Some newspapers are reporting that vinyl records are making a comeback with DJs.
In one of the more interesting comebacks in today’s world of compressed music files and fingernail-size speakers jammed into your ears, the format of choice during the Reagan administration has become popular again, to a point, for a simple reason: Vinyl sounds better.
More specifically, vinyl represents a listening experience. You sit on an easy chair or a comfy couch between two speakers the size of moving boxes, drop the needle on the record and just listen. While listening, you admire the original artwork on the cover, follow along with lyrics printed on the album’s sleeve or laugh at the big hair in the compilation of concert pictures decorating the inside gatefold.
That’s why millions of people, myself included, became music fans.
I’m not sure if this is really a new trend – there are still plenty of vinyl holdouts in the DJ community – but it’s great to see vinyl still holding out.
Note to labels – we’re still reviewing vinyl electronica releases….
Image: pokpok313
I recently bought a 320k mp3 of a vinyl that (they all do eventually) developed a skip in the first 16 counts…
Played side by side with final scratch, the digital mp3 sounded crisper, cleaner and punchier than the original vinyl which i probably played 100 times.
And … I would rather make a play list of my latest purchases on beatport for my ipod any day over studying my new tracks from a turntable.
I study my new tracks on the bus with my ipod.
Sounds better? If you gig the record alot… it will deteriorate.
More enjoyable to sit put on a magnifying glass to read the text on a record?
My ipod has all the artist info i need: who wrote it and what label it is on!
peace and respect to all the vinyl djs…
I am never going back!
cTp
People who claim that mp3s sound better than vinyl, only prove they don’t really know what their talking about. Its a flawed logic from the beginning.
“crisper/cleaner/punchier” does not always mean “better quality”
Try listening to anything made in the 80’s and 90’s and you’ll see the sounds in music were more pure/real/moving because they were made mostly without computers, like today’s McMusic.
Digital formats lack “life” and it’s like Jimi, you either hear it, or you don’t. Higher end audio systems will let you know quick what is “quality” and what is lacking. Ipods don’t count 😉
But leave the scientific reasonings to people who know what they are talking about, please. Sound from vinyl has just as much to do with the equipment you’re using to play it with, than the actual source… As far as deterioration goes, try playing your records with proper tracking force, and using your eq properly. Maybe try some Gruv Glide to reduce friction, and add extra “sparkle” to your high end.
Also, don’t confuse “deterioration” after 100 plays with dirty records. You’d be surprised what a good cleaning will do. You can’t clean an mp3 tho 😉
You both make good points.
I like what NIN did with Ghosts – releasing vinyl along with digital downloads. Too bad they charged $300 for that option!
Nothing will ever replace the sound and feel of a vinyl record. And in terms of the DJ Culture. It has been destroyed by the CDJ and the .mp3