Chapter 5. Ancient Analog Audio: LPs and Tapes
The Skim
Managing Expectations
Technique 1: Turn Your $2000 PC into a $50 Tape Recorder
Ah, the inherent superiority of vinyl! The added warmth ... the air around the notes ... the obvious parametric dimensionality at the top end of the spectrum!
What rubbish. What complete, cod-slapping rubbish. Good riddance to vinyl LPs. I suppose that if you have the sort of stereo system where each speaker costs roughly as much as a decent beach cottage and you're in a listening room built to the manufacturer's exact speci-fications, you can sense a superiority to analog recordings — if you're drunk enough. Only then could you fully appreciate the warmth, air, and dimensionality of every click and pop and skip of a 30-year-old LP.
LPs do have one advantage over CDs: The BBC has never issued an LP of Not the 9 O'Clock News on CD, nor has Amnesty International ever released The Secret Policeman's Ball ...
(searching ...)
Okay, it turns out that this album was released in 1992. But it's out of print and the cheapest copy I can find online is $99. I think you've caught up with me and my point anyway: There's a lot of material out there that never made it to CD, let alone the iTunes Store. If you ever want to enjoy one of these rare pressings again, you'll need ...
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