Vinyl vs. CDs: why vinyl?

[Not Right in the Head]

I have a confession and a question. I first got into music in the mid-80s, and I bought vinyl (not cassettes!) by the armload. But when CDs came out a couple years later, I switched to those for almost everything (even re-buying titles that I had on LP). And so it went until just a few months ago. When this forum and Stephane's Passions inspired me to complete the gaps in my Smiths collection, I realized that vinyl doesn't appear to have died as completely as I'd thought. A quick look at eBay listings proves this. So my confession is that I just can't see why so many are still seriously collecting vinyl. I'll buy it only if there's no CD source for a given song. Is there any reason why I should hold on to my Smiths LPs if I have them on CD, and haven't listened to the LPs for 15 years? WTF?

[Oh my god, it's Robby!]

I have a confession and a question. I first got into music in the mid-80s, and I bought vinyl (not cassettes!) by the armload. But when CDs came out a couple years later, I switched to those for almost everything (even re-buying titles that I had on LP). And so it went until just a few months ago. When this forum and Stephane's Passions inspired me to complete the gaps in my Smiths collection, I realized that vinyl doesn't appear to have died as completely as I'd thought. A quick look at eBay listings proves this. So my confession is that I just can't see why so many are still seriously collecting vinyl. I'll buy it only if there's no CD source for a given song. Is there any reason why I should hold on to my Smiths LPs if I have them on CD, and haven't listened to the LPs for 15 years? WTF?

for $?
maybe
or to be an old school vinyl snob

[Grim O'Grady]

aye get shut of it, it's only cluttering a cupboard eh, tell you what mate I'll do you a big favour & take it off your hands, no charge, can't say fairer thanthateh?

love

Grim

[Dave]

what he said. and the other one too.

it's the cool factor partly. Music aside it's a much better package to hold and look at.

The other thing is the difference between the way the analog music is a continuous spectrum, whereas digital music is a series of snapshots of the music, captured in time and played in sequence, but no matter how small the individual timeframes are, there are still the gaps.

Whether you can actually tell the gaps are there or not, I don't know. I've heard even mp3's of music played through fairly cheap earphones that sounded really great to me. It depends on what you're used to. If you had a top of the line stereo that you listened to vinyl on, and your ears were trained to that, you might hear that digital difference. Most people can't tell though, and even some musicians who were previously anti-digital have started recording that way for the convenience.

That is another point. You have to consider how the music was first recorded, in the analog or digital formats. Maybe Digital music sounds better through digital equipment? Or maybe analog helps to fill in those gaps.

Finally, there is the matter of natural compression. Compression adds warmth to the sound, and something in the way a vinyl record is physically laid out causes a natural compression and warmth to appear when it's played on a turntable. Cassettes are a whole different matter. That's analog also, but it's just for convenience, and cassettes are probably the least desirable sound of the three.


Vinyl is best for collecting though.

Hey, I have a question. I just got this on CD. Is there a vinyl version and is the vinyl version the one that sells for $100+ ? I paid a lot less than that. Might want to sell, but I had seen used copies listed for sale for over $100. I don't remember if those were vinyl or CD though.

I've only ever heard the mp3's of these songs. Should I open it?


getting ready to take off to Pasadena!

[Kuiper]

Hey, I have a question. I just got this on CD. Is there a vinyl version and is the vinyl version the one that sells for $100+ ? I paid a lot less than that. Might want to sell, but I had seen used copies listed for sale for over $100. I don't remember if those were vinyl or CD though.

I've only ever heard the mp3's of these songs. Should I open it?


getting ready to take off to Pasadena!

I am 99% certain there was never a vinyl release of it. You might as well open it if you only resisted because of the possibility of a vinyl version.

[Sir Alec]

How many copies of Rare Tracks are still circulating? I'm afraid I will never be able to find it below $60.

[Anna]

techy details aside a lot of people say vinyls are better than cds because cds are ugly and heartless. personally i dont see this, cds artwork can be nice too, with a nice booklet and even better if they are not jewel case. look at thom yorke's the eraser, arcade fire's funeral, belle and sebastian's life pursuit (not the jewel case version obviously) and nearly every limited edition like badly drawn boy's born in the uk, cat power's the greatest etc etc. i love vinyls and cds just the same but i realise vinyl has a greater appeal because of nostalgia, coolness factor etc.

[Grim O'Grady]

it's more to do with the senses & I suppose nostagia.
Go into hmv or any of the other stores today, they are heartless sanitised conformed robotic & so are the display racks.
Go in to an independent shop & right away the eyes get an attack of great displays, cabinets & staff that know what they are talking about usually & are happy to help rather than just to be told "3rd row, half way down under 'S'."
Back in the 'indie' shop once your eyes become accustomed, your nose gets that old well worn, loved & cherished vinyl smell.
So ok maybe you've to have better hearing than me to be able to detect the difference but what does that make?
In praise of cd's it's quite right the booklets are good. & they are good as mp3 discs for in the car, not that any of the store chains sell mp3's made up to the users requirement (I don't think?).
I still play my vinyl, these days it's not as popular but I guess it's what you grow up with, I'll always keep my records being played, though I must admit I've got a lot stored away in the attic that may never feel the weight of the needle nor the sound click through the speakers!
I read somewhere that in the next few years they will stop the production of vinyl, so if one is looking for something as an investment I guess now is the time to get buying. Oh & get the floor covering cheap whilst you still can.

love

Grim

[Anna]

oh really? thats sad if it happens, but why would they stop it? i thought it was obvious that theres a vinyl revival the last few years, even young people who grew up with cds start collecting vinyls. does it have to do with production cost or something similar?

[punky bunnymen bunnyfan]

Bottom line, just look (and listen) at the quality of a vinyl.
Hearing all of those little "cracks and splits" is what makes the music so emotional too.
If I could go back to vinyls, I would in a heartbeat. I collect certain bands actually on vinyl now and find most of their work in thrift shops yet, I find them as treasures not trash as they were donated.

[Grim O'Grady]

oh really? thats sad if it happens, but why would they stop it? i thought it was obvious that theres a vinyl revival the last few years, even young people who grew up with cds start collecting vinyls. does it have to do with production cost or something similar?

it was ages ago I read about it, not sure if it was a paper or digital article? Anyhoo I think the gist was that it's not 'green' enough to continue it's production or summat, sorry to be so vague.

love

Grim

[Not Right in the Head]

Alright, so the consensus seems to be that vinyl's being kept alive not necessarily because of superior sound quality (though, as punky pointed out, the crackles and pops have a nostalgic ring), but because of aesthetic reasons. I was just surprised to see things like Sonic Youth's stuff being re-released in deluxe, 4-LP box sets for $80. Still, I don't know why anyone would pay $25 for an 180-gram Your Arsenal LP reissue, other than for pure collectibility. Besides, after I digitize my LPs, then I'll really never listen to them on LP format again.

[Not Right in the Head]

Hey, I have a question. I just got this on CD. Is there a vinyl version and is the vinyl version the one that sells for $100+ ? I paid a lot less than that. Might want to sell, but I had seen used copies listed for sale for over $100. I don't remember if those were vinyl or CD though.

I've only ever heard the mp3's of these songs. Should I open it?

Sell Rare Tracks for $100, then spend $50 or so collecting the three singles from Maladjusted. "Alma Matters" is cheap ($5), "Satan" is a bit more ($10), and "Roy's Keen" is the hardest to find ($30). Can't understand why anybody but the most hard-core collector needs Rare Tracks.

[Chartres]

Alright, so the consensus seems to be that vinyl's being kept alive not necessarily because of superior sound quality (though, as punky pointed out, the crackles and pops have a nostalgic ring), but because of aesthetic reasons. I was just surprised to see things like Sonic Youth's stuff being re-released in deluxe, 4-LP box sets for $80. Still, I don't know why anyone would pay $25 for an 180-gram Your Arsenal LP reissue, other than for pure collectibility. Besides, after I digitize my LPs, then I'll really never listen to them on LP format again.

Cause the dollar is incredibly cheap these days, $25 is quite cheap for an LP seen in SEK. Plus you can get an original printing for the same price. Plus there's often a different sound on vinyl, am I the only one who thinks "You Have Killed Me" sounds different on vinyl thatn CD?

[Black Eyed]

I mainly collected the vinlys for their matrix phrases, sad he dosn't do that now, cos I miss them. For instance OUR SOULS, OUR SOULS, OUR SOULS. or I DREAMT ABOUT STEW LAST NIGHT. or the best COOK BERNARD MATHEWS

I also have all the CD's but they seem cold and characterless to me. I love carefully holding the vinyls and the size alone makes you feel you have something special in your hands.

[punky bunnymen bunnyfan]

By the way, I forgot to mention in my previous post too, that the Reasonance level is the main reason for the less than perfect sounds, hence, the "cracks". LOVE them though...

[Not Right in the Head]

Cause the dollar is incredibly cheap these days, $25 is quite cheap for an LP seen in SEK. Plus you can get an original printing for the same price. Plus there's often a different sound on vinyl, am I the only one who thinks "You Have Killed Me" sounds different on vinyl thatn CD?

You're probably the only one who's heard it on both CD and vinyl.

p.s. What's "SEK"?

[The Seeker of Good Songs]

http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/sho...ighlight=vinyl


http://brianstagg.co.uk/p_t_a_clipressed/

[nightandday]

what he said. and the other one too.

it's the cool factor partly. Music aside it's a much better package to hold and look at.

The other thing is the difference between the way the analog music is a continuous spectrum, whereas digital music is a series of snapshots of the music, captured in time and played in sequence, but no matter how small the individual timeframes are, there are still the gaps.

Whether you can actually tell the gaps are there or not, I don't know. I've heard even mp3's of music played through fairly cheap earphones that sounded really great to me. It depends on what you're used to. If you had a top of the line stereo that you listened to vinyl on, and your ears were trained to that, you might hear that digital difference. Most people can't tell though, and even some musicians who were previously anti-digital have started recording that way for the convenience.

That is another point. You have to consider how the music was first recorded, in the analog or digital formats. Maybe Digital music sounds better through digital equipment? Or maybe analog helps to fill in those gaps.

Finally, there is the matter of natural compression. Compression adds warmth to the sound, and something in the way a vinyl record is physically laid out causes a natural compression and warmth to appear when it's played on a turntable. Cassettes are a whole different matter. That's analog also, but it's just for convenience, and cassettes are probably the least desirable sound of the three.


Vinyl is best for collecting though.

Hey, I have a question. I just got this on CD. Is there a vinyl version and is the vinyl version the one that sells for $100+ ? I paid a lot less than that. Might want to sell, but I had seen used copies listed for sale for over $100. I don't remember if those were vinyl or CD though.

You sound like an expert...

Can you tell me what it means when it's said that tracks have been "digitally remastered" from the original tapes?

What difference exactly would there be in sound between those and the same tracks from the vinyl releases? I've had the chance to make such a comparison (provided that mp3 ripped from vinyl really sound like the vinyl itself?) and there is quite a difference... I'm not why exactly it is so.