The Appeal of Vinyl

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Mon, 2008-03-17 00:06

The Appeal of Vinyl

Vinyl records are enjoying a resurgence in popularity and there is something very satisfying about pulling a record from its sleeve and playing it on an old turntable! I have just become the owner of a 1970s Van der Molen Record player in fabulous condition for £2 (courtesy of the Chesham Scouts' jumble sale on Saturday).

Have had a lovely afternoon going through my old collection that I am now very glad I didn't throw out. My first ever record was Nick Kershaw's 'The Riddle' !

Mon, 2008-03-17 00:35

mykle

Hey j, just going to bed when I noticed this. I have a huge collection of old LP including a Beatles double album with Ringo’s first appearance as drummer guesting because Pete Best was off sick. I’m usually a fan of old tech but CD’s are definitely a step up in so many ways… So, I transfer a lot of my favorites to CD. Don’t miss the constant cost of new needles :O) Still, enjoy, I liked Nick Kershaw' too.

Mon, 2008-03-17 09:47

Brooklands

And the revival of LP sleeves as cunning disguises too: www.sleeveface.com My favourite is Barry Manilow. Joe

Mon, 2008-03-17 10:15

drew_gummerson

I recently bought The Riddle and Don Quixote (another Nik Kershaw song) on iTunes. I must say, I'm not nostalgic for vinyl at all. Or video. But I do remember the first time I saw a digital watch.

Mon, 2008-03-17 11:12

poetjude

The sound quality I get from CDs on my hi fi equipment is far superior and the needles are pricey. I expect the record player will be more of an occasional nostalgic trip and another decorative item for my 70s styled living room. I also have an old 700 series telephone and it annoys me so much, I have reverted to a modern phone which is hidden behind it on my desk. jude

Fri, 2008-03-21 03:25

justyn_thyme

You could hide it behind a lava lamp and a collection of mood rings. "You don't need the light of the Lord to read the handwriting on the wall." Copies of Warsaw Tales available through www.new-ink.org

Fri, 2008-03-21 21:24

Yan2

mp3 is way too overly compressed...all the dynamics are lost, man. Sorry but you can't call yourself a serious lover of music if you listen to mp3. itunes can kiss my butt as far as I'm concerned. bring back analogue and magnetic tape...let's keep the BEEF!!! Oh dear! I think I ruptured my pomposity.

~It's a maze for rats to try, it's a race for rats to die.~

Sat, 2008-03-22 20:48

ggggareth

Ah, vinyl. Too many of my favourite songs (far too unpopular at the time to have ever made it to CD) have now been banished to the loft. Serves me right for being a pop-snob. If I had liked Nick Kershaw, I'd have been laughing now.

Sun, 2008-03-23 11:34

maddan

methinks yan2 is confusing audio compression with digital compression

Sun, 2008-03-23 12:17

#10

Yan2

Me thinks I'm a sound engineer, maddan. Get in the ring! Do some research first, though, or you may find yourself out in the first round. Oh dear! I think I ruptured my pomposity.

~It's a maze for rats to try, it's a race for rats to die.~

Mon, 2008-03-24 10:27

#11

maddan

As a sound engineer you clearly understand it better than I, a lowly price timer and part-time hamster wrangler. I understood audio compression to be "audio level compression" - i.e. the technique by which the dynamics are reduced upwards (so to speak) to achieve a higher rms power value and make the recording sound louder at the expense of dynamic range - sometimes referred to (I believe) as "dynamic range audio compression" - hence my belief that it was this audio compression in which "all the dynamics are lost, man." I believe a small amount of dynamics are lost in mp3 compression, but -even allowing for hyperbole- by no mean all of them.

Mon, 2008-03-24 10:50

#12

TheShyAssassin

Cor blimey Einstein, you nearly had me there!

Mon, 2008-03-24 11:17

#13

mykle

You sure audio level compression achieves a higher RMS power value, Dan? It used to lower it due to the fact that it was essentially a limiting process. It would give a denser signal which would give a higher RMS at equivalent volumes (requiring greater amplification). Mind you times change and it might depend on which compression sytem you use.

Mon, 2008-03-24 14:03

#14

mykle

While I was out in the snow I realized that my earlier post had been pedantic and Dan was essentially right that the upshot is simply a rounding up. Of course vinyl used compression too due to restriction on groove depth. However, surely fidelity is the real issue and while reel to reel tape does probably have a slight edge over digital you wouldn’t use lossy compression for either if you were making a quality recording. MP3 is great for portable music and for carrying a jukebox in your pocket… sometimes you just want to listen to a favorite track or three and quality is less important than portability.

Tue, 2008-03-25 00:35

#15

Yan2

I've not a frickin clue, Dan. I'm not really a sound engineer. I'm like Jude: change my profession every saturday. LOL

~It's a maze for rats to try, it's a race for rats to die.~

Tue, 2008-03-25 10:29

#16

poetjude

I'm currently training for my first ever career change... from biomedical publishing to medical law (which is related anyway). I have couple of non-career jobs at present to fund my training but they don't count !!! jude

Tue, 2008-03-25 10:47

#17

martin_t

i have a load of old vinyl records in the attic, haven't had a record player in years, when i was a teenager in the late 70s, i used to spend hours in a record shop in bath called "cruisin' records" it's not the same going into record shops now like hmv, or virgin, i may have nicked records from woolies as a kid or i may not have ;-)

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