View Full Version : Recently got into vinyl...
Indoor Living
03/15/10, 08:29 PM
and I have a bit of a question. I know the general quality of vinyl is better than on CD, but are there any vinyl you've spun that you've felt sound just way better than on CD? I feel like this might be something that happens often. Any recs would be much appreciated.
xJesusFreakx
03/15/10, 08:37 PM
In before "trendy" remarks.
From what I understand, the difference in sound isn't really all that noticeable unless you have a great system; otherwise, any "better"-sounding albums will likely just be products of the placebo effect. Keep that in mind.
Indoor Living
03/15/10, 08:44 PM
In before "trendy" remarks.
From what I understand, the difference in sound isn't really all that noticeable unless you have a great system; otherwise, any "better"-sounding albums will likely just be products of the placebo effect. Keep that in mind.
You know, I never thought of that 'placebo' effect; however, I don't think that will affect me, because I didn't buy the system for that reason. I didn't even buy it, actually. I got it as a birthday present. It's an extremely amazing system, I can say that though (I looked up the brand and version of the system; it's pretty expensive, not trying to be arrogant). So I get the feeling that it will truly have a difference on the sound. So, I think my comment is still relevant, and now I've given it more detail.
Thanks for phrasing your comment in a nice way, though. This site has had users piss me off bad lately, and there was a lot of ways you could've said that in an asshole manner. haha. With that said, though, any recommendations from you personally?
Obligatory "vinyls" is not a word comment, because it's bound to be made by some loser anyway
Indoor Living
03/15/10, 08:49 PM
Obligatory "vinyls" is not a word comment, because it's bound to be made by some loser anyway
My apologies. Like I said, I know practically nothing about it. Is the plural form just 'vinyl' then?
xJesusFreakx
03/15/10, 08:54 PM
You know, I never thought of that 'placebo' effect; however, I don't think that will affect me, because I didn't buy the system for that reason. I didn't even buy it, actually. I got it as a birthday present. It's an extremely amazing system, I can say that though (I looked up the brand and version of the system; it's pretty expensive, not trying to be arrogant). So I get the feeling that it will truly have a difference on the sound. So, I think my comment is still relevant, and now I've given it more detail.
Thanks for phrasing your comment in a nice way, though. This site has had users piss me off bad lately, and there was a lot of ways you could've said that in an asshole manner. haha. With that said, though, any recommendations from you personally?
I'm not the right guy to ask about this. I just have Brand New's TDAG (on white vinyl, of a 3000 pressing, lulz), The Microphones' The Glow Pt 2, some typical old records from a rummage sale at my brother's church, and a record player my aunt bought at a grocery store. The vinyl aesthetic appeals to me, so I'd be interested in having a nice system and collection someday, but for now I'm worse off than the average trend-hopping n00b. I've heard that records pressed from analog tapes have a fuller, "warmer" sound, so maybe look into that, but again, that's just what I've heard; no idea how accurate it is.
Indoor Living
03/15/10, 08:55 PM
I'm not the right guy to ask about this. I just have Brand New's TDAG (on white vinyl, of a 3000 pressing, lulz), The Microphones' The Glow Pt 2, some typical old records from a rummage sale at my brother's church, and a record player my aunt bought at a grocery store. The vinyl aesthetic appeals to me, so I'd be interested in having a nice system and collection someday, but for now I'm worse off than the average trend-hopping n00b. I've heard that records pressed from analog tapes have a fuller, "warmer" sound, so maybe look into that, but again, that's just what I've heard; no idea how accurate it is.
Alright, thanks, man. Yeah, I'm not trying to like become more 'elite' or some stupid excuse by getting this system; I just thought if there was any place to throw out this general question, it'd be here, but who knows, I guess? Haha.
briewer
03/15/10, 09:40 PM
Pretty much any and all jazz.
briewer
03/15/10, 09:41 PM
In before "trendy" remarks.
I'm exactly what you're talking about.
CaryGrant
03/15/10, 09:41 PM
I'm a pretty avid vinyl collector, and yeah, there's essentially no such thing as a "warmer" sound--that's the placebo. What is true is that if the vinyl wasn't already mixed down into a digital, loudness-war-rendered ball of noise, you should be able to hear different levels better if you're hooked up with a preamp and decent speakers, especially in mixing multiple guitars and capturing the full sound spectrum of a drumset. Bass, however, may sound more distinctive, but it's actually impossible to have a stereo basstrack on vinyl--it'd cause the needle to skip. So any neat surround-sound bass tracks are no good on vinyl.
That said, it depends on a few things: first of all, for a while older vinyl records were made really cheaply, often with recycled plastic thin enough to fit in a doorjar. So a lot of older records, while wonderfully cheap, will actually sound worse than a compressed MP3. The buzzword "180-gram" is not a gift from the audio gods, but it DOES mean a difference in sound (as does "virgin vinyl").
Also, as we've all learned from the can't-upconvert-MP3's argument, you can't force a digitally mastered, flat album into a beautiful vinyl format. A lot of newer records are recorded on vinyl essentially for novelty, but if they aren't using different masters, it won't sound any different than it does on the CD because it was essentially mixed with the CD in mind (as opposed to records where CD compression means loss from the original masters). That's pretty hit and miss, but example: Most Saddle Creek records sound better on vinyl. Most Victory records don't. It depends on how much the label has vinyl in mind when they make records.
Truth be told there is absolutely nothing wrong with collecting vinyl because it's fucking rad to collect vinyl; it drives me crazy when people think that if you can't categorically prove that every album sounds better on vinyl, you're a douche for collecting it. The fact that NOT everything is pressed on wax means finding your favorites in a store is more exciting; the artwork of course is easier to appreciate; and hey, it's a more practical hobby than collecting stamps or some shit. The only thing that bothers me is the way that a lot of record companies try to fuck around with us vinyl nerds, periodically releasing OMG SUPER LIMITED EDITION releases of records just to milk the fact that we will all buy Brand New and Circa Survive records on eBay for hundreds of dollars. Hopefully we can find that happy medium between respecting rarity and artificially manufacturing it.
Any other questions, lemme know, man--good luck to you!
Indoor Living
03/15/10, 09:42 PM
I'm exactly what you're talking about.
I got a Mangione record with the system (He's my favorite jazz artist of all time), and I could immediately tell a difference, from a clarity standpoint, at least. Anyone else in particular?
Indoor Living
03/15/10, 09:45 PM
I'm a pretty avid vinyl collector, and yeah, there's essentially no such thing as a "warmer" sound--that's the placebo. What is true is that if the vinyl wasn't already mixed down into a digital, loudness-war-rendered ball of noise, you should be able to hear different levels better if you're hooked up with a preamp and decent speakers, especially in mixing multiple guitars and capturing the full sound spectrum of a drumset. Bass, however, may sound more distinctive, but it's actually impossible to have a stereo basstrack on vinyl--it'd cause the needle to skip. So any neat surround-sound bass tracks are no good on vinyl.
That said, it depends on a few things: first of all, for a while older vinyl records were made really cheaply, often with recycled plastic thin enough to fit in a doorjar. So a lot of older records, while wonderfully cheap, will actually sound worse than a compressed MP3. The buzzword "180-gram" is not a gift from the audio gods, but it DOES mean a difference in sound (as does "virgin vinyl").
Also, as we've all learned from the can't-upconvert-MP3's argument, you can't force a digitally mastered, flat album into a beautiful vinyl format. A lot of newer records are recorded on vinyl essentially for novelty, but if they aren't using different masters, it won't sound any different than it does on the CD because it was essentially mixed with the CD in mind (as opposed to records where CD compression means loss from the original masters). That's pretty hit and miss, but example: Most Saddle Creek records sound better on vinyl. Most Victory records don't. It depends on how much the label has vinyl in mind when they make records.
Truth be told there is absolutely nothing wrong with collecting vinyl because it's fucking rad to collect vinyl; it drives me crazy when people think that if you can't categorically prove that every album sounds better on vinyl, you're a douche for collecting it. The fact that NOT everything is pressed on wax means finding your favorites in a store is more exciting; the artwork of course is easier to appreciate; and hey, it's a more practical hobby than collecting stamps or some shit. The only thing that bothers me is the way that a lot of record companies try to fuck around with us vinyl nerds, periodically releasing OMG SUPER LIMITED EDITION releases of records just to milk the fact that we will all buy Brand New and Circa Survive records on eBay for hundreds of dollars. Hopefully we can find that happy medium between respecting rarity and artificially manufacturing it.
Any other questions, lemme know, man--good luck to you!
This really clears things up, a lot, actually! Thanks, man. I didn't really want to start looking into logistical things at all, and you basically did all the work for me. Haha. Yeah, I planned on trying to start a collection anyways, simply because it seems like a fun thing to do, rather than because it's going to sound better, but I figured I'd ask anyways.
CaryGrant
03/15/10, 09:48 PM
This really clears things up, a lot, actually! Thanks, man. I didn't really want to start looking into logistical things at all, and you basically did all the work for me. Haha. Yeah, I planned on trying to start a collection anyways, simply because it seems like a fun thing to do, rather than because it's going to sound better, but I figured I'd ask anyways.
Hey, and sometimes it will sound better! Get yourself a DeadFormat.net account and you can be a nerdy tradelist nerd like the rest of us. :-)
Also, in case you can't tell, I am very happy to rant on and on about this stuff, so if you have any other questions lemme know!
Indoor Living
03/15/10, 09:51 PM
Hey, and sometimes it will sound better! Get yourself a DeadFormat.net account and you can be a nerdy tradelist nerd like the rest of us. :-)
Also, in case you can't tell, I am very happy to rant on and on about this stuff, so if you have any other questions lemme know!
How big is your collection? What type of system do you have? What is your most prized record? Haha, I have three.
kbi the crowing
03/15/10, 09:51 PM
I'm a pretty avid vinyl collector, and yeah, there's essentially no such thing as a "warmer" sound--that's the placebo. What is true is that if the vinyl wasn't already mixed down into a digital, loudness-war-rendered ball of noise, you should be able to hear different levels better if you're hooked up with a preamp and decent speakers, especially in mixing multiple guitars and capturing the full sound spectrum of a drumset. Bass, however, may sound more distinctive, but it's actually impossible to have a stereo basstrack on vinyl--it'd cause the needle to skip. So any neat surround-sound bass tracks are no good on vinyl.
That said, it depends on a few things: first of all, for a while older vinyl records were made really cheaply, often with recycled plastic thin enough to fit in a doorjar. So a lot of older records, while wonderfully cheap, will actually sound worse than a compressed MP3. The buzzword "180-gram" is not a gift from the audio gods, but it DOES mean a difference in sound (as does "virgin vinyl").
Also, as we've all learned from the can't-upconvert-MP3's argument, you can't force a digitally mastered, flat album into a beautiful vinyl format. A lot of newer records are recorded on vinyl essentially for novelty, but if they aren't using different masters, it won't sound any different than it does on the CD because it was essentially mixed with the CD in mind (as opposed to records where CD compression means loss from the original masters). That's pretty hit and miss, but example: Most Saddle Creek records sound better on vinyl. Most Victory records don't. It depends on how much the label has vinyl in mind when they make records.
Truth be told there is absolutely nothing wrong with collecting vinyl because it's fucking rad to collect vinyl; it drives me crazy when people think that if you can't categorically prove that every album sounds better on vinyl, you're a douche for collecting it. The fact that NOT everything is pressed on wax means finding your favorites in a store is more exciting; the artwork of course is easier to appreciate; and hey, it's a more practical hobby than collecting stamps or some shit. The only thing that bothers me is the way that a lot of record companies try to fuck around with us vinyl nerds, periodically releasing OMG SUPER LIMITED EDITION releases of records just to milk the fact that we will all buy Brand New and Circa Survive records on eBay for hundreds of dollars. Hopefully we can find that happy medium between respecting rarity and artificially manufacturing it.
Any other questions, lemme know, man--good luck to you!
you're awesome
CaryGrant
03/15/10, 10:02 PM
How big is your collection? What type of system do you have? What is your most prized record? Haha, I have three.
Hooray! Um...
1) My tradelist is here: http://www.deadformat.net/tradelist/CaryGrant but that's pretty outdated and only includes recent vinyl (I have a ton of jazz, folk, and classic rock LP's too). I wish I had the money some people have to just go out and buy every record they want; mine's a bit more selective because I take new purchases pretty sacredly.
2) Right now I play most of my vinyl off an Ion USB turntable, hooked up to a sony stack receiver speakerwired to a pair of old Fisher speakers from the early 80's (IMO, speaker quality's actually deteriorated a lot in past years, at least on the low to mid end). I could certainly have a better turntable, but the stylus is respectable enough and I like the USB feature.
3) My most prized record... hmm... well, I am one of the Brand New - Deja Entendu owners out there, and I have a few other rare ones. My most monetarily-valuable record was a limited pressing copy of Jack's Mannequin's first full-length, but I sold that to buy an engagement ring. I also have a copy of the Vacant Andy's 7", Chris Carabba's first release.
For now, I'd probably say my most 'prized' record is "One, Two, Three, Four" by Jimmy Eat World. First 7" they ever put out in the early 90's. It's cool to have.
you're awesome
No YOU'RE awesome!
(I assume. I don't have a lot to back that up.)
EvilZeppelin
03/15/10, 11:10 PM
All of Portugal. The Man.
anamericangod
03/15/10, 11:20 PM
Hooray! Um...
1) My tradelist is here: http://www.deadformat.net/tradelist/CaryGrant but that's pretty outdated and only includes recent vinyl (I have a ton of jazz, folk, and classic rock LP's too). I wish I had the money some people have to just go out and buy every record they want; mine's a bit more selective because I take new purchases pretty sacredly.
2) Right now I play most of my vinyl off an Ion USB turntable, hooked up to a sony stack receiver speakerwired to a pair of old Fisher speakers from the early 80's (IMO, speaker quality's actually deteriorated a lot in past years, at least on the low to mid end). I could certainly have a better turntable, but the stylus is respectable enough and I like the USB feature.
3) My most prized record... hmm... well, I am one of the Brand New - Deja Entendu owners out there, and I have a few other rare ones. My most monetarily-valuable record was a limited pressing copy of Jack's Mannequin's first full-length, but I sold that to buy an engagement ring. I also have a copy of the Vacant Andy's 7", Chris Carabba's first release.
For now, I'd probably say my most 'prized' record is "One, Two, Three, Four" by Jimmy Eat World. First 7" they ever put out in the early 90's. It's cool to have.
No YOU'RE awesome!
(I assume. I don't have a lot to back that up.)
What tracks are on the Park/Civic split?
Don't get a USB player, I guess I'll say that even though you weren't asking.
Boddah26
03/16/10, 03:48 AM
In Utero by Nirvana sounds awesome on vinyl.
yellowhouse
03/16/10, 05:48 AM
All of Portugal. The Man.
I have Church Mouth on vinyl. I love it.
yellowhouse
03/16/10, 05:49 AM
I love my vinyl collection.
All of Portugal. The Man.
I agree. Their Latest album "American Ghetto" was specifically formatted for vinyl. Because they're releasing unlimited vinyl and a limited amount of CD's this time (which is backwards from todays music scene, but i think it's cool). But in general their albums do definitely have better quality on vinyl.
I'd also recommend John Frusciante "The Empyrean" and RX Bandits "Mandala" as good sounding vinyl.
Vinyl collecting is fun. I love waiting for my albums in the mail, or going to buy them from small record stores.
j-dogg_69
03/16/10, 06:16 AM
My most monetarily-valuable record was a limited pressing copy of Jack's Mannequin's first full-length, but I sold that to buy an engagement ring.
I hate you because I'm stupidly jealous that you once owned that :)
To OP; I've got a Stanton turntable (big solid turntable made more for DJ'ing than just recreational record palying, but sound quality is fantastic) hooked up to a 5.1 Altec Lansing speaker set. Sounds fantastic.
Got Jack's Mannequin: The Glass Passenger at the weekend. It defenitly sounds better on vinyl, only spun it twice but already noticed so many more instruments and sounds compared to the CD.
My favourite though is John Mayer's Where the Light Is. Sounds absolutly phenomenal, words actually can't describe it!
Also got the 5 Motley crue records from the 80's, The Prodigy's Music For The Jilted Generation, Beastie Boys' Licence to Ill, Brand new Daisy and TDAG (white). Various Doors, entire Queen back catalogue, Yes and a few John Denver ones that I got from my parents (got alot more from them but not really listened to them yet). If your parents/relatives have alot of old records they're looking to get rid of, it's a good way to get into some older bands
Maiaophilia
03/16/10, 10:48 AM
ngl as cliche as it sounds I really love Death Cab's Plans + Transatlanticism and The Decemberists's Hazards of Love. They sound both full and warm.
but then again I think older Alkaline Trio , Bad Religion and Gallows sound worlds better on vinyl than they sound on cd or mp3 format.
summer skin
03/16/10, 11:09 AM
and I have a bit of a question. I know the general quality of vinyl is better than on CD, but are there any vinyl you've spun that you've felt sound just way better than on CD? I feel like this might be something that happens often. Any recs would be much appreciated.
http://vidassonoras.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/unknown-pleasures.jpg
http://radioloveless.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/1_cvr-loveless.jpg
Unknown Pleasures sounds great, yes. As does Closer, been trying to find Substance as that has my favorite JD songs
FueledByFrodo
03/16/10, 11:23 AM
Don't get a USB player, I guess I'll say that even though you weren't asking.
My parents keep trying to buy me one, I keep telling them not too.
poppa Q
03/16/10, 12:09 PM
i always knew cary grant would be a record collecter
x togepi x
03/16/10, 12:15 PM
http://vidassonoras.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/unknown-pleasures.jpg
http://radioloveless.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/1_cvr-loveless.jpg
no dude this is totally a placebo effect.
drawndead
03/16/10, 12:23 PM
Anything Modest Mouse
pnkhrdwndr
03/16/10, 12:27 PM
Planet of Ice- Minus The Bear. Totally awesome I really enjoyed it on vinyl.
drawndead
03/16/10, 12:27 PM
also any Bruce Springsteen sounds great especially if you have a good system, you can really hear all of the E Street band
fly_guy
03/16/10, 12:44 PM
Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest sounds great
I'm a pretty avid vinyl collector, and yeah, there's essentially no such thing as a "warmer" sound--that's the placebo. What is true is that if the vinyl wasn't already mixed down into a digital, loudness-war-rendered ball of noise, you should be able to hear different levels better if you're hooked up with a preamp and decent speakers, especially in mixing multiple guitars and capturing the full sound spectrum of a drumset. Bass, however, may sound more distinctive, but it's actually impossible to have a stereo basstrack on vinyl--it'd cause the needle to skip. So any neat surround-sound bass tracks are no good on vinyl.
That said, it depends on a few things: first of all, for a while older vinyl records were made really cheaply, often with recycled plastic thin enough to fit in a doorjar. So a lot of older records, while wonderfully cheap, will actually sound worse than a compressed MP3. The buzzword "180-gram" is not a gift from the audio gods, but it DOES mean a difference in sound (as does "virgin vinyl").
Also, as we've all learned from the can't-upconvert-MP3's argument, you can't force a digitally mastered, flat album into a beautiful vinyl format. A lot of newer records are recorded on vinyl essentially for novelty, but if they aren't using different masters, it won't sound any different than it does on the CD because it was essentially mixed with the CD in mind (as opposed to records where CD compression means loss from the original masters). That's pretty hit and miss, but example: Most Saddle Creek records sound better on vinyl. Most Victory records don't. It depends on how much the label has vinyl in mind when they make records.
Truth be told there is absolutely nothing wrong with collecting vinyl because it's fucking rad to collect vinyl; it drives me crazy when people think that if you can't categorically prove that every album sounds better on vinyl, you're a douche for collecting it. The fact that NOT everything is pressed on wax means finding your favorites in a store is more exciting; the artwork of course is easier to appreciate; and hey, it's a more practical hobby than collecting stamps or some shit. The only thing that bothers me is the way that a lot of record companies try to fuck around with us vinyl nerds, periodically releasing OMG SUPER LIMITED EDITION releases of records just to milk the fact that we will all buy Brand New and Circa Survive records on eBay for hundreds of dollars. Hopefully we can find that happy medium between respecting rarity and artificially manufacturing it.
Any other questions, lemme know, man--good luck to you!
Kudos to you for actually writing a friendly and informative post. That's really rare on this site lately.
muttley
03/16/10, 02:05 PM
Hasn't happened to me. Then again, my record player doesn't give me that "warm and amazing" sound all of these people keep talking about.
I pretty much only listen to Genesis records on vinyl. They sound pretty nice.
CaryGrant
03/16/10, 03:36 PM
I pretty much only listen to Genesis records on vinyl. They sound pretty nice.
I rock the hell out to Invisible Touch on my turntable, like, every single day.
CaryGrant
03/16/10, 03:39 PM
What tracks are on the Park/Civic split?
Just got it down from my wall for you, let's see...
Civic/Park
The Sound of Sirens
Park:
1) "Class of Coleco"
2) "The Pandorian Adventures of Dan Rosenthal"
Civic:
1) "Case Maritime"
2) "Firefly Smile"
Released in 1997, I got it from Miles, their drummer.
I rock the hell out to Invisible Touch on my turntable, like, every single day.
Great album. My parents had this huge collection of records in the basement. Once I got a record player I went through it all and picked out some stuff to listen to. Genesis (Invisible Touch, Genesis, and Duke....I don't play ABACAB much) and Phil Collins are pretty much the only albums I play and play often.
summer skin
03/16/10, 06:25 PM
no dude this is totally a placebo effect.
http://www.quieroletras.com/img/photos/awithout-you-i-m-nothing-album.jpg
???
mymusicismylife
03/16/10, 09:04 PM
Anything Modest Mouse
Good. I plan on getting the rerelease of The Moon & Antarctica on vinyl.
drawndead
03/16/10, 09:13 PM
Good. I plan on getting the rerelease of The Moon & Antarctica on vinyl.
i have king rat 7" and float on 7" they are amazing
mymusicismylife
03/16/10, 09:21 PM
i have king rat 7" and float on 7" they are amazing
I am quite jealous.
The Sunset Tree by the Mountain Goats should only be listened to on vinyl.
Andrew Jackson Jihad's 'People Who Can Eat People Are The Luckiest People In The World' sounds amazing on vinyl.
aradiantsunrise
03/27/10, 11:26 PM
...
Just got it down from my wall for you, let's see...
lol
micahistheballs
03/27/10, 11:58 PM
What's wrong with USB players?
CaryGrant
03/28/10, 12:45 AM
What's wrong with USB players?
I guess some of them are cheap? I like mine a lot, it's got a great preamp and stylus so there's no real reason to complain.
asslesschap182
04/16/10, 04:46 PM
i only have one record. the decline-nofx. i think its sounds as good as music could sound after being recorded.
CaryGrant
04/16/10, 05:15 PM
i only have one record. the decline-nofx. i think its sounds as good as music could sound after being recorded.
That's Ryan Greene, he uses a Solid State 9000 J-Series console. So yeah, it actually should mix down great on vinyl.
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