“Vinyl, and its Qualities of Superiority”

William Carroll
(T/TR 2:00 PM)
Persuasion Speech
Speaking Day Three

➢ THESIS CLAIM:

Vinyl records create a distinct sound which enhances the listening experience of all
music.

This thesis claim is a question of fact.

➢ THEME:

Persuasive and engaging appeals while being somewhat informative. Enthusiastic and
awe-inspiring, while elaborating on the exceptional form of vinyl.

INTRODUCTION

1. Attention getter: (Appealing to the senses)

- Imagine walking into a vinyl shop. Antique wood pressed against your nose, an array of
artists to choose from, and a friendly staff to help cater to your musical desires.
- Vinyl is a forgotten way to listen to music and has only been revitalized by recent years.

2. Relate topic to audience: (Relatability & Credibility)

- You’ve probably seen a plethora of your favorite artists release their new albums on
vinyl. It’s a great way to preserve their work onto a medium that has been around for
decades.

3. Establish your credibility:

- As someone who regularly collects vinyl and streams music. There’s a lot of differences
between vinyls and standard services that really affects how you perceive your favorite
artists. Furthermore, there’s a lot of qualities that vinyl offers in enjoying your favorite
artists in which these other services do not come close by comparison.
 “Vinyl, and its Qualities of Superiority”
William Carroll
(T/TR 2:00 PM)
Persuasion Speech
Speaking Day Three

4. Preview your specific purpose, call to action*, main points*, theme*, (*opt) :

Vinyl is the best way to listen to all music forms and genres as opposed to more
mainstream ways in terms of its technical superiority through audio pressing and transmission, as
well as its psychological superiority through nostalgia and perception.

BODY

I. First Main Point: Vinyl is superior in producing music through its technical superiority.

- Vinyl allows artists to transport their music onto a medium that allows for sound to be
pure as opposed to digital formats that can minimize or distort the artist’s intended sound.
- “Adam Gosalves of Portland’s Telegraph Mastering” states, “The analog format allows
for artists to transport their music from magnetic tape to LP to your speakers or
headphones without the complications of digital conversion.” (The Oregonian)
Imagine your favorite artist recording your favorite song in the studio. The artist is
creating soundwaves which are being processed through a digital conversion format and
is thus edited and uploaded to a digital service. As referenced by Gosalves, a true vinyl is
recorded through magnetic tape and then produced onto LP and then onto speaker.
- Per the BBC, “With vinyl, every single part of the analogue wave is captured in those
grooves, making it the only true lossless format.” (BBC: Science Focus)
- Why listen to your favorite artist when you can’t even hear what they wanted you to hear
in the first place? Who has ever said that they wanted to listen to less of their favorite
artists or not hear their best work?
- Gonsalves argues that all… "You just need a decent turntable with a decent needle on it
and you're going to enjoy a full-fidelity listening experience.” (The Oregonian)
- Through its technicalities, vinyl is best at transmitting music and represents the artist's
truest form of music as it seemingly preserves the truest form of sound waves. This in
turn creates a listening experience more resonant than that of any other format.

TRANSITION: Although we can easily get lost into the technical detail, there’s a lot about vinyl
that positively persuades the listener’s psychological state to enhance the music-listening
experience.

II. Second Main Point: Vinyl is superior in producing music through its psychological
impacts.
 “Vinyl, and its Qualities of Superiority”
William Carroll
(T/TR 2:00 PM)
Persuasion Speech
Speaking Day Three
- Jason Corey, a recording engineer and professor at the University of Michigan states
“There are factors that can influence our perception of sound quality that have nothing to
do with the sound itself.” (Discover Magazine)
- I assume that everyone here has had an experience with a song that has made them feel
“out-of-body”. This could have been an experience at a live concert, or an experience
with a close group of friends, or just an nostalgic experience overall.
- Tony Chackal, a professor at SRU, states that “Because of their materiality, records offer
sound qualities that digital formats do not. These include warmth, richness, and depth.
Many people value those qualities and so hold vinyl records to sound better than digital
formats.” (Aesthetics for Birds)
- Imagine yourself as you put the needle onto your favorite album. The stylus clicks onto
the record and the first song plays. You instantly transcend into a reality apart from your
own. The warmness brightens the artist’s vocals as you hear more richness from the
strum of their instruments. You notice that more is revealed by the artist, you hear a beat
that you are unfamiliar with, you dive deeper, and deeper, into the song, reliving your
nostalgic experiences. You are experiencing true bliss.
- Vinyl is not just a format that adequately plays music. It's a medium that truly impacts the
listeners psychological form, persuading them into a realm of a true listening experience.
This experience is just not found elsewhere in popular forms of services.

CONCLUSION

1. Review main points/arguments: Vinyl is a medium that best preserves the artist’s sound
through the pressing of analogue sound waves and truly enhances the listening experience. The
latter is not found in conventional forms of other audio formats.

2. Restate* specific purpose/call to action— So next time when you’re waiting for the next
album to drop from your favorite artist or just simply want to discover more artists, then go to
your closest vinyl shop, and try the experience for yourself.

3. Memorable statement: It’s truly an exceptional experience you wouldn’t want to miss!
 “Vinyl, and its Qualities of Superiority”
William Carroll
(T/TR 2:00 PM)
Persuasion Speech
Speaking Day Three

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Greenwald, David. “Does Vinyl really sound better? An engineer explains.” The Oregonian,
Advance Local Media LLC, November 19, 2014,
https://www.oregonlive.com/music/2014/11/does_vinyl_really_sound_better.html

This source was used to explain the transmission of analog waves from a credible
testimonial of an engineer.

Burns, Verity. “Does vinyl really sound better?” BBC: Science Focus, Immediate Media
Company Ltd., October 16th, 2020, https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/does-vinyl-really-
sound-better/

This source was used to build on my claim within my first section while also providing a
credible source in which the audience is familiar with.

Hurt, Avery. “Vinyl vs. Digital: Which Sounds Better?” Discover: The Sciences, Discover
Magazine, December 14, 2021, https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/vinyl-vs-
digital-which-sounds-better

This source was used to gather and introduce the information found within the second
section of my speech. It also doubles as credible testimony.

Chackal, Tony. “Spin Me Round: Why Vinyl is Better than Digital” Aesthetics for Birds,
Aesthetics for Birds Forum, November 25, 2019, https://aestheticsforbirds.com/2019/11/25/spin-
me-round-why-vinyl-is-better-than-digital/#:~:text=Because%20of%20their%20materiality%2C
%20records,sound%20better%20than%20digital%20formats.

This source was used to introduce my sub-points within my second main point. It also perfectly
sums the information within my second section while also providing credible testimony.