I have to admit; I have never owned a turntable, an 8-track tape player, a phonograph…or a horse and buggy.
I'm a part of the digital generation. Although I can appreciate classic methods of playing music, they are artifacts of the past – objects to place on the shelf of nostalgia next to chia pets and furbies.
But I'm not saying this from a blank and inexperienced slate.
I've listened to a handful of these musical machines and can attest that digital trumps any sounds croaking from a turntable. Here are some reasons pro-vinylists should consider before spitting on the digital age and propping themselves up on a turntable pedestal.
1.) Americans are lazy and digital makes it easier. No one wants to get up, walk across the room, and flip the record over once the side is finished. I have over 20 days worth of music on my iTunes. Twenty glorious days I can spend dedicated to music without once getting up to change the song. Sounds pretty gross. But spectacular.
2.) Vinyls get scratched easily. What happens when your vinyl gets unwillingly scraped up from top to bottom? You have to spend more money to buy a new one. The beauty of digital is if you have a bad copy of the song, you can easily find a new version online. With one click of a finger, you have good quality files back in your lap.
3.) Digital is (kinda) free. Although downloading music is technically illegal, people easily find ways to beat around the music industry's bush. You can't find vinyl for free in the comforts of your own home. People are able to download albums in seconds and enjoy them instantly.
4.) ‘But vinyl has a unique sound, blah, blah, blah.' And digital can't produce the same effect? The full, fuzzy, brassy sound that vinyl bellows can easily be added to a digital track. With the plethora of effects people invent every day, new songs can sound authentically old with added ‘authentic' noises.
5.) Digital is portable. People can't lug around turntables in their backpacks or drag it with them on their jog around the block. iPod Shuffles are as big as a half dollar and can conveniently clip onto your pocket.
Hearing kids my age talk about vinyl these days is annoying, unless they really know what they're talking about. Most of them act as if they invented the turntable saying things like, "there's nothing like vinyl, and it's the only way to truly appreciate music."
These are the same people with their "vintage" designer glasses, fancy 4G smart phones, and iPod touches with apps that take authentic Polaroid-looking pictures.
If your iPod can take pictures that look like they're from the 1960s, chances are your digital music files, paired with a good speaker system, can do the same.
Email: akari.iburi@ubspectrum.com
