sound much better than their "tiny wish I were big cover art" of CDs

How about an oversampled cover off of the vinyl brother? Or, is this becoming just an excuse?

 

[mtrycrafts]

That would still be somewhat of a disconnect, sort of like digital as a whole, it
fills your ears but leaves your heart empty.

Then, what you are saying, it is not the cover art you are after?

 

[3db]

How about an oversampled cover off of the vinyl brother? Or, is this becoming just an excuse?

maybe....maybe not

 

[Brett A]

Even with the "resurgence" of vinyl, it is still a very tiny percentage of the overall market, and very tiny compared with CD sales.

...For now.

I expect that the CD will become more obsolete then the LP at some point. Already CD retailers are bitting the dust because there just isn't that much need to transport digital signals in a physical form. That said, there will always (I mean in our lifetimes) be people interested in redbook CDs, but I bet it'll eventually be a smaller niche than the LP folks.

Folks who dig analog will always be around, and LPs are the best way to enjoy non-digitized music (unless some new analog format storms onto the scene, but I don't see that happening.) The folks who are into analog tape such as cassette and reel to reel are out there too, but in really small numbers.

 

[croseiv]

I like the sound of vinyl compared to digital recordings. In general there is a much warmer sound to vinyl recordings.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

I like the sound of vinyl compared to digital recordings. In general there is a much warmer sound to vinyl recordings.

That "warmth" is a form of distortion.

 

[chadnliz]

That "warmth" is a form of distortion.

Digital looks "perfect" on paper but we all know that isnt true, what is called "Distortion" is a pleasing coloration that most enjoy, Digital is easy and portable......like a Microwave meal, Vinyl is a gourmet dinner.

 

[Pyrrho]

Digital looks "perfect" on paper but we all know that isnt true, what is called "Distortion" is a pleasing coloration that most enjoy, Digital is easy and portable......like a Microwave meal, Vinyl is a gourmet dinner.

The distortion that you enjoy can be recorded onto a CD, and then it will sound the same as if you were listening to a recording in which the medium added the distortion.

However, this idea goes against the basic and original idea of recording sound, as it would be no longer the idea of accurately recreating the original sound of music, but of something else. This explains why it is not typically done (not to mention the fact that there are others, like me, who really don't want extra distortion).

The extra distortion could also be added with special circuitry; perhaps some audio company will make a device, through which all of one's audio is processed, to screw up the frequency response, add wow and flutter, as well as other distortion, to make relatively undistorted recordings sound like they were on an LP. But, most likely, there would be little market for such a device, as it would require "audiophiles" to face reality a bit more than most of them are willing to do.

 

[mtrycrafts]

...what is called "Distortion" is a pleasing coloration that most enjoy, ...

What do you do at a live event, say a concert, where there is no artificial distortion is added? Not go in the first place since it must not be pleasing without such distortion?

 

[3db]

What distortion is added into a vinyl recording? I would like to know? I've compared both CD and vinyl recordings and noticed know distortion from the vinyl side.

 

[chadnliz]

Live doesnt have the flaws of either Digital or Vinyl and it cant be compared, the whole point to this is a prefered method of playback, not live.
Look this can be argued back and fourth but the fact is many prefer Vinyl, some like Digital and think its perfect but maybe we should all spend more time listening to music instead of playing these games telling folks they are wrong for prefering one over another, what a novel idea.....an opinion and personal choice being respected. I have more Digital than Vinyl and enjoy both but prefer Vinyl when its available like many others, why does anyone have the time or feel the need to question that?