Can anyone explain the vinyl renaissance?

[Count Dacula]

This doesn't seem right.

 

[Count Dacula]

Napalm and Nuclear Blast records usually have good quality versions on youtube of all their artists.

Right, and if people like hunting for a variety of mixes and recycled versions, YouTube is a great place for it...you'll find every one.

Also I guess if you're doing digital "correction" stuff, it's suitable.

 

[Brian Hall]

This doesn't seem right.

I wanted to see more about the motorcycle with the 400 hp helicopter engine.

 

[Count Dacula]

It is worth the $9 or whatever it is just to avoid ads, but it also gives better sound quality on Youtube Music.

YouTube has a great recommendation algorithm. I've found more music I like there than anywhere else. Just keep going deeper down the rabbit hole.

YouTube Music proper is slightly different version, like a streaming app, with just an album skin thumbnail and no video content. If it's a premium grade stream, I wouldn't be surprised. My outside system seems to switch over if I let it play all day. I assumed it was a bandwidth saver.

 

[Brian Hall]

YouTube Music proper is slightly different version, like a streaming app, with just an album skin thumbnail and no video content. If it's a premium grade stream, I wouldn't be surprised. My outside system seems to switch over if I let it play all day. I assumed it was a bandwidth saver.

On the android app, there is a switch at the top for video/song for the ones that have both available. They usually sound the same, but for some, the song only version sounds a little better. I generally just leave it set to song.

 

[Galliardist]

One thing I remember was the period when shops were trying to carry LP, CD and cassette (quite apart from video formats) at the same time. Unless you were in one of those "megastores" the choice of music was sorely restricted by space having to be allocated to multiple formats. By the mid 90s with only CDs in stock in the same places, there was an era when a huge range of music was suddenly available to buy. Except of course, that the napster era quickly followed and shut them down.

I then remember trying to order music through stores when first arriving in Australia. They often fulfilled orders separately to normal stock, and I know that some Naxos CDs went in and out of the stores where I had orders in while I was left waiting. Eventually I found a disc that was on the shelf in one place while I was assured that my order hadn't come in.

One reason CD sales are falling off a cliff today is that LPs are taking up space where CDs used to be - back to the bad old days?

 

[Brian Hall]

One thing I remember was the period when shops were trying to carry LP, CD and cassette (quite apart from video formats) at the same time. Unless you were in one of those "megastores" the choice of music was sorely restricted by space having to be allocated to multiple formats. By the mid 90s with only CDs in stock in the same places, there was an era when a huge range of music was suddenly available to buy. Except of course, that the napster era quickly followed and shut them down.

I then remember trying to order music through stores when first arriving in Australia. They often fulfilled orders separately to normal stock, and I know that some Naxos CDs went in and out of the stores where I had orders in while I was left waiting. Eventually I found a disc that was on the shelf in one place while I was assured that my order hadn't come in.

One reason CD sales are falling off a cliff today is that LPs are taking up space where CDs used to be - back to the bad old days?

Before CDs came out, the stores carried LP, Cassettes and 8 track.

There was only one "Record" store near me and that was 15 miles away. It was run by a great Hippie couple (this was the 70s). They only carried records (and pot if they knew you ). Said 8 tracks were garbage only suited for country music and cassettes were ok for cars, but records were for listening to music. Sad to say they went out of business when CDs arrived.

 

[Robin L]

Before CDs came out, the stores carried LP, Cassettes and 8 track.

There was only one "Record" store near me and that was 15 miles away. It was run by a great Hippie couple (this was the 70s). They only carried records (and pot if they knew you ). Said 8 tracks were garbage only suited for country music and cassettes were ok for cars, but records were for listening to music. Sad to say they went out of business when CDs arrived.

Worked at Tower Records just as CDs started to appear. We had LPs and Cassettes, no 8 tracks. 1984-1986.

 

[Count Dacula]

On the android app, there is a switch at the top for video/song for the ones that have both available. They usually sound the same, but for some, the song only version sounds a little better. I generally just leave it set to song.

The thing there is that it's a different library for the YT Music stuff. The mixes I like are not coming up on the app version. It's the same songs, just the condensed version...literally the same versions for other streaming services, I believe.

Anyway, it's reductive to argue why vinyl is soon obsolete, it just is. DJs are even moving away from it.

 

[Galliardist]

The thing there is that it's a different library for the YT Music stuff. The mixes I like are not coming up on the app version. It's the same songs, just the condensed version...literally the same versions for other streaming services, I believe.

Anyway, it's reductive to argue why vinyl is soon obsolete, it just is. DJs are even moving away from it.

Odd, but it may depend on the codec and the type of access the app gives you. This has got my attention now...

As long as companies can make a few hundred percent profit on selling new LPs, vinyl will carry on. And why not, as long as the people paying know what they are actually buying? We've covered all the different reasons people may want the record already. Not finding the CD you want in a local store (most have closed down around here) may be an annoyance, though

Maybe if they increase CD prices to $80 a shot they'd come back into stores and then into fashion?

 

[AdrianusG]

I don’t see why not… plenty of those LPs that are today 50-60 years old are still getting reissued on Vinyl , and the original first pressings go for prices that would bring tears to your eyes and wallet as well.

I don’t see that suddenly going away.
And theoretically a LP should still work in another 100 years from now. But CDs and even DVDs and Blu-ray’s will more likely then not suffer from disc rot.

A turntable is so easy to manufacture and repair so this won’t be a issue either.. but try to find replacement parts for a SACD player today.. who Knows in another 50 years those might be a rarity

"but try to find replacement parts for a SACD player today.. who Knows in another 50 years those might be a rarity"

I'm afraid you might be right, seeing how the art of manufacturing "decent" CD players is almost lost, you either have to go High-End or your getting utter rubbish with 80% empty space and cheap plastic parts/mechanisms, and even many of these so called High end players are but a shadow (built Qty wise) compared to CD's heydays.
of course there's the exceptions from say Accuphase and Luxman, but they cost a pretty penny as well.

 

[Mean & Green]

"but try to find replacement parts for a SACD player today.. who Knows in another 50 years those might be a rarity"

I'm afraid you might be right, seeing how the art of manufacturing "decent" CD players is almost lost, you either have to go High-End or your getting utter rubbish with 80% empty space and cheap plastic parts/mechanisms, and even many of these so called High end players are but a shadow (built Qty wise) compared to CD's heydays.
of course there's the exceptions from say Accuphase and Luxman, but they cost a pretty penny as well.

I’ve noticed this too, todays CD players are frankly awful in terms of built and functionality compared to 25- 30 years ago.

I hope to keep my Sony CDP-XB930 Indefintely, 25 years and counting of trouble free smooth operation.

 

[Galliardist]

"but try to find replacement parts for a SACD player today.. who Knows in another 50 years those might be a rarity"

I'm afraid you might be right, seeing how the art of manufacturing "decent" CD players is almost lost, you either have to go High-End or your getting utter rubbish with 80% empty space and cheap plastic parts/mechanisms, and even many of these so called High end players are but a shadow (built Qty wise) compared to CD's heydays.
of course there's the exceptions from say Accuphase and Luxman, but they cost a pretty penny as well.

I paid a lot of money for a Marantz SACD player. Opinions on the mechanism are mixed, to say the least. Even with the fancy TEAC drives, it's hard to tell what you are really getting with the redesigns of a few years ago.
My previous "cheap Chinese" CD player lasted fifteen years, though, and the mechanism was the only bit that wasn't damaged when it finally died, or so I was told. I have a cheap CD drive here that lasted 35 years and is probably still fine if I had a computer it would work with.

It feels like pot luck how long anything lasts. But in 50 years? Who's going to be playing any physical discs by then outside of historic equipment nerds? I just don;t see it. It's always surprised me that when I go to concerts now, I can buy CDs of music not on streaming services (to support the artist, and because they are also inevitalbly better sound quality). I expected flash drives to have taken over by now.

 

[Newman]

It feels like pot luck how long anything lasts. But in 50 years? Who's going to be playing any physical discs by then outside of historic equipment nerds? I just don't see it.

Yes, I fully agree that this is an "historic equipment nerd" argument. Notable music will be preserved in the ether. And it seems like every new format generates a generation of re-releases in that format, including remixes. 50 years? Could be the successor to the successor to Atmos. Could be anything. Fundamentally unrelated to vinyl's comeback.

 

[Galliardist]

Yes, I fully agree that this is an "historic equipment nerd" argument. Notable music will be preserved in the ether. And it seems like every new format generates a generation of re-releases in that format, including remixes. 50 years? Could be the successor to the successor to Atmos. Could be anything. Fundamentally unrelated to vinyl's comeback.

True. The one thing that remains necessary in the short term, is that music has to be preserved in lossless form to be successfully migrated to any new lossy format, at least at the moment. That bridge may still be crossed of course.

 

[Galliardist]

Found this link: explains YT audio and video codec settings prior to Opus 256 being introduced. Note that I was wrong previously - AAC 256 is also only available to premium music subscribers.

Youtube Format IDs

Youtube Format IDs. GitHub Gist: instantly share code, notes, and snippets.

gist.github.com

To use the tables there with video playback, use Stats for Nerds (right click the settings icon to get the menu where this lives), read the numbers in brackets in the codecs line. I have a video playing in Firefox at the moment: shows video (398), 720p MP4 AV1 HFR standard compression: audio (251) Opus VBR upper bound 160kbps. 251 seems to be the highest standard audio in regular video playback and sounds good with sufficient bandwidth.

Interestingly, livestreams can offer AAC 256 to non-premium customers. I don't know if recorded livestreams continue to offer that. Maybe I can find one to find out.

There are hints that you can encode stereo in surround formats and get a higher res stereo bitrate out, if you really want.

So, now @GoFaster can at least see bitrates. The variable bitrates vary with bandwidth, so if you have a very slow connection for your video bitrate, the audio bitrate will fall back. As I reported earlier, it appears that can be audible.

 

[Count Dacula]

My point that I forgot about the ease and convenience of YouTube is how I deployed an outdoor system this year, to go with the new deck. It was easy, I got a closeout Fire TV like19" screen for about $40 Best Buy. Plugged it in and installed the SPDIF optical to my 5th favourite DAC, and boom, a FULLY functional system composing of a TV, DAC, Receiver and speakers. I pulled only a few bucks out of my pocket, but have an excellent source and system that can get eaten by coyotes out back, and I wouldn't even care. A TT system would make zero sense on the back porch. Nobody here would try that, but ya know....

Can you even buy a TT stylus for $40?

 

[deweydm]

My point that I forgot about the ease and convenience of YouTube is how I deployed an outdoor system this year, to go with the new deck. It was easy, I got a closeout Fire TV like19" screen for about $40 Best Buy. Plugged it in and installed the SPDIF optical to my 5th favourite DAC, and boom, a FULLY functional system composing of a TV, DAC, Receiver and speakers. I pulled only a few bucks out of my pocket, but have an excellent source and system that can get eaten by coyotes out back, and I wouldn't even care. A TT system would make zero sense on the back porch. Nobody here would try that, but ya know....

Can you even buy a TT stylus for $40?

Yes. Cart and stylus. Conical $30, elliptical $40. For T4P tables though. At81CP, for example. Thrift old records for fun, but usually swap out a microline with an inexpensive conical stylus when playing them. Easiest with a P-mount table.

 

[Newman]

My point that I forgot about the ease and convenience of YouTube is how I deployed an outdoor system this year, to go with the new deck. It was easy, I got a closeout Fire TV like19" screen for about $40 Best Buy. Plugged it in and installed the SPDIF optical to my 5th favourite DAC, and boom, a FULLY functional system composing of a TV, DAC, Receiver and speakers. I pulled only a few bucks out of my pocket, but have an excellent source and system that can get eaten by coyotes out back, and I wouldn't even care. A TT system would make zero sense on the back porch. Nobody here would try that, but ya know....

Can you even buy a TT stylus for $40?

I think you raised some of the points the OP wanted to make, there.

 

[Newman]

BTW... in case a bunch of thread readers are holding their breath, wondering what will be my reply to Matt's post offering to 'reset' our relationship, you can rest easy.

I accept the offer to stop tossing snide backhanders about me into every second post, and I will reciprocate.

However, I will maintain my policy of the last 4 or 5 months of generally not replying to his posts, nor his questions directed at me. I think it is better that way. And I hope that he will reciprocate and not reply to my posts, certainly not in this thread.

If you think this is a good idea, feel free to 'like' this post.

cheers