Conspicuous consumption of static

[kakapo]

Not an analogue digital debate.

 

I have a decent amount of records, and my setup is fine (pro-ject, arcam, MA and Focal monitoring, original 7509s). I bought my first record when I was 6 (Come on Eileen) and have been buying both records and cds ever since.

 

My take on vinyl is simple.

It adds distortion. Nice distortion, that adds 'presence', particularly to the human voice and some acoustic instruments.

It's sometimes more sympathetically mastered.

It's not higher fidelity than cd. In theory, better frequency response and worse dynamic range. In practice, few systems are able to take advantage of the higher frequency response. Sometimes a perception of more dynamic range due to mastering, and the 'presence' effect.

Artwork etc.

 

All subjective considerations.

 

All of the boc catalogue sounds better on cd, and a decent mp3 rip. In fact some of the pressings are awful, trans canada highway in particular.

 

(For balance I prefer ae on vinyl, and some afx)

 

If you want the closest fidelity to the sandisons when they did their mixdown, listen to cd. If you want to hear how an 'analogue' synth sounds, listen to cd.

 

And yet, not just here, but absolutely everywhere on the net, under every discussion or review of TH, there's a string of comments. "Yeah, I've pre ordered this. On Vinyl. Did I mention I have a record player. Collect vinyls. Yeah, you haven't heard BoC until you've heard a second hand scratched copy of twoism on a £50 usb turntable through computer speakers."

 

Ignoring the fact that from a production point of view they have always been about both analogue and digital, people seem to make some unthinking connection between their general 'analogue' aesthetic and the medium through which they actually hear the music. Don't have that £150 for a mint geogaddi? You're not missing anything.

 

"How do you know when someone has a BoC album on vinyl?"

"They'll fucking tell you."

 

 

 

[NorthernFusion]

Foil will be so pleased. I agree with some BoC pressings sounding average though, such as IABOITC and TCH (trans). However, I like the feel of the LPs more on wax compared to a digital setting, specifically Geogaddi, but that's just a preference (like having vinyl has my main format in general), I'm not saying it's a better medium.

 

Also, I don't have the most expensive setup, so maybe my opinion doesn't amount to much.

 

 

"How do you know when someone has a BoC album on vinyl?"

"They'll fucking tell you."

[Caretstik]

Got my first vinyl record aged 8 (Are 'Friends' Electric?) and so have always taken it as a standard format. I even remember when CD was a luxury format in the 80s and getting miffed at having to settle for vinyl editions. I just prefer records as they're bigger and better looking than a CD, or some some fucking thumbnail jpeg.

[Friendly Foil]

And yet, not just here, but absolutely everywhere on the net, under every discussion or review of TH, there's a string of comments. "Yeah, I've pre ordered this. On Vinyl. Did I mention I have a record player. Collect vinyls. Yeah, you haven't heard BoC until you've heard a second hand scratched copy of twoism on a £50 usb turntable through computer speakers."

 

Thank you for saying this.

[Guest Retrig]

Some of us are collectors. I prefer to buy vinyl over CD, especially if digital files are available alongside it. CD is redundant and unnecessary. I'll buy CD if vinyl isn't available, even if digital copies are, again, because I enjoy collecting the music I enjoy. I like having full artwork.

With that said, I'll never get preachy about vinyl vs CD, analogue vs digital. My ears are too old and damaged to really give a fuck.

[Schlitze]

No joke, there was a guy at my school who kept his CD's in the fridge, he said it gave them a crisper sound

[Guest feralkittens]

I love geogaddi on vinyl, I've not heard the others. I am not crazy about having everything on vinyl but when there is something that sounds good on vinyl, at least for me, that's the only way I wanna hear it. I don't know how TH will sound, but they're my favorite group so I wasn't gonna take a chance on not getting it and regretting it later. I bought the cd too.

 

And to a certain extent it's a nostalgia thing because I grew up with records and i love the experience of putting a record on for the first time and looking at the album art. Yeah it is a kind of fetishism for me, but I dunno, it's pretty harmless right?

[Guest Retrig]

I love geogaddi on vinyl, I've not heard the others. I am not crazy about having everything on vinyl but when there is something that sounds good on vinyl, at least for me, that's the only way I wanna hear it. I don't know how TH will sound, but they're my favorite group so I wasn't gonna take a chance on not getting it and regretting it later. I bought the cd too.

 

And to a certain extent it's a nostalgia thing because I grew up with records and i love the experience of putting a record on for the first time and looking at the album art. Yeah it is a kind of fetishism for me, but I dunno, it's pretty harmless right?

This. Not everyone who orders vinyl is some pretentious hipster (your guys' favorite word). Get over your holier than thou attitude, OP (and I'll try to do the same, as I'm often an asshole on these forums).

[Guest fsdapfad]

I wrote this post on a typewriter and then faxed it to my underpaid female secretary because I thought it would be truer to the BOC nostalgic experience

[kakapo]

 

I love geogaddi on vinyl, I've not heard the others. I am not crazy about having everything on vinyl but when there is something that sounds good on vinyl, at least for me, that's the only way I wanna hear it. I don't know how TH will sound, but they're my favorite group so I wasn't gonna take a chance on not getting it and regretting it later. I bought the cd too.

 

And to a certain extent it's a nostalgia thing because I grew up with records and i love the experience of putting a record on for the first time and looking at the album art. Yeah it is a kind of fetishism for me, but I dunno, it's pretty harmless right?

This. Not everyone who orders vinyl is some pretentious hipster (your guys' favorite word). Get over your holier than thou attitude, OP (and I'll try to do the same, as I'm often an asshole on these forums).

 

 

If you'd bothered to read the OP you'd see it wasn't about cd versus vinyl (I state quite clearly I buy both, and people are welcome to their preferences, there is a subjective judgement to be made on the aural or aesthetic qualities of records ) but about the conspicuous fetishisation of the medium, the idea that somehow people are missing out if they're not listening to BoC on vinyl, and most definitely missing out if they don't know that I'm listening to it on vinyl, so I'm going to post at every fucking opportunity to tell them just that.

 

I'll get over my holier than thou attitude when shit for brains yanks actually take the time to read and make a token effort to comprehend what they're commenting on.

 

Thanks for proving my point cavity dick.

[Alcofribas]

world's most "cool story bro" thread

[KovalainenFanBoy]

You should've posted this on GenBan or Music Discussion, it would've gotten more attention. Also,

 

 

No joke, there was a guy at my school who kept his CD's in the fridge, he said it gave them a crisper sound

 

Best Answer

[Guest Retrig]

 

 

I love geogaddi on vinyl, I've not heard the others. I am not crazy about having everything on vinyl but when there is something that sounds good on vinyl, at least for me, that's the only way I wanna hear it. I don't know how TH will sound, but they're my favorite group so I wasn't gonna take a chance on not getting it and regretting it later. I bought the cd too.

 

And to a certain extent it's a nostalgia thing because I grew up with records and i love the experience of putting a record on for the first time and looking at the album art. Yeah it is a kind of fetishism for me, but I dunno, it's pretty harmless right?

This. Not everyone who orders vinyl is some pretentious hipster (your guys' favorite word). Get over your holier than thou attitude, OP (and I'll try to do the same, as I'm often an asshole on these forums).

 

 

If you'd bothered to read the OP you'd see it wasn't about cd versus vinyl (I state quite clearly I buy both, and people are welcome to their preferences, there is a subjective judgement to be made on the aural or aesthetic qualities of records ) but about the conspicuous fetishisation of the medium, the idea that somehow people are missing out if they're not listening to BoC on vinyl, and most definitely missing out if they don't know that I'm listening to it on vinyl, so I'm going to post at every fucking opportunity to tell them just that.

 

I'll get over my holier than thou attitude when shit for brains yanks actually take the time to read and make a token effort to comprehend what they're commenting on.

 

Thanks for proving my point cavity dick.

 

[Guest skept]

Don't have that £150 for a mint geogaddi? You're not missing anything.

 

 

 

 

^This

 

Decent tunes... nothing more. :)

[kakapo]

I'm sorry everyone. I don't know what came over me.

[Guest Retrig]

I'm sorry everyone. I don't know what came over me.

Don't be, man. I'm sorry to be a dick and miss the point. I guess I just get offended when I feel, for some ridiculous reason, that I'm being lumped in with the zealots for purchasing vinyl.

[Alcofribas]

I'm sorry everyone. I don't know what came over me.

that was me. how could you forget?!?!

[chassis]

Big massive who cares.

 

Topics been done to death.

[Kavinsky]

No joke, there was a guy at my school who kept his CD's in the fridge, he said it gave them a crisper sound

lol