by Justin Mccauley

Created on: November 18, 2008   Last Updated: December 09, 2008

This is a subject that has divided a broad spectrum of music fanatics over the past 25 years. Being a DJ of some note for the past two decades and having used vinyl and CD's extensively over that time, I believe I can offer some rare insight into this debate without trying to offend any lovers of either camp. On its merits, there is no doubt that if a pristine vinyl record is placed on a top of the line turntable and played through a top of the line amp and speakers with a superbly balanced equalisation system, then vinyl wins every time.

There is a scientific reason for this as well as the obvious more nostalgic one. Human beings here using an analogue receptor not a digital one. Explained briefly, we hear the entire sound-wave emitted by an analogue system. What an artist records on an original wax recording, the listener hears exactly what the artist has played. This extends to atmosphere and the rounded sound of the piece. Digital is recorded in a square wave. When the square sound wave is received by our nature's own analogue ear, it draws a line through the square wave and smooths it out. We as humans therefore miss pieces of the sound wave above and below the smooth line. I believe much of the atmospherics of a track is lost because of this conversion process when playing a CD. This is immediately evident when playing to a large room when using two identical tracks on the different formats. Vinyl just comes across as far warmer and you have to use a plethora of intricate gadgets to generate the same feel on CD.

The difference between the two formats is of course cost. Most people cannot afford the turntable system and equipment needed to generate such a superior sound and the majority of listeners are satisfied with the system they have. It is not until you get to the heady realms of music production that you realise that digital recordings just miss that old world feel that are so obvious in the days of yore. If you don't believe me, pick up a CD version of something like Eric Clapton Unplugged and then a vinyl version of the same. There is absolutely no comparison between the two. The vinyl version picks up the emotion of the room, every nuance of the chord structure and the timbre of the night and its intimate settings.

As a dance DJ however, I must admit it is far easier carrying around a sleeve of CD's to a gig rather than forty kilos of vinyl. The ability to sample, loop, drop and cut elements from a CD using digital gadgetry is much more accessible and easier than vinyl.

However if you want something to grow old with you, to give you something tangible to hold and to give you awe-inspiring artwork and sleeve notes, then vinyl is it. If you can afford the cost of the equipment that the indulgence of vinyl represents, then vinyl wins every time. If you are happy with the sanitised recordings that CD offers, then you have no need to enter the realm of analogue.

This debate will continue as long as the two formats exist. Nostalgia and warmth are really the driving force behind vinyl's enduring legacy. Cost, versatility, compactness and ease of use are the forces behind digital. Because the experience of listening to music is so personal and subjective, there will always be fans in both camps and that is what makes the audio experience so great.

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