Vinyl 'Ripping'? Wrong term?

[thespirit3]

As I've just replied on another thread elsewhere ... do we really 'rip' vinyl?

Rip implies taking an exact digital copy of a digital medium. We rip CDs and DVDs.

When talking in analogue we simply 'record' things. We record from vinyl to cassette. We record from vinyl or cassette to PC. There's no digital information to 'rip'.

Am I just old or is this a US vs UK thing? I know words change use with generations but the use of the word 'rip' simply makes no sense here.

Interested in your thoughts - I'm not having a go at anyone (this forum is titled 'Vinyl Ripping' after all). I do however reserve the right to randomly yell 'get off my lawn' and 'the whole world is going mad'

[JaS]

I know words change use with generations but the use of the word 'rip' simply makes no sense here.

Language is always evolving, but actually the term 'rip' makes more sense when applied to converting analogue sources to the digital domain

Rip something up
Tear something into small pieces

Isn't this pretty much what we are doing when we convert to digital?

You also need to consider why the term 'rip' is used for the copying of CDs/DVDs/Games etc? Historically it had nothing to do with making 'perfect copies' and everything to do with piracy. The term 'ripping' was originally used to describe illegal copying, usually to a compressed format (MP3, divX etc) for distribution on the web back in the dial up modem days. Considering that it's still illegal in the UK to make copies of music/video, even for personal use, it's use is equally valid for copying records/tapes...

Rip something off
Steal or plagiarize something

Regards,
JaS

[Alec124c41]

And yes, the whole world is going mad.

Cheers,
Alec

[ripblade]

I learned to use the term 'needle drop'. It's sounds cool, until you mention that you spent the night dropping records....

[Trackside]

'needle drop' is one of the daftest terms / expressions I've heard in connection with hi-fi and that's saying something. Maybe we need a better term - how about vinyl to digital transcription or just vinyl transcription?

[Steerpike_jhb]

"Digitising" is a bit of a yukky buzzword, but it's quite applicable.

[Blue Angel]

I don't like the term "rip" as applied to copying vinyl to CD-R. The term "needledrop" is even more distasteful IMO. Steerpike's "digitizing"...well, maybe.

How about "I'm preserving my vinyl to CD-R?" Respectful towards our beloved black discs as well as to those infernal silver imposters.

ba

[KentT]

Ripping is high speed transfers of already digitized material. Needledrops or transfers is more appropriate terminology.

[ripblade]

I agree. Along with the definitions JaS posted above, ripping suggests an action done quickly and carelessly, the very antithesis of a good vinyl transfer.

[JaS]

OK, well I get 3,780 results for digitising vinyl, 68,600 for digitizing vinyl, a very respectable 53,900 results for the previously unheard of (?) vinyl ripping, and a massive 482,000 for needle drop!

While it looks like a clear winner, I'm guessing that 95% of needle drop results relate to Christmas Trees, so to avoid an influx of visitors looking for help with their wilting conifers I think we should avoid using that term?

Similarly, choosing one of the terms digitise/digitize/digitalise/digitalize would result in endless arguments about the correct spelling (it's digitise ), Anglo/American relations, the price of tea etc. Rather than turning the section into ped'ants corner (sic) I'll probably just ignore this suggestion?

To be honest I don't have any real issues with the term 'vinyl ripping' as it's been in use for at least a decade, and the alternative 'copying records to the digital domain' seems a little dry

Regards,
JaS

[ripblade]

JaS,

'Vinyl transfer' is a fair term, if somewhat formal. It avoids the issue surrounding the correct spelling of 'digit-eyes' and leaves it open to the medium to which the transfer takes place.

Since needle drop is by far the clear winner (surprising even to me!) I see no reason to avoid using it.

People don't come to the Vinyl Engine for help with their wilting conifers

[Steerpike_jhb]

I like "digital transcription" the best. The phrase 'needledrop' to my ears immediately puts the user in the ipod-and-nike-nike-fashion-victim-who-hasn't-finished-highschool-yet category. Not a respectable place to be!

[zambembe]

English is not my native language, and therefore I'm walking in quicksand. But I feel (and always felt) the term "rip" as related with digital copies, and particularly with lossless, state-of-the-art bit-by-bit digital copies.

A truly kind of "Rest In Peace": "you're done, you're finished, you have passed away, you don't possess yourself anymore; now you belong to all us" - just like all the deads.

Of course, you can't say the same about any analogic-digital conversion. Even a state-of-the-art blatantly good conversion cannot be considered "definitive". There's no "last word" (and the industry seems to be ready to explore this fact until our last cent or penny). In the analog world, we have "copies" and nothing else; and BTW that's the term I use: digital copy. "Digitizing vinyl" is very straightforward.

Rip something up
Tear something into small pieces

On the other hand, and for the sake of simplicity, I think it's possible to adopt the term "rip" for digital copies of analog material in the meaning above. Why not?

[rkay5]

This is why like using Vinyl Recording to Hi-Res format