Vinyl-record factories race to keep up with demand surge

[Islandman]

Interesting how old technology often finds a niche after it has been replaced as commodity product.

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By Neil Shah

Nearly 8 million old-fashioned vinyl records have been sold this year, up 49% from the same period last year, industry data show. Younger people, especially indie-rock fans, are buying records in greater numbers, attracted to the perceived superior sound quality of vinyl and the ritual of putting needle to groove.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-bigg...23133?mod=mktw

[Islandman]

"Swiss mechanical watches, fountain pens and independent bookstores all re-emerged from the doldrums by reinventing themselves for consumers and then attracting investment from entrepreneurs", he says.

Film photography is one of the more recent examples.

[Mosiah]

Film photography is one of the more recent examples.

I'm gonna stay far from that one!

[Islandman]

You still a trod round with you 35mm film and Nikon F-100 nuh true? LOL.

I remember many years ago you made a comment like, how can somebody claim to be learning real photography using a digital camera?

[HL]

Maybe he still has the Kodak 110 wid the cube flash....

[Mosiah]

I may have said that! And I still may be correct. How can one learn true photography when everything is set on auto?!? Depth of field, lighting...so much to learn. Of course, you don't have to leave the digital camera on auto.

It's like drafting. Can you really understand architectural drafting if you learnt it on AutoCAD?!? I dunno...

I may have also said you can take great pictures with a good 1970 SLR camera as you can with the latest digital camera.

But you know, the first digital cameras were kinda awful. Now, with DSLR's...

[Willi]

Dats why mi just buy a chube amp 2nd hand for cheap!

[Historian]

Good Post, Mo!

I may have said that! And I still may be correct. How can one learn true photography when everything is set on auto?!? Depth of field, lighting...so much to learn. Of course, you don't have to leave the digital camera on auto.

It's like drafting. Can you really understand architectural drafting if you learnt it on AutoCAD?!? I dunno...

I may have also said you can take great pictures with a good 1970 SLR camera as you can with the latest digital camera.

But you know, the first digital cameras were kinda awful. Now, with DSLR's...

Boss, I have to agree with you on this one! Digital camera technology, while convenient, does not teach one how to effectively use F-stop and other intricacies such as you mentioned above! Photo composition, inevitably, takes a back seat as virtually all of today’s amateur photographers simply point and shoot!

You correctly used drafting as an example. We could even use a more universal example: driving a standard shift vehicle versus driving a fully automatic vehicle!

Despite what some on this site probably feel, I am not really conservative, but in some cases I long for the old days! Like vinyl records (lol)!!

[Mosiah]

How about guitars? Are electric guitars the same as acoustic guitars in terms of learning?

[Historian]

Good Question!

How about guitars? Are electric guitars the same as acoustic guitars in terms of learning?

Mo, there is a definite difference! It is more difficult learning to play on an acoustic guitar, and so the transition to an electric guitar then becomes, as they say, a “piece of cake.”

I would strongly recommend that all guitar students learn to play on an acoustic guitar during their first several years in music. There are several reasons for this. For one, acoustic guitars generally have a wider fret-board. Secondly, the six strings are almost always placed further apart. The end result is better preparation for the student.

In comparison, electric guitars generally have very narrow fretboards, with the six strings placed much closer together. Also, the placement of the strings will inevitably be lower on this electric guitar fret-board. The end result is that an acoustic guitar student switching to electric guitar will find it much, much easier to play the electric guitar (in addition to, unfortunately, probably developing a disdainful attitude towards electric guitars).

[Islandman]

Digital camera technology, while convenient, does not teach one how to effectively use F-stop and other intricacies such as you mentioned above

Historian this is simply not true. Anyone who wants to learn and master the use of F stops , shutter speed , depth of field, etc can do so on a SLR digital camera. I certainly did and continue to use those features because it is a hobby of mine. However for the 95% of people who have no interest in any of that, they can use the automatic point and shoot features and get quite decent photos, much better ones than they could with a low end film camera (which most people used in the previous generation) and without all the hassles of film.

In fact I have argued that digital technology allows one to master the technical aspects of photography MUCH more quickly and efficiently than film ever could, because it does not cost anything except time to take hundreds of photos and experiment , make mistakes, and review the camera settings that every single photo is taken with as they are stored right there in the digital image. The cost barrier for learning is much lower and that is a good thing.

While I understand the feelings of nostalgia for things like vinyl, lets keep in mind that they are emotional reactions and our minds tend to trick us into focusing on the "good" memories. A few months ago on my high school alumni facebook group, someone posted a picture of a fountain pen and typed passionately about how beautifully they wrote and how in her time you could not use a ball point pen for your assignments. I quickly took up my nostalgia-killer role and mentioned that in my limited experience with those pens I found them to be a pain in the a$$ as they would leak, mess up your clothes and bag, smudge easily, point would bend, etc , etc. Thank God for the brilliant ball point pen!!!

Similarly there is no point in someone learning the technique of driving a stick shift if they will never need to drive a stick shift. When the skill is mastered it certainly gives you more control over the vehicle but apart from the niche market of car fanatics it is a dying skill. As far as I am concerned the driverless car cannot get here soon enough!

[Historian]

And You Are Correct (lol)

I’man, this is a good post (like your posts always are), and you are absolutely correct in your comments on the cameras . My initial post, an admittedly emotion-based one, was probably more a longing for some of the older things – vinyl discs, manual cameras, etc. But I should have known better, having used both types of cameras.

By the way, while automatic cars obviously offer greater ease of living (driving), there are a couple of advantages in driving a manual (standard shift) car. However, these advantages are primarily linked to the manufacture and technology used in manual cars (to give one example, we all know that a manual car can often be “pushed started” with relative ease when the need arises).

Historian this is simply not true. Anyone who wants to learn and master the use of F stops , shutter speed , depth of field, etc can do so on a SLR digital camera. I certainly did and continue to use those features because it is a hobby of mine. However for the 95% of people who have no interest in any of that, they can use the automatic point and shoot features and get quite decent photos, much better ones than they could with a low end film camera (which most people used in the previous generation) and without all the hassles of film.

In fact I have argued that digital technology allows one to master the technical aspects of photography MUCH more quickly and efficiently than film ever could, because it does not cost anything except time to take hundreds of photos and experiment , make mistakes, and review the camera settings that every single photo is taken with as they are stored right there in the digital image. The cost barrier for learning is much lower and that is a good thing.

While I understand the feelings of nostalgia for things like vinyl, lets keep in mind that they are emotional reactions and our minds tend to trick us into focusing on the "good" memories. A few months ago on my high school alumni facebook group, someone posted a picture of a fountain pen and typed passionately about how beautifully they wrote and how in her time you could not use a ball point pen for your assignments. I quickly took up my nostalgia-killer role and mentioned that in my limited experience with those pens I found them to be a pain in the a$$ as they would leak, mess up your clothes and bag, smudge easily, point would bend, etc , etc. Thank God for the brilliant ball point pen!!!

Similarly there is no point in someone learning the technique of driving a stick shift if they will never need to drive a stick shift. When the skill is mastered it certainly gives you more control over the vehicle but apart from the niche market of car fanatics it is a dying skill. As far as I am concerned the driverless car cannot get here soon enough!

[Islandman]

Re vinyl, there is definitely something about wiping off that record, putting it on the turntable and carefully setting the needle that I miss seeing and doing when playing music. It somehow feels like it added more drama to the occasion!

I never did like the CD era of music much though, mostly because we were forced to buy a whole album of trash to get one decent song!

This digital era of music of course has its own challenges , most significant of which are probably the ease of piracy and the reality that the low cost of production results in waaay more garbage being produced than would otherwise be the case. I am still of the view though that taken as a whole, modern technology makes art better when used effectively.

I heard a funny story once from an old school music lover who was mostly out of touch with developments in the music world. He said he went to some event and saw a young kid who said he would be playing music for the evening. He asked where his music was and he showed him his flash drive and small laptop. He thought it was a joke until he watched the kid selecting songs all night from every era, hit after hit after hit! he couldn't believe how things had changed.

[Tilla]

Good post boss! I was about to respond to Historian, but see you have set him straight.

[Tilla]

It's like drafting. Can you really understand architectural drafting if you learnt it on AutoCAD?!? I dunno...

I believe one can. AutoCAD and tools like that just improve the efficiency with which one can get things done. They do not change the underlying principle of the process however.

You know, I like to use new technology as much as possible. I do not have any desire to go back to the old ways of doing things. So for all those who want 8-track and cassette tapes and vinyl, I say go ahead. I just won't be caught in those realms anytime soon. Just like cars and old cars. I see a lot of people raving over older cars from the 60s and 70s etc. I have no such love for those. For me, the newer, the better especially if they come with all the latest technology and added safety features.

Yes Mo, call me shallow...