Posted by Larry Jordan on November 28, 2014, 9:15 am
Those of us who are old enough to remember buying vinyl records -- singles and albums -- will always believe the best sound quality emanated from this technology, now supplanted by CDs and digital downloads (the latter of which, incidentally, seriously degrade audio quality).
But over the past few years, there has been a resurgence of vinyl, especially among rock groups. I'm not sure how to explain that, except there is a recognition among audiophiles that a stylus moving in groves more closely approximates the originally recorded analog sound than does a CD, which merely samples a portion of the audio data. CDs represent convenience, not an improvement in sound quality.
There are also new vinyl versions of albums being released on such favorites as Glen Campbell, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.
The question of the day is: how many of you would like to buy a new Jim Reeves album pressed in vinyl? We used to like the larger cover art and liner notes, the whole experience of putting a platter on a turntable and putting the needle in the groove.
So let's a poll. I'm curious to know how many of you still own a turntable and would be interested in buying a NEW Jim Reeves release on LP?
Please DON'T vote "yes" if you have no means of playing such a record.
Also, here's a link to an article about the comeback of vinyl...
Posted by Martin Rolls on November 29, 2014, 5:51 am, in reply to "Vinyl Record Sales Up"
My most cherished musical possessions are my Jim Reeves LP's. They are so much more tactile than a CD, and offer so much more scope for nice photo's, and liner notes and credits that you don't have to screw your eyes up to see. They also hold a bigger place in my memory because for some strange reason I can more easily remember how and where I had the pleasure of buying each of them.
Having said that I'm only too grateful for the later CD releases (especially VM!) that have made new material available.
Yes CD's are much more convenient, and of course less susceptible to wear, but my earliest JR LP's are all in good order because I've taken a lot of care with them - using record cleaning liquid from time to time, careful storage, and a dust bug every time I play one.
There's no doubt of course that, with a large collection, CD's need much less care, and I will always buy them, but nothing beats an LP as a possession in itself of pure pleasure,
Dealing with old recordings that were made in the analog age is problematic, and in the digital age it sometimes can be difficult to "feel" the right sound and in those situations only a proper analog EQ that you can adjust with your hands and not a mouse is what's needed.
Digital restoration technology, as it has advanced over the years, has been a Godsend as it's been refined, and my engineers like David Lawrence and Richard Moore know what software works best for certain situations.
On a recent project we just wrapped up, (but is not released yet), we put the male vocals (not Jim Reeves) through a plugin which is a virtual vintage mixing console channel, complete with black chicken head knobs, not faders. It mimics an old tube style console of years past to warm up vocals or whatever you put through it. That fattened up the vocals a bit.
There had been strings on the original but I added new, higher strings. We panned these a bit to the opposite ear from the original to widen it and take the emphasis off the originals (which were just low strings that didn't sound all that great).
So now when you listen to the finished tracks the strings take up more space, widening the mix more and livening it up. It made everything brighter.
I also EQed the vocals and brought the singer more forward, which has become the signature style of my producing work. I believe in helping great singers be heard better than they have been before. Despite adding new instrumentation I always make sure the singer is the star.
A lot of what we do in producing new CD releases that are based on old analog recordings is to utilize digital techniques that mimic the old days. So it's really a synthesis of two eras.
There is so much more involved in making these projects sound as good as they do than what most people realize.
Anybody who still has not heard our restoration and overdubbing of Jim on "The Great Jim Reeves" 8 CD set doesn't know what they are missing. Click the link below to find out.
Posted by Lars-Erik Haegg on November 30, 2014, 1:09 am, in reply to "Vinyl Record Sales Up"
I live in Sweden and I have been listening to Jim since 1964. I still have my turntable connected and I play one of my favourite LPs now and then. I have most of the original albums except for the Abbott one. Yes it would be fun to have a "new" vinyl album by Jim. Lars-Erik
Re: Vinyl Record Sales Up
Posted by Gary Bryson on December 2, 2014, 7:53 am, in reply to "Vinyl Record Sales Up"
I learned to love Jim Reeves from his vinyl LPs. I have a fairly good collection of those LPs, but I have not played them in years because my record player needed and still needs a new needle, and I didn't want to risk damaging any of the LPs with a bad needle. Also, I have played them so much that several of the LPs show some wear, the way vinyl records do with use.
I thought that CDs would be a better answer to those problems. And I love my CDs of Jim. But I think there is something about vinyl that is different from CDs. And better. Though it seems subtil.
If I can arrange a means of playing vinyl again, then I would love to have something new by Jim on vinyl. And I would get those old LPs out and give them another listen.
on November 28, 2014, 9:15 am