Can anyone explain the vinyl renaissance?

[JP]

There was some misconstrued humour from me, yes.

But my interpretation—I may be wrong—of this post and the "oops" result when looking them up is that Anton D was most likely banned from the forum altogether.

Ah. Hell of a double standard if true.

 

[AdamG]

I didn't see where Anton D got banned, nor could I see any good reason why he should be.

We don’t talk about this stuff publicly unless we have very good reason and we kindly ask that our members don’t either. There are always two (and sometimes three) sides to every story and it’s doubtful that any of us know all the details. We are pretty lenient and we normally give Members more than 3 strikes. Discounting those who come here to cause trouble and get their “I was Banned” ASR T-shirt. Very few members have been banned unless they were fully determined to this outcome. We can get some wrong, we’re human. In every case that I can remember. When a member who was banned has petitioned for a reinstatement and second chance. We have honored that request. We want you here if you want to be here in good faith. That’s it. No more, no less.

We are members first. Keep in mind that some members leave on their own accord and Moderation had nothing to do with it. This place isn’t for everyone and it’s a tough neighborhood if you think you know more than you actually do. Ask me how I know? Maybe not now.

 

[MattHooper]

There was some misconstrued humour from me, yes.

But my interpretation—I may be wrong—of this post and the "oops" result when looking them up is that Anton D was most likely banned from the forum altogether.

Ah, right, thanks! I did remember the kerfuffle over your post but thought maybe Anton was swept up in that too.

Either way, I don't envy the job of the moderator and I'm glad some are willing to do it.

 

[Newman]

Can we move on? So much to talk about explaining the vinyl renaissance!

 

[MattHooper]

Can we move on? So much to talk about explaining the vinyl renaissance!

Sure. Here you go:

Growth in vinyl and streaming leads to record music sales in Australia in 2023​

Music streaming services are making millions but the fastest growing streaming trend doesn't cost a cent

Australians spent a record $676 million on music in 2023, with growth in free streaming and vinyl sales.

www.abc.net.au

And for you, Newman :

Forget the over-hyped vinyl revival, in 2024 compact discs make for sweeter, cheaper music​

Forget the over-hyped vinyl revival, in 2024 compact discs make for sweeter, cheaper music

CDs are much better value than vinyl records and sound fantastic

www.scotsman.com

Lots of options to suit everyone these days. What a time to be a music lover!

 

[Newman]

Haha love it.

Everyone’s a music lover.

But who’s an audiophile music lover?

 

[Axo1989]

Sure. Here you go:

Growth in vinyl and streaming leads to record music sales in Australia in 2023​

Music streaming services are making millions but the fastest growing streaming trend doesn't cost a cent

Australians spent a record $676 million on music in 2023, with growth in free streaming and vinyl sales.

www.abc.net.au

And for you, Newman :

Forget the over-hyped vinyl revival, in 2024 compact discs make for sweeter, cheaper music​

Forget the over-hyped vinyl revival, in 2024 compact discs make for sweeter, cheaper music

CDs are much better value than vinyl records and sound fantastic

www.scotsman.com

Lots of options to suit everyone these days. What a time to be a music lover!

Interesting to see our local (ie Australian) stats in the ongoing renaissance:

Sales of vinyl records grew 14 per cent to $42 million in 2023, representing 70 per cent of the music sold on a physical format.

Assume from the text that's dollar value rather than numerical sales but not sure. We are due for the CD renaissance at some stage I guess. They are somewhere in-between the tangible charms of vinyl records and the cost-effectiveness of digital streams, so who knows. I think I've only bought one CD in the last decade, and that was something that appeared briefly as a teaser on Apple Music then disappeared. It also fell into the top LP-selling triumvirate of Phoebe Bridgers, Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift mentioned in that ABC article (I'll leave you to guess which, should you care). I considered buying the more fun-looking LP, but as I lack a turntable that would've been expensive. As it is my only currently working CD player is in the car.

 

[Newman]

It also fell into the top LP-selling triumvirate of Phoebe Bridgers, Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift mentioned in that ABC article (I'll leave you to guess which, should you care).

Del Rey no doubt!

 

[deweydm]

Interesting to see our local (ie Australian) stats in the ongoing renaissance:



Assume from the text that's dollar value rather than numerical sales but not sure. We are due for the CD renaissance at some stage I guess. They are somewhere in-between the tangible charms of vinyl records and the cost-effectiveness of digital streams, so who knows. I think I've only bought one CD in the last decade, and that was something that appeared briefly as a teaser on Apple Music then disappeared. It also fell into the top LP-selling triumvirate of Phoebe Bridgers, Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift mentioned in that ABC article (I'll leave you to guess which, should you care). I considered buying the more fun-looking LP, but as I lack a turntable that would've been expensive. As it is my only currently working CD player is in the car.

I bought 11 used CDs this week, for $16 dollars. Things that would have been ten to twenty times as much on LP.

And someone brought a box of CDs into a record store I was at this evening, to see how much he could sell them for. Owner told him $2. I thought he meant $2 each, but no, he meant for the entire box of CDs.

If anyone is waiting for the CD revival, it’ll be a while yet, if ever.

 

[Axo1989]

Del Rey no doubt!

Yes, well guessed/remembered/searched (as the case may be).

I'm giving Phoebe a listen now. Ok, but very low-key indie. I guess I thought an album called Punisher would be a bit more hard-core.

 

[Newman]

Remembered, actually.

 

[AdamG]

Ah, right, thanks! I did remember the kerfuffle over your post but thought maybe Anton was swept up in that too.

Either way, I don't envy the job of the moderator and I'm glad some are willing to do it.

We do listen. At Brad’s suggestion, we decided to revisit Anton’s case and we determined that a perm ban was too severe. His ban is rescinded. Anton is welcome back. A PM was sent to his account notifying him of same.

 

[Basic Channel]

Is it too much of a stretch to think that the vinyl resurgence is due some of the modern music sounding better through a LP filter and with a tad more dynamic range?

 

[MattHooper]

Is it too much of a stretch to think that the vinyl resurgence is due some of the modern music sounding better through a LP filter and with a tad more dynamic range?

Yes.

 

[Robin L]

Is it too much of a stretch to think that the vinyl resurgence is due some of the modern music sounding better through a LP filter and with a tad more dynamic range?

I think it really has a lot more to do with people having given up on CDs, and streaming seeming too evanescent. There is more "there" there with LPs, more sense of owning something. I suspect that most of the people driving sales of LPs are relatively unconcerned with sound quality - look at the popularity of all-in-one record players like the Crosleys - and a lot more concerned with the look and feel of LPs. Also, look at the titles driving sales of LPs. I worked in record stores (late 1970s) when there was a real push to improve sound quality of the Long Playing 12" format. This was a time when there were high quality vinyl formulations, direct to disc LPs, the very first digital LPs from Telarc with super quiet record surfaces, imported LPs from Japan and the Netherlands The LPs that are driving sales now are, for the most part, modern record productions with limited dynamic range. What I'm trying to say is that it isn't about the sound quality, for the most part. If sound quality really sold recordings, CDs would have much better production qualities. One has to actively work at screwing up CDs.

I got 24 Classical CDs this week, gratis. A couple of people I know from volunteering at the local library buys lots of 85 CDs at a time for $12, have no use for the classical titles. They'd rather see someone enjoy those CDs than see them go into landfills.

 

[Sal1950]

There is more "there" there with LPs,

Yep, more noise, distortion, and every other measurable parameter in the reproduction of high fidelity music
than is available from a digital source for 50+ years now. That's not to mention the inconvenience in every
aspect of use and storage. And the cost of ownership factor, off the charts.
Now if all that is your idea of fun, be my guest.

 

[Robin L]

Yep, more noise, distortion, and every other measurable parameter in the reproduction of high fidelity music
than is available from a digital source for 50+ years now. That's not to mention the inconvenience in every
aspect of use and storage. And the cost of ownership factor, off the charts.
Now if all that is your idea of fun, be my guest.

A five CD set of recordings from the 1930s is arriving in the mail today. Fortunately, it will be in a slim-line box, as I'm rapidly running out of room for my CDs.
I have strong reason to suspect you would not enjoy either the sound quality or the musical contents.

So it goes.

 

[Sal1950]

I have strong reason to suspect you would not enjoy either the sound quality or the musical contents.

You might be right, depends on a couple things.
I do have some Sinatra and a bunch of blues recordings going back to that period.
But aren't we both lucky that all that's available on CD or other digital sources and
we don't have to suffer the SQ of vinyl (shellac 78s) pressings from that time.

 

[Robin L]

You might be right, depends on a couple things.
I do have some Sinatra and a bunch of blues recordings going back to that period.
But aren't we both lucky that all that's available on CD or other digital sources and
we don't have to suffer the SQ of vinyl (shellac 78s) pressings from that time.

I don't think Sinatra recorded in the 1930s. Sinatra started making recordings with Tommy Dorsey's band in the 1940s. I used to have nearly all of Sinatra's Capitol LPs of the 1950s. On certain playback gear, the LPs sounded better than the CD equivalents. I'm not sure what happened when the old tapes were transferred to the digital domain, but there was a quality of presence that was lost in the transfer to CDs compared to the LPs. The LPs I had were early issues: Grey labeled mono copies. Capitol had very high-quality standards at the time, they went downhill about as soon as the Beatles became their cash cows. I think the early Capitol LPs of Sinatra reflect what some record collectors say about some CD remasters being inferior to LP originals. Of course, the LPs have to be pristine in order to sound that good, which explains in part the high prices for some used LPs in the collector's market (a lot of the prices are due to straight up rarity). Another series of CDs that had inferior sound compared to LPs in their first iteration were the Simon and Garfunkel CDs due to being made from copies of copies of the master tapes, but later CD remastering fixed that.

 

[Sal1950]

I don't think Sinatra recorded in the 1930s. Sinatra started making recordings with Tommy Dorsey's band in the 1940s. I used to have nearly all of Sinatra's Capitol LPs of the 1950s. On certain playback gear, the LPs sounded better than the CD equivalents. I'm not sure what happened when the old tapes were transferred to the digital domain, but there was a quality of presence that was lost in the transfer to CDs compared to the LPs. The LPs I had were early issues: Grey labeled mono copies. Capitol had very high-quality standards at the time, they went downhill about as soon as the Beatles became their cash cows. I think the early Capitol LPs of Sinatra reflect what some record collectors say about some CD remasters being inferior to LP originals. Of course, the LPs have to be pristine in order to sound that good, which explains in part the high prices for some used LPs in the collector's market (a lot of the prices are due to straight up rarity). Another series of CDs that had inferior sound compared to LPs in their first iteration were the Simon and Garfunkel CDs due to being made from copies of copies of the master tapes, but later CD remastering fixed that.

Why "used to have?"
I do have the Tommy Dorsey 1940-42 set and more plus entire Capitol Years CD collection.
Good luck finding anything from then on LP or 78 that doesn't sound like absolute hell.
I do believe your memory of even the best discs pressed way back then is very colored with a nostalgic tint.