There’s a faint hiss from the speakers the moment i turn them on. As the stylus meets the vinyl, there is a distinct click, then a hiss with regular ‘tick‘… ‘tick‘ sounds from a scratch. When the music comes in, there is a faint but telltale warbling, an undulation in sound to match the warp in the record. There’s no doubt that digital recordings are superior in quality, so why do we love vinyl?
It’s quite a visceral activity playing a record: pulling different sleeves from the shelf, making a choice, pulling out the paper insert then carefully tipping out the disk. Once in our hand, the visual inspection for dust or scratches, then careful positioning on the turntable before we drop the stylus onto the vinyl. It’s a routine, flipping it over at half time half the ritual. The point of listening to music is not just about hearing sounds, it can be a whole experience. It’s the same with learning: it’s not just facts and figures, it’s an experience. Sometimes there’s more to it than meets the eye.