Records are Dead

[MylesBAstor]

Perhaps premature again.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/22/arts/music/records-are-dying-not-here.html?_r=0

 

[Sauerball]

Perhaps premature again.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/22/arts/music/records-are-dying-not-here.html?_r=0

I'm excited about this!

Planning on a trip across the East River soon. Have tix to see John Grant the week after next, will probably check out then.

Definitely gonna make the Nick Lowe appearance on Dec. 8.

 

[sombunya]

I can think of five record stores in the LA area, all within about 5 miles of each other that focus on the sale of new vinyl. They report that business is anywhere from good to great. And I'm not counting the mega-store Amoeba just down the street.

I know of others as well but they don't have much of what I personally look for.

 

[MylesBAstor]

There was a ton load of new vinyl at yesterday's WFMU record fair. Unfortunately felt the rest was a bunch of overpriced LPs driven by the prices paid on ePay. $100+ for a Candid jazz release? Didn't even look at the condition given the prices. Didn't see the LPs flying out of the bins at those prices.

 

[Bill Hart]

There was a ton load of new vinyl at yesterday's WFMU record fair. Unfortunately felt the rest was a bunch of overpriced LPs driven by the prices paid on ePay. $100+ for a Candid jazz release? Didn't even look at the condition given the prices. Didn't see the LPs flying out of the bins at those prices.

Agreed. It was 'bubble' pricing. I did get a WLP of St. Dominic's Preview, and it was dead quiet, like it had never been played. I bought a dozen or so records -all older pressings, but the stuff I was looking for wasn't there and the stuff I might have considered- again, old pressings- was far too expensive.

 

[j_j]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=536075586488011&l=45e5aabdb9

My LP's are not dead! Hrmph!

 

[MylesBAstor]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=536075586488011&l=45e5aabdb9

My LP's are not dead! Hrmph!

Is that record rack custom made?

 

[j_j]

Is that record rack custom made?

Ikea's finest. And they still make them.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=536075583154678&l=3a996c31cb

Also Ikea's finest, although not as germane to this thread.

Ditto these. Quite some media housed in Ikea's finest.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=536070029821900&l=fa0de7af20

 

[Bill Hart]

Did you catch the beautiful rolling heavy steel record carts the guy at the WMFU show had for sale? He took what was basically a library-style rolling cart and adapted it for record bins; heavy duty welded steel, very well done. Unfortunately, they were over 5k dollars per cart. I wouldn't use those for permanent storage, but would consider something like a library cart- particularly if it could be set up with bins rather than angled shelves- for 'heavy rotation' and to have the manservant deliver vinyl to the 'cleaning room.'

 

[MylesBAstor]

Ikea's finest. And they still make them.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=536075583154678&l=3a996c31cb

Also Ikea's finest, although not as germane to this thread.

Ditto these. Quite some media housed in Ikea's finest.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=536070029821900&l=fa0de7af20

Thanks.

 

[Al M.]

I haven't been to a brick-and-mortar store in years. I buy almost all my music from the internet on Redbook CD, because that's the medium where all the music is that I am interested in, mostly classical music in the interpretations that I want, and contemporary 'classical' music, or 'classical' avantgarde. I buy some jazz and rock as well.

Sometimes the sound is phenomenal, often very good, at times just good or even just acceptable. Great depth of soundstage is only heard on a minor percentage of recordings (when it is it can be fantastic on my system). So be it. Music is music. I don't buy my music for the sound, I buy it for the music. I just want that my system reproduces the recordings that I have in the best manner possible that I can afford.

****

The fact that soundstage *can* be deep but often is not shows that the problem are recording techniques themselves, not the Redbook CD medium. A spatially flat recording, or one with lackluster timbres, will not be miraculously 'rescued' by hi-rez digital or vinyl. The recordings themselves and their mastering are far more important than the media through which they are transmitted. Interestingly, on the vast majority of modern-day recordings of classical and 'classical' avantgarde music both macro- and micro-dynamics are excellent, as judged from transmission through CD. On the typical rock recording, not so much.

 

[MylesBAstor]

I haven't been to a brick-and-mortar store in years. I buy almost all my music from the internet on Redbook CD, because that's the medium where all the music is that I am interested in, mostly classical music in the interpretations that I want, and contemporary 'classical' music, or 'classical' avantgarde. I buy some jazz and rock as well.

Sometimes the sound is phenomenal, often very good, at times just good or even just acceptable. Great depth of soundstage is only heard on a minor percentage of recordings (when it is it can be fantastic on my system). So be it. Music is music. I don't buy my music for the sound, I buy it for the music. I just want that my system reproduces the recordings that I have in the best manner possible that I can afford.

****

The fact that soundstage *can* be deep but often is not shows that the problem are recording techniques themselves, not the Redbook CD medium. A spatially flat recording, or one with lackluster timbres, will not be miraculously 'rescued' by hi-rez digital or vinyl. The recordings themselves and their mastering are far more important than the media through which they are transmitted. Interestingly, on the vast majority of modern-day recordings of classical and 'classical' avantgarde music both macro- and micro-dynamics are excellent, as judged from transmission through CD. On the typical rock recording, not so much.

This has nothing to do with the OP? Please take this to your own thread. I'm not going to have the thread ruined by a analog vs. Digital bashing contest.

 

[Al M.]

This has nothing to do with the OP? Please take this to your own thread. I'm not going to have the thread ruined by a analog vs. Digital bashing contest.

Why would you say that? Of course it has everything to do with the OP if you go to mortar-and-brick stores or not, and I am free to give my reasons if I don't, am I not? Also, please note that I have not bashed analog in my post. It is just that I can hardly buy the music that I am interested in on vinyl, so there is limited relevance for me.

 

[Al M.]

Nor have I claimed, by the way, that CD is the perfect medium; it is not -- even though I am relieved and delighted at how tremendously far CD reproduction has come from its initial dark days to satisfy the needs of the music lover. It is just that I pointed out some real-world issues when it comes to media in which music can be obtained.