Why do you guys do so much vinyl ripping?

[Vox T]

Even the most obscure 45's I have turn up on modern cd compilations these days. Do you guys really have that obscure a collection?

[Vulcan Viewer]

Personally, I only rip my music so I can play it while on the move. I could take the CDs with me, in the car, but there's little point when a 320kbps mp3 sounds as good when there are so many other distractions. Plus, I can potentially carry over 40gigs worth with me on my Zen Touch (it can only take 20gigs at the moment, but I could upgrade the drive to 40gigs if I wanted).

I can set up a playlist to cover an entire journey however long it is scheduled to take, without repetition - or set it to simply play random tracks.

An mp3 player is extremely convenient. I have a 4 gig player too, and that is about a quarter of the size of a CD. The Touch is about 4 times thicker, but less than have the size of a CD otherwise.

So it's purely for convenience, certainly not quality.

I think most of us would agree we're first, and foremost, music lovers (and closet karaoke singers). Not techno junkies who require the best performance in every circumstance.

[Vox T]

I have a 160gb Ipod, this and my records are what get played most often. I am selling my cd collection one by one as I have no use for it. I am just curious why you fellas don't down load the digital version of your chosen song instead of ripping it yourself.

[Axon]

It's actually a very widespread myth that ripped vinyl must necessarily be of equal or lesser quality than a live playback.

Because ripping is done without speakers (if it's done well), and because much of the quality of a turntable is defined by its immunity to acoustic and mechanical noise, listening to a record via digital recording can be far higher in quality than listening to the same record live.

That doesn't explain why I record vinyl - my reasons are far more prosaic. I'm young enough that there never was a time when I wasn't listening to music on the computer. And I've been listening for close to 20 years.

[Vox T]

I was ripping vinyl 10 years ago with a mixer and a turntable into my soundcard and then into N-Track recording software. But now all those obscure records are available digitally. That's why I don't bother with it anymore.

[fenchurch]

I do it basically for the same reason as "FeiJi Fancier". I've always had an iPod since day one and have always had a mac by my side. I didn't however always have a super quality turntable or a gigantic record collection. I've always had some records around and prefer to listen to records for some time now but the iPod is always there where ever you go. I won't buy a CD if I can get the same thing on Vinyl, nor will I be seen carrying a stack of CDR's around when I can take an MP3 player around with 8000 songs on it. Vinyl can be dirty and dusty and you can give it a clean and it sounds great again, find it at a garage sale and pick out some cool finds and know you'll be able to listen to it when you get back home. A CD will scratch easily, sometimes not transfer nice into a computer, have digital flaws in it, etc. If I can't buy it or find it on vinyl than I buy my music off iTunes. That way I know it is of a high quality. The way I have it set up at home for recording is wonderful. I can listen to an album and record it directly to the computer at the same time. It's spinning on the turntable anyway, might as well pop it on the iPod after for the drive to/from work a day or two later. It sounds wonderful on my computer and I love it. CD's never appealed to me, just smaller cover art & flimsy disks. For me the iPod came first and it will be with me forever. That being said thou I do love my Technics TT's and every LP I own. Wouldn't trade that feeling of a record spinning and the wonderful sounds off it for anything.

[bigmm79]

Why spend money to buy a digital copy if you have the lp and appropriate computer facilities - just rip it. Especially if, like me, you sometimes spend way too much on a new reissue or an inviting ebay auction. Now if you already have a digital copy . . . I guess one rips for love of the game.

[hollywooddreams]

Because I prefer analog sound to digital, and because I prefer to listen on the go.

I am usually listening to music at work more than anywhere else, and I'll pick my analog rips over digital "cleaned up" versions of the same songs by the record companies any day.

Ever since I got back into analog, I've had an aversion to downloaded digital music.

[rich12]

I rip because almost all my rips sound better than CDs.

[doctorcilantro]

The lion's share of what has been pressed to vinyl has not, and will never be, comerxially available on CD. Is it all worth hearing?

No.

But I have many Jamaican Rock Steady 45s that are still not on CD comps.

[NeilP]

I have just started doing it.
Reasons:
1) Cost of buying 2000 plus vinyl albums again

2)'If' they are available on filesharing download...quality is usually crap...(except for certain FLAC only music sharing sites)

3) Space saving. I now live in small apartment, since leaving home, so no space for the vinyl....or the CD's for that matter.

[LeeBx]

i don't bother myself, but i have found a lot of stuff online, rare, OOP or otherwise, that is LP only. quite often it will lead to a purchase. so i'm glad someone is doing it...

[duficity]

I copy my vinyl to CD and then copy to my Itunes in Apple Lossless format because I find that my copied vinyl CDs sound better than store bought CDs and certainly better than any MP3 you can download. Plus I then have a CD to play in the car or give to someone else to show them some of the difference between analog and digital

[fscl]

Even the most obscure 45's I have turn up on modern cd compilations these days. Do you guys really have that obscure a collection?

VoxT,

Just recently re-discovered my Larry Coryell, Barefoot Boy and I've been quite obsessed with it.

From the Allmusic.com website on Larry:

Unfortunately, a lot of his most crucial electric work from the '60s and '70s is missing on CD, tied up by the erratic reissue schemes of Vanguard, RCA and other labels, and by jazz-rock's myopically low level of status in the CD era (although that mindset is slowly changing).

And so, the CD that was issued is WAY over my price range now.... $142 used, on that Brazilian River website....

So after I fix my SL-10 or most probably use another tt, will vinyl transfer this one next......

I've transferred other LPs that didn't seem to make it to CD at all.... , Gary Bartz, JuJu Man (said he didn't get paid for that one when I asked him to autograph my vinyl and really felt bad, but told him I loved the album) , John McLaughlin, My Goals Beyond, Jack DeJohnette, Untitled, etc....

Most of the time I find that I like the sound of my vinyl transfers over the CD version.

AND

Sometimes, the reissued / remastered CD version does not do the original vinyl mixing and mastering JUSTICE even changing the character of the BAND itself...

We've discussed this at the local record store frequented by industry insiders. Unless there are a guaranteed amount of sales of the reissue / CD the numbers don't work taking into account artists rights, licenses, re engineering / mixing and mfg costs.... etc....

Anyway, that's why I do it....

Fred and really don't like doubling up on my music and find that "Best Ofs" may cover 85% of what I like about the band but find that it's the 15% that's left off that I really love.......