Sony plans to make vinyl records again • Hacker News Board

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#41

Post by gjem97 » Fri, Jun 30, 2017, 2:19 PM UTC

It always makes me cringe when people say that records "sound better".

Here's my unsolicited theory on why vinyl was preferred (by some) to CDs in the 90s and 00s. It wasn't the form factor, it was the dynamic range of the masters. I don't know if it was caused by the advent of digital recording, but the loudness war [1] certainly got going around the time that CDs were becoming popular. So comparing a classic vinyl record did sound better than a newly mastered CD, but not because of the digital recording, simply because the dynamic range of the music was better.

Now that doesn't explain the recent renaissance of vinyl, which appears to have more to do with the ease of spinning, and the presentation of a coherent larger work of art (as opposed to singles on Spotify).

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#42

Post by api » Fri, Jun 30, 2017, 2:19 PM UTC

nerdponx wrote: post #35

api wrote: post #9

I feel like this is what happens when you reach the enlightenment stage with technology. I have a phone with eight 64-bit CPU cores built with 10nm lithography, and I cook on cast iron. "New" or "old" doesn't matter. We have things that do things. Pick one.

I like this mentality. It's not all about hipsterism. If anything, it's unfair to assume that a guy into vinyl is a hipster just because hipsters and posers are also into vinyl.

I like the idea of selling music on vinyl with a little token that lets you download mp4's of it from the band's web site if you have the vinyl. I've seen a few bands and electronic musicians do this.

The vinyl is like an original numbered print, while the download is like a glossy poster print.

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#43

Post by k-mcgrady » Fri, Jun 30, 2017, 2:19 PM UTC

sp332 wrote: post #19

I wonder if they'll be manufactured differently if they're going for a wider audience. You can sell a 180-gram colored disc to a superfan for $40 but if you're aiming for 18% of the market, maybe they'll be more lightweight, brittle, even dingy-looking.

180g + color isn't the standard though, it's the premium version. At the moment it seems like most new stuff is released at that weight but older stuff is much thinner. Hopefully they'll start producing more of that again because £20-25 (which seems to be the standard price here) is pretty pricey.

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#44

Post by swiley » Fri, Jun 30, 2017, 2:19 PM UTC

aarmenante wrote: post #20

If you're into house/techno/disco all the best records get released (or rereleased) on vinyl first, before eventually getting out as a digital download. Also for artists, the profit margins are higher selling an LP (or even better a cassette) then releasing it to a small fanbase on Spotify. It's a better way to connect with a band you like than just streaming a track on your iPhone. You get the artwork to look at, an…

Cassettes seem like they would get distorted which is way worse than the failure mode for records (getting noisy).

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#45

Post by agotterer » Fri, Jun 30, 2017, 2:19 PM UTC

eterm wrote: post #33

kristiandupont wrote: post #11

I confess, I am part of this trend. And I just got into it, so I get no "before it was cool"-claim to fame. Not sure where that leaves me on the hipster-scale. Buying CD's used to be a weekly ritual for me and I missed it for years. Putting on a new album on a Saturday afternoon with a beer or glass of wine while I start cooking is a very enjoyable moment for me. Now, obviously this was for the most part because I wo…

But why buy vinyl instead of buying CDs? I understand your point about listening to a whole album being preferable to singles, I feel the same way but I'd still much rather listen to a CD than an LP.

A few years ago my wife bought me a record player for our anniversary. Since then I've been collecting used classic rock records. For me the difference between CDs and Vinyl literally comes down to the listening experience. Vinyl has a very distinct sound, big colorful covers, and a feeling of nostalgia every time you touch the needle to the record.

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#46

Post by aaronarduino » Fri, Jun 30, 2017, 2:19 PM UTC

hashkb wrote: post #14

As long as nobody is claiming they sound better, and it's just for fun and nostalgia, I'm all for it. It really bugs me when vinyl buffs try to argue their rig sounds better or warmer or whatever than the same rig with a digital (or non-vinyl analog) source.

Better sound quality can be debated endlessly. Although being a part of and having friends in the recording industry for over six years, I can assure you that the consensus is that vinyl does sound better. If a record is pressed well it does sound more pleasing.

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#47

Post by torrent-of-ions » Fri, Jun 30, 2017, 2:20 PM UTC

aarmenante wrote: post #20

If you're into house/techno/disco all the best records get released (or rereleased) on vinyl first, before eventually getting out as a digital download. Also for artists, the profit margins are higher selling an LP (or even better a cassette) then releasing it to a small fanbase on Spotify. It's a better way to connect with a band you like than just streaming a track on your iPhone. You get the artwork to look at, an…

Really? Last time I was into listening to new trance (pre ~2006) there were only a small handful of labels that still pressed vinyl. I haven't seen turntables in the wild for years, alas. Maybe it's different with more "underground" house and techno and disco, though.

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#48

Post by blowski » Fri, Jun 30, 2017, 2:20 PM UTC

alexchantavy wrote: post #18

arethuza wrote: post #2

I must saw I am mystified by this - I grew up with LPs, singles and cassettes in the 70s and 80s and I can't say I miss them.

To some degree I probably trick myself into thinking vinyl sounds better, but for me there's something special about putting on side A, listening through the whole way without skipping tracks, and then physically flipping to side B. It forces me to get to know an album in a way that doesn't happen when I use Spotify.

Agreed. It's the difference between making a cup of tea with a tea bag vs real leaves in a teapot. Involving yourself more in the process somehow makes you slow down and enjoy it more.

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#49

Post by alkonaut » Fri, Jun 30, 2017, 2:21 PM UTC

eterm wrote: post #33

kristiandupont wrote: post #11

I confess, I am part of this trend. And I just got into it, so I get no "before it was cool"-claim to fame. Not sure where that leaves me on the hipster-scale. Buying CD's used to be a weekly ritual for me and I missed it for years. Putting on a new album on a Saturday afternoon with a beer or glass of wine while I start cooking is a very enjoyable moment for me. Now, obviously this was for the most part because I wo…

But why buy vinyl instead of buying CDs? I understand your point about listening to a whole album being preferable to singles, I feel the same way but I'd still much rather listen to a CD than an LP.

I think I can answer that: because vinyl now feels like timeless artifacts while CD's feel disposable and cheap.

We thought vinyl was going the way of the dinosaur when the CD came, but now that they are back it feels like they are here to stay. Both vinyl and cds were bought to get the music the first time around. CD had no trouble displacing vinyl for the quality of the sound.

But this time, when it's more about the cover art and the ritual of listening, than it is about the sound, I don't see how something could display the LP. I know a lot of vinyl buyers now that buy the albums but then listen to the streamed music. Just to hold the album but have the convenience of digital.

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#50

Post by logfromblammo » Fri, Jun 30, 2017, 2:21 PM UTC

api wrote: post #9

I feel like this is what happens when you reach the enlightenment stage with technology. I have a phone with eight 64-bit CPU cores built with 10nm lithography, and I cook on cast iron. "New" or "old" doesn't matter. We have things that do things. Pick one.

What else would you be cooking on? An overclocked 8192-core CPU?