Comparing Vinyl Records with the Rest

Online, October 6, 2010 (Newswire.com) - 30 September 2010 - Doylestown, Pennsylvania - Record sales have been on the rise for the past few years as more and more people have discovered the distinct sound quality of vinyl records compared to other media. But, does vinyl really sound better as music enthusiasts and record purists hold? SoundStage Direct, LLC addresses this debatable assumption.

"There's really no straight 'yes' or 'no' answer to this question. Sound quality doesn't depend only on the medium whether vinyl record, CD, MP3, or cassette tape, but more importantly on how the music was originally recorded and mixed. Recording in analog such as a tape or vinyl record stores the sound waves with minimal loss of information so the listener gets to listen to sound that is close to the original. However, if the record gets scratched or dirty, it can distort and diminish the sound quality," says Seth Frank of SoundStage Direct.

"On the other hand, digital recording converts the sound waves into a sequence of numbers gathered on a CD that is read by a laser beam. The higher the bit rate, the closer it gets to represent the original sound. And compared to vinyl, sound quality of CDs should be consistent over time," added Frank.

Modern recordings have been recorded using compressors to reduce dynamic range and make the softest and loudest passages sound more alike. Without it, a recording will have a wider range in volume and thus more closely resemble the original sound. "Vinyl record is the only medium that best represents these dynamics," concluded Frank.

Every music medium has something to bring in to the table. Analog or digital recording, it all comes down to how the sound is recorded, mixed and mastered. If you prefer a more original, less artificial sound, then vinyl records is for you.