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[screw osmosis]

Why do you do it? Do we have any vinyl purists in the house who want to speak up?

I'm not against it or anything, in fact I fucking love vinyl records and I sometimes have a hard time deciding whether or not I should get something on CD or vinyl. I pretty much only buy records if the purchase will save me some money ("On An Aeroplane Over The Sea on CD = $13.99; "On An Aeroplane Over The Sea on vinyl = $9.99), if the vinyl version has some amazing packaging which completely blows the CD out of the water, or for clearance $1 records (I've bought all the essential Beatles albums on vinyl for one buck each, suckas).

[RUMBLEMOOSE]

I prefer buying records for aesthetics (bigger art), but I draw the line when I'm losing a good deal of money on the deal, like Demons & Wizards for $30 or that fucking Lateralus picture disc that cost $42 and came out four years after the CD (which I bought anyway because I'm stupid). Or the Weezer albums that are import-only and cost 40 Euros each.

Also supposedly the music sounds better on analogue equipment, but I'm also aware that my hearing is probably so shot that I'd never hear the difference anyway.

And third, I grew up with full access to my parents' record collection, and I'm kind of a technophobe (though a technophobe with a computer), so I feel more comfortable with the giant black platters with wiggly scratches than the tiny plastic and metal discs.

For a few genres of music I nearly insist on vinyl, oddly enough- anything originally released before the advent of CDs, surf-rock, and electronic dance stuff, mostly.

[screw osmosis]

I prefer buying records for aesthetics (bigger art), but I draw the line when I'm losing a good deal of money on the deal, like Demons & Wizards for $30 or that fucking Lateralus picture disc that cost $42 and came out four years after the CD (which I bought anyway because I'm stupid). Or the Weezer albums that are import-only and cost 40 Euros each.

Also supposedly the music sounds better on analogue equipment, but I'm also aware that my hearing is probably so shot that I'd never hear the difference anyway.

And third, I grew up with full access to my parents' record collection, and I'm kind of a technophobe (though a technophobe with a computer), so I feel more comfortable with the giant black platters with wiggly scratches than the tiny plastic and metal discs.

For a few genres of music I nearly insist on vinyl, oddly enough- anything originally released before the advent of CDs, surf-rock, and electronic dance stuff, mostly.

The music is supposed to sound better on analogue if you have a decent needle and speakers, and if the music was originally recorded on analogue equipment, so that rules out a lot of the newer releases knamean?

Anything with beats seems to somehow sound better on vinyl. Along with electronic stuff, I've found older rap records (Dre's "The Chronic" being the pinnacle of rap music) sound a lot better on vinyl too.

[Sh8k3zu1a]

My parents have an enormous collection of albums and i have several, but our freaking record player broke!!

[Hat]

I've been trying to find a record player, because JB Hi-fi has a bunch of kickass records by the Beatles, Kansas, etc for sale for about 20 bucks, and they're mostly albums I can't find a CD re-release of either, but the problem is, the only people that are selling record players live so far out of the way, that as someone who relies heavily on public transport (Ie, a loser without a car) I can't even talk one of my mobile friends into giving me a lift out there.

[Se7en]

I dont even have a CD player! MP3 all the way for me. A good amp is all i need to get the quality i want.

I dont see any need for physical media in any way. To me, swapping disks around is just an inconvienence i dont need, and storing physical media of any kind is a drag. Using nothing but MP3 also means that i think of music in terms of individual songs, rather than considering albums as complete units.

[MilkmanDan]

Anything with beats seems to somehow sound better on vinyl. Along with electronic stuff, I've found older rap records (Dre's "The Chronic" being the pinnacle of rap music) sound a lot better on vinyl too.

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the 36 Chamber > Nas - Illmatic > GZA - Liquid Swords > Dr Dre - The Chronic > *
And that's how it is.

On the subject of records, I buy them because I'm a DJ. Plus, records are awesome.

[visceralviscous]

i listen to music in any form i can. basically, i have vinyl, tapes [not 8 tracks, though i would if i could find a decent/cheap 8-track player and find weird stuff through thrifting.] also, a mixture of albums on cds and weird mixes, and a ton of cd-rs with either downloaded whole albums or 3-4 single/remix things on one cd-r.


as for why i do try to prefer vinyl over other forms: i beleive that it can be a totally more personal experience to buy something in vinyl rather than an overpackaged cd or just on mp3. it's a way to both appreciate the artwork of the album, and the music wholly.

[El Opium]

I certainly agree with finding vinyl records to be more personal. Plus originals of old albums just blow any re-issue out of the water if you can get em. There just isn't a way to replicate the impact of vinyl really, esp heavy psychdelic albums were the songs tend to take up one side each.

[spizzletrunk]

Some records I can only find in vinyl (like Lick My Decals Off Baby by Capt. Beefheart), and in general they are just cute.  Vinyls have loads of personality and listening to a vinyl record for the first time on your stereo setup is much more ceremonial than popping the CD into your portable player or uploading it to your iPod.  Granted, I typically transfer my vinyl to mp3 on my laptop so I can make the music portable--but when you're sitting around at home or listening to something for the first time, very few things could even think about beating a record.

I'm also influenced by my father, who has an amazingly huge record collection of amazing and varied music.  I like to think that I enjoy vinyl in the pure way, as opposed to the scenester way, but that's awful durn condescending for a teenager from Appalachia.  I just like records!  Eh.

[Kai]

i listen to music in any form i can. basically, i have vinyl, tapes [not 8 tracks, though i would if i could find a decent/cheap 8-track player and find weird stuff through thrifting.] also, a mixture of albums on cds and weird mixes, and a ton of cd-rs with either downloaded whole albums or 3-4 single/remix things on one cd-r.


as for why i do try to prefer vinyl over other forms: i beleive that it can be a totally more personal experience to buy something in vinyl rather than an overpackaged cd or just on mp3. it's a way to both appreciate the artwork of the album, and the music wholly.

This post pretty much accurately describes my feeligns on the subject completely, with a few additions:


My parents have a shitload of vinyl that I pretty much inhereit.

Also, there are two record stores near me that are easily the coolest stores I've ever seen in my life, and they're both closing at the end of the year for various reasons. *is emo*

[a pack of wolves]

All my pro-vinyl feelings seem to have been expressed, with the exception of the glory of the picture disc. There are few things which are as pretty as my Swing Kids discography or my Boris records (these guys are the rulers of impressive vinyl).

[sjbrot]

Bigs ups to vinyl as well. I got a Pioneer table with a beautiful pair of B & W speakers, and it just provides such a greater depth to the sound than CD can.

That said, alot of times, it's just alot more convenient for me to buy CDs, so I wind up buying alot more of them.

[dessa]

im buying a new table soon, and i've been buying vinyl even if i have the cd, reasoning: vinyl lasts longer (my dads 40 year old vinyls work better then my brothers 10 year old cds, like the last track on my brothers cd doesn't work and he has taken impeccible care of it) i prefer vinyl sound and vinyls are more fun to look through.
vinyls also acculmulate value quicker, even though they cost relatively the same.

[StrikeThePostman]

Using nothing but MP3 also means that i think of music in terms of individual songs, rather than considering albums as complete units.

Just wondering: do you consider this a positive thing?  I listen to most of my music in MP3 form too; however, the one thing I don't like about it is the loss of continuity among songs (even though it is very possible to listen to an entire album, I usually don't).    

On the subject of vinyls, I own a few (most are my parents'), but I rarely play them.  Generally I think they're just nice to look at and hold.

[RUMBLEMOOSE]

Rolling with Pack of Wolves' comment on picture discs:
etching > picdisc

So says Wolf Eyes' Fuck the Old Miami 12", with the only playable etching I've ever heard of; the Locust's Well I'll Be a Monkey's Uncle double 12", with lyrics etched into side B; and Lightning Bolt's Hypermagic Mountain, with a creepy pastoral etching of bunnies and shit that must've taken hours to design.

I etched a CD once but it didn't play very well afterwards.

[El Opium]

The fourth side of Low's "Things We Lost In The Fire" has the lyrics to the entire album including the vinyl-only bonus tracks etched into it.

[a pack of wolves]

Rolling with Pack of Wolves' comment on picture discs:
etching > picdisc

So says Wolf Eyes' Fuck the Old Miami 12", with the only playable etching I've ever heard of; the Locust's Well I'll Be a Monkey's Uncle double 12", with lyrics etched into side B; and Lightning Bolt's Hypermagic Mountain, with a creepy pastoral etching of bunnies and shit that must've taken hours to design.

I etched a CD once but it didn't play very well afterwards.

Yes! I'm totally with you on that. And I now want all those records even more than I did anyway, which is no mean feat.

[normz]

My parents have a shitload of vinyl that I pretty much inhereit.

teehee this is me too but by shitload i mean over 5000 vinyl and 3000 cds and that collection includes everything from meatloaf to motzart with everything in between and on day it shall all be mine

on the subject of vinyl tho i love the scratchy sound it has and theres something about putting the needle on the record that's just more fun

[Bunnyman]

I'd never buy records.  This is because invariably I'd get a Technics SL-1200 to play them, make a scratch pad, and go all Afrikaa on my nice copy of "A Love Supreme."

Which is bad.

In an awesome sort of way.

If I had $400 to drop on a triviality like turntablism...

[Garcin]

I've heard (and seen advertisements for) record players that use a laser instead of a needle, so your vinyl collection doesn't degrade.

I've also read a lot about a Canadian product called the FinalSkratch which uses an encoded vinyl disk to allow you to scratch digitally encoded music as if it were on vinyl.  

So it doesn't seem like vinyl=old fashioned anymore.  That being said, I have an all CD collection.

[Kai]

teehee this is me too but by shitload i mean over 5000 vinyl and 3000 cds and that collection includes everything from meatloaf to motzart with everything in between and on day it shall all be mine

Your parents only bought vinyl from artists whos name is between Meatloaf and Motzart? What an odd collection strategy.

[La Creme]

^^Hey, Mephiskapheles is in there. Among others.

I lurv vinyl. Immensley. After our record player broke about 10 years ago (while it was playing Tubular Bells) my parents put about 2/3 of our/their record collection into deep storage and sold/gave away some more. Recently, they bought my brother a mad-awesome sound system with a record player. Everything that was left in the house effectively became his. So basically, I can listen to vinyl every once in a while, but I own virtually none, and my brother has first rights to all of it. Bastard.

Gems of the collection:

Oingo Boingo - Nothing To Fear (not too rare, but jesus, it sounds SO GOOD ON VINYL)

Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - Welcome Back, My Friends, To The Show That Never Ends... (live)

The Rolling Stones - Some Girls (one of the girls' faces is in its little slot thing, rocketing the value to around $60)


Those three just about trump all else.

[Weird-Edsel]

Its really hard to store and keep big vinyl collections. And they arent portable. CDs you can listen to in your car, while walking and even while skydiving.

Records just have sentimental feel and look cool.

But this is coming from a guy who likes LazerDiscs and Beta Tapes.

[a pack of wolves]

I've also read a lot about a Canadian product called the FinalSkratch which uses an encoded vinyl disk to allow you to scratch digitally encoded music as if it were on vinyl.

I think there are a few systems that do that, my housemate has those encoded vinyl and software on his laptop that lets him do that. Makes it easy to take massive collections to parties, and it looked hugely impressive the first time I saw him do it.

[MilkmanDan]

There a a ton of "Control MP3's via Vinyl" options, but the best one (in my opinion) is Serato Scratch. I WANT IT NOW.

[normz]

teehee this is me too but by shitload i mean over 5000 vinyl and 3000 cds and that collection includes everything from meatloaf to motzart with everything in between and on day it shall all be mine

Your parents only bought vinyl from artists whos name is between Meatloaf and Motzart? What an odd collection strategy.

noooo silly i mean musical style wise we have everything from hard rock to classical music (not just confined within the m's its just those were the 2 first examples to mind)

[siobhan]

i have a gorgeous copy of the Beatles "White Album" complete with the original poster and pictures of the band members. it's my baby..

i like vinyl for all the above reasons + the musty smell (cause most vinyl is from someone's basement these days).

[Red House Painters]

Novelty, and it sounds better.  You can't touch the low end from vinyl.

I rarely buy CDs at all, anymore.  Well, I rarely buy music at all, anymore, and if I do, I'd much rather score a vinyl than a CD.

[MilkmanDan]

Oh man, oh man do I hear you on the low end issue. A brand new Grime 10" dubplate has enough bass to defeat an army.

This Track has been known to physically remove the needle from the record when played on decent enough PA systems. Sub-bass > *

[Philybe]

I absolutely love vinyl, with some albums it just sounds so much better. For a while I had very little, but I've moved to a place with a good record store, so now the majority of the stuff I buy is vinyl. Plus I like the fact that the artwork is bigger, and there is often more packaging and the like inside and out. Plus used vinyl just has so much history.

[jariku]

I have a thing for vinyl. Now stop judging me.

Actually, I prefer the larger size of the cover art and I have better equipment for vinyl than for cd.