Music on vinyl
Who likes records? I do. @mertesn does. @Gargoyle does. And I hear @linc does too. Let's talk.
I don't have a huge or valuable collection, but probably half my music purchases are on LP. I like the format. The physical presence encourages me to engage with the music actively. You've gotta take care when listening so you don't jack up the record, and the packaging forces you to interact with the art and liner notes, unlike a CD where some little booklet stays tucked into the notches in the lid of the case, or an MP3 where you just say screw it and play one song.
My current interest (as of yesterday) is this fundraiser selling test pressings (the record equivalent of a beta test) for charity. Seems cool.
http://www.testpressingsforcharity.org/
What about you? What's spinning on your turntable?
Comments
I'm super picky about buying music, to the point where I just don't buy it most times. All of my music purchases in the past year have been vinyl and I plan on sticking with it but have one requirement: it has to include a DRM free digital download.
Having the freedom to have it digitally but also the physical media (and some of the really kick ass artwork/presentation that goes into vinyl) definitely makes me feel good about buying it.
I am a devotee of the album format; buying singles is a rarity for me. If you can't construct a coherent album, I don't want your music.
I've been thinking a lot about the pub and how I want to pipe music in there. I heard a report on NPR yesterday that vinyl sales are the only format of music that increased in 2014, and that they're actually a measurable percent of sales (again) since 2008, which made me realize the format wasn't as doomed as I'd assumed. And I thought about albums like Give Up by the Postal Service and what brilliant works of art they are.
Then I realized Barnes & Noble sells vinyl - and I always have coupons & gift cards for that store kicking around (home renovations + B&N MasterCard = points points points points points).
So I made my first vinyl purchases today:
Time to rifle thru dad's collection when I go home for Xmas (I know he has Dark Side of the Moon, for starters), and @Aaron apparently has a bunch squirreled away at his parents' place.
I guess that puts me in the market for a record player.
My current plan is that I will only buy vinyl of select albums I've already vetted digitally. I want my vinyl uber-curated, a super-set of my album collection, not guesswork or containing anything lackluster. If it hasn't survived 50+ spins already, digital will suffice.
We probably have different tastes too. I haven't paid more than $15 for the combos I've mentioned and I'm very unlikely to in the future. I think its probably part of a larger experience thing for me as they're also purchased at shows.
Probably? Probably?
I have some stuff I've picked up on vinyl, but it's not gonna touch a needle until I have a REALLY good system for it. I don't like the idea of my media degrading every time I play it.
You would be shocked at what I listen to now.
I think that is one of the charms for me. It's slightly more alive (not to say that it's better because of that) than a digital recording and has all the associations of that physical piece you carry with it.
That was one of my first and best vinyl purchases, too. Heavyweight, had an art insert, cover versions, and was a full album of songs I actually wanted to listen to. It's tough for anything else in my collection to measure up to that standard.
Of course, that's probably because half of my collection is stuff that was free with any other purchase from a record store. I think I scored two or three Neil Diamond albums like that. (cue Sweet Caroline)
I am also a complete idiot for picture discs and colored vinyl. I'll have to share a photo album of my silliest purchases.
Give Up is the only album I've purchased twice. I got it as a 2xLP white vinyl special edition when Sub Pop first pressed it, simply for the fact that the D-Side had the extra songs they only released on 7"s. Then for Record Store Day a few years ago they pressed a 10th Anniversary edition 3xLP which has, by my understanding, their complete body of work. So I had to have it.
I love love love that most companies include digital downloads as standard now. That was probably the smartest move toward pushing vinyl sales because you kill any downsides to vinyl ownership (degradation, convenience, etc) by including a download code.
What's your top 5 most spun albums recently?
I think this is mine:
Postal Service - Give Up
Purity Ring - Shrines
Kraftwerk - The Man-Machine
Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans
Explosions in the Sky - The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place
The last week or so:
Some Nights (fun.)
Jukebox the Ghost (eponymous, newly released)
Life Will Write the Words (The Rocket Summer)
The Grey Album (DJ Danger Mouse)
Diluvia (Freelance Whales)
I just bought Noah And The Whale's lastest album Heart of Nowhere today and expect it to be claiming the top slot on that list shortly.
Last 2-3 weeks:
Ozzy Osbourne - Ozzmosis
Dave Hause - Devour
NOFX - Cokie the Clown
Motörhead - Aftershock
Blind Guardian - At the Edge of Time
I dig vinyl.
I have an Ion USB record player similar to this one:
I'll throw on an album while playing TF2 or LOL. When I first hooked it up, before I figured out how to control it better, it was my my in-game Mic as featured in @UPSLynx's video here:
I had a pretty sweet collection of records that was given to me by a family friend, it was unfortunately lost when I first moved out of my mom's house. It probably got donated to good will or thrown away. I was given another smaller collection more recently and have been picking up albums at thrift shops and swap meets. I've yet to find any second hand Floyd but I plan on eventually acquiring, at least, Dark Side and The Wall. If I don't receive the Endless River as a gift this holiday season, I will be picking that up new.
My dad was a DJ in the 70s he gave me his collection. So I have a collection of something like 1700 albums. Favorite album is the who live at Leeds. Its the fucking fits.
I've added some of my own over the years. Next purchase will be tswizzles 1989 because I am a jackass.
Unfortunately my turntable broke and I cannot afford a new turntable and cart I'd feel comfortable entrusting my vinyl too. So I can't listen to any for a while.
I've yet to find any second hand Floyd but I plan on eventually acquiring, at least, Dark Side and The Wall. If I don't receive the Endless River as a gift this holiday season, I will be picking that up new.
Ebay is your friend. I managed to score a first pressing of The Wall in really good condition
In places The Endless River sounds like The Wall and Shine On You Crazy Diamond made a vinyl baby... I definitely enjoy listening to it.
Oh I love vinyl! I used to have about 1500 ranging from 80s electro to early 2000s drum and bass. When I left for the desert in 2004 I ended up giving all of them to an old friend I used to DJ with. Sadly I also ended up selling my Tech-12s a few years ago due to inactivity. I REALLY regret that decision...
I have no idea how many I have and don't have the patience to count them. Now keep in mind that I was a teenager in the 60s. So I have been able to collect a vast amount from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Listening to vinyl is one of my vices that has no equal. I have 2 vintage turntables with modern state of the art moving coil cartridges connected to my old Macintosh amps and preamp. One turntable is a Denon DP2000 with a MC104 cartridge and the other is a JVC YL-Y55F with an Ortofon moving coil. They are the only things connected to system other than a pair of B&W speakers in a room with 2 comfy chairs. It is also the only room in the house I smoke cigars in. One of my favorites to listen to is a special edition Dark Side of the Moon on clear vinyl. I also have things like UFO Phenomenon, Deep Purple, 1812 Overature, Billy Thorpe Children of the Sun, Redrider and tons more.
I hate you in the best way possible @Mt_Goat. You should read that as, "OH MY GOD IM SO SUPER FUCKING JEALOUS!" Because THAT is awesome, dude. So jealous...
If it makes any difference, I have had that system except for the new cartridges for about 35 years now.
http://www.theghostlystore.com/collections/music-vinyl/products/hohokum-soundtrack
Nothing digital seems to have the depth and presence of vinyl. I just love to sit and enjoy with a good cigar and a glass of Single Malt. B)
I find that both digital and analogs have their strengths. I don't think I could ever make the claim that one is vastly superior. But goddamn the rest of the sounds that come from vinyl really add to the whole experience.
Also @Mt_Goat can you adopt me so I get all that as part of your will?
NP, Do you want in on the drawing for my car and camera equipment too?
depends on the car. But the camera equipment fuck yeah. A new camera is another thing I need but can't afford....fucking grad school.
I wish Sony had done better with their Beta Hi-Fi as at the time I had been considering replacing my now dead reel to reel with one of those. The trick with vinyl is to keep the whole system as analog as possible. That seems to eat the bad noises.
Also @Mt_Goat your McIntosh is a tube amp right? Do you mess around with different tubes/do they still make tubes that would fit the connector? I've been getting into tubes.
I like the scratches and bumps and stuff. I started listening to vinyl in a dark, dingy, dank basement, had many fun times down there it's all part of the experience now. It was a full analog system, all the equipment was from the 70's couldn't tell you what amp or speakers we had.
Now I pretty much have to listen to everything through headphones which isn't ideal but I still get really good sound just more inconveniently so.
Yes, my preamp is all tube and the 2 power amps are mostly tubes. I used to switch the tubes but found that really shortened their life, even using tongs so as not to touch them. I can still get tubes but it has gotten harder to find them. I buy all I can get when I find them.