Itchin' to Scratch: Vinyl LPs Still Sell

by Jordan Yerman | August 24, 2008 at 11:22 am

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ten years after, rock n roll music to the world

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Mp3's, CD's, blah-blah-blah... vinyl lives on! Indeed, vinyl sales are increasing by more than a third.

However, such an optimistic number shows how small the market really is: just one LP leaves the record store for every 385 CDs. Still, some people love that dirty, dirty vinyl sound, and for every jet-setting DJ, there are countless would-bes practicing their scratches and fades.

Despite the minuscule retail figures, the format's popularity has never wavered over the decades among audiophiles, LP enthusiasts, and serious music collectors. Vinyl is often praised as the medium of warmth and richness, delivering playback that most closely represents a live musical experience. Purists sniff that digital routinely registers as cold and antiseptic. CDs can also suffer from a reduced spatial sense in a listener's soundstage. "Digital audio systems are mere easy-to-use devices for people who have yet to discover the joy of live music. It can be said that such systems are deflating music," according to the Web site of Samurai International, a Tokyo company that distributes high-end turntable tonearms and cartridges.

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World_Groove

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 08:07 on August 25th, 2008

I worked with an artist a few years ago who released the album in Vinyl, pressed in Jamaica.

lalo strikes again

at 15:01 on August 25th, 2008

i have nothing to say, just that i love vinyls!

lalo strikes again has contributed a photo to this story.

lomurella

at 15:16 on August 25th, 2008

i love lo-fi ,so diy and vinyl are a great combination!

action.nerd

at 19:45 on August 25th, 2008

Just one of my favorite albums spinning...

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widzhit

at 23:00 on August 25th, 2008

I just bought my very first turntable. It's an used Vega 110-EP Hi-Fi, good ol' soviet (Latvian) turntable, made in '84. The reason why I bought this turntable is because my collection of vinyls - new and used - has been growing lately.
Record on this picture is a Subtle Audio Vol I 2x12" release, that came out this spring.
Now I do like music in digital formats (FLAC, for example), but still - nothing tops the sound, the look and the feel of vinyl. Having racks of vinyls at home creates similar feelings as shelves full of books, where you can pull out some gem and read and read and read... So until there is possibility and excellent music put out vinyl, I shall be purchasing with no hesitation more and more records!

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fernando chamarelli (not verified)

at 03:24 on August 26th, 2008

Vinyl is also an excellent medium for art.
see other works of chamarelli here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lfchamarelli/
Sorry for my English ;)

MattBrownesq

at 03:30 on August 26th, 2008

Vinyl never died over here in the UK! Still going strong and the 7" market is booming. Its demise was predicted a few years back by 'industry insiders' (suits who are more adept at markets than music) but soon it'll be CD's that are consigned to the scrap heap of history!

As with film, anologue and digital can work together but the superior dynamic range of vinyl compared to the compressed ones and zeros of the digi format will always have a home in this world.

tanya_keigan

at 04:33 on August 26th, 2008

Photo of my record collection. This is the techno section.

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champion_chad_oner

at 21:39 on August 26th, 2008

Funeral Diner/Dead City
12 Inch Split On Black
Silk Screened Cover
of 1000 or something

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Sambalogic

at 10:50 on August 27th, 2008

Vinil é Arte!
*Photo by 440, from Brazil,

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gl0ri

at 03:29 on August 28th, 2008

That's a shot of a Bob Dylan record. I love music and it's nice to have the big LP covers. Someday there won't even be CDs anymore. That's sad! Keep REAL records alive (-;

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Tim Arnold (not verified)

at 08:40 on August 28th, 2008

We have over 70,000 used Lps listed at http://www.vintagemax.com which we opened just a few months ago. I am new at this and am still shocked at how interest there is in vinyl.