Sox Shuffle Continues
Friday Afternoon Diversion
Jay-Z Announces 2010 Tour Dates. Chicago Not On List.
I Fight Dragon$
"Batman" Headline Is a Stretch, But Prison Escape Story Could Be Its Own Movie
Yeah, yeah, yeah, so everyone’s hip with their latest funky colored iPods or some other, equally lilliputian device of coolness. But, to truly be cool (see picture above) and hear music at its best, one needs only sample some old-fashioned vinyl. With its warm, natural sound, and the cheap prices at the many used record shops around the city, vinyl lives!
Click image for larger size.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
Vinyl lives... and at the center of the photo are Neil Diamond and Barry Manilow. Yep. Awesome.
Is that Reckless on Broadway?
I love the smell of a record shop.
I think most people can't hear the difference, or attribute the sound of dirty, degraded vinyl (and their phono jack's low-end boost) to "warmth". Vinyl is analogue; the more you play it, the worse it sounds. Most music released in the past fifteen years has been produced and recorded digitally, so that "hip" vinyl pressing is of no better quality than the CD pressing. Vinyl lives because so many people want to be DJs, and think they need turntables to do so.
I think vinyl is great because it forces the ADD afflicted among us to actually have patience and listen to a whole record... at least it does that for me.
Pylbug you're wrong about vinyl it does sound better. I am a vinyl DJ and there is no comparison to sound quality from a cd and vinyl. It sounds warm and alive, vs (C)old and (D)igital. (and Don't even get me started on mp3's)
I can't tell you how many times other djs have approached my booth and commented on the superb sound quality. And if you think its easier to mix a cd than it is to mix vinyl you obviously have never actually done it. Only in vinyl can you automatically find your breaks without even having to listen to the recording.
Vinyl is great regardless of the recording method for two primary reasons. When DJing, it allows you the maximum control of your music as well as building your sense of timing and DJ fundamentals. Also, no DRM or other copy protection on vinyl.
Vinyl is great regardless of the recording method for two primary reasons. When DJing, it allows you the maximum control of your music as well as building your sense of timing and DJ fundamentals. Also, no DRM or other copy protection on vinyl.
Of course, if you really want to focus on vinyl, you should throw up a picture of Dusty Groove, not Reckless.
Both formats have their virtues
The thing is, you need really good equipment and need to keep your vinyl in excellent condition to experience that warmth. Unfortunately, it's not always possible for most people to achieve these optimal conditions.
I GREW UP LISTENING TO VINYL. WHEN I DIVORCED THE EXTENSIVE VINYL COLLECTION (1700+ lp'S) WAS A MAJOR CUSTODY BATTLE. AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE, DIGITAL IS MUCH BETTER SOUND-WISE, BUT ALBUM COVER ART IS A DEAD GENRE, AND THAT IS SAD.
In an age when you can burn downloaded tracks onto CDs, LPs offer something a little more tangible and permanent for a little less money, and most of that money goes to small labels that give more to the artists. For new LPs that is. Viva vinyl!
Thanks for the comments guys. Glad this sparked up some animated conversation. And yeah, vinyl rules!
My hats off to pylbug for making a comment that I've wanted to shout from the rooftops for years (but haven't, for fear of being strung up by an army of posers).
Vinyl's only power is to take the listener (typicly someone over 30, like myself) back to a past time and place.
It doesn't actually sound better.
Somone should make an add-on device for i-Pods that duplicates the scratching sound of vinyl that everyone seems to love. I'll bet it would sell like hotcakes.
i don't always like digital remastering. sometimes it's ok, but many times it changes the recording for the worse. i'd like to cite black sabbath volume 4 as a prime example. so my arguement isn't that vinyl sounds better than digital/CD, but that vinyl, esp old vinyl, is more true to the original artistic vision. it hasn't had some greasy sound engineer's hands all over it after it was released...
As an owner of all formats from 78's to mp3s I can say that *old* quality made records definitely sound better, listen to an old 45 explode off the turntable and then listed to a cd of the same track *insert deflating baloon sound here*. Tube driven equipment even better. This isn't about not embracing technology, it's just *fact*. Technology is getting better at quality warm sound but.....
There's a reason people want analog synthesizers
There's a reason older tube guitar amplifiers sell for more than solid state. etc. etc.
good point inre: tubes. distortion generated through digital processors can't hold a candle to actual overdriven tubes.
i've noticed a definite "woody" tone that comes from a bass played through a nice tube amp. i've never heard a digital effect that comes close to this.
a tripod makes for a great tripod. I'd like to see some more of your work.
Thanks Mike, very much. Here's more of my work...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dreamerofmeaning/