I was recently over at a friend’s place and I was struck by the amount of vinyl records that were there.  Those in my generation get records by inheriting them from parents or picked them up at yard sales or record stores, but most of us don’t have a turntable.  I don’t have much vinyl myself (my parents were into 8-tracks), but if I did, I wouldn’t want it off gathering dust or stored away in big plastic tubs when I could be listening to it.  I’m one of those people that says vinyl sounds better, and the best way to get that vinyl sound is to convert all your old records into MP3s.

If MAKE is to be believed, it’s easier than you think to turn records into MP3s, especially if you already have a turntable.  They even give you a couple of different options on how to transfer your music, should you desire to experiment.  I imagine real audiophiles have a preference, but I kind of like all the cracks and pops that transfer into the authentic, warmer record sound. 

What about you, readers?  Do you have a preference as to how you want your music to be delivered to you?  Opinions about MP3 encoding bitrates?  Vinyl vs. 8-track vs. tape vs. CD?  Just how many copies of Frampton Comes Alive do you need?