Vinyl Resurgence?

[Saket]

Hello FMs,

We have seen & many of us have acquired the newly released LPs by various companies recently. There have been first issues of albums like DDLJ, 1942 ALS, KKHH and some others, while there are even first issues of contemporary albums like 3 Idiots, TMK, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, etc. There are also numerous re-issues of yesteryear's music like Pakeezah, Silsila, Hum Kisise Kam Nahin etc.

My question to the members of the forum is what they personally feel about this recent 'resurgence' of Vinyls in India? Do they visualize a real resurgence of vinyl or it was just a market 'stir'?

I am asking this because I believe all LPs were pressed in a very limited quantity, and still they are on sale even after more than 1 year of their issue. Like for example, DDLJ was pressed in 2011, but its still on sale on various websites and some of these LPs are sold at discounted prices too. If there was a real resurgence, would we have got to see vinyls pressed in limited quantities still sold in market even now when its almost 2013 & that too offered @ discounted prices. Well, lets not go into pricing particularly as they were definitely over-priced IMO, but that's another discussion altogether. (I really hope over-pricing did not kill the resurgence).
Or the companies still made profits by issuing these LPs as now we see the few more first issues coming in market like Jab Tak hai jaan, finest moments by Rafi, & a few more?

So resurgence for real or just a stir? Interest check by companies??:lol:


PS.: Hope that for a peaceful domestic life, the least expensive diamond in your house is...on your stylus!

Regards,
Saket.

 

[ranjeetrain]

Asian mindset, "Old is gold".

Chinese can't get over tubes, Indians can't get over Vinyl

 

[prem]

Hi Saket

The market is not there for vinyls in India. But i guess you will have a couple of titles being released once in a while.

 

[arj]

Asian mindset, "Old is gold".

Chinese can't get over tubes, Indians can't get over Vinyl

actually the Chinese were always hot on Vinyl. Indians are mostly on MP3 !!

Most cities in germany , Spain and France i see so many Vinyls being sold and several sections in their Music stores for the same

Ditto for Singapore and HK

 

[ranjeetrain]

actually the Chinese were always hot on Vinyl. Indians are mostly on MP3 !!

Most cities in germany , Spain and France i see so many Vinyls being sold and several sections in their Music stores for the same

Ditto for Singapore and HK

Most of the music stores in China carry only CDs (and other disks not Vinyl). Stores dealing in Vinyl are very very few.

 

[prem]

Hi Saket

In fact the vinyls of the newer Hindi movies sound better than the cd counterparts. I was not expecting this and was pleasantly surprised. The cds were heard on a Esoteric transport + DAC and the vinyls on my EMT. The vinyls sound much closer to what i hear in a studio. It has the breath of life. Surprisingly digital master tape sounds very good in a studio. But the cds do not sound that good at home. Something i guess is going wrong in the transfer process.

 

[ranjeetrain]

I guess the mastering process is the culprit. Indian labels don't pay attention to quality at all.

I bought some CDs in China (Chinese music). Ripped them and encoded to 320 kbps MP3. No kidding, those 320 kbps MP3 sound more alive than most CDs I have of Bollywood music. Too bad Chinese labels don't have much international selection (at least the stores that I visited). But Chinese music, even on CDs, sounds so glorious, I don't know how to describe it. It just sounds more real.

JVC of Japan developed some mastering processes that are said to yield better results. And I concur with that. CDs mastered with processes like K2 sound much better.

 

[arj]

Most of the music stores in China carry only CDs (and other disks not Vinyl). Stores dealing in Vinyl are very very few.

could be..never been to China but in Singapore where I've lived a few years even way back in 2004 there was a hot demand of Vinyl especially of the chinese kind !
later when i moved to Europe i could see some there but when i travel there now I see most stores in those countries have large Vinyl sections.
in india at least in Bangalore even in places like Landmark, CD space is also reducing and Vinyl has again disappeared

 

[Saket]

Hi Saket

The vinyls sound much closer to what i hear in a studio.

That's interesting to know that you get to hear live sessions of a studio. Readers, incuding me, will be interested in knowing that if you are a pro involved in studio/Sound engg. Please elaborate a little.

What I feel about vinyls in India is that there was a market, though extremely niche, but over-pricing resulted in self-destruction of this market. I bought many vinyls like 1942 ALS, KKHH, KKKG, Sufiana, DTPH, DDLJ, KHNH etc. They all sound fabulous, there is no doubt about that. However, you really have to think twice or may be thrice (or may be multiple times in my case) before putting 900 bucks for a single LP where CDs are available for less than Rs. 50! I believe that a niche always existed here & even presently, but companies in order to exploit this segment have priced them way over logical senses. So IMO, the spark of resurgence may be put-off by this factor.
Agree, that from now, vinyl will never be a mass market/ main stream format because of the various inconveniences that come with this format in this age like portability being one, but reasonably priced LPs will definitely keep the format alive, else we will again see a death of this wonderful format.


Regards,
Saket.

 

[prem]

No Saket i am not a pro or anything. We do a lot of advertising/media work for Bollywood films. In that context i do visit studios every once in a while.

 

[reubensm]

I think a lot to do with vinyl doing limited rounds in India is the cost factor. The moment re-sellers got the sniff of things, they've boosted prices and what could have been picked up for Rs.30 or Rs.50 in the pre-used market, now sells for Rs.200 to Rs.400. New vinyl is priced above Rs.600 in most cases. I have a moderate collection, mostly western music and have been struggling to add to this by buying in India. While on trips to the United States, it is easy to pick up a bunch of vinyl (about 40-50 LPs) for around $30-$50 which is much more cost effective. Also, from my experience, American pressings are far superior to Indian pressings. The challenge I face is my trips to the United States are not regular.

 

[Saket]

The challenge I face is my trips to the United States are not regular.

Apart from that, not to mention how heavy even a small lot of vinyls can be! Last time, I was in kolkata, I bought some 30 used LPs but carrying them to my hotel & then while travelling was quite a task.

 

[reubensm]

Apart from that, not to mention how heavy even a small lot of vinyls can be! Last time, I was in kolkata, I bought some 30 used LPs but carrying them to my hotel & then while travelling was quite a task.

Very true but I have carried upto 50 LPs by hand from the United States, it was hard but did it for the love of vinyl. Have hand-carried all my vinyl from abroad.

 

[visvan1970]

actually the Chinese were always hot on Vinyl. Indians are mostly on MP3 !!

Most cities in germany , Spain and France i see so many Vinyls being sold and several sections in their Music stores for the same

Ditto for Singapore and HK

Was on a visit to interior Tamil nadu a few weeks back.their format is track cd as they say for audio cds or vinyls. They dont prefer mp3 s. its the citi bred who r into mp 3s!!

 

[iaudio]

I really don't think the resurgence of vinyl will extend to the mass market.
But yes, vinyl is gaining popularity among audiophiles. Then there are also people who buy it for the sake of having an antique/vintage item at home.
As far as media goes, our populace is hesitant to even spend Rs.100 on original cd's. I really do not expect them to shell out 500 to 5000Rs on new vinyl.

 

[wlg]

I think a lot to do with vinyl doing limited rounds in India is the cost factor. The moment re-sellers got the sniff of things, they've boosted prices and what could have been picked up for Rs.30 or Rs.50 in the pre-used market, now sells for Rs.200 to Rs.400. New vinyl is priced above Rs.600 in most cases. I have a moderate collection, mostly western music and have been struggling to add to this by buying in India. While on trips to the United States, it is easy to pick up a bunch of vinyl (about 40-50 LPs) for around $30-$50 which is much more cost effective. Also, from my experience, American pressings are far superior to Indian pressings. The challenge I face is my trips to the United States are not regular.

I have recently returned form the US at a sale, LP's went for 1$ and a set (4) for 2$, most were in good condition, around 5 yrs ago used LP's went for Rs.5/- now they are not to be seen.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Well, I think this is an old subject (bit of a "stuck groove" as I joked on another thread). No resurgence, because it will never be a mass-market medium ever again --- and nor will CDs, it seems, as soon as the record companies can manage it.

but I was listening to part of an interview with Paul Simon, from way back in 1988, when they were thinking LP, CD and cassette as the three standard music formats.

Even at that time, he was saying that the LPs being produced, post CD-era, were being pressed for the audiophile market, and the quality was very good. Made me wonder if the age of vinyl as an "audiophile" source might not have begun, after CDs, as a result of that.

I was really shocked, in a recent conversation with another member, to hear how much LPs cost now.

.

 

[wlg]

Beatles LP set of 16 for 31.5K available at Rythm House, Mumbai
(check site)

 

[reubensm]

this is the kind of stuff I was talking about, here's an example:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LOT-39-LP-R...c_on_Vinyl&hash=item3a7cd8d0f3#ht_1075wt_1399

 

[jls001]

Even at that time, he was saying that the LPs being produced, post CD-era, were being pressed for the audiophile market, and the quality was very good. Made me wonder if the age of vinyl as an "audiophile" source might not have begun, after CDs, as a result of that.

And the advent of mp3 has rendered CD an audiophile source

I just hope and pray this downward spiral doesn't spiral downward further.