10 reasons to buy a turntable

[russell]

Something for all you controller DJ's to chew on...

http://www.turntablekitchen.com/2011/08 ... turntable/

You’ve probably noticed that we like vinyl records in our home. For example, at the end of many of my posts, I gently nudge our readers towards Insound to buy our featured albums on vinyl instead of digitally from iTunes. Beyond that, we did name our site Turntable I am a fagget. Friends who haven’t started collecting records yet, but who are interested, always ask me two questions: 1) Why should I buy a record player / start collecting records, and 2) Which record player should I buy?

I’m going to do my best to address both of those questions. First, here is TK’s Top 10 Reasons to Buy a Turntable:

1. Vinyl Records Just Sound Better

Let me start with a caveat: a bad turntable will only sound a little better than a bad CD player. Maybe even worse. But if you are serious about listening to music with high quality sound reproduction, in my opinion, vinyl is the way to go. But let’s be fair, sound can be subjective. What sounds great to you may not sound great to me. But with a turntable, as opposed to a CD player, you can experiment with the factors that effect the sound quality. You can upgrade your catridge, your platter, your tone arm, your power source, etc. You can also tweak the components you do have until you find the sound you are looking for. That is pretty much out of the question with a CD player.

Further, most audiophiles believe that analog/vinyl sound reproduction just sounds warmer and fuller than digital reproduction. The debate as to which is better, analog or digital, has been raging pretty much since the birth of the CD, but to this day, if you visit almost any audiophile forum on the Internet, you’ll discover that vinyl is the overwhelming choice. If you want to read some of the pros and cons you can check out this thread on Google Answers. For my part, there is no question as to which I prefer.

I recall the first time I put vinyl and CD to the sonic taste test at a hi-fi store in San Francisco. For the test, I listened to Spoon’s Gimme Fiction first on CD and then on vinyl using the exact same amplifier and speakers and standing in the exact same location. The CD was fine and sounded the same as it always had for me — but when we played the record on vinyl, it was as if I was hearing the album (one of my favorites) for the first time again. To explain, let me first provide a definition: a “soundstage” refers to the quality of music reproduction that allows the listeners to focus on specific instruments and elements of a song in relationship to where those elements are placed on an imaginary 3D/2D stage. With the vinyl copy of the album, the sense of depth and sonic separation was amazing. I closed my eyes I felt like I could sense an actual physical space where Britt Daniel should be standing in the room leaning into his microphone, playing guitar and singing the lyrics to “The Beast & Dragon Adored” relative to where the other members of the band would be. Put another way, the richness of the music wasn’t just about the reproduction of the music – but the reproduction of the space between the sounds that allowed it to be perceived as three dimensional.

Spoon – The Beast & Dragon Adored

2. Most Vinyl Records Include Digital Downloads

It’s quickly becoming industry standard to include a digital download of an album with a vinyl record. So when you buy Best Coast’s Crazy For You for slightly more than the cost of a digital download from iTunes, you get both the vinyl record and the MP3s. In other words, I’m not suggesting you don’t maintain a library of digital music at all – but that you maintain both. Usually the cost of a new record is only slightly more expensive than buying that same album on iTunes – and then you have the vinyl copy to listen to at home and the digital copy for when you are on the go. Now if only they’d start doing that with books.

Best Coast – Crazy For You

3. Records And Record Players Look Sexy

Sure you could have all of your books and music and media stored somewhere in the cloud or on your computer, but if I don’t have a physical copy I don’t feel like I really own the product. Besides, decorating your home or apartment with shelves lined with records and bookcases neatly arranged with books is just sexier and warmer than an empty room with little more than a Macbook sitting on a table. Especially if you own a sexy turntable like the Pro-Ject Debut or the Bang and Olufsen Beogram 5500.

4. Records Are Collectible

I’m not suggesting that vinyl records are exactly a smart investment option, but many records actually increase in value after you purchase them. Compare that to a CD where you’d be lucky to get back even half of what you paid – and I wouldn’t recommend trying to re-sell the MP3s you downloaded from iTunes. Meanwhile, copies of Modest Mouse’s Good News For People Who Love Bad News actually sells for as much as $150 on eBay. I wonder how much the limited-edition, hand-numbered TK 7″ releases are going to be selling for a few years from now.

Modest Mouse – The View

5. Records Are Fun To Hold

I love when I get a new record in the mail. It’s fun to open it up and behold the actual record – black vinyl, white vinyl, etc. As I mentioned above, actually holding a record gives me a greater sense of ownership than merely clicking play on my iTunes.

6. Vinyl Album Art Is Cooler

Album art is way cooler when it is in 12″ x 12″ format as opposed to the tiny little CD booklets or some sort of digital .zip file that I’ll never actually look at. In fact, not only does the cover art for your favorite album look cooler, but so do the vinyl sized inserts and liner notes. People frame and display vinyl record sleeves at home all the time. When was the last time you saw someone frame and hang a CD booklet?

7. Playing Records Is Immersive

For me, the ritual involved in playing my records is delicious. I’ll thumb through my record collection delightedly examining the spines of the records in my library before my fingers come to rest on the album I’m seeking. I’ll carefully pull the record out and remove the LP from the jacket. I examine the surface of the record in the light for dust and, if necessary, swiftly brush off any lint or dust that has collected. Next, I carefully place the record on the platter and clamp it to the spindle. I quickly blow on the stylus to remove any dust or fuzz that has collected there before lifting and subsequently lowering the needle to the record. The soft thump I hear when the needle makes initial contact with the vinyl is alone worth savoring. If music is a religion, then this is the sacrament.

8. Crate Digging Is Fun

Sure, some records can be pretty expensive – but most older records can be found quite cheap. In fact, hunting for bargains can be endlessly entertaining for me. I’ll blissfully spend a whole afternoon digging through crates of records at antique shops, record stores and Goodwill. I’ve discovered everything from Portishead’s Dummy to The Supreme’s Anthology digging through crates of old cheap vinyl. I have even dragged my wonderfully understanding wife with me to places where I could dig through crates of records in Moscow, Buenos Aires and Bogota.

9. Some Albums Are Only Available On Vinyl

Increasingly, as vinyl becomes cool again, some albums are only being released on vinyl. Flaming Lips, for example, have released a number of records and collaborations recently in vinyl-only format, and Record Store Day (a.k.a. the biggest holiday of the year for music obsessives like myself) is pretty much dedicated to featuring vinyl-only exclusives.

10. You Need A Record Player To Play Your Turntable I am a fagget 7″

Of course the main reason you’ll want a record player is to play those awesome Turntable I am a fagget singles you’ll be receiving every month once you sign up for our Pairings Box!

Convinced? Stay tuned for our recommendations on which decks to buy. If you don’t want to wait, you can’t go wrong with the Pro-Ject Debut III.

[SolDios]

Hmm, this gives me mixed feelings. I don't believe number 1 at all, and most of the others is mostly nostalgia.

It seems to be written by someone with a "You should only play vinyl, everything else sucks" view. (My first impressions, I have never heard of the author before)

Don't get me wrong though, some of that nostalgia is still great! Having a huge record collection of banga's would be a fantastic achievement and wonderful to have.

I also agree that they do look sexy, but so do 2000's and various controllers.

[Mitch]

This reminds me - WHERE IS MY PRODIGY VINYL!

I don't own any yet (waiting for first vinyl in the mail) but i agree with the fact that I feel a greater sense of ownership by purchasing a CD or vinyl as opposed to buying a digital download.

Also agree with the fact that when CD dies out, vinyl will still be sticking around for a while

[crundyy]

Hmm, this gives me mixed feelings. I don't believe number 1 at all, and most of the others is mostly nostalgia.

It seems to be written by someone with a "You should only play vinyl, everything else sucks" view.

Don't get me wrong though, some of that nostalgia is still good, having a huge record collection of banga's would be a fantastic achievement and wonderful to have.

I also agree that they do look sexy, but so do 2000's and various controllers.

*facepalm* have you ever listened to a song played on vinyl on a good soundsystem?

[OxyKon]

This reminds me - WHERE IS MY PRODIGY VINYL!

I don't own any yet (waiting for first vinyl in the mail) but i agree with the fact that I feel a greater sense of ownership by purchasing a CD or vinyl as opposed to buying a digital download.

Also agree with the fact that when CD dies out, vinyl will still be sticking around for a while

The one you'll get excited bout is point number 5, cause when you hold that 1st LP in your hands you may have to change your pants

[Mitch]

^ I check the mail constantly to see if it has come, i'm pretty keen

[SolDios]

Hmm, this gives me mixed feelings. I don't believe number 1 at all, and most of the others is mostly nostalgia.

It seems to be written by someone with a "You should only play vinyl, everything else sucks" view.

Don't get me wrong though, some of that nostalgia is still good, having a huge record collection of banga's would be a fantastic achievement and wonderful to have.

I also agree that they do look sexy, but so do 2000's and various controllers.

*facepalm* have you ever listened to a song played on vinyl on a good soundsystem?

Yes, and in my opinion I find a wav file abit punchier and crisp. With most of the electronic stuff anyway.

[OxyKon]

Hmm, this gives me mixed feelings. I don't believe number 1 at all, and most of the others is mostly nostalgia.

It seems to be written by someone with a "You should only play vinyl, everything else sucks" view.

Don't get me wrong though, some of that nostalgia is still good, having a huge record collection of banga's would be a fantastic achievement and wonderful to have.

I also agree that they do look sexy, but so do 2000's and various controllers.

*facepalm* have you ever listened to a song played on vinyl on a good soundsystem?

Yes, and in my opinion I find a wav file abit punchier and crisp. With most of the electronic stuff anyway.

*doublefacepalm*

That's all I'm saying to this statement

[GREMM1S]

Oh god this argument still going on lol, uncompressed wav > vinyl end of, however majority of dj's shitty mp3's < vinyl, which is sad because essentially for the most part sound quality has declined not improved.

From working at a production company i play with all types of formats every day and really all mp3's unless they are 320 legit files should stay in the bedroom, some djs have no idea how bad their files sound.

Also turntables are bloody ugly lol.

[russell]

Hmm, this gives me mixed feelings. I don't believe number 1 at all, and most of the others is mostly nostalgia.

It seems to be written by someone with a "You should only play vinyl, everything else sucks" view.

Don't get me wrong though, some of that nostalgia is still good, having a huge record collection of banga's would be a fantastic achievement and wonderful to have.

I also agree that they do look sexy, but so do 2000's and various controllers.

*facepalm* have you ever listened to a song played on vinyl on a good soundsystem?

Yes, and in my opinion I find a wav file abit punchier and crisp. With most of the electronic stuff anyway.

*doublefacepalm*

That's all I'm saying to this statement

+1

[OxyKon]

Only just got home from work so now i can do what i originally wanted to do

[eggssell]

man you know what i hate fake grrl dj's who use sync on their controllers and use flanger on every transition while doing the jesus pose as they drop some brostep playing from there iphone staring into there laptop

[andyman]

man you know what i hate fake grrl dj's who use sync on their controllers and use flanger on every transition while doing the jesus pose as they drop some brostep playing from there iphone staring into there laptop

[Robsta]

What

Vinyl is an analogue sound it's no better or worse in terms of quality than a good digital file

Digital is the reproduction or recording of analogue sound which nowadays can have the same bitrate of analogue sound

The main difference between digital and analogue is that analogue is continuous in it's recording whereas digital is broken up and sometimes (mostly) compressed

Analogue has a lot of variables whereas digital doesn't. These variables can make the sound feel more "real" or true but can also make it sound worse with continuous use and wear.

CDs or digital files are better in the sense that they are more resilient to wear and can hold more sound than a record.

Comparing digital files to analogue sound is like comparing water from a spring and water from a tap. They both have their benefits but it's all water and based on your personal taste.

I purchased turntables because I learnt how to DJ with them and have grown up in a family with a large record collection. I also like turntablism and hip hop more than I do electronic music so the choice seemed obvious.

Neither is better than the other when it comes to sound quality but there are a lot of other factors involved besides sound quality which could influence your decision.

CDJs are lame anyway...

[OxyKon]

man you know what i hate fake grrl dj's who use sync on their controllers and use flanger on every transition while doing the jesus pose as they drop some brostep playing from there iphone staring into there laptop

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[dflux4]

man you know what i hate fake grrl dj's who use sync on their controllers and use flanger on every transition while doing the jesus pose as they drop some brostep playing from there iphone staring into there laptop

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[AlexJ]

I dont think there is anything quite like scratching on some quality turntables, i think it is a real experience (and i can perfectly understand it as a lifestyle for some), but in reality, do you really want to be lugging all that stuff around for a slight, and i say slight, sound quality impovement in some circumstances?

I think practically speaking having a set at home for private use encourages those to develop and refine the art. But when it comes to busting a good track for the enjoyment of a crowd. you can do just as well with digital, with much much less effort. Now im not saying it should be this way because people are lazy, i just think work smarter and not harder. besides if you want to get really technical. there is no way (or not that i have ever seen) where someone can hit 120+ tracks in an hour on vinyl. and i think achieving that on a digital system should be just as praised as hitting the track perfectly on vinyl. Granted i cant say anything against the feel of a vinyl because there is nothing to compare i just think for anyone who it isnt practical for to use vinyl shoudnt be criticised.

[BeatLeSS]

Hmm, this gives me mixed feelings. I don't believe number 1 at all, and most of the others is mostly nostalgia.

It seems to be written by someone with a "You should only play vinyl, everything else sucks" view.

Don't get me wrong though, some of that nostalgia is still good, having a huge record collection of banga's would be a fantastic achievement and wonderful to have.

I also agree that they do look sexy, but so do 2000's and various controllers.

*facepalm* have you ever listened to a song played on vinyl on a good soundsystem?

Yes, and in my opinion I find a wav file abit punchier and crisp. With most of the electronic stuff anyway.

The "Vinyl sounds better" argument is only relative to analogue sound equipment. Converting the analogue vinyl to digital audio on speakers these days ruins it. You need the old school analogue amps & speakers, and believe you me, they sound ten fold better than anything digital. Hell, old analogue equipment makes digital music sound fucking brilliant!

[OxyKon]

This may sound strange but I love lugging my crate of vinyl around, good work out for your arms, I've been playing at a night spot lately that only allows vinyl unless you have written your own track and haven't had it released on wax

and also who the hell wants to throw down 120 tracks in 1hour, we've actually had this conversation before in a previous thread and it ruins the mix, to have that many songs playing your only getting 30 seconds of each track in if your lucky

[Gandy]

Been sitting back waiting to see what everyone else said before jumping in head first like I usually do.

Firstly, IMHO, there's no such thing as "better" when it comes to music. To me, music is not a competition, it's something to be enjoyed for what it is, everyone has different tastes and there's no rules or guidelines unlike say 100m sprint or a NRL game, where there is always a clear winner.

I also not a fan how some of the points say "vinyl looks cooler", that's just as bad as super hot chicks getting gigs on looks.

Play on what your best with, so you can make the best sound possible, end of story

I love vinyl because for me nothing makes me more moist then getting my new record in the mail and having a physical copy of it, kind of like a collectible piece of memorabilia from my fiend days

Sooner we accept and respect all mediums, sooner we can all come together and just enjoy music, how it should be

[Mitch]

^Wise

[OxyKon]

Yes very wise, love how gandy just jumps in head 1st like that

[Scottie]

The only way analog could sound better than digital is if it's been recorded differently or if it's been compressed less than its digital counterpart (i.e to make it sounder louder for the consumer). And with vinyl comes the little pops and crackles, which while it might add to the atmosphere for us, its detrimental to the intended transparency.

at the needing analog amps and speakers though, seeing as analog amps add coloration and every single speaker, headphone and earbud is analog.

[legunner]

Been sitting back waiting to see what everyone else said before jumping in head first like I usually do.

Firstly, IMHO, there's no such thing as "better" when it comes to music. To me, music is not a competition, it's something to be enjoyed for what it is, everyone has different tastes and there's no rules or guidelines unlike say 100m sprint or a NRL game, where there is always a clear winner.

I also not a fan how some of the points say "vinyl looks cooler", that's just as bad as super hot chicks getting gigs on looks.

Play on what your best with, so you can make the best sound possible, end of story

I love vinyl because for me nothing makes me more moist then getting my new record in the mail and having a physical copy of it, kind of like a collectible piece of memorabilia from my fiend days

Sooner we accept and respect all mediums, sooner we can all come together and just enjoy music, how it should be

Very wise.

[SolDios]

I love vinyl because for me nothing makes me more moist then getting my new record in the mail and having a physical copy of it, kind of like a collectible piece of memorabilia from my fiend days

DEFIANTLY agree, and that is one of the amazing thing about vinyl.

Sure you can have 200 banga's in your itunes with your cover art, but is it really as satisfying as looking at a room filled with beautiful wax and digging though all that beautiful covers.

+ imagine in 20 years time, you might have lost most of your old mp3's into the great abyss that is the recycle bin. But with wax, you have a permanent physical copy that will last a life time