“But there are indicators that the majors are actively trying to secure substantial vinyl production capacity at the remaining pressing plants. How? By paying in advance. There might even be presses completely reserved for certain companies.”
"“There are only two companies worldwide that produce lacquers. One of these companies is a one-man operation in Japan run by an old man who produces the lacquers in his garage."
Pressed To The Edge (http://www.factmag.com/2015/05/07/pressed-to-the-edge-vinyl/) ~ Fact Magazine
Vinyl production worldwide is currently operating way above its capacity, and expensive materials, expert knowledge and antiquated techniques have led to to supply shortages and quality problems.
Expert knowledge has led to supply shortages and quality problems? Who knew?
wouldn't be surprised if this could kill off vinyl completely.
Let me translate that from the original German article:
Vinyl production worldwide is currently operating way above its actual capacity. Especially the expensive production, the loss of expert knowledge and the antiquated technology cause frequent shortages and quality problems.
Unfortunately, some of my favourite labels, i.e Fat Wreck Chords and Epitaph have a lot of vinyl releases, at least up until ~2003, that sound not as good as I hope. Especially some of the 7" from NOFX (Pods And Gods is one) that sound so bad that I wonder why they released it. Then, I have an LP from the band Shelter released on Roadrunner (?) that sound sooo good. Less pops, crackles etc.
I do wish that the low quality vinyl releases would stop being made. I know it is a bout the music but the sound is the first thing that tells me if I will be able to stand listening to it.
I'm proud (I'm from the Netherlands..) that the biggest vinyl press in the world, Record Industry in Haarlem the Netherlands is still able to produce 30.000 records every day. A very nice recent visit from EMP's Rock Invasion can be seen here: https://youtu.be/Ilofn_z-ric (https://youtu.be/Ilofn_z-ric)
Indeed, on Dutch television they told a couple of weeks ago that there were a lot of reservations..
A couple of years ago they were only producing less than 100.000 records a year!
I'm proud (I'm from the Netherlands..) that the biggest vinyl press in the world, Record Industry in Haarlem the Netherlands is still able to produce 30.000 records every day.
To me that like being proud of having the largest cigarette factory in the world across the street.
Well, it's not like vinyl records are actively detrimental to your health.
At least not your physical health ;-)
OK, how about something more appropriate, like the world's largest manufacturer of disco balls?
Well, it's not like vinyl records are actively detrimental to your health.
At least not your physical health ;-)
Well, it is plastic right? But seems like a healthy plastic:
Vinyl is a very environment friendly material, not only because it can be recycled, but also for many other reasons. Vinyl helps in the preservation of environmental resources as 57% of vinyl is made from common salt, which is a renewable natural substance. Non-replenish able resources such as crude oil only account for 43% of vinyl resin, thus making it nature friendly. from http://www.whatisvinyl.com/ (http://www.whatisvinyl.com/)
.... ... ... Non-replenish able resources such as crude oil only account for 43% of vinyl resin, thus making it nature friendly.
Sounds a bit like "Low-Fat" foods:
only 43%!
At least the best turntable ever made is coming back: http://www.engadget.com/2015/09/02/panason...ics-turntables/ (http://www.engadget.com/2015/09/02/panasonic-reviving-technics-turntables/)
Well, it's not like vinyl records are actively detrimental to your health.
At least not your physical health ;-)
Right - we have this widespread mental health problem of the many fallacies about digital which were stimulated by people who wanted to keep on selling "sonically superior" analog gear and recordings.
At least the best turntable ever made is coming back: http://www.engadget.com/2015/09/02/panason...ics-turntables/ (http://www.engadget.com/2015/09/02/panasonic-reviving-technics-turntables/)
It is not clear to me that it is the best turntable ever made - but it is clear to me that it is not nearly as bad as the golden ears made it out to be.
It is not clear to me that it is the best turntable ever made - but it is clear to me that it is not nearly as bad as the golden ears made it out to be.
Certainly the best price:performance ratio and extremely high build quality, then.
No belt-drive turntable can touch the noise level or speed stability, you have to go way up there in direct drive models to find something with significantly better specs.
The only real minus for most people is that it's not auto/semi-auto.
At least the best turntable ever made is coming back: www.engadget.com/2015/09/02/panasonic-reviving-technics-turntables/
Panasonic has not said they are bringing back the SL-1200 line. They're bringing back the Technics brand on several devices, including a new direct-drive turntable with an improved motor:
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-0...ntable-technics (http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-09/02/panasonic-turntable-technics)
http://news.panasonic.com/press/news/data/...en150903-3.html (http://news.panasonic.com/press/news/data/2015/09/en150903-3/en150903-3.html)
(http://cdni.wired.co.uk/620x413/k_n/new_technics_turntable.jpg)
Presumably it has digital controls and outputs, but it's not even clear whether it will be DJ-oriented or what. Where's the pitch control? Or tonearm, for that matter?
At least the best turntable ever made is coming back: http://www.engadget.com/2015/09/02/panason...ics-turntables/ (http://www.engadget.com/2015/09/02/panasonic-reviving-technics-turntables/)
It is not clear to me that it is the best turntable ever made - but it is clear to me that it is not nearly as bad as the golden ears made it out to be.
The 'golden ears' are (in recent years) coming round to the Technics' good points. The old-school flat-earthers who lived by the "Linn/Naim or nothing" belief would be horrified by the thought of a DD 'table being given fair and honest consideration, but old attitudes die hard, I suppose.
There is now a subculture of people modifying the SL1200 with Rega/SME tonearms and replacing the DJ cartridge with something a little less heavy-duty.
There is now a subculture of people modifying the SL1200 with Rega/SME tonearms and replacing the DJ cartridge with something a little less heavy-duty.
If the flat-earthers etc. have only ever heard SL1200s equipped with stout DJ cartridges and spherical styluses, it's no wonder they don't regard it very highly. Does anyone actually use spherical styluses to play 33/45 RPM records outside of DJing?
There is now a subculture of people modifying the SL1200 with Rega/SME tonearms and replacing the DJ cartridge with something a little less heavy-duty.
If the flat-earthers etc. have only ever heard SL1200s equipped with stout DJ cartridges and spherical styluses, it's no wonder they don't regard it very highly. Does anyone actually use spherical styluses to play 33/45 RPM records outside of DJing?
To the apostles of Christ Frankland, it committed the three deadly sins of being 1.direct-drive, 2.foreign and 3.not made by Linn.
The other great thing about the Technics is that there were so many made that good 2nd-hand examples are not very hard to find.
There were so many made that there are still a bunch of new-in-box ones available, 5 years after production ended. Thomann.de are still selling new ones, albeit at a hefty markup.
The motor technology looks interesting, the unit won't be pitched at the lower end of the market I bet.
Well, the currently available Technics products are certainly anything but budget-friendly, so you're probably right.
Maybe they'll spin it as a "reference-class direct drive unit" or something equally expensive.
*Disclosure: I am currently on my 3rd 1210 M3D
The first 2 Mk2s were bought and sold separately decades ago to do things like 1)buy food, 2)help pay legal fees.
I intend to hang on to my current one.
I'm on my first SL-1210 MK2, after a Thorens TD-105 and an SL-1500. I'm going to keep mine going for as long as possible. There will always be neat thrift store and second/third/etc.-hand bargains to be found, and I'll need something to play them on.
(http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/technics_new2.jpg)
It looks very pretty, with that Jeff Rowland-esque machined top plate. Unfortunately, that means that it also looks expensive.
Meh, it's just in keeping with what society(/marketers) have deemed today as being stylish.
Who the fuck is Jeff Rowland anyway, and why is his name attached to the 2D look of corrugated metal? Puh-leeze!
Even more reason why I have to laugh at those who can't look outside their petri dish and point back to the original post.
At least the best turntable ever made is coming back: http://www.engadget.com/2015/09/02/panason...ics-turntables/ (http://www.engadget.com/2015/09/02/panasonic-reviving-technics-turntables/)
It is not clear to me that it is the best turntable ever made - but it is clear to me that it is not nearly as bad as the golden ears made it out to be.
I've searched in vain for third party measurements on its wow, flutter, and rumble, ideally weighted and unweighted, for many years. Might you happen to know of any?
---
Link for greynol's query: http://jeffrowlandgroup.com/ (http://jeffrowlandgroup.com/)
I've searched in vain for third party measurements on its wow, flutter, and rumble, ideally weighted and unweighted, for many years. Might you happen to know of any?
Archimago did some tests of wow and flutter a little while back: http://archimago.blogspot.dk/2014/08/measu...00-m3d-wow.html (http://archimago.blogspot.dk/2014/08/measurements-technics-sl-1200-m3d-wow.html)
As for the original topic, I don't think the increased demand from mainstream companies is destroying the LP format as such, but it is likely that they can hog all of the pressing plants' production capacity, by virtue of their deeper pockets and larger production runs that are easier for the plants to handle, since they don't have to reconfigure as often. Of course, this is not good for the smaller players, the ones the kept the format alive for DJs etc., and they risk being financially outmaneuvered.
On the other hand, specialty small-production LP production is a fading market, as basically all DJs play digital files and use DJ controllers. I'd bet most of them have never touched and turntable, and probably have no desire to do so. And those that have use timecode records instead of playing 'live' records.
So whether or not all of the small players are forced out of the market depends on how long the current upswing in LP sales and interest lasts, or if it's here to stay around current levels. If it keeps going, the mainstream manufacturers are gonna keep the pressing plants even busier, and maybe even be forced to train new people how to do the master cuts and electroplating.
As a sidenote, I recently sold my old SL-1500 to a guy who wanted it for the direct drive motor, to use in record production. They've been running a specialty small-run pressing plant right here in Copenhagen for a couple of years now. I wonder how long they can keep it going.
A related article with photos ~ http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/07/world/vinyl-...ture-lifestyle/ (http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/07/world/vinyl-records-future-lifestyle/)
Link for greynol's query: http://jeffrowlandgroup.com/ (http://jeffrowlandgroup.com/)
I remain steadfastly unimpressed.
Meh, it's just in keeping with what society(/marketers) have deemed today as being stylish.
Who the fuck is Jeff Rowland anyway, and why is is name attached to the 2D look of corrugated metal? Puh-leeze!
Even more reason why I have to laugh at those who can't look outside their petri dish and point back to the original post.
Blimey, did you get out of bed the wrong side today?
I quite like the look of it, although I probably wouldn't buy one.
Nah, but I can see why you'd say that.
It's hard for me to accept the premise that increased demand is bad for the business/industry. And if there is demand for quality pressings, quality pressings be made. I wonder how many of these records are "collected" and never played?
If the manufactures were projecting lasting increased demand, they'd be investing in plant & equipment. Apparently there is not enough demand to justify new machines.
I've searched in vain for third party measurements on its wow, flutter, and rumble, ideally weighted and unweighted, for many years.
I've NEVER heard any wow or flutter from ANY non-defective turntable. I don't remember if I've ever heard rumble... maybe, but it was never a concern to me. The surface noise on the record and preamp hum & hiss were all bigger concerns. ...And, frequency response issues and occasional distortion issues.
Of course nowadays I don't worry about any of this. I only use a turntable once in awhile to digitize an LP (when it's not available digitally) and I'm no longer looking for "the best analog sound". (I have a less-expensive, less-'torquey' Technics direct-drive turntable and a Shure cartridge... Good enough for digitizing 30 or 40 year old records.)
It's hard for me to accept the premise that increased demand is bad for the business/industry. And if there is demand for quality pressings, quality pressings be made. I wonder how many of these records are "collected" and never played?
If the manufactures were projecting lasting increased demand, they'd be investing in plant & equipment. Apparently there is not enough demand to justify new machines.
I believe the core issue is that the mainstream labels are sweeping in and locking up all the production capacity. The small labels that kept releasing LPs for the period where no one else bothered do not like this situation, since now there are waiting periods of several months to get their records produced.
In addition to this they see the current LP revival as a fad, so when it dies out again, the mainstream labels will go back to digital media again. They will leave behind even further worn-down LP production equipment, with no money or effort spent to improve the production situation to keep up with the demand. The niche labels simply do not have this kind of money, they have been producing on the remains of mainstream LP production, which had been abandoned by the big labels.
It would behoove the mainstream labels to actually spend some money on improving LP production, if they want to continue releasing on vinyl. Unfortunately they obviously don't want to spend any money if they can just ride out this LP revival on current production capacity, and leave behind a burning wreck, as well as running a lot of niche labels out of business.
"There are only two companies worldwide that produce lacquers. One of these companies is a one-man operation in Japan run by an old man who produces the lacquers in his garage."
Pressed To The Edge (http://www.factmag.com/2015/05/07/pressed-to-the-edge-vinyl/) ~ Fact Magazine
I thought that had to be a mistake, because many services offer lacquer cutting, and their websites say they do it themselves. They describe their lathes and everything. But I see now...the cutters all get their blank discs from the same two sources. You'd think this wouldn't be an insurmountable problem. If there's a market, people will figure out how to make them again.