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Sony plans to make vinyl records again

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#251

Post by eric_h »

eric_h wrote: post #243
zippergz wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find that an eInk Kindle is "close enough" to a paper book in terms of immersion for me. But reading on my iPad (or even worse, computer) definitely is not. I get notifications, there's always the temptation to jump out and "just check email," etc. With the Kindle there is no distraction, and for me that seems to be more important than the tactile experience of a printed book (though I do still enjoy printed books)…

Personally I've found that the loss of one spatial dimension in the transition from paper to ebook actually makes the book less engaging and more difficult to retain details. I think (again, my personal experience) that reading while also having a tactile sense of where I am in the book (say ~20% of the way through) makes it easier to remember smaller details; perhaps the physical book helps my brain create a sort of…

I'd also add that ever since I figured this out I've wanted to invent an ebook reader that actually gave you a third dimension, multiple (say ~20) eink pages with perhaps an additional tactile slider on the binding as you progress through the book.

Maybe it'll become feasible as the price for flexible eink displays drops.

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#253

Post by ksk »

skciva wrote: post #211
eanzenberg wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I dunno.. digital music just sounds better, is more consistent, portable, and all around easier to play than vinyl. Why stop there? Do you also churn your own butter, milk your own cows, shave with a straight razor? Personally, I think it's just silly hipster bias.

So you don't understand why people like something and dismiss it as silly hipster bias? Does everything have to be about efficiency and logical superiority? People enjoy the experience more and are spending money on it. How horrible.

>So you don't understand why people like something and dismiss it as silly hipster bias?

Yeah, it can seem annoying when someone does that to what you like, but all humans do this at some level. Its same thing as when someone insists that a $7,000 bottle of wine makes you sit down and have a personal experience with the wine, makes you appreciate the weight of the wine, its powerful robust swirling texture, and its assertive character. cue: eye-rolls

>Does everything have to be about efficiency and logical superiority?

No, but I bet you don't consult tarot cards before choosing your next job.

>People enjoy the experience more and are spending money on it. How horrible.

Agreed, leave people alone, people !!

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#254

Post by eric_h »

bhj wrote: post #135
nikanj wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Discover weekly is Spotify's key to that sweet payola, and it really shows. You can't remove songs from the weekly recommendation, and somehow it repeatedly gives you well-marketed artists completely outside your listening preferences.

Another anecdotal data point: This has not been my experience at all. Its recommendations have gotten more obscure as I've liked/plussed those kind of things. It's more likely that you're encountering the limits of Spotify's library and/or algorithms rather than some nefarious payola plot. (I agree that being able to remove songs - or at least thumbs up/down similar to artist/album radio modes - would be nice)

Absolutely. I actually started listening to discover weekly playlists without giving it any feedback and it started based on my previous trends and gradually drifted into the more main stream stuff.

Once I realized I just needed to give its recommendation engine more fuel to work with and started liking/adding things I actually wanted to listen to, it went right back to giving me cool stuff with loads of obscure artists I'd never heard before but liked a lot. (It really only took me about two weeks to right the ship).

Spotify's recommendation algos are excellent.

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#255

Post by LesZedCB »

kazinator wrote: post #192

Frank Zappa on vinyl, BAM (Bay Area Music magazine) [1987]: http://www.afka.net/Articles/1987-01_BAM.htm BAM: Working with a computerized synthesizer, do you find that vinyl is no longer the most desirable way to present your music? Will you be releasing CD-only recordings? FZ: Well, vinyl never really was all that terrific a medium anyway. Some people cling to the belief that vinyl sounds better. I don't know. Not t…

honestly i've always assumed people thought vinyl sounds 'warm' because of the crackling, which activates connections to wood fires.

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#256

Post by LesZedCB »

I like vinyl for the same reason I make americanos with my work's espresso machine which makes both espresso and coffee. It's a process. I enjoy the ritual of heating water and pouring it into espresso, even though the machine does the same thing I am doing.

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#257

Post by protomyth »

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.

I remember listening to the 8-track tape with my Dad, and I do not miss the clunk in the middle of a song or other content differences.

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#258

Post by some-guy »

kazinator wrote: post #190
sosuke wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You've hit on a very big part of listening to music that appears largely lost today. Composers would know that they had a captive audience for so long a time and would be able to create large narratives in their music that just can't be pulled off today. I have a hard time imagining just sitting down to listen to music. Not listen to music and converse or eat. Not listen to music and browse the web. Just listening to…

> You've hit on a very big part of listening to music that appears largely lost today. The big part that is lost today is the music.

Nonsense: there was plenty of horrible music that came out in the past that did not stand the test of time. Ironically it's all on Spotify now for your enjoyment :)

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#259

Post by david-cako »

bcrescimanno wrote: post #144

As someone who started collecting vinyl about 3 years ago, it's about the difference between passive and active involvement in music. So much of our music consumption these days is a largely passive activity. We have music in our headphones while we work. We have music on in our cars while we drive. We have music on in the background of social events. While modern digital formats have given us true ubiquity of music…

While I completely agree with the sentiment, I think that most people who spend a serious amount of time seeking out and listening to music digitally have the same level of involvement. Communities like private trackers and /mu/ are some of the most expansive record stores in the world. Try walking into a record store and finding someone that listens to whatever weird shit you're into. It'll be more rewarding, but far less likely.

Re: Sony plans to make vinyl records again

#260

Post by com2kid »

bcrescimanno wrote: post #144

As someone who started collecting vinyl about 3 years ago, it's about the difference between passive and active involvement in music. So much of our music consumption these days is a largely passive activity. We have music in our headphones while we work. We have music on in our cars while we drive. We have music on in the background of social events. While modern digital formats have given us true ubiquity of music…

> We have music on in our cars while we drive.

I am not sure how this is a passive activity. For me, listening to music in my car is when I am actively listening, I have time to contemplate the lyrics, listen to songs over and over again and hear the nuances, and really gain appreciation for a song. It is sad that my car has the worst audio quality, but it is far from a passive experience.

That is not even beginning to talk about the fact that on an open road (admittedly rarer and rarer each day), that music becomes an interactive experience. Be it slowing down and opening the windows to feel the wind pass by while the perfect Americana song plays, or pushing that pedal to the floor when just the right song comes on.

I'll readily agree that music at work is very passive though, I have to avoid songs that require (or encourage!) active listening.

> When I want to listen to music I grab a record.

I reach for my FLAC collection, legally ripped, and stored in the cloud.

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