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Vinyl is back. Now outselling the product that virtually killed it, the CD. But why? As a music collector I couldn't wait to see the back of vinyl, though I did miss being able to read the sleeve notes and inserts without the need of a microscope as with the CD. But that was the only advantage of the vinyl LP imo. They scratched, they warped and you had to get up to turn the disc over to hear a second installment of the album. Plus you needed a healthy stylus and a good turn table drive belt if you wanted to get any half decent sound and the disc to turn at the correct revolutions. John Peel once quoted that background noise is essential. Well yes, to a point, but when listening to music I don't want to listen to snap, crackle and pop Rice Crispy noises often associated with vinyl ruining my listening experience. So why the resurgence in this outdated form of listening material I ask myself? Is it just a fad? Is it a niche market for hipsters who I hear hang their LP's on the walls in their retro decor abodes rather than play them. Are they back to fuel nostalgic 40 to 50 somethings of what life was like before the word digital conquered the tech world. I don't buy this old romantic tosh I've heard it said by some music fans, they like the smell of vinyl, especially after it has come off the turn table a bit warmer than when it went on. Or the experience of delicately pulling the LP out of its paper sleeve and relishing the site of the glossy disc poised carefully in the tips of your fingers. Tripe! Just play the bloody thing! Plus vinyl these days is expensive often horribly so. I still have lots of vinyl LPs though I've sold a few and a good turntable of 30 years vintage, but I rarely play them. They are just a collection of my listening past. And that's where vinyl belongs, in the past or cluttering up corners of charity shops or antique and collectors stores. Any fans or detractors of vinyl out there like to comment?
I remember leaving my new "Quo Live" double LP on the back parcel shelf of my Austin Allegro for a few minutes on a hot day. Let"s just say I now appreciate modern technology.
Juzzie -- thanks for your post, really really interesting and in the "well I never knew that" category
I always wondered why niche markets like underground dance music didn't carry on releasing vinyl as idiots like me would still spend all our time (and money) in independent sellers like Vinylmania or Black Market. Now I can see these died due to supply not just demand -- I thought CDJ's and Traktor etc were their death knell but maybe not
On the flip side I know vinyl can be a hideous product!!! It's not durable, it's not reliable, it's bloody heavy once you stack out an LP90 record case and it does take up a lot of room; plus it ended up the most expensive of the mediums. However I stand by my original post on this thread -- I love it and always will
Thanks again for your insight
Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal
You can't sign, frame, mount and hang a digital download on the wall as a forever memory
Good luck with your releases next year, not my favourite genre but hats off to anyone who creates music. I'd loved to of been able to cobble together some hooks, bass lines and samples etc
Exactly Lblock, with digital there are of course plus points, ease of use, lightweight, portable, etc.
But vinyl tells a story, its physical, it smells, has a history, feels warm.
The same debate goes in the Synthesiser world with regards to Hardware Synths vs Software Synths. Older generations prefer that hands on approach with hardware and I totally agree.
Of course I totally understand the music I make is very niche and not easy on the ears. It is still underground for a reason but I love that side of it. Think of the Frankie Thread but more underground/harder edged again.
Never too old to learn, I am 32 now and I know I've got years at producing ahead of me, but I wished I'd taken this up years ago. I am not a trained keyboardist by any stretch but have self taught and studied a small amount of music theory and that has helped no end plus I am quite persistent which helps.
Plus the genre I make it is very easy for someone to chuck a few samples together and create a track. The difference is, is that if you can actually use a bit of music theory and think outside the box you can actually make a good name for yourself within it.
Thanks for the best wishes I am really looking forward to 2017 for "Worldwide Epidemic"
Some are Breakbeat Hardcore and others are House. Most are poorly bedroom produced tracks, pressed in limited numbers then become really sought after in years gone by.
I remember leaving my new "Quo Live" double LP on the back parcel shelf of my Austin Allegro for a few minutes on a hot day. Let"s just say I now appreciate modern technology.
Always a great sound for me but i'm old school the kids got me one of these decks a few years back to connect to the PC so that i could record all to my iPod blood great - started with great intention to get stuff on to it but sadly failed after a few day due to could not be bothered to play the whole track to get on to iPod lol . Still have my deck from the 80's a technics and a great sound from it but doubt i will ever listen to the collection in its entirety ever again have in the region of 10,000 Vinyl ( used to be a DJ ) have some outstanding tunes but also have some total dross. Back in the 80's I would by stuff that never got played and some that got over played. Still have lots that have never been taken out of the wrapping sad I know but thats what happened you bought a tune just incase someone asked for it to be played yet hoped no one would ever ask for it lol
Some are Breakbeat Hardcore and others are House. Most are poorly bedroom produced tracks, pressed in limited numbers then become really sought after in years gone by.
Silky mate, good tunes on your soundcloud. Reminds me a bit of Basement records with a bit of Hectic records thrown in. Proper hardcore sounds brother. :)
Silky mate, good tunes on your soundcloud. Reminds me a bit of Basement records with a bit of Hectic records thrown in. Proper hardcore sounds brother. :)
[Post edited 23 Dec 2016 23:51]
Ron Wells aka Jack Smooth is my favourite producer. It's a great compliment to hear how they remind you of Basement Records.
I now own most of the Synths he used back in the day to produce my music.
Every year I end up saying this, as another rash of VINYL IS BACK! stories are run.
Vinyl is not back, in any meaningful sense. Its sales are a tiny fraction of the music market. In 2014, the big story was that vinyl sales had passed the million mark. That meant, in practice, that the total sales of all new vinyl in the UK — every record available on vinyl — were less than the sales via download and CD of Ed Sheeran's album that year.
This year, the story is that vinyl is overtaking downloads. The real story is not vinyl surging, but the bottom falling out of download sales because of streaming. More to the point, the "vinyl overtakes downloads" stories were based on one week's sales. Just one week.
As for the notion that you get a different, warmer sound on vinyl. Well, scientists tend to poo-poo the notion that people can tell the difference between different music formats (read How Music Got Free by Stephen Witt if you want to know more - it's a brilliant book). More to the point is the fact that even if true, that would only apply to music recorded on analogue equipment. Most albums today are recorded digitally, so a vinyl version is just a straight transfer from the CD master. In effect, it's a poorer quality reproduction, just as your TDK C90 of a favourite album was a poorer quality reproduction of the original vinyl.
Finally, can you cite proof that vinyl outsells CDs? I'm pretty sure CD is by some distance still the biggest single "ownership" sales portion of the market, more than vinyl or downloads by far.
Every year I end up saying this, as another rash of VINYL IS BACK! stories are run.
Vinyl is not back, in any meaningful sense. Its sales are a tiny fraction of the music market. In 2014, the big story was that vinyl sales had passed the million mark. That meant, in practice, that the total sales of all new vinyl in the UK — every record available on vinyl — were less than the sales via download and CD of Ed Sheeran's album that year.
This year, the story is that vinyl is overtaking downloads. The real story is not vinyl surging, but the bottom falling out of download sales because of streaming. More to the point, the "vinyl overtakes downloads" stories were based on one week's sales. Just one week.
As for the notion that you get a different, warmer sound on vinyl. Well, scientists tend to poo-poo the notion that people can tell the difference between different music formats (read How Music Got Free by Stephen Witt if you want to know more - it's a brilliant book). More to the point is the fact that even if true, that would only apply to music recorded on analogue equipment. Most albums today are recorded digitally, so a vinyl version is just a straight transfer from the CD master. In effect, it's a poorer quality reproduction, just as your TDK C90 of a favourite album was a poorer quality reproduction of the original vinyl.
Finally, can you cite proof that vinyl outsells CDs? I'm pretty sure CD is by some distance still the biggest single "ownership" sales portion of the market, more than vinyl or downloads by far.
Every year I end up saying this, as another rash of VINYL IS BACK! stories are run.
Vinyl is not back, in any meaningful sense. Its sales are a tiny fraction of the music market. In 2014, the big story was that vinyl sales had passed the million mark. That meant, in practice, that the total sales of all new vinyl in the UK — every record available on vinyl — were less than the sales via download and CD of Ed Sheeran's album that year.
This year, the story is that vinyl is overtaking downloads. The real story is not vinyl surging, but the bottom falling out of download sales because of streaming. More to the point, the "vinyl overtakes downloads" stories were based on one week's sales. Just one week.
As for the notion that you get a different, warmer sound on vinyl. Well, scientists tend to poo-poo the notion that people can tell the difference between different music formats (read How Music Got Free by Stephen Witt if you want to know more - it's a brilliant book). More to the point is the fact that even if true, that would only apply to music recorded on analogue equipment. Most albums today are recorded digitally, so a vinyl version is just a straight transfer from the CD master. In effect, it's a poorer quality reproduction, just as your TDK C90 of a favourite album was a poorer quality reproduction of the original vinyl.
Finally, can you cite proof that vinyl outsells CDs? I'm pretty sure CD is by some distance still the biggest single "ownership" sales portion of the market, more than vinyl or downloads by far.
Reasons/schmeasons.... I love the way on The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill classic album scratches are added for atmospheric effect.
In your post you display all the forensic formidable informed arguing technique of a leader writer but have you got sentimental touch and feel and imagination..in short what we romantically call soul? Nostalgia always sells,innit MH?
Merry Xmas comrade ginger journo and to all my righteous fellow dismayed 48ers at Farringdon Road. #KeepHope #KeepFaith May you all keep up the good fight in these dread populist protectionist backward-looking times. As Piers Brendon could tell you it looks like we might be on the cusp of entering a 1930's like dark valley again... #KeepTheHatchesUnbattoned..we must be open for students,communication and trade however rough things become.. #ButGirdUpYourLoinsPourLeDeluge
Do you have an 'I interviewed Ginger Baker and survived' medal/plaque? Here's to a prosperous and relegation free 2017,kind regards 18Stone
'I'm 18 with a bullet.Got my finger on the trigger,I'm gonna pull it.."
Love,Peace and Fook Chelski!
More like 20StoneOfHoop now.
Let's face it I'm not getting any thinner.
Pass the cake and pies please.
Vinyl and CD do share the fact that they're tangible objects. We moved houses this summer and I spent about 6 weeks 'ripping' all my CDs onto my iMac in apple lossless format. The idea was that at that quality I could throw them all away. Then I started rationalising which ones to keep. That number grew steadily, quickly overwhelming the 320 CD holder folder I'd bought. Anyway to cut a long story short I ended up chucking about 150 of them in the bin.
One thing I've been trying to get my head round is the DAC/24 vs 16 bit thing. I had an HDCD player which DACs seem to have superceded, at least I think that's what's happened. The High Def CDs definitely sounded better to me, but some people said that was because they chose the masters more carefully whatever that means.
A hi-fi salesman was telling my friend last month that vinyl is an exact copy whereas CDs involve compression. I know CDs involve some form of compromise but it's hard to believe that a lot of vinyl is an 'exact copy'. Shirley there had to be compromises involved there too for a lot of the vinyl that was produced?
Every year I end up saying this, as another rash of VINYL IS BACK! stories are run.
Vinyl is not back, in any meaningful sense. Its sales are a tiny fraction of the music market. In 2014, the big story was that vinyl sales had passed the million mark. That meant, in practice, that the total sales of all new vinyl in the UK — every record available on vinyl — were less than the sales via download and CD of Ed Sheeran's album that year.
This year, the story is that vinyl is overtaking downloads. The real story is not vinyl surging, but the bottom falling out of download sales because of streaming. More to the point, the "vinyl overtakes downloads" stories were based on one week's sales. Just one week.
As for the notion that you get a different, warmer sound on vinyl. Well, scientists tend to poo-poo the notion that people can tell the difference between different music formats (read How Music Got Free by Stephen Witt if you want to know more - it's a brilliant book). More to the point is the fact that even if true, that would only apply to music recorded on analogue equipment. Most albums today are recorded digitally, so a vinyl version is just a straight transfer from the CD master. In effect, it's a poorer quality reproduction, just as your TDK C90 of a favourite album was a poorer quality reproduction of the original vinyl.
Finally, can you cite proof that vinyl outsells CDs? I'm pretty sure CD is by some distance still the biggest single "ownership" sales portion of the market, more than vinyl or downloads by far.
Yeah, that vinyl outsold download thing was indeed based on one week. Add that a lot of lp's come with a free download voucher diminishes downloads further.
The "NOW..... Christmas" lp i did we made 5,000. The NOW95 cd i did we made 1.1million. Maybe a bit of an extreme comparison but CD is still way bigger than vinyl and vinyl is still seen as a niche market even if the income is good.
I dont know about genuine chart new releases but all the vinyl ive worked on is catalogue from 20, 30, 40 years ago so maybe the lacquers i was supplied with were from original analague masters but i do get the point that if a modern album is recorded and mastered digitally then whatever master we are supplied with came from a digital source even if tne end product, vinyl, is analogue.
The quantites we manufactured on all those lp's were probably around 2-5k on avearge with only a few being more so the quantities are still lower than CD though the progit margin is bigger (a 180o shift in what happened 20+ years ago when Woolies deemed CD had tne bigger profit margin over lp's!). Its why its been such a tough 18+ months for me and my colleaguesas we were having to work on so many more releases to get the same returns.
Back in the early 90's we'd easily do initial manufacturing runs of 30k+ on new release vinyl formats by the likes of Sting, Chris de Burgh etc.
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