Vinyl Records are Back!

I’m planning on getting my first turntable and buying some vinyl records, mostly to listen to the records themselves but I’d also like to transfer the songs to my computer and put them on my iPod or on CDs. Will the sound quality of the songs change when I convert them to MP3s and burn them to CDs?

It mostly depends on the quality of the turntable and cartridge you’re using…

The main strengths of analog over digital are a smoother, higher resolution sound and a smoother rolloff into the high frequencies you can’t hear, where CD quality digital just drops completely off at 20kHz. You lose that when you convert vinyl to CD quality digital and are left hearing the weaknesses of both formats. The frequency response when playing vinyl will never be quite as flat as a digital source… and there will always be a little surface noise…

But still, you can make some pretty nice digital recordings from vinyl with the right equipment. Some may even prefer the slightly warm, "round" sound.

Here’s a sample of a vinyl transfer made using a Technics SL-1200MKII turntable and a reasonably-priced vintage Audio Technica PRO13E cartridge (probably similar to an AT110E or AT95E today). The sound card used was a M-Audio Audiophile 2496. This cartridge is a bit on the "warm" side. You can get more detail and extension at the frequency extremes from a more "audiophile" class cartridge. This is an mp3 file. CD quality .wav would sound a little better.

http://www.4shared.com/audio/JAtZrDGq/Josie_ATPRO13E.html

My friend also gets excellent results (maybe even better) using an ART DJ phono preamp with USB output hooked up to his laptop for recording. http://www.amazon.com/ART-USB-Phono-Plus-Preamp/dp/B000BBGCCI/ref=pd_cp_MI_1

The following article says that vinyls are making a comeback and that more retailers are stocking them:

Some retailers give vinyl records a spin
Email this Story

Jun 9, 8:22 PM (ET)

By SARAH SKIDMORE

Google sponsored links
Convert Vinyl to CDs Fast – Complete System. Free Tutorials Easy Do it yourself -LPs-45s-Tapes
www.DAK.com

OfftheRecord: Vinyl to CD – Simple & Affordable w/Original Look Free shipping + extras for $15.99
www.offtherecord-online.com

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – It was a fortuitous typo for the Fred Meyer retail chain.

This spring, an employee intending to order a special CD-DVD edition of R.E.M.’s latest release "Accelerate" inadvertently entered the "LP" code instead. Soon boxes of the big, vinyl discs showed up at several stores.

Some sent them back. But a handful put them on the shelves, and 20 LPs sold the first day.

The Portland-based company, owned by The Kroger Co. (KR), realized the error might not be so bad after all. Fred Meyer is now testing vinyl sales at 60 of its stores in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. The company says, based on the response so far, it plans to roll out vinyl in July in all its stores that sell music.

Other mainstream retailers are giving vinyl a spin too. Best Buy is testing sales at some stores. And online music giant Amazon.com, which has sold vinyl for most of the 13 years it has been in business online, created a special vinyl-only section last fall.

The best-seller so far at Fred Meyer is The Beatles album "Abbey Road." But musicians from the White Stripes and the Foo Fighters to Metallica and Pink Floyd are selling well, the company says.

"It’s not just a nostalgia thing," said Melinda Merrill, spokeswoman for Fred Meyer. "The response from customers has just been that they like it, they feel like it has a better sound."

According to the Recording Industry Association of America, manufacturers’ shipments of LPs jumped more than 36 percent from 2006 to 2007 to more than 1.3 million. Shipments of CDs dropped more than 17 percent during the same period to 511 million, as they lost some ground to digital formats.

The resurgence of vinyl centers on a long-standing debate over analog versus digital sound. Digital recordings capture samples of sound and place them very close together as a complete package that sounds nearly identical to continuous sound to many people.

Analog recordings on most LPs are continuous, which produces a truer sound – though, paradoxically, some new LP releases are being recorded and mixed digitally but delivered analog.

Some purists also argue that the compression required to allow loudness in some digital formats weakens the quality as well.

But it’s not just about the sound. Audiophiles say they also want the format’s overall experience – the sensory experience of putting the needle on the record, the feeling of side A and side B and the joy of lingering over the liner notes.

"I think music products should be more than just music," said Isaac Hudson, a 28-year-old vinyl fan standing outside one of Portland’s larger independent music stores.

The interest seems to be catching on. Turntable sales are picking up and the few remaining record pressers say business is booming.

But the LP isn’t going to muscle out CDs or iPod soon.

Nearly 450 million CDs were sold last year, versus just under 1 million LPs, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Based on the first three months of this year, Nielsen says vinyl album sales could reach 1.6 million in 2008.

"I don’t think vinyl is for everyone; it’s for the die-hard music consumer," said Jay Millar, director of marketing at United Record Pressing, a Nashville based company that is the nation’s largest record pressing plant.

Many major artists – Elvis Costello, the Raconteurs and others – are issuing LPs and encouraging fans to check out their albums on vinyl. On Amazon.com, one of the best-selling LPs is Madonna’s latest album, "Hard Candy".

Some artists package vinyl and digital versions of their music together, including offers for free digital downloads along with the record.

"We’ve definitely had some talks with the major retailers about exclusives on the manufacturing end," Millar said of United Record Pressing, which focuses primarily on independent recordings.

An avid music fan himself, Millar says he has moved to vinyl in recent years.

"Once I got my first iPod … I’m looking at my wall of CDs and trying to justify it," Millar said. "The things I like – the artwork, the liner notes, the sound quality – it dawns on me, those are things I like better on vinyl." He welcomed back the pops and clicks, even some of the scratches.

"I like that fact that it’s imperfect in a lot of ways, live music is imperfect too," Millar said.

Independent music stores, which have been the primary source of LPs in recent years, say many fans never left the medium.

"People have been buying vinyl all along," said Cathy Hagen, manager at 2nd Avenue Records in Portland. "There was a fairly good supply from independent labels on vinyl all these years. As far as a resurgence, the major labels are just pressing more now."

In this game, big retailers aren’t necessarily competing head to head with independent sellers’ regular clientele of nostalgic baby boomers, independent label fans and turntable DJs.

"I cannot see that Best Buy or Fred Meyer would order the same things we would," Hagen said. "They aren’t going to be ordering the reggae, funk, punk or industrial music."

* 1 hour ago
* – 3 days left to answer.

very doubtful. Vinyl is nice for *professional* dj’s.. I don’t mean those sissy’s who spin cd’s. You can do SO much more with vinyl when it comes to sound effects while spinning. However, vinyl can be converted to digital, and not the other way around. So I’m going to say no, they won’t replace cd’s or digital, but they’re for those hardcore audiophiles out there.

Will vinyl records and turntables replace CDs, MP3s, and Ipods?
The following article says that vinyls are making a comeback and that more retailers are stocking them:

Some retailers give vinyl records a spin
Email this Story

Jun 9, 8:22 PM (ET)

By SARAH SKIDMORE

Google sponsored links
Convert Vinyl to CDs Fast – Complete System. Free Tutorials Easy Do it yourself -LPs-45s-Tapes
www.DAK.com

OfftheRecord: Vinyl to CD – Simple & Affordable w/Original Look Free shipping + extras for $15.99
www.offtherecord-online.com

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – It was a fortuitous typo for the Fred Meyer retail chain.

This spring, an employee intending to order a special CD-DVD edition of R.E.M.’s latest release "Accelerate" inadvertently entered the "LP" code instead. Soon boxes of the big, vinyl discs showed up at several stores.

Some sent them back. But a handful put them on the shelves, and 20 LPs sold the first day.

The Portland-based company, owned by The Kroger Co. (KR), realized the error might not be so bad after all. Fred Meyer is now testing vinyl sales at 60 of its stores in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. The company says, based on the response so far, it plans to roll out vinyl in July in all its stores that sell music.

Other mainstream retailers are giving vinyl a spin too. Best Buy is testing sales at some stores. And online music giant Amazon.com, which has sold vinyl for most of the 13 years it has been in business online, created a special vinyl-only section last fall.

The best-seller so far at Fred Meyer is The Beatles album "Abbey Road." But musicians from the White Stripes and the Foo Fighters to Metallica and Pink Floyd are selling well, the company says.

"It’s not just a nostalgia thing," said Melinda Merrill, spokeswoman for Fred Meyer. "The response from customers has just been that they like it, they feel like it has a better sound."

According to the Recording Industry Association of America, manufacturers’ shipments of LPs jumped more than 36 percent from 2006 to 2007 to more than 1.3 million. Shipments of CDs dropped more than 17 percent during the same period to 511 million, as they lost some ground to digital formats.

The resurgence of vinyl centers on a long-standing debate over analog versus digital sound. Digital recordings capture samples of sound and place them very close together as a complete package that sounds nearly identical to continuous sound to many people.

Analog recordings on most LPs are continuous, which produces a truer sound – though, paradoxically, some new LP releases are being recorded and mixed digitally but delivered analog.

Some purists also argue that the compression required to allow loudness in some digital formats weakens the quality as well.

But it’s not just about the sound. Audiophiles say they also want the format’s overall experience – the sensory experience of putting the needle on the record, the feeling of side A and side B and the joy of lingering over the liner notes.

"I think music products should be more than just music," said Isaac Hudson, a 28-year-old vinyl fan standing outside one of Portland’s larger independent music stores.

The interest seems to be catching on. Turntable sales are picking up and the few remaining record pressers say business is booming.

But the LP isn’t going to muscle out CDs or iPod soon.

Nearly 450 million CDs were sold last year, versus just under 1 million LPs, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Based on the first three months of this year, Nielsen says vinyl album sales could reach 1.6 million in 2008.

"I don’t think vinyl is for everyone; it’s for the die-hard music consumer," said Jay Millar, director of marketing at United Record Pressing, a Nashville based company that is the nation’s largest record pressing plant.

Many major artists – Elvis Costello, the Raconteurs and others – are issuing LPs and encouraging fans to check out their albums on vinyl. On Amazon.com, one of the best-selling LPs is Madonna’s latest album, "Hard Candy".

Some artists package vinyl and digital versions of their music together, including offers for free digital downloads along with the record.

"We’ve definitely had some talks with the major retailers about exclusives on the manufacturing end," Millar said of United Record Pressing, which focuses primarily on independent recordings.

An avid music fan himself, Millar says he has moved to vinyl in recent years.

"Once I got my first iPod … I’m looking at my wall of CDs and trying to justify it," Millar said. "The things I like – the artwork, the liner notes, the sound quality – it dawns on me, those are things I like better on vinyl." He welcomed back the pops and clicks, even some of the scratches.

"I like that fact that it’s imperfect in a lot of ways, live music is imperfect too," Millar said.

Independent music stores, which have been the primary source of LPs in recent years, say many fans never left the medium.

"People have been buying vinyl all along," said Cathy Hagen, manager at 2nd Avenue Records in Portland. "There was a fairly good supply from independent labels on vinyl all these years. As far as a resurgence, the major labels are just pressing more now."

In this game, big retailers aren’t necessarily competing head to head with independent sellers’ regular clientele of nostalgic baby boomers, independent label fans and turntable DJs.

"I cannot see that Best Buy or Fred Meyer would order the same things we would," Hagen said. "They aren’t going to be ordering the reggae, funk, punk or industrial music."

I read that story yesterday. I miss Portland. Vinyl may make a bit of a comeback, but it won’t ever dominate the way it once did. Maybe one day they can get analog fidelity out of digital media.

Ok, I think its really dumb how new artist (Amy whinehouse) Have there own vinyl Record, I think those should be left for the Classics Like AC/DC or The Who,The beatles ect. AFI woud be different because they were made in 1995 so yeah but still, its just what i think.

Your question is?

I’m glad that newer artists are releasing music on vinyl, mainly because I still LISTEN to vinyl, have invested LOTS of money in vinyl over the years, and don’t want to be restricted to pre-1995 music just because you think it’s "dumb" for reasons you haven’t explained.

Also, a lot of newer released vinyl sounds a lot better than the CD version, mainly because current CD mastering engineers have cloth ears, and compress the hell out of the music and turn everything up to 11 so it sounds like total crap and is painful to listen to. Google "loudness wars" for information on this sh*tty practice.

Listen to Amy Winehouse’s vinyl records on a decent turntable, then listen to the horrific sounding CD version, and THEN tell me it wasn’t a good idea to release it on vinyl.

I’m fairly new to collecting music on vinyl, and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t getting inferior counterfeit records. What are the tell-tale signs of a bootleg vinyl record?
One thing I should mention is that I’d like to be able to tell before I buy it. I’m buying a lot of "new" vinyl, from new albums from the last 5 years or so. The tips so far are more useful for after buying it. I might get in trouble for stress testing the records while they’re still wrapped. And when buying the albums online, I can’t do that.

If albums are new and wrapped, you can check on the sleeve for the catalog number and the Record Company name/logo. You should also look for pictures of the original on the internet as you can find a lot of info on there.

You can also find out where it was made/distributed. These details are never used by bootleggers as they can get into serious legal difficulties if they do use them. Also, look on record companies/bands web sites as they often have pictures and details of any extras like posters or stickers which come with the vinyl. Always keep these safe as they add to the value of the record in years to come.

Always check with a reliable catalog/web site or discography to get the record number. It will be scratch printed on the vinyl, usually near the centre of the record. This is usually the only guaranteed way to check that it’s the real deal.

In good bootleg records, the vinyl and label quality can be as good as a regular original vinyl. In fact a lot of older, good quality vinyl bootlegs can be worth as much or more than original vinyl.

When buying from e-bay, look for a seller who has little or no negative feedback as this will tell you how honest and reliable he is. He should also have pictures on his listing so you can do your homework before bidding. You can usually e-mail the seller if you have any queries and they’re often prepared to send you additional information and pictures if they have nothing to hide. He will also usually tell you whether something is a bootleg or the real deal as some bootlegs can be worth hundreds. The majority of e-bayers are great people. I’ve been buying and selling vinyl there for ages and the only problems I’ve ever had is postage delays which is not the sellers fault. If in douby about a sellers goods, dont buy from them. But you also have channels to go through with eBay/PayPal if you feel you’ve been cheated by a seller and it’s usually possible to get your money back.

If you have an interest in collecting material from a certain era or a certain band, have a look on the web as there are some very nice genuine collectors out there who will happily advise you on the approximate value of vinyl and are prepared to tell you what’s real and whats not – and all for free.

Good luck with what’s sure to become a great hobby.

OMG! my daugher LOVES moldy peaches! and I LOVE HER! someone please help me find this record on VINYL ONLY! thank you!!!

sorry i cant help… did u try ebay????

I’ve notice most people who collect records either go for 60’s or 70’s classic rock or modern indie/punk records. Does anyone collect old or new ‘metal’ records, either for value, rarity, album covers, or just to listen?

I’ve also noticed a few modern bands like Cattle Decapitation that release all their albums on vinyl as well.

I have a few Iron Maiden albums on vinyl, but sadly at the moment don’t have a record player. My mum also has all her old classic rock records.

The reason that most people who collect records go for 60’s or 70’s stuff is because vinyl was the equivalent of CDs in the 60-70’s, it was the most common format, and therefore the easiest to buy and collect.

Lots of bands release their albums on vinyl, but it’s more frequent in electronic music than in metal, as there simply aren’t as many audiophiles that enjoy metal who listen to vinyl for the better audio quality.

I personally have the Iron Maiden records because they’ve got awesome artwork and because when I have a chance to listen to them, the quality is superb.

Of course with a new LP and turntable stylus.

At the beginning of the CD era, the mid-eighties, this was very very true. The first generation (and second generation) CD players had a very harsh, gritty sound to them, terrible intermodulation distortion; music just didn’t sound "natural".The new CD players have closed the gap quite a bit, but I still feel that good vinyl on a good turntable has a warmer, more realistic sound. It doesn’t do music any good to chop it up into little digital pieces.