How do you collect music?

[Ed Oscuro]

Just looking at the bottom of the CDs, a significant difference is apparent. The discs from the 80's have distinct pits or data lines or whatever, discs from the past 10 years are not like that - like the data is written shallower.

Or at a faster speed (to hurry along the disc duplication process), which would lead to shallower burned pits on most media, I'd guess.

Not good to hear, thanks for the heads up.

A way that's quite popular with the alternative crowd.

The crowd that's alternative to the one that doesn't have tin ears?

[CMoon]

Regarding change in quality of CDs over the years, I'm actually somewhat skeptical, but let me explain:

1) There's definitely variation in CD quality (some CDs are very thin and cheap, others aren't.) There are labels from which virtually all their CDs are clearly from the same plant, and that pressing plant seems to do a shoddy job. I do not see evidence that this is true of all pressing plants or is an overall pattern.

2) I too have CDs from the 80's that still work fine (where's the oxidation?) but have CDs pressed within the year that are of high quality. I'd go so far as to argue that what's almost consistently decreasing in quality are the CD/DVD players. None of my current players (including the one in my car) seem to have any problem playing CDs old or new.

3) Sampling size, sampling size, sampling size. I have over 2000 CDs in my collection, enough to at least get a sense of whether there is any truth to things like CD oxidation or CD quality going downhill. I actually don't see any significant evidence for either. Hell, the worst CDs I've purchased are all from the early-mid 90's.

[ncp]

Perhaps a small and limited CD printrun to accompany the vinyl release, so the audiophiles can get their kicks as well.

eh? Most of them prefer analog anyway. At least the ones I know.

Or you offer a download code for high quality MP3s with every vinyl record.

"high quality mp3"
HEH HEH.

[emphatic]

How about selling the music as 24 bit 96kHz FLAC files on memory cards or something? Better than CD's...

[Ex-Cyber]

How about selling the music as 24 bit 96kHz FLAC files on memory cards or something? Better than CD's...

Memory companies do have write-once products for this kind of thing (e.g. SanDisk's "SD-WORM"), though I have no idea what the MOQ is, and it probably ends up having a higher unit cost than pressing CDs.

[emphatic]

How about selling the music as 24 bit 96kHz FLAC files on memory cards or something? Better than CD's...

Memory companies do have write-once products for this kind of thing (e.g. SanDisk's "SD-WORM"), though I have no idea what the MOQ is, and it probably ends up having a higher unit cost than pressing CDs.

I believe that some labels have already done this type of deal (the recent reissue of the classic Stone Roses album springs to mind) though I think it's been limited to the .mp3 format. The idea here was that as some people still want crap littering up their homes (the whole "I need something I can hold in my hand" shtick) instead of just being able to download music in REALLY good quality, the memory card would be a better alternative than a CD @ 44.1kHz 16 Bit.

[rant]
What record labels need to do in order to stay away from the money-grabbing-stinking pieces of shit we the consumers consider them to be (I'm looking at you Sony/Geffen/Some other major label/etc) is closed packages with viral copyright protection stuff. If I buy a piece of music, I want to be able to do anything with it (except for selling it for my own profit of course). Play it anywhere at any time for who ever I want to for example. If the exact same recording is then sold again in a better format, I should be able to get that, if no for free, at a reduced price. I like the iTunes deal somewhat, but it's not a format that I can use with any player + I'm not allowed to play the songs when I DJ or in any other social gathering. There are lables out there that let's you use their music like that, once you've bought the songs.
[/rant]

[Ixmucane2]

I buy CDs exclusively, for the collecting and "trophy" value. I like to visit record stores wherever I go to find interesting stuff, and I also buy on the web; it's the only way to find rare stuff easily, but it's less fun that combing the shelves of a store.
The same applies to DVDs and to books; I collect roleplaying games and I'm more than willing to pay 5-10 times more to get an old worn used paperback instead of a downloaded PDF of the same.

I avoid downloadable music purchases because I like my computer DRM-free. My pirate music downloads can be counted on the fingers on one hand (all impulse curiosities or requests by family members).
A few years ago I enjoyed for a while the task of office DJ (with a pooled MP3 collection from many colleagues, a pair of loudspeakers and Winamp) and I later bought many CDs of music I discovered that way.

[MadSteelDarkness]

Good topic, C.

I'm mostly a vinyl man, meself. Predominately 'cause I've still got decent decks from my DJ days, and yeah, I think vinyl sounds better, at least on my cobbled-together frankenstein system. If I d/l anything, it's from people I know personally. Case in point: I downloaded an old Holy Terror album, but I know Joe the drummer (he was playing in my buddy's band Reagan Era for a spell). So I told him about it, and, instead of paying him royalties, I offered to buy the next two rounds.

I don't know how much of a pain it is to make it happen, but the new Hex Dispensers LP had a coupon inside with a website address (http://www.dropcards.com/vinyl) and a password that lets you download legit mp3's from the album. I thought that was a pretty cool way to sell both analogue and digital at the same time.

[Jockel]

Or you offer a download code for high quality MP3s with every vinyl record.

"high quality mp3"
HEH HEH.

Not everybody has a Player that supports FLAC.
Most people don't even know what that is.

[Ed Oscuro]

I remembered that the last CD I baut was the soundtrack disc that comes with Painkiller Triple Dose. Labeled "second release" yay. Good musics.

[jonny5]

Or you offer a download code for high quality MP3s with every vinyl record.

"high quality mp3"
HEH HEH.

Not everybody has a Player that supports FLAC.
Most people don't even know what that is.

unless you are buying dollar store mp3 players everything made in the last couple years should support FLAC....and for people that dont know what FLAC is, they are the people who arent going to care about lossless quality

[cools]

I download most stuff, then purchase it (on CD) if it's worth it.

I've bought hundreds of UK Hardcore CDs blind over the years - these constitute a good 98% of my collection. A proportion of these I've never even opened the case on. I've got a small collection of vinyl for individual tracks I've been unable to find complete in a digital format - sitting waiting (for years) for me to get them ripped "losslessly".

But nowadays, and for many years now I almost exclusively listen to either MP3s or (recently) FLACs. I'm slowly coming to the realisation that archiving my CDs as FLAC/CUE then selling them on will be the way forward - I don't care about the physical item nor the acquisition thereof anymore, only the recording.

[CMoon]

unless you are buying dollar store mp3 players everything made in the last couple years should support FLAC....and for people that dont know what FLAC is, they are the people who arent going to care about lossless quality

Actually this is the argument for why we need ipods have massive capacities (IE terrabyte Ipods). For me to respect computer files (be they FLAC or whatever) as a legit format and successor to CDs, they better at least be the same audio quality as CDs. That means memory, and lots of it.

Get to work apple, nobody (IE me) gives a shit about 8 gig shuffles.

[Turrican]

I voted mostly cd... then again it's mostly vgm osts.

[Jockel]

Actually this is the argument for why we need ipods have massive capacities (IE terrabyte Ipods). For me to respect computer files (be they FLAC or whatever) as a legit format and successor to CDs, they better at least be the same audio quality as CDs. That means memory, and lots of it.

oO How large is your music collection? I am quite satisfied with my 120gb iPod.
But mind you, i only have music i love. I am not one of those guys which horde thousands of gigabytes of music they never listen to.

[Marc]

It's vinyl all the way for me. Even at my age (32), with two kids and so little of my wage left to spend on myself, I'd rather purchase one lovingly-crafted vinyl record than several CD's, or more MP3's. That's a by-product of me having a finite amount of time to split between gaming, socialising, listening to music etc. Used to be that I'd have 50+ spare hours per week in which to do my thing, now that's probably closer to 15 if I'm lucky. Given that, buying more than 2 albums in any one go is a waste of time, as the rest are unlikely to be listened to with the attention I feel they deserve. Plus, listening to vinyl has always prompted me to pay far more attention to what I'm listening to, where CD's are all to easily used as random backing music.

My last buy was The Appleseed Cast's 'Sagarmatha'. Maroon-splatter gatefold double 12". I'd have felt plain wrong buying that in any other format.

[undamned]

I download shit loads of trance, listen to everything very briefly and delete 80-85% of them. The ones that are "keepers", I buy on 12" vinyl. I used to listen to preview clips in the online music stores, but got fed up with the fact that you can't really hear if a track is well produced in lo-fi previews, also, some tracks sound awesome, then some cheezy sample fucks it that aren't in the clip you heard online.

I've had a simliar experience and have about $30 worth of crap iTunes downloads to prove it. I now surf music blogs, mediafire, and myspace for stuff I want to preview and then buy what I like on CD or via iTunes if only a few tracks on the album are any good (or in the rare occasion that I can't find the CD or that it's off some obscure vinyl that I'd rather not track down).

Or you offer a download code for high quality MP3s with every vinyl record.

A buddy of mine just told me about this in regards to a Sixtoo vinyl he just picked up. Came with a code so you could download the stuff to your portable music player. I think that's a killer way to go, even for the e-music collector, as you've got a cool vinyl to put on your shelf/wall and the files to throw on your music player.

i only have music i love. I am not one of those guys which horde thousands of gigabytes of music they never listen to.

That irks me alot. I have friends that have no clue what they have on their ipod because they do so much sharing w/ their buddies. I'd like to think I'm quite intimate with my entire music collection. If anybody likes anything I'm playing I could probably tell them a good bit about the artist and what albums they should pick up if they like what they've heard.
-ud

[jonny5]

i have to say im kinda surprised by the poll results thus far....i didnt think that many people actually bought CD's anymore

[MOSQUITO FIGHTER]

I haven’t bought any music since I got a computer. I do like that warm punch sound that vinyl has though.

[CMoon]

Actually this is the argument for why we need ipods have massive capacities (IE terrabyte Ipods). For me to respect computer files (be they FLAC or whatever) as a legit format and successor to CDs, they better at least be the same audio quality as CDs. That means memory, and lots of it.

oO How large is your music collection? I am quite satisfied with my 120gb iPod.
But mind you, i only have music i love. I am not one of those guys which horde thousands of gigabytes of music they never listen to.

2000+ albums. I'd like to be able to put at least 1000 of those at CD quality on an IPOD. This might seem crazy, but there are certainly other lifelong music collectors here (Acid King & MadSteelDarkness comes to mind, I know Rob at least samples vigorously) and that demands some serious memory if you want to listen to all those albums at CD quality. I know with my 80 gig model and sampling at 190 kb/s, there is a lot of music from my collection I can't include.

[Ixmucane2]

i have to say im kinda surprised by the poll results thus far....i didnt think that many people actually bought CD's anymore

This forum is full of collectors who, in many cases, are willing to pay hundreds or thousands of euro for video games: it isn't surprising that they like to collect CDs and LPs.

[sjewkestheloon]

I purchase vinyl, CDs, tapes and downloads equally depending on the price/artist/artwork/etc.

If I'm picking up an old album or checking out a new artist I'll buy an album on MP3 and will then replace it if I'm impressed.

I always buy from the artist if possible and will buy whichever format looks most attractive to me at that time.

My favourite format is without doubt high quality 2xLP with an MP3 coupon included. This way I have a good high quality (hopefully, let's not forget that many labels consistently put out terrible quality pressings of vinyl, Southern Lord I'm looking at you...) album to play on my stereo while at home and a convenient copy for my MP3 player.

[FRO]

I buy mostly CDs. I do buy some vinyl, when I can either find a classic I'm lacking, or a new release that I want on vinyl (though I usually buy the CD too). I try to avoid cassettes unless CD and/or vinyl versions are ultra-rare (read: expensive), then I sometimes cave, or if the release was only ever available in that format (demos, indie stuff). I refuse to pay for a download unless it's the only format the release comes in. Even then download-only stuff is usually relegated to "I'll buy it later". I'm a physical collector type - I like the feeling of the product in my hands, and flipping through the booklet, reading the liner notes, etc. Plus I like to decide what format & bitrate my audio files are when they go on my PMP.

[dcharlie]

i was an obsessive music buyer in my late teens and ended up with a couple of thousand CDs that my parents were saddled with (though my Dad was and still is a rare vinyl collector). I also got a ton of free stuff as a gang of us created a music fanzine that ran for about 4 years.

Given a lack of space , i've culled my CD collection right down and basically i'm at the point where the CD has to be something i REALLY like for it to warrant the physical version. As a result , i'm probably not much beyond a hundred or so CDs at the moment.

Which is nice i guess, everything is in good condition and, as posted above, more for the long term .

[CMoon]

i've culled my CD collection right down and basically i'm at the point where the CD has to be something i REALLY like for it to warrant the physical version. As a result , i'm probably not much beyond a hundred or so CDs at the moment.

I could never do this.

[Lordstar]

A lot of places sell CDs and vinyl with a download code to a nice MP3 file. Mostley vinyl though.

[dcharlie]

I could never do this.

it had drove me nuts over time - but anything i felt ensential i've bought back so....

but the number of CDs i wish i hadn't parted with...

The Goats - Tricks of the Shade. Insanely good hiphop/rap album, cemented by an amazing Phoenix Festival display and i let it go - then it turns out the album now swaps hands for 40-50$ :/

one of many examples of stupidity, but hey...

[louisg]

I voted for CDs and vinyl. I only really grab vinyl when I find it cheap or when something I want is hard to find on CD though. CDs seem a bit underrated at the moment

[CMoon]

I could never do this.

it had drove me nuts over time - but anything i felt ensential i've bought back so....

Well, I used to sell albums and unless I really ended up hating the album, I almost always regretted it. At least in the late 90's I was smart enough to only sell things I knew would always be in print.

My problem is, if you branch out to lots of genres, 100 albums becomes impossible. I'm just trying to imagine a serious jazz fan limiting themselves to 100 albums--I can't imagine it and I'm a jazz ignoramus. I mean, there are at least 20 essential miles davis albums! Well I guess I'm just crazy-stupid for music.

[Vexorg]

These days I mostly use ZunePass for my music. Anything I don't really care to keep I can just stream off Zune, and if there's anything good I can either download it and listen on my device for as long as the subscription is valid, or I can also keep 10 downloads (mostly MP3s) per month. It's also great for exploring genres you're not familiar with (somehow I ended up picking a fair bit of Big Band music as a result of the ZunePass.)