End Of Vinyl?

[transeurope 0]

OK, I appreciate this will not worry a lot of people but I notice Gary mentioned that vinyl may not be manufactured due to environmental reasons.

 

I would appreciate more info on this, I did not want to clutter up the original topic he mentioned this as an aside in, so I posted a new topic.

 

Also by posting it as a new topic, those with an interest can see the info more clearly.

 

Can you tell us more about this Gary please?

[Gary 0]

Basically 2009 or 2010 are the two dates that I've heard from various sources, when its been said that NEW vinyl records will not be made.

 

One date was alledgedly due to environmental/green reasons, something to do with the raw materials and stablisers used in the production of vinyl. The other "dead"line was due to supply & (falling) demand. I suspect the 2nd reason to be the more active catalyst in vinyls depature.

 

Personally, with vinyl disappearing from high streets more and more towns and cities, and more of the specialist one-man-band type record outlets turning into temporary "Christmas shops", I'm not entirely sure that there'll be enough demand for vinyl to stay in production for the next 5 or 6 years.

 

By the turn of the decade, there will still be old vinyl to rumage through and find old "I've not 'eard this for years" classics, but if either of the two dates are correct, there wont be any new vinyl to double-click on and "add to basket"

 

Perhaps not entirely un-related, Panasonic Technics have just pulled the plug on the Technics SL12x0 MkIV & V vinyl turntables. Leaving only the original MKII in production. However, turntable sales overall have fallen way behind CD-deck sales for a number of years now, so Panasonic/Technics are obviously wondering http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/533.gif "Why bother?" as far as any new designs are concerned.

Edited October 25, 2004 by Gary

[DJ Marky Marc 0]

If this is the case why has my local HMV just added 4 decks and about 10m of rack space just for vinyl ?

 

for somthing thats not in demand it seems a lot of money and space that could be used to sell more CD's dvd's and such like...

[kazzachi 0]

dont know whats going to happen in 6 years time, but my hmv has also just reintroduced 7" singles on vinyl

[otronics 0]

No real superstores for tunes down in this small town! The only store we have is Woolworths and of course, they don't sell vinyl.

 

There is a store in the "next" town which sells vinyl. Whether or not it is new is another thing.

 

A know that at specalist shows you can get new albums on vinyl - the only place I've ever seen them, but is it only Scratch DJ's that really use the new ones now?

 

It will definately be gone soon and its a shame.

 

Just hang on to your vinyl and remember the sound, scent and static for years to come! (while everyone else uses their mp3 ear rings) http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/042.gif

[High Fidelity 0]

QUOTE

Just hang on to your vinyl and remember the sound, scent and static for years to come!

 

And my 78's as well http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[mikeee 0]

Whats Vinal, vynal, vinyl, vanyl, blah blah

 

is this a U turn by Polygram and EMI (lol)

 

Next the reintroduction of Bakerlite......

Edited October 26, 2004 by mikeee

[brianmole 0]

QUOTE

If this is the case why has my local HMV just added 4 decks and about 10m of rack space just for vinyl ?

 

Marc, that's because they have a good business case as YOU live there http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/laugh.gif

 

Personally, I find the quality of vinyl pressings I get is getting poorer and poorer with dropouts a common occurence. I was also under the impression that the manufacturers of vinyl cutting equipment had stopped making the equipment a good few years ago, and they stopped making spares about 3 years ago, so not only are the machines end-of-life, but also end-of-service-life. So vinyls demise is inevitable.

 

Vestax had a go at making a vynil cutter a few years ago, but it never really worked, and they never sold a single unit.

 

Let's move on...

[DJ Marky Marc 0]

QUOTE

Marc, that's because they have a good business case as YOU live there

 

I may be good but 4 deck mixing in my local HMV is not that easy with all the kids to trip over. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/tongue.gif

[brianmole 0]

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/071.gif

[Gary 0]

Branches of chain stores often operate on the principle of major stock lines being available in all stores, eg: The top 100 CD albums will be in every store, 2000+ artists with their named areas in the CD racks etc, top 50 DVD’s etc,etc.

 

Regional variations, by store, is good marketing policy eg: If a store in a particular town is selling more vinyl than the stores around it, then its no surprise that the stores that have few vinyl customers will relinquish/swap their stock with stores that still have a strong market. The decks probably came with it, together with the 3rd party Stanton look-a-like styli, and £6 Technics keyrings. I suspect that there are two factors which have kept vinyl in your (and mine) local chain store branch was the closure of the independent vinyl stockist at the top of town (now a ink cartridge refill shop), and the opening of the new(ish) nightclub – which has probably infected a few wannabes with “Iwannagetinthere” disease.

 

Also in keeping with “supply and demand” ethics, the price of vinyl has remained high despite poorer pressings, as it becomes more difficult to shop for. Almost anything with a good profit margin is worth stocking.

 

Theres something nice about vinyl, maybe it’s the bigger pictures on the sleeves, and whilst it certainly isn’t dead yet, its definitely coughing badly and slowing down. Better manipulation of other media eg: New CD-decks, together with the legal downloading of virtual tunes, rather than mail-ordering a package that wont fit through the letterbox (isnt it fun, swapping your "we called today but..." card, for a soggy single) are certainly two reasons why I swapped to CD. I still use vinyl, but I think I'm on my last pair of styli ever.

 

Take its usage by members of this forum as a guide... http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/whistling.gif can anyone hear a descending whistling noise.

 

[YourBigEvent 0]

But if vinyl was re-introduced, they would HAVE to keep making the 2p piece as well as a weight for the needle (sorry styli http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/tongue.gif ) for the times you played 'Come On Eileen' so the whole record would last more than 35 seconds.

 

But at least everyone would be able to mix 'Respectable' by Mel and Kim into ANYTHING ELSE again.

[Gary 0]

Well, theres nothing like a fast reply on a topic....

 

....and this is nothing like a fast.....

 

I found this while following other links on Google earlier this Afternoon - It goes into more detail than the original article which I read back when this topic was started.

 

 

QUOTE

"Say BYE BYE to VINYL!  Vinyl Farewell  It looks as though audiophiles may have to resign themselves to the fact that in a few years time there will be only the chance to fondly re-live the good old days of nostalgia, rather than experience the new. Vinyl, the medium that took over from Shellac, Bakelite and even earlier the wax pressing, has had its final play – well, almost. The year 2009, looks set to be the final turn in the long standing vinyl revolution.  A June 2003 press release from The Institute of Chemical Engineering, advised that key by- products of the current petroleum refining process would no longer be generated by 2009, due to deadlines agreed, in principle, with the chemical industry back in 1992. These deadlines were however, only finalised in 1999, in the face of increasing environmental concerns and lobbying.  The IoCE went on to advise that a voluntary co-funded research and development program to seek a green alternative, possibly a polycarbonate based compound had been proposed in the 1999 summary. However no members of the industry wide syndicate had been able to substantiate a sufficiently high market demand for a replacement for the petroleum by-product, which is the primary base for vinyl record albums.  Whilst concluding that the news marked “The end of an era for vinyl”, a spokesperson of music retailing giants Tower Records advised that with sales of collective vinyl products accounted for less than a third of a percent (0.28%) of their total music sales World-wide in the last accounting period. “Hardest hit will be the few remaining traditionalist vinyl Disc Jockeys” Tower Records confirmed.  Tower replied positively when asked if this early warning would mean a silence in the thousands of DJ booths and radio stations around the world. “For some, existing skills will need to be adapted for use with the rapidly advancing Compact Disc DJ equipment” continued Towers spokesperson., “it promises to be a very exciting transition as older techniques are retained and used alongside the plethora of new features that CD technology already offers todays forward thinking DJ’s and turntablists”. Towers spokesperson added “It is unlikely that we will continue to carry vinyl into 2009. We believe the needs of the DJ will be totally digital, in one medium or another, prior to the cessation date.”“  Radio stations and other areas of the broadcasting community are unlikely to be affected by this early warning of environmental issues validating the need for minor lifestyle changes either,. since almost a of the music played in a modern broadcast scenario is primarily CD, or from Digital archives owned under licence by the larger radio stations.

"

[Steve_Mitchell 0]

Arrrrrrrr thats how you spell vinyl...

 

I wasn`t quite sure... I think ebay should have a spell checker.

 

slipmats