Can anyone explain the vinyl renaissance?

[MattHooper]

Ah, no. The term goes back to the dawn of the LP age, when many reissues were naturally sourced from 78. It has moved on to apply to transfers from any kind of analog disc format---lots of ancient top forty is transferred from the original 45s, only a few digital transfers are from LP.

Interesting.

Did that apply back when we were recording our favourite LP tracks on to cassette? I don't remember anyone using that term back then, but perhaps I've forgotten.

 

[Robin L]

Interesting.

Did that apply back when we were recording our favourite LP tracks on to cassette? I don't remember anyone using that term back then, but perhaps I've forgotten.

I don't recall anyone using that term at the time either. I made a lot of compilations on cassette tape as a hobby. That led to doing a bit of work for Music from the Hearts of Space, transferring from LP to reel to reel tape, then transferring from tape to digital tape, a Sony 501 converter that transferred digital data to Beta tape. Not high fidelity but neither was the signal later uploaded to satellite and downloaded to your local radio station at a low data rate. Of course, New Age music was intended to be played back at a very low volume, so as long as there were no jolting sounds, everything was copacetic.

A long time later, when I had a little side hustle transferring disc to digital formats, I called the business "Needledrops". A decade of needledrops convinced me that LP simply was not high enough in fidelity or consistency for me. 15 minutes into an LP or an LP with an inch or less of deadwax meant audible IGD and there was nothing I could do to fix it.

A lot of the early Columbia LPs were reissues of 78s.

 

[aslan7]

I think the people here who explain the revival of the turntable phenomenon as “ritual” are absolutely right and that is a great observation. I am guilty of that myself so no criticism intended to anyone.

 

[MattHooper]

I think the people here who explain the revival of the turntable phenomenon as “ritual” are absolutely right and that is a great observation. I am guilty of that myself so no criticism intended to anyone.

I don't think it can actually be pinned down to one thing, even as a generalization. I guess "the appeal of physical media" may get at it most, but even then it's not very specific and leaves things off the table.

The things people get out of vinyl is just so varied. Some for instance love the sound. Others find it "scratchy" and obviously worse quality than digital, but love it for other reasons. Some find vinyl nostalgic. Some find it a totally fresh, new thing compared to what they'd been used to. Some like fiddling with cartridges etc. To others that's just a bother so they minimize that stuff for record playing. Some don't even play the vinyl but put it on their wall!

So I don't think there is any one-size-fits-all "explanation" of the vinyl resurgence.

 

[Doodski]

I don't think it can actually be pinned down to one thing, even as a generalization. I guess "the appeal of physical media" may get at it most, but even then it's not very specific and leaves things off the table.

The things people get out of vinyl is just so varied. Some for instance love the sound. Others find it "scratchy" and obviously worse quality than digital, but love it for other reasons. Some find vinyl nostalgic. Some find it a totally fresh, new thing compared to what they'd been used to. Some like fiddling with cartridges etc. To others that's just a bother so they minimize that stuff for record playing. Some don't even play the vinyl but put it on their wall!

So I don't think there is any one-size-fits-all "explanation" of the vinyl resurgence.

I think it is a multi-pronged attraction based on one possessing the record media format on hand, having the playback hardware already and a system that can show off a records capability. If I had the records that I sold off in the 90's I would still be running a turntable and would be right there with the record aficionados here @ ASR. I will not be buying records but as I said I would use them if I owned them.

 

[Snoopy]

This is more about old vinyl releases :

Source analog-planet


"That said, bass had to be seriously attenuated (“rolled off) and dynamics compressed on those early records so they wouldn’t skip on “kiddie phonographs” of the day.

In fact EMI had an employee whose only job was to play test pressings on all of the “kiddie phonographs” of the day to be sure they would play without skipping. Those that did were labeled (for obvious reasons) “kangaroo cuts” and new lacquers had to be cut with less bass and perhaps less dynamic range."

 

[aslan7]

I don't think it can actually be pinned down to one thing, even as a generalization. I guess "the appeal of physical media" may get at it most, but even then it's not very specific and leaves things off the table.

The things people get out of vinyl is just so varied. Some for instance love the sound. Others find it "scratchy" and obviously worse quality than digital, but love it for other reasons. Some find vinyl nostalgic. Some find it a totally fresh, new thing compared to what they'd been used to. Some like fiddling with cartridges etc. To others that's just a bother so they minimize that stuff for record playing. Some don't even play the vinyl but put it on their wall!

So I don't think there is any one-size-fits-all "explanation" of the vinyl resurgence.

I greatly miss the librettos and inserts that came with LPs, especially box sets. Companies like DG made some beautifully produced and informative materials. This wasn’t limited to classical music and opera. The insert that came with the two LP set of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys is very highly regarded for its documentary content.

The CD inserts are extremely difficult to read. But some of the materials that streaming services offer is like having a book included in the deal.

 

[Sal1950]

I greatly miss the librettos and inserts that came with LPs, especially box sets. Companies like DG made some beautifully produced and informative materials. This wasn’t limited to classical music and opera. The insert that came with the two LP set of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys is very highly regarded for its documentary content.

And who can ever forget the rolling paper inside Cheech & Chong's Big Bambu?

 

[atmasphere]

You would be objectively wrong about that.

Vinyl has a sound. Some people like it. That's fine. But it terms of accurately replicating original recordings, it cannot remotely approach CD or hi-res digital audio.

Sure it does. If it didn't, conversations like this wouldn't exist! There would be no 'record' stores. And so on. A more accurate statement might be 'In terms of accurately replicating original recordings, it approaches [which is a way of saying that it falls short of] CD or hi-res digital audio.

 

[MattHooper]

Sure it does. If it didn't, conversations like this wouldn't exist! There would be no 'record' stores. And so on. A more accurate statement might be 'In terms of accurately replicating original recordings, it approaches [which is a way of saying that it falls short of] CD or hi-res digital audio.

Agreed. I find "cannot remotely approach CD" to be rather hyperbolic too. I've done the comparisons of LPs and CDs from the same masters. The sound of the LPs each time was extremely close in quality. (And as I've said, sometimes I've even preferred the LP version sonically).

 

[Ron Party]

I definitely remember the Cheech & Chong insert... b/c I used it LOL. Ralph, as a prog lover of roughly my age, maybe you did too?

 

[Sal1950]

Sure it does. If it didn't, conversations like this wouldn't exist!

Subjectively you are deluding yourself. Maybe due to sighted bias or what the problem is I don't know.
How many pieces of evidence do you need to be presented with before admitting there are miles between the capabilities of CD and vinyl in their ability to accurately reproduce the contents of a master tape? Reel to reel tape is quite a bit better, but still in a different zip code than digital.
Let me send this one out to all you vinyl-heads, a perfect song for this thread.
Ronnie Milsap - Lost In The Fifties

 

[Sal1950]

 

[MattHooper]

View attachment 229228

Reminds me: apparently there are actually still DeadHeads around.

I tried sampling some of their concerts and the appeal will forever elude me.

 

[Wunderphones]

Reminds me: apparently there are actually still DeadHeads around.

I tried sampling some of their concerts and the appeal will forever elude me.

I won't even consider Schiit DACs anymore now that I found out what a Deadhead Mike Moffatt is. Sure, there are other, better reasons. But that reason's plenty good enough for me.

 

[BDWoody]

I tried sampling some of their concerts and the appeal will forever elude me.

They really need to be oversampled.

 

[Sal1950]

Reminds me: apparently there are actually still DeadHeads around.

I tried sampling some of their concerts and the appeal will forever elude me.

Agreed.
I enjoyed American Beauty back in the day, it has a number of good songs on it but that was the extent of my Dead listening.

 

[Robin L]

Reminds me: apparently there are actually still DeadHeads around.

I tried sampling some of their concerts and the appeal will forever elude me.

You had to be there. And while you were there, you could dig it. But afterwards, you might forget the whole thing.

Kinda like that whole "Chinese Dinner" thing. An hour later, you're hungry again.

 

[Newman]

I made the mistake of my first sampling of The Dead being American Beauty, loving it, and thinking it is representative.

 

[Chrispy]

Ah, no. The term goes back to the dawn of the LP age, when many reissues were naturally sourced from 78. It has moved on to apply to transfers from any kind of analog disc format---lots of ancient top forty is transferred from the original 45s, only a few digital transfers are from LP.

I think more of the FM djays I used to listen to....