A Wake Up Call For All You Vinyl Snobs

[Karlos Santos]

That article isnt a "A Wake Up Call For All You Vinyl Snobs" at all.

Its a basic argument that you hear all the time. Vinyl snobs will always be vinyl snobs.
You cant talk them round. Its pointless. Digital snobs will always hate on 'traditionalists'.

Mac vc PC / Serato vs Traktor / Vinyl vs Digital.

May as well argue the Red is nicer than Blue... pointless.

Well written article though.

[JuanSOLO]

+1 Karlos

Snobs will be snobs, and my retort may only be a step closer to one particular side.

I'd rather not take a side, nor try and sway others even when they are trying to change me. It's easier to see past it.

Like that old saying, if your pointing the finger you have 4 pointed back at you.

[Shane Says]

Do what you do and don't worry about anyone else. If they don't like it then fuck em. If you don't like what they do then fuck you, do it differently and shut up.

[photojojo]

I'm glad I don't care what people think about me.

[JuanSOLO]

One of the things I think about when it comes to the technological advancement of music gear is this.

When I record for my band, I can sit at home and do a thousand takes until I am satisfied, and generally improve my skills in the process. And after that I can use all my mixing knowledge and "skills" to make that sound even better. However once upon a time this was not the case and acts like the Beatles or the Temptations would record accapella on 1-3 takes. There is something special about analogue skills when displayed, it's obvious to the spectator. In the uprising of digital technology, there are some serious skills on display, but it seems to me it's more subtle to an audience. It doesn't have to be, but once the convenience of technology is embraced, personally I find it difficult to "showcase" my skills as I might without the convenience.

I'm a drummer as well, but I can program better sounding music than I can play drums. I got mad drum programming skills. When I push a play button, and mash up my beats, it sounds great coming out of the PA, and I have fun playing synths and shit over it. People come to shows and they love it. HOWEVER, if I were doing it on a drum set, there is no doubt people would think I was a total badass and they would tell everyone about it. I would surly get more respect from my musician peers, even if my drums were hooked up to digital gear.

Same goes for DJing. Because I "can" make my gear help me perform a badass mix, does not cheapen my skills, but it does make it easy for me to hide them from the viewer.

[Shane Says]

You don't even want to know what everyone here thinks about you... Jk

[The Vly]

Thanks for the feedback all. I appreciate everything.

@ BigC & Teiresias: I was using the idea of the "SYNC button as replacing years of practicing" in more of a critical sense that vinyl users would suggest. It was an over-simplification to make a point.
I definitely agree in the learning to "walk before you run" philosophy. An abstract painter who first learned the fundamentals and classical techniques will have much more credibility and respect than someone who just jumped into it.
Although, (this is just a thought I have for you all and myself) if the end product is the same, does credibility really matter? Respect among peers is always important, but if only doing it for their sake, what's the point?

That article isnt a "A Wake Up Call For All You Vinyl Snobs" at all.

Its a basic argument that you hear all the time. Vinyl snobs will always be vinyl snobs.
You cant talk them round. Its pointless. Digital snobs will always hate on 'traditionalists'.

Mac vc PC / Serato vs Traktor / Vinyl vs Digital.

May as well argue the Red is nicer than Blue... pointless.

Well written article though.

Karlos, thanks for your feedback. But I have to say I completely disagree with you. First off (and maybe I'm clueless here, so correct me if I am), but I haven't heard of digital snobs hating on traditionalists (if there are, they're idiots in the first place).
I don't think it's "Vinyl vs. Digital" at all. I mix digitally. I'm not at all against vinyl (in fact I'm learning right now an absolutely loving it). I guess if you're taking the example of "snobs only of all types",your argument works, but that's not my point.
Andy Warhol wasn't "against" classical artists. And I highly doubt he thought he was "better" than them. I'd bet the same if the process could be reversed.

In the end, what I'm arguing for is that there are all types of different art forms, in painting and in DJing. Let traditionalists (vinyl users) be traditionalists (vinyl users) and modernists (digital) be modernists (digital). Sure, one's embraced technology while another has not (technique vs concept vs end result), but the point is they are both valid. They can both exist without one needing to replace the other.

I guess I could have written this article on the reverse as well ("digital only kids"), but I haven't had to deal with that myself.

[photojojo]

There's a whole slew of digital snobs. I think the only difference is that they have a little more respect for the vinyl guys. There's more vinyl guys that have no respect at all for the digital guys which I guess makes them worse. But the digital snobs harp on the fact that vinyl is dead and digital is the superior way.

[Bassline Brine]

Yeah I agree with you on the point you made. Sometimes if the end result is the same, it doesn't matter if you can "walk before you can run" really. But that only works for very FEW people. Most people honestly need the background behind it, and a lot will take off running without learning it.

[The Vly]

There's a whole slew of digital snobs. I think the only difference is that they have a little more respect for the vinyl guys. There's more vinyl guys that have no respect at all for the digital guys which I guess makes them worse. But the digital snobs harp on the fact that vinyl is dead and digital is the superior way.

I guess I have yet to meet digital snobs. Sound like complete idiots though. Maybe I'm just lucky, but for the most part, most digital DJs I meet would love to learn to use turntables.

Yeah I agree with you on the point you made. Sometimes if the end result is the same, it doesn't matter if you can "walk before you can run" really. But that only works for very FEW people. Most people honestly need the background behind it, and a lot will take off running without learning it.

Spot on with this!