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Vinyl records outsell CDs for the second year running (www.theverge.com)

submitted 8 months ago by dantheclamman to c/technology

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

Vinyl has a slow progression in quality degradation due to friction that creates a certain kind of sound warmth that is pleasing to our ears. This can also be relicated digitally, but the imperfections and feelings associated with the physical ritual actions of loading a record can't.

Vinyl just has more engagement going on despite the sound quality being lower. Kind of like how some people have fondness for fireplaces despite central heating being technically better at maintaining a warm temperature.

Some people confuse the extra engagement with sound quality because a lot of people just don't think things through.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Vinyl has a slow progression in quality degradation due to friction

With conventional record players with a mechanical head. I suppose that you could probably use an optical one -- I remember reading about that being used by archivists.

google

Yeah.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_turntable

The thing I think I remember reading about was apparently this related thing:

IRENE

The IRENE system uses a high-powered confocal microscope that follows the groove path as the disc or cylinder (i.e. phonograph cylinder) rotates underneath it, thereby obtaining detailed images of the audio information.[9] Depending on whether the groove is cut laterally, vertically, or in a V-shape, the system may make use of tracking lasers or different lighting strategies to make the groove visible to the camera. The resulting images are then processed with software that converts the movement of the groove into a digital audio file.[10]

An advantage of the system over traditional stylus playback is that it is contactless, and so avoids damaging the audio carrier or wearing out the groove during playback.[1] It also allows for the reconstruction of already broken or damaged media such as cracked cylinders or delaminating lacquer discs, which cannot be played with a stylus. Media played on machines which are no longer produced can also be recovered.[6] Many skips or damaged areas can be reconstituted by IRENE without the noises that would be created by stylus playback.[5] However, it can also result in the reproduction of more noise, as imperfections in the groove are also more finely captured than with a stylus.

considers

If you can get multiple physical copies of an analog recording, you could probably scan them and use statistical analysis to combine information from the physical copies, eliminate damage from any one copy.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

Yes, I was referring to the most common way of playing vinyl records with a physical needle.

Combining multiple records could give you an average, but it would both lose the things that make vinyl and experience like pops from dust specs and imperfections. Plus a cleaner copy could be had from the masters used to press the vinyl records. You know, the same master that is used to make exact duplicates for CDs.

Recreating an approximation of a lost master recording from multiple vinyl records with voice reduction on the imperfections would be an interesting idea, so my guess is someone has already done that 😉

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (2 children)

that engagement materially impacts sound quality because you're actively listening.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago

It impacts the perception of sound quality, not the actual sound quality.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

You could get engagement through digital audio files too, though.

But I'd argue that it doesn't affect the sound quality, but the enjoyment of the sound. The sound waves themselves don't actually change because we're actively engaging.