5 ms·

Unpopular opinion: Vinyl is not really about the sound. The sound is different, Yes, but that's not it. Vinyl is about displaying the cover, pulling the disc ou

Unpopular opinion: Vinyl is not really about the sound. The sound is different, Yes, but that's not it. Vinyl is about displaying the cover, pulling the disc out of it, feeling the weight of the object as you align it on the turntable, pushing the button and watch it spin up, then delicately drop the needle at the right place. Vinyl involves a _ritualistic_ consensual experience which modern medium entirely lack. You can share your appreciation of the cover art and printed lyrics with other people in the room while the music plays. There's no distraction or suggestion coming from a computer screen. When the music stops, what happens is entirely up to you. Vinyl lets you feel the void and puts you entirely in control of the listening session.

detaro 4y ago
I'd hope that that's not the "unpopular" opinion.
least 4y ago
Cassette tapes have made a similar niche comeback for a very similar reason. There's the tactility in the experience of fast forwarding, rewinding, pressing play. If you're using a walkman, you can even feel the tape turning as it plays in your hand or in your pocket. The rituals involved with using a tape are so intentional in a way that it just isn't when listening to music on a streaming service. It also is basically the epitome of DIY ethos so popular in punk and indie music, what with creating your own mix tapes, sometimes imperfectly. The relatively low fidelity of the medium also adds to the charm. "stealing" music by taping it from the radio, another cassette, or from a cd. It just plays heavily towards nostalgia in a way that I don't think CD will ever be able to. Though I do have fond memories of burning mixed CDs, it just doesn't have the same charm as sitting at a tape deck and carefully pressing record and stop.
- ghaff 4y ago
  I got rid of all my vinyl (much of it with some water damage) years ago, but I do sort of understand the tactile appeal, the retro-ness, and the listening intentionality. In these days of lossless digital formats, CDs are mostly just a medium to buy/transfer a bunch of bits. I can't say I really understand interest in cassettes at all. Obviously it was the only way you could copy someone's album or make a mix tape at one point but that doesn't apply today.
  - eru 4y ago
    I guess the intensity of cassette nostalgia depends strongly on exactly when you were a teenager?
    - ghaff 4y ago
      I certainly had cassettes as a teenager and college student and made plenty of mix/party tapes using them (and copied albums my friends owned). I guess I just look back at them as a utilitarian tool to accomplish something I had no other means to accomplish.
      - PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago
        Same, except that I think it's worth spelling out the purpose of the tool: 1. win friends (and influence people) 2. convince the target of my affection that I am truly super-awesome, and they should fall in love with me because of incredible mix tapes. Cassette tapes FTW!
  - ummonk 4y ago
    I don't get it. You understand the tactile appeal, retro-ness, and listening intentionality of vinyl, but you don't understand interest in cassettes?
    - ghaff 4y ago
      You don't have the large format artwork and liner notes, you have objectively inferior sound quality, you don't have random access, it's just an object that you stick in a player. So, no I don't, beyond a nostalgic I used to make mix/party tapes in this format.
throw7 4y ago
The difference between cigarettes and pipe smoking? I agree, anything having rituals are going to be personally moving... or... spiritual.
pdntspa 4y ago
I grew up DJing with vinyl, it is as much about the wicky-wicky as it is the ritual of carefully and delicately placing a needle before going off to smoke your cigar. Though for me its more about blending and beatmatching... the feeling of a perfectly timed double-drop or blend or whatever simply isn't the same with digital. And most new DJs can't even beatmatch by ear any more! If you go to a party and the DJ is spinning wax and he's got two tracks going perfectly in-sync... due to vinyl's inherent instabilities, that takes some serious skill. On a modern setup you just drag the pitch fader til the BPMs are the same and hit play at the start of the phrase, and the worst you have to worry about is the bass knocking your cheaply-made faders around

detaro 4y ago

I'd hope that that's not the "unpopular" opinion.

least 4y ago

Cassette tapes have made a similar niche comeback for a very similar reason. There's the tactility in the experience of fast forwarding, rewinding, pressing play. If you're using a walkman, you can even feel the tape turning as it plays in your hand or in your pocket. The rituals involved with using a tape are so intentional in a way that it just isn't when listening to music on a streaming service. It also is basically the epitome of DIY ethos so popular in punk and indie music, what with creating your own mix tapes, sometimes imperfectly. The relatively low fidelity of the medium also adds to the charm. "stealing" music by taping it from the radio, another cassette, or from a cd. It just plays heavily towards nostalgia in a way that I don't think CD will ever be able to. Though I do have fond memories of burning mixed CDs, it just doesn't have the same charm as sitting at a tape deck and carefully pressing record and stop.

ghaff 4y ago
I got rid of all my vinyl (much of it with some water damage) years ago, but I do sort of understand the tactile appeal, the retro-ness, and the listening intentionality. In these days of lossless digital formats, CDs are mostly just a medium to buy/transfer a bunch of bits. I can't say I really understand interest in cassettes at all. Obviously it was the only way you could copy someone's album or make a mix tape at one point but that doesn't apply today.
- eru 4y ago
  I guess the intensity of cassette nostalgia depends strongly on exactly when you were a teenager?
  - ghaff 4y ago
    I certainly had cassettes as a teenager and college student and made plenty of mix/party tapes using them (and copied albums my friends owned). I guess I just look back at them as a utilitarian tool to accomplish something I had no other means to accomplish.
    - PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago
      Same, except that I think it's worth spelling out the purpose of the tool: 1. win friends (and influence people) 2. convince the target of my affection that I am truly super-awesome, and they should fall in love with me because of incredible mix tapes. Cassette tapes FTW!
- ummonk 4y ago
  I don't get it. You understand the tactile appeal, retro-ness, and listening intentionality of vinyl, but you don't understand interest in cassettes?
  - ghaff 4y ago
    You don't have the large format artwork and liner notes, you have objectively inferior sound quality, you don't have random access, it's just an object that you stick in a player. So, no I don't, beyond a nostalgic I used to make mix/party tapes in this format.

throw7 4y ago

The difference between cigarettes and pipe smoking? I agree, anything having rituals are going to be personally moving... or... spiritual.

pdntspa 4y ago

I grew up DJing with vinyl, it is as much about the wicky-wicky as it is the ritual of carefully and delicately placing a needle before going off to smoke your cigar. Though for me its more about blending and beatmatching... the feeling of a perfectly timed double-drop or blend or whatever simply isn't the same with digital. And most new DJs can't even beatmatch by ear any more! If you go to a party and the DJ is spinning wax and he's got two tracks going perfectly in-sync... due to vinyl's inherent instabilities, that takes some serious skill. On a modern setup you just drag the pitch fader til the BPMs are the same and hit play at the start of the phrase, and the worst you have to worry about is the bass knocking your cheaply-made faders around