Why not use effects to get the sound of vinyl?

[Purité Audio]

Absolutely it is the ‘actively contributing to the SQ’ aspect of the hobby, like adding a extra egg to a cake mix recipe.
Keith

 

[Multicore]

What I'm driving at here is that coloration, FIRs, and tube effects and so on can, if you are careful, do an excellent job of emulating the characteristics of certain amps and speakers you may have a liking for. The characteristic sound of vinyl, on the other hand, it seems to me, depends on the condition of the PVC, which is unique for each example. And each LP has its unique defects. Either way, it's qualitatively different from the kinds of amplifier and loudspeaker effects you can dial in with VST.

 

[levimax]

In the mid '80s I bought '63 C-10 with the Apache package because it was $500, I was building my house and needed a truck. Despite having to double clutch on the downshifts I loved driving that truck and everyone said it was cool. Now I have a Volvo V60 Recharge that goes 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds, runs dead quiet on electricity for 45 miles, has all my music at my fingertips with B&W audio system and some people say its cool. I think it is and that's all that matters.Technology marches on and I have a small collection of wired telephones from 1900 to the1970s and a collection of LPs (6-700) that I never play. Collecting is fun.

If you checked the value of that 1963 C-10 today apparently it is still pretty cool to many people.

 

[bluefuzz]

I am always amazed when listeners want their digital to sound like analogue.

Well, according to the Nyquist–Shannon sampling theorem digital does provably sound like analogue. That's rather the point isn't it ...?

 

[DVDdoug]

Because that's not the sound of my vinyl. If I have a romantic attachment to my vinyl, perhaps because it has been with me for so long and connects with my history then the specifics of that LP are unique and personal. All scratches are unique,

That's what annoyed me the most!!! I knew exactly when that nasty click was coming... I'm dreaming of a white -CLICK- Christmas*... and I'd be anticipating it rather than enjoying the music. It still bothered me when I wasn't familiar with the record, but not as much.



* That's a made-up example. I don't really remember since it's been decades since I've played records.

 

[Timcognito]

If you checked the value of that 1963 C-10 today apparently it is still pretty cool to many people.

Yes it was a shame and sad day when I had to sell. The garage was full of stuff and I live a stone throw from the ocean. You could see the rust starting to kill it. I made $200 off it and the kid that bought it fixed it and put a period correct V8 in it. I used to see driving around and felt proud that someone kept it up. It has been 25 years since I last saw it.

 

[bluefuzz]

depends on the condition of the PVC, which is unique for each example

Yes, this is probably a big part of why I hang on to all my old vinyl records although I don't have any means of playing them any more and haven't had for years. It's not just the scratches on the vinyl it's the tears and stains on the covers, the price tags from long defunct record stores, the faint smell of stale cigarette smoke. It's Spirit of Place.

It's no doubt related to the same instictual attraction to vintage guitars, faded jeans, valve amplifiers, artisanal cheese or hand thrown pottery. It's both the hand of the maker and the hand of the user that makes the anologue world real in a way the digital never seems to be. Good old entropy giving rise to romantic nostalgia...

 

[MattHooper]

That's what annoyed me the most!!! I knew exactly when that nasty click was coming... I'm dreaming of a white -CLICK- Christmas*... and I'd be anticipating it rather than enjoying the music. It still bothered me when I wasn't familiar with the record, but not as much.

Yes I agree with you. I'm not a fan of ticks and pops and scratches, and I totally remember records with an obvious artifact that came up at the same time and I sort of anticipated it. I think that sucks. That certainly was a blessing of CD.

 

[MattHooper]

Purité Audio said:


I am always amazed when listeners want their digital to sound like analogue.
Keith

A utter lack of taste indeed

Out of curiosity, do have the same opinion of anyone who wears anything but a digital watch?

 

[Multicore]

Yes, this is probably a big part of why I hang on to all my old vinyl records although I don't have any means of playing them any more and haven't had for years. It's not just the scratches on the vinyl it's the tears and stains on the covers, the price tags from long defunct record stores, the faint smell of stale cigarette smoke. It's Spirit of Place.

It's no doubt related to the same instictual attraction to vintage guitars, faded jeans, valve amplifiers, artisanal cheese or hand thrown pottery. It's both the hand of the maker and the hand of the user that makes the anologue world real in a way the digital never seems to be. Good old entropy giving rise to romantic nostalgia...

Patina.

It's a thing. It means something.

To stretch your analogy, paying extra for a relic'ed or distressed finish on a new guitar is like putting VST vinyl effects on a CD.

 

[Purité Audio]

Out of curiosity, do have the same opinion of anyone who wears anything but a digital watch?

Watch?
Keith

 

[Count Arthur]

Why not use effects to get the sound of vinyl?​

What, and miss out on the all the palaver of finding what you want to play, squinting at the tiny writing on the spine of the record sleeve, putting an LP on the turntable, cleaning it and carefully lowering the needle to the surface, not to mention the faff of getting up every ~20 minutes to change sides.

 

[Anton D]

Oh, good, a new thread full of people shaking their fists at vinyl.

 

[MattHooper]

Yes, this is probably a big part of why I hang on to all my old vinyl records although I don't have any means of playing them any more and haven't had for years. It's not just the scratches on the vinyl it's the tears and stains on the covers, the price tags from long defunct record stores, the faint smell of stale cigarette smoke. It's Spirit of Place.

It's no doubt related to the same instictual attraction to vintage guitars, faded jeans, valve amplifiers, artisanal cheese or hand thrown pottery. It's both the hand of the maker and the hand of the user that makes the anologue world real in a way the digital never seems to be. Good old entropy giving rise to romantic nostalgia...

I understand that is an attraction for many with regard to vinyl.

For me the "patina" aspect was more of a turn off. I'd kept a turntable around just to occasionally throw on some of my old records that I had in the basement. It was always good for a bit of nostalgia, but that was it. I didn't find my old records to be attractive per se. Nor, pre vinyl revival, the dusty innards of a typical "last on earth" used record stores.

Vinyl to me was an old, discarded thing.

It was only when the vinyl revival came and tons of new vinyl was being produced that truly got me interested again. Because then vinyl was no longer moth-eaten covers and scratch-covered records. It was brand new stuff, shiny spotless covers and wax, fresh out of the factory. And it sounded excellent. It made vinyl feel fresh and new again. That's how I began building my collection - new wax.

Though over time I started tracking down used albums that I wanted as well, when there weren't new versions, and so I have tons of used records too. And I have come to appreciate those as artifacts as well. But generally, the newer and/or better condition for covers and wax the better, for my tastes.

 

[Multicore]

Oh, good, a new thread full of people shaking their fists at vinyl.

That characterizes only a small number of the posts in this thread.

The idea here is to examine the differences between your vinyl and adding effects to digital. I think @bluefuzz described it quite well here. I think the differences may be meaningful.

 

[mhardy6647]

Patina.

It's a thing. It means something.

Black. Brassed. Beautiful.

For your viewing pleasure: black Nikon F, F2, Nikkormat FTn, and a Canon F1.

icouldbeahero.blogspot.com

(from my son's photoblog)

 

[Multicore]

Why not use effects to get the sound of vinyl?​

What, and miss out on the all the palaver of finding what you want to play, squinting at the tiny writing on the spine of the record sleeve, putting an LP on the turntable, cleaning it and carefully lowering the needle to the surface, not to mention the faff of getting up every ~20 minutes to change sides.

I know, I mostly feel the same about it. But I try to be empathetic and I'm really interested to understand. I've a friend that doesn't regard any kind of listening to be "serious" unless it involves all that fuss you described. He has the same attitude to watching movies: going to the cinema is the only "right" way. I feel the exact opposite: that going to the cinema is expensive, inconvenient, annoying in very many ways, and often gross. I'm pragmatic and he's romantic.

 

[Sokel]

I suppose there's lots of stuff that can emulate it.
What I would really like though is some short of reverse procedure that will restore the high DR and "open" sound which vinyl has and which seem lost at their digital form of the plays I love while enjoying the clarity,etc of the digital (they are 50-60-70 yo,so no luck,I know) .

It's very specific and not a playback thing,I know,but...

 

[spigot]

I think some people like to sniff vinyl as they remove it from the sleeve and place it on the platter. All the other tactile stuff is just an inconvenience. If people with vinyl collections wore a nose clip they'd rapidly lose interest and take the lot to the local charity shop.

 

[mhardy6647]

I think some people like to sniff vinyl as they remove it from the sleeve and place it on the platter. All the other tactile stuff is just an inconvenience. If people with vinyl collections wore a nose clip they'd rapidly lose interest and take the lot to the local charity shop.

pffft!
Now the aroma of a Maxell UD35-90 fresh out of the bag... that is intoxicating.