A simple review on the return of vinyl

As an electronica artist, James Haidak’s music relies heavily on vinyl. Aside from turntables, vinyl is a major component to his gear - be it onstage or in the studio. But, for regular audiophiles, vinyl is making a comeback beyond the club circuit that James is most familiar with. And sales have steadily picked up. In this article, James Haidak shares some insight on why there’s a renewed interest in this analog champion.

The superior vinyl sound

The reverberating sound of analog appeals to audiophiles because of the superior sound quality. The operative word here is “feel.” Because in vinyl, the music is literally “in-your-face,” you can almost feel the blistering guitar solos and the drums kickin’. The reason for this is that analogue recording involves variations in air pressure being converted into an electrical signal, whereas in digital recording the original sound is converted into a sequence of numbers, resulting in a reduction of the overall sound quality as compared to what is experienced in analog.

Tangible music

Long before the first music sample has been made, and long before zeros and ones defined digital recording, vinyl was the physical manifestation of owning a record. Nothing beats the experience of touching the cover of an LP, especially when it’s gatefold - music across your fingertips, as they say.

Record store restoration

Moreover, the so-called element of surprise inside a record store is once again felt by audiophiles. Nothing beats the thrill of guessing what is there to find tucked beneath the record shelves. Even bargain bins are not without surprises. What’s also important in this revival of vinyl is the renewed interaction among audiophiles, creating a thriving community and a sub-culture of music aficionados.

James Haidak is a DJ born in Washington DC and currently divides his home base between Koh Phangan and Amsterdam. He loves to share his insights on the music industry and music trends. For more about James, you may visit this website.