Can anyone explain the vinyl renaissance?

[J.M. Noble]

Tracy Chapman refuses to stream music: "Artists get paid when you actually buy CD or vinyl"

Tracy Chapman has revealed she refuses to stream music, insisting that buying physical music is the only way for artists to get paid.

www.nme.com

Why not both? She can afford it.

(I've made more from internet-based royalties than from physical media, and I'm willing to bet she's made more just from Fast Car streaming royalties than I did from all sources of income last year. Also I'm still annoyed with her for being too impaired to justify my $$$ tickets at the one live show I saw her at in c. 1992 ... not that I carry a grudge. )

 

[MatrixS2000]

There was ZERO noise on either except between tracks on the record where the noise was added for queuing.

I needle drop all my records. I constantly hear/read this all the time about records all over the internet…but have yet to actually see this be true. A simple spectrogram would prove this out but I have yet to see one proving this to be true.

I have heard CDs that were as good on certain stereos and honestly most CD for the sake of overall better sound, I'll give CDs the nudge. It's hard to beat what CDs can produce after 100 plays on the same CD, you simply can't compare a pressed record after 50 plays much less 100+

Which is why I record the record on the first play.

I just happen to like Janis Joplin, I can't find a good much less great recording of anything she ever did, but, it sure doesn't stop me from listening to her.

And it shouldn’t.

 

[OldHvyMec]

I needle drop all my records.

I was taught to QUE on a felt slipper. We used Russco TT and the stylus was set on the record, the toggle was flipped off, and when it was time for that record to play you flipped the toggle which switched from the headphone pre to the phono pre, (both were valve amps) and within 1/4 to 1/2 a revolution you were up to speed.
It sounds antiquated but that was the way. After about a 1000 ques I got it down pretty good.

I was 14-16 years old at the time and worked for the guys on the weekends from time to time or on holidays. 1969-1972 (close). I also worked in a machine shop and
we fixed/rebuilt Sparta, Russco, QRKs, Gates, Roberts, Fairchild, RCA, and a few more. (It's how I met one of the owners at a station in Woodland). We trued and polished the old platters/axel and added damping (silicone), re-bushed the chassis & motors, added oilers, site glasses, and la-tee-da. The old guys in the machine shop hated doing it, I loved it.

In Elk Grove (Micro Trac (sp) they/we made and rewired a LOT of tonearms for the coastal stations and the locals in the Delta. I worked between those 3 places and a gas station/repair in Brentwood CA (northern). It's how I started as an equipment mechanic. Strange what mechanics did back then, compared to now.

Regards

 

[deweydm]

BTW…(and not looking to get political at all)…

I wonder what the new economic outlook for the world will mean for the vinyl revival.

I’m not sure how tariffs hit vinyl coming from the USA (?)

And also whether tariffs and a possible economic downturn would affect vinyl sales.

We know that vinyl sales went up during the pandemic. But as I remember people said that had something to do with people having lots of time off and also having spare money.

But if we have an economic downturn, and also the tariffs stay on, I would think it would mean people would back on big expenditures, and also scale back on spending money on trips or going out to dinner, etc. or movies. And then if they were spending more time, perhaps they will indulge more in doing things like listening to records. So maybe SALES will stay steady or even improve.

On the other hand, maybe the economy will mean that even records will be seen by vinyl enthusiasts as a purchase extravagance and they will scale back.

Any predictions?

Pretty low priority on the list of things to worry about, but I do have some morbid curiosity about what tariffs are gonna do to the cost, release cadence, and demand for new LPs in the US. Large percentage of newer records I’ve bought over the last decade or so have been pressed in Europe. And I’d guess most of the materials at domestic pressing plants are imported. PVC from China, etc..

Seems plausible that demand for new LPs could crater in the US if they stick with the tariffs. Even if domestic PVC manufacturers and US pressing plants expand, the inevitable price increases seem likely to clobber demand in the interim.

 

[KEM]

Pretty low priority on the list of things to worry about, but I do have some morbid curiosity about what tariffs are gonna do to the cost, release cadence, and demand for new LPs in the US. Large percentage of newer records I’ve bought over the last decade or so have been pressed in Europe. And I’d guess most of the materials at domestic pressing plants are imported. PVC from China, etc..

Seems plausible that demand for new LPs could crater in the US if they stick with the tariffs. Even if domestic PVC manufacturers and US pressing plants expand, the inevitable price increases seem likely to clobber demand in the interim.

I am set to receive an Apollon amp tomorrow (my cost was about $1200). It was shipped from their factory in Slovenia. Today, UPS sent me a bill for $140. They won't deliver unless that's paid. The paypal transaction ledger says the recipient is US Customhouse Brokerage, Inc.

Prime example of our new tariffs in action.

This experience has already got me thinking twice about what and where I buy goods. Very sad.

 

[deweydm]

I am set to receive an Apollon amp tomorrow (my cost was about $1200). It was shipped from their factory in Slovenia. Today, UPS sent me a bill for $140. They won't deliver unless that's paid. The paypal transaction ledger says the recipient is US Customhouse Brokerage, Inc.

Prime example of our new tariffs in action.

This experience has already got me thinking twice about what and where I buy goods. Very sad.

Yikes.

 

[DHzHolden]

Meanwhile, in Suburbia:

 

[rwortman]

If anything we’re talking about reverbs because I’ve become something of a “ reverb fan.” I actually like the sound of added reverb/acoustics captured on mic, it’s part of the beauty of the sound. And so I want to system that reproduces the finest reverb.

I’ve mixed live sound and recorded and mixed on a DAW. A lot of reverb on a recording is added in and not from the booth or the venue. I find myself listening to a particularly beautiful sounding reverb on a vocal and wondering what they used. You never get that information in the credits.

 

[KLi]

I've downloaded a couple of needle drops by some guys with crazy expensive gear. I just don't get why people are into this.. even on the ones that where supposed very good I could hear the clicks and surface noise.

Now if someone would make old masters available for purchase as digital files before it was pressed on vinyl or SACDs with old masters as DSD files I would be all over that.

Hi Snoopy,

I read along this thread (now page 50/500) and stumbled upon your comment. Not sure, if someone answered that, but I found such a place. It's called HDTT.com or High Definition Tape Transfers. They offer some good DSDs of old master tapes. Can recommend it.

Greetings

 

[NovaWasp]

Late to the party, but for me:

1. Fun
2. I like the way records are mixed with the bass more centered
   1. or a different track list. Veruca Salt: Ghost Notes has some bonus tracks along with terrible surface noise.
3. Sometimes you have something on vinyl you can't get on other media.
4. To support the band. I don't need any more t-shirts
5. Fun

I don't worry about if other people like my music choices or not. I also record all my records on the first play and clean the audio up if needed. That's fun for me.

 

[Jaxjax]

Late to the party, but for me:

1. Fun
2. I like the way records are mixed with the bass more centered
   1. or a different track list. Veruca Salt: Ghost Notes has some bonus tracks along with terrible surface noise.
3. Sometimes you have something on vinyl you can't get on other media.
4. To support the band. I don't need any more t-shirts
5. Fun

I don't worry about if other people like my music choices or not. I also record all my records on the first play and clean the audio up if needed. That's fun for me.

Yeppers
I much prefer them signing albums vs anything else really. When I glance at my signed ones it always brings back really good memories. I've waited in monstrous lines for such things... but then again so did the artist. I also like to quickly find out who did the studio production which leads me to other albums they have produced. ...The dedications etc on liner notes are interesting & not found on my streaming thats for sure. When Jeff Beck's guitars recently went to auction, I was sad but also warm inside knowing I have an extensive collection of all he has done & can go thru them listen , read & repeat 1 by 1 for days. Clicking my phone or laptop isn't the same for those special times I need to go thru the process of LP .

 

[MattHooper]

Out of curiosity, am I the only one here who actually likes the sound of vinyl?

I’m not talking about, of course, vinyl being superior. Nor asking if anyone even likes vinyl better than digital.

But when it comes up, I mostly see people here sort of making excuses for playing vinyl. It can’t really sound good so we have to talk about all the other non-sonic qualities to justify our choice of still playing records.

So that’s why I’m wondering if anybody else here, like me, doesn’t feel like they have to just “ put up with the sound” when playing a record, but can actually enjoy the sound of vinyl as a departure from their digital source?

 

[Snoopy]

I do enjoy the Sound. I’m actually up to listening to Vinyl about 30% of the Time. And most physical media that I’m Purchasing is On Vinyl.

Especially with older stuff from JVC, Toshiba , Teichuku from the 70s.

I would be fine with Vinyl only if streaming and CDs would be gone tomorrow.
But prices would have to come down for new Releases and good Cartridges.

 

[Holmz]

Out of curiosity, am I the only one here who actually likes the sound of vinyl?

I’m not talking about, of course, vinyl being superior. Nor asking if anyone even likes vinyl better than digital.

But when it comes up, I mostly see people here sort of making excuses for playing vinyl. It can’t really sound good so we have to talk about all the other non-sonic qualities to justify our choice of still playing records.

So that’s why I’m wondering if anybody else here, like me, doesn’t feel like they have to just “ put up with the sound” when playing a record, but can actually enjoy the sound of vinyl as a departure from their digital source?

Metoo

 

[MaxwellsEq]

Out of curiosity, am I the only one here who actually likes the sound of vinyl?

I don't really like the sound of vinyl. When it was the only domestic source for high quality audio, I put up with it, but I could always tell (thanks to access to live bands in recording studios) that it's a sugar-coated version of the original master tape. In other words, although it sounds "nice" it also feels fake to me.

 

[Snoopy]

I don't really like the sound of vinyl. When it was the only domestic source for high quality audio, I put up with it, but I could always tell (thanks to access to live bands in recording studios) that it's a sugar-coated version of the original master tape. In other words, although it sounds "nice" it also feels fake to me.

I would pick Dolby atmos Blu-ray’s / SACDs and DSD releases as first choice. But that’s only really possible with very popular music (Pink Floyd , Beatles etc).

Mofi is a great example where I would prefer they release their DSD256 files instead of LPs.

But like I said.. for older Japanese stuff Vinyl has been amazing. they used great Vinyl to press LPs.. the mastering was done nicely.. used stuff often is cheap and In great condition without alternatives anyway.

But you won’t see me hunting down a NM UK first edition of the Beatles or David Bowie for big money.

Neither am I going to spend 1k € on a MC cartridge.

Im also totally fine with a digital phono stage like the waxwing with DSP options. I also enjoy these early PCM master sound LPs from the 70/80s

Quess I’m somewhere between @Sal1950 and @MattHooper .

I do not care at all about the ritual of spinning Vinyls. Or displaying them.
But doing needle drops also feels not right.

 

[Jaxjax]

Out of curiosity, am I the only one here who actually likes the sound of vinyl?

I do..
& I like it with my Grado Sonata 3 plugged in.

 

[MatrixS2000]

Out of curiosity, am I the only one here who actually likes the sound of vinyl?

Raises hand…but I do tweak it to get rid of most of the things I don’t like with the sound of the vinyl format.

but can actually enjoy the sound of vinyl as a departure from their digital source?

I would not fit this portion of your post though, as I digitize and tweak then listen to that version vs the vinyl.

But doing needle drops also feels not right.

Why? It’s my only use for vinyl. There are many digital releases that were sourced from vinyl or tape - so how is that different?

 

[AnalogSteph]

Indeed, doing needledrops is a complete no-brainer when you're after the best playback quality. It instantly drops the requirements for vibration isolation considerably. TOTL players used to be subchassis affairs for a reason. There's a lot more players to choose from out there if you just need a nice and quiet quartz direct drive with a decent tonearm, compared to that plus a subchassis.

And dare I mention the controversial topic of wet playing? It does seem to be effective, and as long as you're just after one rip...

 

[Cote Dazur]

One can listen through the defects.

We always do, we enjoy listening to music, at least I hope we do, listening through "defects". always.
Whatever is our poison of choice, there is always some sort of defect our brain choose to ignore, to get to the magic of music.
If anything the relentless growth in people, listening to vinyl, LP, whatever you name it, is proof of that.
I am a big fan of LP, with expensive TT and thousands of Records, I enjoy listening to the music engraved in them, I also enjoy listening to music on other source on my expansive stereo sound system in my dedicated listening room.
Nothing I can do will make the sound in that room "perfect", it is not perfect, if I want to, I can hear the defects on almost any link in the chain, but I choose not to, when enjoying music.
Their is something different, if not unique, to the experience of playing music from records on a TT, some get it, enjoy it, I do, some don't.
The constant growth in popularity of LP, brings a smile to my face, as to me, it means people enjoy music, they often do not understand why, come up with all kind of ludicrous explanations on the so called betterness of vinyl, does not matter, what does matter, is that they get the gift of music, listening trough the "defects".
All good.