cpkoch

mmorgan
 Unlike CDs which only have one side vinyl records have two. And two is more than one...more is better. It is akin to my 56 Fender Twin Reverb's volumn knob going to 11. Eleven is more than 10 so it's better.

Your logic is Rock solid! I love it!  It's the same logic that suggests  because it is a "56" Fender  the volume must therefore go to 11 since 5 plus 6 equals 11! Ya just can't argue that  ... right? 

Exactly right. 
 
 

Is it really coming back? I'm not seeing it outside of a tiny niche market which also includes DJ's.
 
I have more than 500 - 600 33's and 45's in my collection that's been built up over the years. I don't listen to them anymore, nor do I ever care to listen to them. So many compromises had to be made by mixing and mastering engineers during the days of vinyl ... compromises we would never consider making today. These range from compression choices to a drastically reduced frequency response to cutting songs (or worse, shortening songs) just so they would FIT on a side.
 
With digital most of those limitations were no longer there - and really poor "creative decisions" were used to exploit them. We can't blame the medium - we should be blaming the people using the medium. Early CD's were bright and shrill because the same EQ techniques as vinyl were being used by the engineers. Later the loudness wars became an embarrassment to the industry.  However, it's not unlike the over use of gated and cathedral reverbs in the 80's or string sections in the 70's. Every decade and era of music will have a horrible legacy it will have to live with.
 
If you like reduced frequency response, reduced dynamic range, higher noise floors, snap crackle and pop, continuing degradation on every play back and buying expensive needles every "xxx amount of hours" then go ahead and enjoy your vinyl.  The only thing I miss are the covers and liners.
 
Just my 2 cents :)
 

• Producers got frustrated because drummers wouldn't play exactly on time.  They used click tracks, and they recut songs over and over to get them right.
• Then we got drum machines, sequencers, and samplers.  Suddenly everyone was screaming that the drums didn't sound human and they started working to make them sound sloppier.
 
So, people complained about vinyl scratches, noise, limited dynamic range, fragility, instability (you couldn't shake the turntable), warping, and other things.  When CDs fixed all this, people started complaining how they didn't have all that wonderful analog warmth and magic that records had.
 
Personally, I am trying to focus on writing good songs and doing the best I can with the technology of the times.

I still buy vinyl. I'm not one of those that praises it but I personally enjoy the larger format which allows for a better packaging and some interesting artwork (on occasions) I still buy various bits of old vinyl, mainly for sampling, others for listening pleasure. On the odd occasion i've ripped some to the pc, but on the whole I will download/rip from cd the vast majority of things (Usually for djing purposes or general listening).
As I said, I like the large format, being able to look at the artwork, read the inners/tracklisting/credits and such. Plus it gives people jobs and we all know that hardly anyone bothers to check out the cover art or credits/linernotes when downloading digital formats. It's fun to sometimes come across weird little messages or credits for those who you didn't know were involved in the projects.

Funny to say:
my band is called The Watch (we play progressive rock).
Our last album is called Tracks From The Alps, and we released it in vinyl too...
 
eheeh,
 
Giorgio
 

I believe there are a multitude of reasons why vinyl is on an upward trend. Certainly there is a nostalgia element involved. For some of us, it brings back fond memories, while for others just discovering vinyl, it creates new ones. But it can't all be nostalgia. If it was, we would see a resurgence of 8-tracks and disco, platform shoes and bell bottoms.
 
There is certainly something to the logic of dynamics being involved. The loudness wars made everything loud - consistently. Even the new sound leveling plugins to help fight the loudness war won't bring back dynamics - they just make everything sound equally loud. Not until mixing with dynamics in mind takes center stage again will that change (and the sooner that happens the better).
 
There has been a lot of talk about the mp3 and how bad it sounds. And compared to the original CD, it does. But I also remember "transistor" radios and AM radio stations - before the advent of FM Stereo. I used to listen to that little radio under my pillow every night (thank goodness Radio Shack had the "free battery per month club"). Just about any mp3 file, even the bad ones, still sound better than that transistor/AM radio combination.
 
I think all of this plays into the resurgence in vinyl. Certainly, when one listens to a LP, you really do listen to it. It is not just the background music. You listen because you are involved - in putting the record on the player, the tone arm, and flipping it over to hear side 2. The record player was the center of the entertainment complex in the house. I remember that our family stereo was a big thing - nice wood cabinets - that matched the rest of the furniture.
 
In the end, I think there are a lot of reasons you see vinyl making a comeback. But I think a lot of it is for the same reason that books never really died off when the ebook came along. Yes, I have plenty of books on my tablet. But when I want to read, and I mean really read, I curl up in my easy chair with a good, old fashion, paper book. I think that is why you see vinyl making a comeback. It won't take over the digital formats, but it will be there when you want to listen to good, honest, music. Like a good book, vinyl draws you in and you experience it, not just have it in the background. And you listen because it is important, you want to listen and only listen.
 
Its honest.
 

I suppose for me, it's the sound & "feel" of the audio. Plus. I liked seeing the records spin as a kid.
 
Cue "Watching the Wheels"..........

The free battery of the month club! I so remember that. Sometimes they would have those flashlight deals as well.

BJN
Perhaps it is because vinyl has more body to it than digital.
Or simply that when we used to buy a record and take it home and listen to it, thats is what you did.
It was an experience and enjoyable one.
It is one that is lost now digital and the loudness war those listening to mp3s are multitasking.
 

Vinyl had limits to its bass response because too much bass would cause the needle to jump, so vinyl actually has less "body", imo.  But I agree on the listening experience.  There was something satisfying about taking a record out of its jacket, putting it on the turntable and setting the arm.  And then you had to flip it over.
 
I think albums had to be better composed to entice you to play side two.  Today with digital and instant gratification, you just jump to tracks you like so the organizational concept of "album" is no longer as important. 

double