I tip the bottle to the awful MP3 format.. .farewell
- Thread starter Flint
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TKoP
Well-Known Member
I'm cleaning out some of my stuff and came across the CD i have from that experiment -- which I think I was supposed to shred, then burn, then dump into the ocean. Hadn't seen it since that experiment until Sunday night.
MakeMineVinyl
Well-Known Member
Hold on to it as it will probably be worth a fortune some day. I don't even have a copy of it anymore.
D
Deleted member 133
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....furiously looking through boxes of old crap.....
TKoP
Well-Known Member
MakeMineVinyl
Well-Known Member
That wasn't it. Smackdown is worthless. I hope you didn't quit your job yet
MakeMineVinyl
Well-Known Member
That compared recording technology from 50 years ago to the present, and vinyl against digital original sources.
Even though I have well over 1,500 cd's collecting dust in my guest closet I've converted almost all the good songs off each cd into my iTunes account. Pretty much 99% of my collection is either encoded at 320kbps MP3 or 256 AAC by iTunes. I can't tell the difference between that and the CD's. My bedroom and bathroom each have an iPod hooked up to a simple stereo device (portable and clock radio), my car has a 8GB iPod with almost 900 songs in the above mentioned encodes and sounds fantastic in my car. All songs in my iTunes account are streamed to my Appletv at only 256AAC to my main home theater.
Why bother pulling discs and loading them when my iPod or streaming the music is so much easier and I can't tell the difference.
Why bother pulling discs and loading them when my iPod or streaming the music is so much easier and I can't tell the difference.
MakeMineVinyl
Well-Known Member
Here is an article which I saw today which addresses this analog/digital thing:
https://www.cnet.com/news/does-music-sound-better-when-its-digital-or-analog/
I love how that article is written. The logic is flawless. While I prefer digital, I agree with his argument about why so many love analog.
MakeMineVinyl
Well-Known Member
I also prefer digital for original recording. However to me, what vinyl adds (call it distortion, pixie dust, whatever) makes the sound seem "more alive" compared to the more clinical sounding digital original (again, by comparison). Also as far as the tactile experience of a 12" album cover with liner notes and photos which you can actually read and see and hold, there is no comparison to CD or especially a digital file on a computer device.
I think it depends on the digital experience. A well curated media server with the right front-end can provide a pretty fantastic experience. http://imgur.com/a/toCSK
Me? I carefully pick a CD, make sure the ambient temp is perfect, setup the audio rig, turn down (or turn off) the lights, and play the album in its entirety. For me, that is perfection. I don't read the notes or look at the artwork. I just listen and lose myself for 45 to 90 minutes.
MakeMineVinyl
Well-Known Member
It could be argued that in some instances the physical album, its artwork and packaging, is almost as important as the music itself. For instance, imagine if Sergeant Pepper had been released only as a digital file and the iconic album cover and packaging never existed? I would think in this instance that that the presentation experience to the user sets up a mindset which makes the actual music more meaningful, and adds a dimension which would be lost otherwise. Yeah, yeah I know that this could be done with a PDF of the artwork, but just try to imagine.
An interesting statistic; something like 50% (I'm not sure of the number, but its something like that) of vinyl buyers never play their albums, and in some instances don't even own a turntable. They buy the albums as objects to enjoy as works of art, or souvenirs of a concert.
An interesting statistic; something like 50% (I'm not sure of the number, but its something like that) of vinyl buyers never play their albums, and in some instances don't even own a turntable. They buy the albums as objects to enjoy as works of art, or souvenirs of a concert.
Back in the day, I couldn't wait for a new Yes Album to come out, for the music, but also to see what Roger Dean artwork would be on the album covers. It was a huge part of the experience for me.
I even had a few of the Yes Album Posters in my room; Close to the Edge, Tales of Topographical Oceans and Relayer.
Sadly, my album collection got ruined in a flooded basement and I have nothing to show of it.
I even had a few of the Yes Album Posters in my room; Close to the Edge, Tales of Topographical Oceans and Relayer.
Sadly, my album collection got ruined in a flooded basement and I have nothing to show of it.
I realize I am unique, for me it is all about the music. It may be I discovered how much I love music from listening to it through the wall of my bedroom with my older brother was discovering it and starting his love of great audio in the adjacent room. I didn't ask him if I could look at the LP jacket, I asked if I could listen with him if I was quiet.
Although, when LP, Cassette, and Reel-to-Reel were kings, artists created their albums and song orders based on the fact listeners had to get up and turn over the media to hear the full 35 to 50 minutes of music. Some mastered that, like the ELP "Brain Salad Surgery" album where the music fades out and then fades back in for part 2 of the song which spans the sides - and the second part was a different arrangement on the same theme. It was genius. Same with Jethro Tull spanning sides with "Thick as a Brick" or the hilarious children's story on "Passion Play". Other artists just worked through it, like the Who's "Quadrophenia" which was a two LP album - four sides. The obvious pause in the "opera" was between the two LPs, not between the side A and B.
Since the launch of CD, however, many talented artists started taking advantage of the fact they had the capability of presenting an uninterrupted musical experience running as long at 60 minutes at first, then later increased to 75 minutes and I believe they've reached a full 81 minutes. Given that capability, they created music which runs the length of the CD and artists like Spock's Beard, Yes, and even Radiohead were able to create an emotional experience with a 45 to 60 min arc void of interruptions. I like those sorts of albums as I do get deeply engrossed when listening to an album I love.
While I also enjoy the artwork and liner notes, I take the opportunity to look at those away from the listening experience. But I also find I get better and more interesting information online. Having grown up in the PC age from 11 years old, I don't have the need to physically hold the packaging in my hand.
But, that is me. I am not like everyone else, but I do know quite a few people who share my process for enjoying music. I imagine it isn't a small percentage of music lovers.
Because music is such a core necessity in my life, I feel like a champion or crusader of the experience and want to encourage everyone I meet to share a similar love, if it can be their thing (I realize it isn't for everyone). That's why I get so involved here and try to help anyone find their bliss. I encourage them to think outside the stereotypical expectations of the "audiophilia" defined method for enjoying music. There are options, some focused more on music, some more focused on aesthetics or hobbying, some more on collecting stuff, and too many on showing off as a sign of intelligence or wealth. But if some can discover a joy for music, I feel like my evangelism was worth it.
Although, when LP, Cassette, and Reel-to-Reel were kings, artists created their albums and song orders based on the fact listeners had to get up and turn over the media to hear the full 35 to 50 minutes of music. Some mastered that, like the ELP "Brain Salad Surgery" album where the music fades out and then fades back in for part 2 of the song which spans the sides - and the second part was a different arrangement on the same theme. It was genius. Same with Jethro Tull spanning sides with "Thick as a Brick" or the hilarious children's story on "Passion Play". Other artists just worked through it, like the Who's "Quadrophenia" which was a two LP album - four sides. The obvious pause in the "opera" was between the two LPs, not between the side A and B.
Since the launch of CD, however, many talented artists started taking advantage of the fact they had the capability of presenting an uninterrupted musical experience running as long at 60 minutes at first, then later increased to 75 minutes and I believe they've reached a full 81 minutes. Given that capability, they created music which runs the length of the CD and artists like Spock's Beard, Yes, and even Radiohead were able to create an emotional experience with a 45 to 60 min arc void of interruptions. I like those sorts of albums as I do get deeply engrossed when listening to an album I love.
While I also enjoy the artwork and liner notes, I take the opportunity to look at those away from the listening experience. But I also find I get better and more interesting information online. Having grown up in the PC age from 11 years old, I don't have the need to physically hold the packaging in my hand.
But, that is me. I am not like everyone else, but I do know quite a few people who share my process for enjoying music. I imagine it isn't a small percentage of music lovers.
Because music is such a core necessity in my life, I feel like a champion or crusader of the experience and want to encourage everyone I meet to share a similar love, if it can be their thing (I realize it isn't for everyone). That's why I get so involved here and try to help anyone find their bliss. I encourage them to think outside the stereotypical expectations of the "audiophilia" defined method for enjoying music. There are options, some focused more on music, some more focused on aesthetics or hobbying, some more on collecting stuff, and too many on showing off as a sign of intelligence or wealth. But if some can discover a joy for music, I feel like my evangelism was worth it.
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D
Deleted member 133
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I love how all four sides of Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music double album blend so seamlessly together.
Jeff
Jeff
I tend to range across my collection as one song brings to mind another. The journey may ease me from one genre into another and end somewhere very different from where it began. This conversational approach is more common for me than sitting down and listening to an entire album.