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Learning to Listen, in a Los Angeles Cafe Built for Vinyl

42 points by mykowebhn 7y ago

ngcc_hk 7y ago
The question is, other than analogy has good sound play , is whether it an be done digital. 800 vinyl is not easy and 8000 say in Tokyo. Can they Do it? Have those music in software (as many titles not digitalised) and can the software sort of force playing an album from start to finish?
jaequery 7y ago
Vinyl is quietly making a comeback. I never knew just how hot vinyl records these days until I stumbled across the guys running vnyl.org. They are making a killing.
nemild 7y ago
I recently went to Bar Shiru in Oakland (mentioned in the article) and it was quite the experience: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bar-shiru-oakland https://www.yelp.com/biz/bar-shiru-oakland
- marzell 7y ago
  I was a little confused by the layout and amount of exposed concrete. Not that it sounded bad, but I prefer a bit more damped sound and maybe they intentionally went for a more live sound with the room itself being a major presence. They do have a fun collection of records along the wall.
- simonebrunozzi 7y ago
  I went too. I kinda liked it, but it seemed to me to be a bit overhyped.
shams93 7y ago
Vinyl is kind of silly compared to supporting actual live music especially I'm a city like LA with such a tremendously rich variety of live music acts. Not to knock vinyl but it's like why build a cafe for vinyl in la where there are so many tremendous live talents lacking space to perform?
- rwmj 7y ago
  Are vinyl cafes crowding out live music venues? If not then they're two different things, like asking why open a noodle bar when there's so many good cakes around.
- locklock 7y ago
  You can ignore a record spinning on a turntable while you're having a drink, it's a bit harder to ignore a live band playing in the same room
  - granshaw 7y ago
    Right, it’s a completely different vibe - the live experience is like no other, but the audio quality is often too loud and harsh and crap, whereas listening in the vinyl cafe would be at the other end of the spectrum
- wgj 7y ago
  One reason is because it invites an entirely different relationship with ASCAP that many cafe and bar owners aren't ready to deal with. You'll be required to pay licensing for playing pre-recorded music as well, but the rules and the amount of money are easier. A second reason for many shops is that they don't have the space or layout to accommodate live performers, or their lease forbids it. A third reason for bars (probably not cafes, unless they also sell wine/beer) is that in most states live music requires a different liquor license, and switching licenses can mean going through the whole approval process from scratch, or it may be a license you can't qualify for at all. Lastly, somebody will have to act as booking agent, because those performers won't hire and schedule themselves. This also costs time and money.
Swivekth18 7y ago
Calling “a Garrard, an audiophile turntable” is the most laughable thing I’ve ever read in the Times. Yes, it’s a belt drive table (although there may have been some with idler wheels) but, audiophile, no. A starter table like a Thorens, or a Rega, might count, but a Linn or any of the true audiophile tables might start to qualify. The difference between an analog record on a great system and a. Digital mp3 on anything would make most people who love music cry at what’s missing in the digital version.
- patentatt 7y ago
  Except that all modern vinyl pressings are from the same digital masters as any other available medium or format. AFAIK nobody records, mixes, and masters in an entirely analog domain any more. Even so, vinyl isn’t a very good audio storage mechanism, now if you made that argument for reel-to-reel tape, you may have a point. Possibly. But even then, high quality digital audio is still probably better. Especially given the practical implementation of any analog system. Edit: and, lol, they’re using tube amps and horizontally-placed horn speakers that aren’t designed to be horizontal on a shelf in a resonant cavity. Yeah, this is not an audiophile setup at all. An LA hipsters idea of an audiophile setup at best. I’ll bet it’s fun though!
  - cr1895 7y ago
    >nobody records, mixes, and masters in an entirely analog domain any more. There are still AAA new releases.
    - patentatt 7y ago
      This is actually news to me! Thanks for prompting a web search for recent AAA releases. Very cool. I would like to read about the recording setups, equipment, and techniques used. I’d think it must be getting difficult to find all-analog studio gear for the entire chain.
  - sexyflanders 7y ago
    audiophile n. A person having an ardent interest in stereo or high-fidelity sound reproduction. please quit your gatekeeping
Stay_frostJebel 7y ago
Young people who have never heard music played on high quality equipment are in for a treat.
- dajohnson89 7y ago
  i'm 30, and i have no idea what vinyl sounds like. my grandparents played it a couple times but i dont remember
mrdobelina 7y ago
As a collector and founder of a startup about vinyl records, I find these places extremely interesting. Looking forward to seeing more of them, also in Italy.

42 points by mykowebhn 7y ago

The question is, other than analogy has good sound play , is whether it an be done digital. 800 vinyl is not easy and 8000 say in Tokyo. Can they Do it? Have those music in software (as many titles not digitalised) and can the software sort of force playing an album from start to finish?

jaequery 7y ago

Vinyl is quietly making a comeback. I never knew just how hot vinyl records these days until I stumbled across the guys running vnyl.org. They are making a killing.

nemild 7y ago

I recently went to Bar Shiru in Oakland (mentioned in the article) and it was quite the experience: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bar-shiru-oakland https://www.yelp.com/biz/bar-shiru-oakland

marzell 7y ago
I was a little confused by the layout and amount of exposed concrete. Not that it sounded bad, but I prefer a bit more damped sound and maybe they intentionally went for a more live sound with the room itself being a major presence. They do have a fun collection of records along the wall.
simonebrunozzi 7y ago
I went too. I kinda liked it, but it seemed to me to be a bit overhyped.

shams93 7y ago

Vinyl is kind of silly compared to supporting actual live music especially I'm a city like LA with such a tremendously rich variety of live music acts. Not to knock vinyl but it's like why build a cafe for vinyl in la where there are so many tremendous live talents lacking space to perform?

rwmj 7y ago
Are vinyl cafes crowding out live music venues? If not then they're two different things, like asking why open a noodle bar when there's so many good cakes around.
locklock 7y ago
You can ignore a record spinning on a turntable while you're having a drink, it's a bit harder to ignore a live band playing in the same room
- granshaw 7y ago
  Right, it’s a completely different vibe - the live experience is like no other, but the audio quality is often too loud and harsh and crap, whereas listening in the vinyl cafe would be at the other end of the spectrum
wgj 7y ago
One reason is because it invites an entirely different relationship with ASCAP that many cafe and bar owners aren't ready to deal with. You'll be required to pay licensing for playing pre-recorded music as well, but the rules and the amount of money are easier. A second reason for many shops is that they don't have the space or layout to accommodate live performers, or their lease forbids it. A third reason for bars (probably not cafes, unless they also sell wine/beer) is that in most states live music requires a different liquor license, and switching licenses can mean going through the whole approval process from scratch, or it may be a license you can't qualify for at all. Lastly, somebody will have to act as booking agent, because those performers won't hire and schedule themselves. This also costs time and money.

Swivekth18 7y ago

Calling “a Garrard, an audiophile turntable” is the most laughable thing I’ve ever read in the Times. Yes, it’s a belt drive table (although there may have been some with idler wheels) but, audiophile, no. A starter table like a Thorens, or a Rega, might count, but a Linn or any of the true audiophile tables might start to qualify. The difference between an analog record on a great system and a. Digital mp3 on anything would make most people who love music cry at what’s missing in the digital version.

patentatt 7y ago
Except that all modern vinyl pressings are from the same digital masters as any other available medium or format. AFAIK nobody records, mixes, and masters in an entirely analog domain any more. Even so, vinyl isn’t a very good audio storage mechanism, now if you made that argument for reel-to-reel tape, you may have a point. Possibly. But even then, high quality digital audio is still probably better. Especially given the practical implementation of any analog system. Edit: and, lol, they’re using tube amps and horizontally-placed horn speakers that aren’t designed to be horizontal on a shelf in a resonant cavity. Yeah, this is not an audiophile setup at all. An LA hipsters idea of an audiophile setup at best. I’ll bet it’s fun though!
- cr1895 7y ago
  >nobody records, mixes, and masters in an entirely analog domain any more. There are still AAA new releases.
  - patentatt 7y ago
    This is actually news to me! Thanks for prompting a web search for recent AAA releases. Very cool. I would like to read about the recording setups, equipment, and techniques used. I’d think it must be getting difficult to find all-analog studio gear for the entire chain.
- sexyflanders 7y ago
  audiophile n. A person having an ardent interest in stereo or high-fidelity sound reproduction. please quit your gatekeeping

Stay_frostJebel 7y ago

Young people who have never heard music played on high quality equipment are in for a treat.

dajohnson89 7y ago
i'm 30, and i have no idea what vinyl sounds like. my grandparents played it a couple times but i dont remember

mrdobelina 7y ago

As a collector and founder of a startup about vinyl records, I find these places extremely interesting. Looking forward to seeing more of them, also in Italy.