It starts off with how new LP sales have been going up year over year the last seven years, with this year bound to also beat last year. But then it tries to say why:
Vinyl record sales have jumped to 6 million | Marketplace.org
I've got my own explanations that I've written about before, mostly involving modern production and mastering (which for modern LPs or even reprints would be about the same as for CDs an MP3s) vs. decades before, so it's interesting they use an older pressing in the "comparison."
Vinyl record sales have jumped to 6 million | Marketplace.org
I've got my own explanations that I've written about before, mostly involving modern production and mastering (which for modern LPs or even reprints would be about the same as for CDs an MP3s) vs. decades before, so it's interesting they use an older pressing in the "comparison."
Vinyl Lover
Hi, I have always liked vinyl and always (55 years +) had something that would play it. The resurgence is great, plus in our area (Arizona) several new used record stores have cropped up in the past couple of years. True some little guys went under, but the ones now have excellent selections and lots of bargains. I have scored many good disks for a dollar or less. As to the quality of newly manufactured disks vs older ones I think it is a mixed bag. Disks made before about 1975 or so were usually quite good. I have many from that era that play perfectly now. For a period of time after about 1975 the quality went way down on most LPs. The emphasis shifted to cassettes (ugh), 8 track (double ugh) and eventually to CDs (I own some). LP sales went to the basement. More recently a small but growing number of individuals believe that digital music is not as good, satisfying (you pick the word you like) as analog. This has sparked (IMO) the current revival. Unfortunately much of the expertise in making quality disks has been lost to time. I noted a few months back that one company went so far as to obtain vintage presses and refurbish them so they could make new disks. I personally would have thought that with new technology we might be able to do better than what was done 40 years ago, but generally it seems not true. I have purchased many new disks and found them deficient. Badly distorted tracks, unacceptable noise levels and off center holes. True there are some that are well made, but they seem to me to just come up to equal of ones from my early days. It goes without mention that I do indeed have excellent equipment to play them on (Sota, Origin Live, Benz Micro, Grado, and so on ... a total of three systems). One really positive thing I have noted is that many new musicians are using vinyl as their medium. This I have no explanation for as it would seem more costly than any of the digital venues.
Hi, I have always liked vinyl and always (55 years +) had something that would play it. The resurgence is great, plus in our area (Arizona) several new used record stores have cropped up in the past couple of years. True some little guys went under, but the ones now have excellent selections and lots of bargains. I have scored many good disks for a dollar or less. As to the quality of newly manufactured disks vs older ones I think it is a mixed bag. Disks made before about 1975 or so were usually quite good. I have many from that era that play perfectly now. For a period of time after about 1975 the quality went way down on most LPs. The emphasis shifted to cassettes (ugh), 8 track (double ugh) and eventually to CDs (I own some). LP sales went to the basement. More recently a small but growing number of individuals believe that digital music is not as good, satisfying (you pick the word you like) as analog. This has sparked (IMO) the current revival. Unfortunately much of the expertise in making quality disks has been lost to time. I noted a few months back that one company went so far as to obtain vintage presses and refurbish them so they could make new disks. I personally would have thought that with new technology we might be able to do better than what was done 40 years ago, but generally it seems not true. I have purchased many new disks and found them deficient. Badly distorted tracks, unacceptable noise levels and off center holes. True there are some that are well made, but they seem to me to just come up to equal of ones from my early days. It goes without mention that I do indeed have excellent equipment to play them on (Sota, Origin Live, Benz Micro, Grado, and so on ... a total of three systems). One really positive thing I have noted is that many new musicians are using vinyl as their medium. This I have no explanation for as it would seem more costly than any of the digital venues.
The statement, in the Audio clip, of feeding back and creating more air is silly..
Mastering is such a big part of it..
That Ry Cooder LP that was first said to one of first records to have Digital Recorded sound was absolutely terrible..
Analogue Resolvers for position feedback need to be digitally sampled to be used by processor.. Resolution reduced..
Of course LP is higher resolution than CD..
32bit/192khz rip of vinyl can sound very close the the vinyl..
Mastering is such a big part of it..
That Ry Cooder LP that was first said to one of first records to have Digital Recorded sound was absolutely terrible..
Analogue Resolvers for position feedback need to be digitally sampled to be used by processor.. Resolution reduced..
Of course LP is higher resolution than CD..
32bit/192khz rip of vinyl can sound very close the the vinyl..
More thoughts
Yes 32/192 is quite good. I use it from time to time to "save" rare selections. But slightly OT....I then clean them (if needed) in Audacity and send them to reel to reel tape. The process while it does involve a digital step does result in a tape that is really quite close to the vinyl. Apparently the tape recording process sort of "dithers" the sound and quantization noise and results in a really nice recording. Surprisingly it sounds better than direct to tape copies. Go figure that one.
Yes 32/192 is quite good. I use it from time to time to "save" rare selections. But slightly OT....I then clean them (if needed) in Audacity and send them to reel to reel tape. The process while it does involve a digital step does result in a tape that is really quite close to the vinyl. Apparently the tape recording process sort of "dithers" the sound and quantization noise and results in a really nice recording. Surprisingly it sounds better than direct to tape copies. Go figure that one.
Geez, the early copy I have isn't "that" bad. Certainly no worse than "many" of the CD's in my collection, some of which are virtually unplayable.
jeff
You could be right, I don't have that Cooder LP anymore, just going from memory..
What I like about this thread is it's about the music which is what DIY Audio is all about in the end..Makes me think about wanting some new LP discoveries from any period.. Always looking for new and diverse music, a few of the Latest is Massive Attack, Serge Gainsbourg..
I have done a little bit of testing myself.
The bass on modern stuff sounds like it has been made up from a modulated higher note such as 55hz or 110hz to bring down the bass response of plastic speaker.
This would get plastic speakers go down to 5hz when mixed with the ripple on both 60hz and 50hz supplies on cheap amplifiers with poor capacitors.
Mobile phone players are the worst culprits for encouraging studio engineers to do this to music.
It leaves the bass beat sounding like a series of "farts" on a good valve amplifier such as the one shown in my avatar.
CDs that are mixed for playback on a real amplifier sound all right as do transfers from old vinyl to CD.
The bass on modern stuff sounds like it has been made up from a modulated higher note such as 55hz or 110hz to bring down the bass response of plastic speaker.
This would get plastic speakers go down to 5hz when mixed with the ripple on both 60hz and 50hz supplies on cheap amplifiers with poor capacitors.
Mobile phone players are the worst culprits for encouraging studio engineers to do this to music.
It leaves the bass beat sounding like a series of "farts" on a good valve amplifier such as the one shown in my avatar.
CDs that are mixed for playback on a real amplifier sound all right as do transfers from old vinyl to CD.
Vinyl is badly flawed in several areas as much discussed.
I have a 24 bit CD remaster of a Dizzy Gillespie album and I used to think the vinyl sounded pretty good but the CD wins absolutely.
A problem in this comparison is often "sounds better" is a substitute for "gives me a nostalgic feeling"
Consider for a start the Neumann lathe had disastrous rumbly bearings and the signal chain used 741 opamps ........
I have a 24 bit CD remaster of a Dizzy Gillespie album and I used to think the vinyl sounded pretty good but the CD wins absolutely.
A problem in this comparison is often "sounds better" is a substitute for "gives me a nostalgic feeling"
Consider for a start the Neumann lathe had disastrous rumbly bearings and the signal chain used 741 opamps ........
That example appeared to me to have very different volumes for the comparison. Now that I think of it it was also an mp3 of unknown quality IIRC. Why not compare a good CD remaster to the LP if you want a pure choice of mediums?
FWIW....
No one eve said that all vinyl is always better as it's a given that there is plenty of badly mastered vinyl..
However, given a choice between a favorite well mastered classic album in CD format or its original pressing vinyl in NM condition, an A-B comparison will show that the vinyl is usually better over all..
Yes, much of the time the CD might sound fine but there is usually a thing there...... a thing there that sounds better on the vinyl as digital just can not capture it right
If there was never vinyl to compare it to, one would never realize this.
No one eve said that all vinyl is always better as it's a given that there is plenty of badly mastered vinyl..
However, given a choice between a favorite well mastered classic album in CD format or its original pressing vinyl in NM condition, an A-B comparison will show that the vinyl is usually better over all..
Yes, much of the time the CD might sound fine but there is usually a thing there...... a thing there that sounds better on the vinyl as digital just can not capture it right
If there was never vinyl to compare it to, one would never realize this.
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Given that you probably can't ever do a true blind comparison due to even the slightest tick or pop giving it away, it's all in how you want to call it.
I'm simply talking about making an objective choice when both A and B are known. To each their own, I BTW like lots of vinyl versions of my favorite music but don't entertain any misconceptions about the reasons.
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