DJ Equipment Reviews

 

Vinyl vs CD

The Ultimate DJ Battle Continues Part 2

The debate between vinyl verses CDs has created a line of division between musicians, working DJs and their fans since CDs rained on vinyl’s parade. It’s likely to continue dividing talent for years and years to come. If you’re just jumping into the debate, click here for part one. This is part two, and I’m building off on what I said about the sound differences between CDs and vinyl. So far, vinyl produces the better sound. However, that quality in sound doesn’t last very long. The way the vinyl skips at times, the way it hisses, growls and produces static starts to get annoying. Working DJs will stop thinking, "Oh, that’s just a part of the sound quality!" and will start saying, "This stupid hissing is taking away from the music!"

Remember, since the end-all-be-all should be about music for a working DJ, this is yet another reason why CDs have become so popular. We all know a CD is easy to clean, but is vinyl? No, not so much. If you scratch it, it can’t be rebuffed. Money doesn’t grow on trees, so unless you’re filthy rich, you can’t keep replacing your vinyl.

We already established that CDs are more portable, thanks to durability and how lightweight they are. So what about affordability? The economy wasn’t always this bad, but no one has ever wanted to spend more money for anything that has a cheaper alternative. The CD is, hands down, the cheaper alternative in the case of vinyl vs CDs. More songs can be stored onto a CD that could be found for $15 to $20, while one song on a single vinyl record could go for about $10. While this isn’t always the case, it’s just a small example of how CDs are often the better avenue to take when thinking about the price tag.

Numark’s hybrid x2: Not good. Not bad. Definitely not great

So far, CDs are winning:

• Portability: CD
• Durability: CD
• Sound Quality: Vinyl
• Ease in repair: CD

What I haven’t yet discussed is the ability to scratch. If you’re a working DJ, especially a scratching DJ who specializes in hip-hop, you know how important scratching is and how it can get an audience alive and dancing. This may be the make-or-break part of the entire decision process, as it strongly relates to sound. Is it any surprise that the winner for this round is vinyl? Not only does it scratch better, but it feels better when working DJs are scratching. Sometimes, the feel will effect how you play. When you’re scratching on a CD, it feels weird, and that may jeopardize the performance. Nevertheless, in some aspects, the CD prevails. After all, it doesn’t skip the way vinyl will. But even though vinyl can skip easily, it still takes the cake. Sorry CDs and sorry DJ suppliers that expand the platters–it’s just not good enough.

If you look at both competitors, you can see the pros and the cons as clear as day. Unfortunately, vinyl seems to have more cons than CDs. A compact disc can withstand practically anything, but here’s the problem: it’s not vinyl. And when it tries to emulate vinyl, I’ll bet working DJs have this insatiable desire to turn back to their turntables without hesitating. So what if you can’t choose between vinyl and CD? Do you buy some of both? Sure, if you’re Bill Gates. The deejaying trade is burdened with high expenses, as it often reaches thousands upon thousands of dollars for all your DJ equipment. Why double it? Sure, working DJs can always go hybrid, but if you look at the hybrid designs, such as Numark’s and Gemini’s, you’ll find that they…well…they suck. Plain and simple.

Really, the decision lies in the hands of the DJ’s desires, needs, finances and even tolerance. But I’ll give you a few words of advice if you’re having trouble: vinyl is waaaay better.

 

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