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  • THURSDAY OCTOBER 27 2005 4:00 PM

Band Lets Vinyl Fans Have It Both Ways

Submitted by Keith

Edited by Keith

Everyone knows that vinyl is cooler than CD; it may not be better or more practical, but it is most definitely cooler. And it's not just for Pink Floyd and Kinks records. Many companies still offer new releases on vinyl. In fact:

While vinyl remains a niche overall, a recent quarterly sales report by the BPI pointed to an 80 percent increase in 7-inch vinyl (to 800,000 units), and sales in the US of LPs topped 1.2 million last year.


The main problem with records -- actual records -- is the portability issue. Uploading them to your computer is a pain in the ass, and playing them on the go? Forget about it. So vinyl buyers are often forced to make the choice between convenience and cool, but at least one company, Merge Records, wants them to have their vinyl and their iPod too:

Vinyl purists who pick up a copy of The Clientele's newest LP, Strange Geometry, will receive a CD insert inside the LP with a coupon entitling the bearer to a free one-time download of the full album, in digital mp3 format, from the cavernous electronic vaults of Merge Inc.

Spott, Merge General Manager, puts it this way: "We want the tactile pleasure, the 12" album art, the physical satisfaction of vinyl and the convenience of digital music. Let there be a promotion."

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Comments
wienus

wienus

San Antonio, TX
March 2005

OCT 30, 2005 02:27 PM

genuis.

Cigarette

Cigarette

Cleveland, OH
April 2004

OCT 30, 2005 02:30 PM

I don't think it's dumb at all. I have a friend who only buys vinyl if he can, and then downloads digital versions of the songs for his iPod.

OctoberSeven

OctoberSeven

Downers Grove, IL
December 2002

OCT 31, 2005 08:21 AM

I have nothing to add except to say once again that I don't give a shit about vinyl, and I think the whole vinyl vs. CD arguement is dumb. Sure, if I had a really high-end system maybe I might in theory see a difference, but I don't have hundreds or thousands of dollars to spend on stereo equipment. Most of the time I listen to music through a pair of headphones: ether on my computer, my MP3 player, or my walkman.

life_returns

life_returns

Oakland, CA
April 2003

OCT 31, 2005 11:06 AM

cds suck. I hate how digital anything sounds. whether it be the actual recording or the format its released on. I think vinyl is the true medium of music. But, there are certain types of music that sound good on cd. Most deathmetal or anything with a lot of triggered double bass sounds good digital. But thats because the entire production relys on many digital instruments to begin with. on the flipside, ive heard a few similar releases that were done completeley analog and they sound great as well. Reject the digital age.

Cigarette

Cigarette

Cleveland, OH
April 2004

OCT 31, 2005 12:28 PM

Seriously. I only watch movies at the theatres, and only at the ones that still use actual celluloid film. Fuck this DVD bullshit and digital projection bullshit. There's no warmth to the picture. It's way too sterile.

bean

bean

STAFF

Los Angeles, CA

OCT 31, 2005 12:37 PM

Well, if people really, really, really want to keep buying vinyl and allow it to be accessible (complete with every last crackle and pop) from any computer in the house on their hi-fi stereo, they could get one of these spiffy numbers. That's even better, because it's compatible with FLAC for lossless encoding. Granted, it's a little more expensive, but it'll work with everything, not just this one release (or just new releases that include the same thing).

smile

[Edited on Oct 31, 2005 by bean]

Idjit

Idjit

HOPEFUL

I'm lost

OCT 31, 2005 12:52 PM

adamcore said:
cds suck. I hate how digital anything sounds. whether it be the actual recording or the format its released on. I think vinyl is the true medium of music.



No, if anything the true medium of music is tape. A lot of the "warmth" people talk about is there because of the characterstic of analog tape, not the process of cutting vinyl. This is why a lot of albums are still mixed down to analog tape even if it's been entirely recorded digitally.

Personally, I don't care. I think a lot of vinyl sounds like shit, honestly. Usually because it's been mastered poorly, made poorly or is being played back on a Radio Shack cartridge that should have been thrown away 10 years ago. Most of the warm and fuzzy praises you hear about "warmth" is a bunch of romantic nonsense. What really matters is how the medium is actually used. In the early days of digital people approached it like they would analog and wound up with shitty recordings because of it. Those who took the time to learn how to use digital correctly made high quality recordings. And needless to say, there are a lot of really fantastic purely digital recordings being made nowadays, especially since nobody is making analog tape anymore.

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