Don

[Analogman]

Richard Lewis @ The

Sentinel

 

I

[tongue-tied]

the album may continue to remain less popular than singles, but i have a hard time believing that it'll die or even just barely survive. though the internet has made singles more popular, and the average listener may never care to check out a beatles album again in favor of just "hey jude", it also makes a wealth of information available to those who can't get enough music. all my education of the music of the 60's and 70's (that's worthwhile to me, and besides the huge names) has been found by crossreferencing online. it also shows that most acts worth getting into are capable of making a solid album. i think it'll be connected with rock n roll for a long time. most of the albums i'm listening to this year are made by bands with a DIY attitude, and released on independent labels (exceptions being Wilco, who did it themselves on a major, and the White Stripes). Point being that the market doesn't influence their choice of output. Good rock bands should have no trouble continuing to make great albums.

[Basil II]

And vynyl record sales are UP........from 3 to about 9 percent last year........if there is a hint of a market,some one will supply product......

 

 

-robert.

[TCP]

The future = vinyl and DVD my friends, vinyl and DVD.

[LouieB]

The current uptick on vinyl is a temporary blip. Statisitcally there may be an increase, but that is only because so few LPs were sold for awhile and at the moment there is a run on them (which also has inflated the use LP market as well.) Unfortunately the future of vinyl is probably as bleak as that of CDs. EVentually both will be bought by collectors only, rather than your mainstream music listener.

 

LouieB

[owl]

The current uptick on vinyl is a temporary blip. Statisitcally there may be an increase, but that is only because so few LPs were sold for awhile and at the moment there is a run on them (which also has inflated the use LP market as well.) Unfortunately the future of vinyl is probably as bleak as that of CDs. EVentually both will be bought by collectors only, rather than your mainstream music listener.

 

LouieB

 

Yep.

[Analogman]

I say it is already that way - again, although some Wilco fans may buy a record album, the 8 million (insert current pitch corrected american idol plastic dry hump person ) fans will not be buying such a thing. I have not bought a new record since Pearl Jam - Vitology - and have no desire to really.

[mchchef1]

I heard something on npr a couple of weeks ago saying the new USB compatible turn tables were a part of the increased sells in vinyl? I also think the trend towards higher quality vinyl 180g etc. is the reason I buy more vinyl now than in years past. Bands like WILCO help, I will be adding a new double album 180g to my collection today as a matter of fact

[Analogman]

Now that is an interesting point.

[LouieB]

I heard something on npr a couple of weeks ago saying the new USB compatible turn tables were a part of the increased sells in vinyl? I

When you say USB, I am assuming we are talking about transferal of LPs to digital media. I understand this for purposes of archiving and preserving the original disks, but it also doesn't really bode all that well for folks listening to analog recordings on a regular basis. What is the point of complaining about how bad CDs sound and then turning analog recordings into digital?

 

There is every reason in the world for turning rare analog recordings into digital, since the preservation of the sounds on a disk that are deteriorated by mechanical playing needs to be done, but simply turning run of the mill LPs into CDs is exacty what was the problem with early CDs that were not mastered, etc. I'll never forget a friend having a Dexter Gordon CD of an LP I owned that actually sounded like an LP with lots of surface noise etc. Actually the marvel of preserving and promoting early recordings (such as 78s, etc.) and bringing them to the masses is one of the benefits of digital recordings. I just bought the Bear Family Carter Family boxed set which contains all of their recordings, something a poor slob like me could never have if I had to try and collect them on 78 (or LPs) (in fact it would be impossible nowdays), but fortunately they are archived and available to anyone, which is the marvelous part of digital recording.

 

LouieB

[Analogman]

No - it is used to run a turntable off the computer.

 

Plus - we have had threads about turntables that use a laser system to play records as opposed to a needle.

[mchchef1]

Wurd!

 

Alot of my Missipi John hurt, Hounddog Taylor etc. Cd's have the sound and feel of vinyl, with the surface noise, cracks and pops etc. If one had said USB turntable could one place old vinyl on there Ipod, etc. and have the same quality as the vinyl??

I guess the question is does converting vinyl into digital file lose the quality of vinyl?

[LouieB]

No - it is used to run a turntable off the computer.

Isn't that the same thing?

Alot of my Missipi John hurt, Hounddog Taylor etc. Cd's have the sound and feel of vinyl, with the surface noise, cracks and pops etc. If one had said USB turntable could one place old vinyl on there Ipod, etc. and have the same quality as the vinyl??

I guess the question is does converting vinyl into digital file lose the quality of vinyl?

That was my point!!

 

Personally I am not a freak about this either way, I like CDs and LPs and there are advantages and disadvantages to both.

 

LouieB

[Analogman]

I read that to mean use the USB to listen to the LP - instead of using, say my 1972 receiver.

[mchchef1]

I read that to mean use the USB to listen to the LP - instead of using, say my 1972 receiver.

I agree with what both of you are saying. What I would like to do is transfer some music that I have on vinyl only, out of print hard to find etc. onto my Ipod, so I can play it in my car, at work, save wear and tear on the vinyl. A turn table I can plug into my computer could convert that data into a digital file so I could? yes?

 

 

Second question:

Would the transfer cause considerable sound quality loss? To say, would just sound like a digital file I bought of itunes or would it sound like the album, with the loveable pops ands skips?

[Analogman]

I see no reason to do such a thing - unless as you said - it is out of print or bootleg stuff.

 

There are programs to denoise the tracks - I leave them in - others, remove them. It is up to you.

 

I use SoundForge.

[LouieB]

My family wanted to get my one of these turntables but I said no, I will just listen to my LPs on my old 1970s era equipment.

 

LouieB

[Analogman]

My family wanted to get my one of these turntables but I said no, I will just listen to my LPs on my old 1970s era equipment.

 

LouieB

 

That's what I have - the receiver anyhow. A friend of mine gave it to me. I had to customize all the inputs of everything to fit in the holes. I am surprised it will run a cd player, equalizer, speakers, and turntable - but it does. I don't have a cassette deck - I hope to get one eventually.

[mjpuczko]

i had a cassette deck but sold it to a friend. i just have a technics reciever & turntable now. need to replace that needle though

[Analogman]

Mine is busted also - so the whole thing just sits there.

[LouieB]

I don't have a cassette deck - I hope to get one eventually.

Tape decks are going the way of VCRs...better pick up a used one soon.

 

LouieB

[jimmyjimmy]

I hope to get one eventually.

'shame.

I just gave one of these to a kid. It worked perfectly and looked terrific with fake lustrous walnut sides of the case.

[ction]

I regularly listen to stuff I've ripped from vinyl to cdr. A lot of CDs sound awful because they were poorly mastered (especially those released in the first 10 years or so of widespread CD releases). A good rip of vinyl to CDR can sound great, and definitely much better than the official CD versions.

 

The Replacements Pleased to Meet Me is a good example of something that sounds awful on disc compared to vinyl. I've got a vinyl rip of "IOU" that sounds awesome, even on CDR (and still very good as an mp3). Listening to vinyl itself would obviously sound better still, but records skip a lot when the turntable is on the dashboard of a car.

[honestgabe]

? heh

[Analogman]

'shame.

I just gave one of these to a kid. It worked perfectly and looked terrific with fake lustrous walnut sides of the case.

 

I actually had a nice Panasonic something or the other from the 80s that someone gave me - but it did not work long - and I did not think it was worth it to try and fix it.