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Thread: Do you still buy CDs? Downloads?

  1. #51
    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by adap2it View Post
    I download only... I haven't found any compelling reason to do otherwise.
    Losing everything to a drive failure would give me pause.

    And the illegality of passing your downloads on to anybody else, should you die or need to raise capital.

  2. #52
    I still buy CDs primarily. Being a curmudgeonly old fart, I am suspicious of anything floating around in a "cloud". If I buy a CD, I own the damn thing, and don't have to pay monthly charges or worry about my hard drive blowing up.
    "And your little sister's immaculate virginity wings away on the bony shoulders of a young horse named George who stole surreptitiously into her geography revision."

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  3. #53
    Quote Originally Posted by The Dark Elf View Post
    I still buy CDs primarily. Being a curmudgeonly old fart, I am suspicious of anything floating around in a "cloud". If I buy a CD, I own the damn thing, and don't have to pay monthly charges or worry about my hard drive blowing up.
    I prefer a physical product as well. I'm even not that fond of downloading software. Yes, my Arturia-stuff is legally downloaded, but it still makes me feel a bit uncomfortable, because getting a new computer means, I have to download everything again. Yes, I know, I don't have to pay for it again, but still...

  4. #54
    Quote Originally Posted by Facelift View Post
    That's a very good general rule. I find it doesn't hold up as well with '80s vinyl, though, or with loudness wars-era CDs. If there is a vinyl version of a 2000s album, it's often better than the CD, if the CD has compression issues.
    If there's a bigger issue to address, it's that of "buying music twice". I have the original vinyl for most all the music I listen to, but will buy newer digital versions for a few reasons:
    a) The reissue with bonus/booklet/etc.
    b) the convenience of digital music.
    c) CDs are much cheaper than original vinyl!

    The first point is probably self-explanatory. For me, it really began with the Caravan reissues that Decca did in the early 2000s. The plethora of bonus tracks and incredibly detailed booklets remain a collector's dream, and a great way to revisit the music that I love. I'm a total sucker for that kind of stuff.

    For the second point, I've been listening to music via streaming ever since the Squeezebox 3 was released (2005); But there's no denying the convenience of digital music, whether for a portable player, or access to music in other parts of the house (as my main listening room is in the basement/man cave). Thus, remaster with bonus aside, I rarely turn down an inexpensive CD of a vinyl release I have, just so I can rip it to my computer, in lossless format (FLAC).

    Third point - well, if it weren't for the CD, most of this music would remain undiscovered. That is perhaps the one thing that CDs should best be known for. IMHO, of course.

    CDs, IIRC, began matching vinyl releases during the mid to late 80s. The "loudness wars-era CDs" (in my humble estimation) didn't really appear until the 2000s, when the "second" wave of remasters - the ones with compression issues - started to appear. So I love finding those "first" wave of CD reissues for their sound, and because they are usually incredibly inexpensive!

    As a side note, I do have a library of "auto-rip" from Amazon, but never bother to download them (or even listen). In fact, there's little music I've purchased in download-only format, mostly because I refuse to spend money on anything that is lossy compression. More often than not, I can find a CD that's got "all the sound" (and sometimes more!).
    Last edited by strawberrybrick; 12-19-2017 at 10:39 AM. Reason: clarity
    "Always ready with the ray of sunshine"

  5. #55
    Member adap2it's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rcarlberg View Post
    Losing everything to a drive failure would give me pause.

    And the illegality of passing your downloads on to anybody else, should you die or need to raise capital.
    Not worried about any of those scenarios...
    Dave Sr.

    I prefer Nature to Human Nature

  6. #56
    Quote Originally Posted by adap2it View Post
    Not worried about any of those scenarios...
    Agreed. Letting scenarios that would hardly ever happen be the principal drivers of behavior is very illogical. Anybody who puts their music on a hard drive and backs it up will have that music forever, to a percentage of near certainty.

  7. #57
    Member adap2it's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Facelift View Post
    Agreed. Letting scenarios that would hardly ever happen be the principal drivers of behavior is very illogical. Anybody who puts their music on a hard drive and backs it up will have that music forever, to a percentage of near certainty.
    Absolutely! and of course the portability factor...I will be leaving for my annual escape from snow very soon and I don't have to be concerned about 3 months of missing my music. I have hundreds of titles stored on various drives that will be suffice until my return.
    Dave Sr.

    I prefer Nature to Human Nature

  8. #58
    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rcarlberg View Post
    Losing everything to a drive failure would give me pause.
    That's why God created backups. I myself use both onsite and offsite backups.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

  9. #59
    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by progmatist View Post
    That's why God created backups.
    Apparently He forgot to back up the dinosaurs.

  10. #60
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    I still buy cd's, not so many as I used to but that's because I may be reaching that point where I think I've heard almost everything before. I buy FLAC from Bandcamp when cd's are not available. I never/refuse to buy MP3's on principle.

  11. #61
    Member adap2it's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve983 View Post
    I still buy cd's, not so many as I used to but that's because I may be reaching that point where I think I've heard almost everything before. I buy FLAC from Bandcamp when cd's are not available. I never/refuse to buy MP3's on principle.
    I buy from Bandcamp too...I like the fact that you can listen to your own collection on line. BTW, Steve, where in Sussex do you live? I lived in Crawley before moving to this side of the pond.
    Dave Sr.

    I prefer Nature to Human Nature

  12. #62
    Quote Originally Posted by progmatist View Post
    That's why God created backups. I myself use both onsite and offsite backups.
    I keep it on a RAID 1 array, and have a backup. But best of all, I can access it from anywhere via VPN.
    "Always ready with the ray of sunshine"

  13. #63
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    Quote Originally Posted by adap2it View Post
    I buy from Bandcamp too...I like the fact that you can listen to your own collection on line. BTW, Steve, where in Sussex do you live? I lived in Crawley before moving to this side of the pond.
    I'm down on the coast near Worthing so not too far from Crawley, I have a work mate who lives there.

  14. #64
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by strawberrybrick View Post
    If there's a bigger issue to address, it's that of "buying music twice". I have the original vinyl for most all the music I listen to, but will buy newer digital versions for a few reasons:

    The first point is probably self-explanatory. For me, it really began with the Caravan reissues that Decca did in the early 2000s. The plethora of bonus tracks and incredibly detailed booklets remain a collector's dream, and a great way to revisit the music that I love. I'm a total sucker for that kind of stuff.
    Yup, I'd agree that those reissues are rather good, however heavily flawed as well, sometimes preciosely because of their advantages.While i really love real bonus tracks (like Caravan's A Day In The Life of Maurice Haylett) most of them are u nfinished studio versions, alt-rakes or live renditions, which kind of ruins the original album if played directly after it (Love's Forever Changes is really awful that way with seven version of the same track), especially on repeated listens. I mean, it's nice to own all of these second-choice bonus tracks, but they shouldn't accessed the same way as the album itself, but on a separate menu that requires pucshing a button on the remote control.
    I'm one to really prefer if it's a non-album single or a B-side not on the album (Twilight Alehouse, for ex)... or really a track that got shelved for lack of space (like most of Tull's bonus tracks). Caravan's remasters also have some relatively poor reproduction of the artworks (look at the sky of If I could, or the near fluo-pink of Grey & Pink). Likewise I would welcome Groon on Poseidon

    However VdGG's remasters, while often having good bonus tracks, are plagued with an ill-advised Hammill tampering with the inyegrity of the album's original sonics.
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  15. #65
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    Quote Originally Posted by spacefreak View Post
    In Europe almost nobody buys CDs in niche market musics (where our interests are). Even 2nd hand ones. Specialized retailers are 99% vinyl...
    Not sure about it, because there have been some really great CD stores in every major European city I have visited for the last few years. At the beginning of the decade it looked as if the brick&mortar stores were all about to disappear, but they're back. Vinyl (and boxsets) did help a lot to keep many businesses afloat, but regular CD sections seem to me even more robust they were in the early 00s, probably thanks to the (Internet) second-hand market and the recent reissues and archives boom.

    However I suspect that there are less genre completists these days, because today's people have access (and predilection) to more disparate music and the rarity of an item is much less valued, due to the Internet markets, downloads and streaming. Almost everything can be easily checked and listened to without spending money or too much hassle, so one can build his/her collection more deliberately, separating (perceived) wheat from chaff without prior purchases or chasing (over)hyped rarities.

    Unfortunately it is no good news for the (newer) artists who do not stick out of the crowd, because they have to compete with the century-worth legacy of recorded music and the avalanche of new music pouring from every corner of Internet. If one is neither on a respected (big or small) label nor is championed by any influential writers on forums, blogs or any other net media, the chances for selling CDs/LPs are slim. If that's the niche market music you've meant then I may agree.
    Last edited by Jay.Dee; 12-20-2017 at 03:26 AM.

  16. #66
    Quote Originally Posted by Trane View Post
    Yup, I'd agree that those reissues are rather good, however heavily flawed as well, sometimes preciosely because of their advantages.While i really love real bonus tracks (like Caravan's A Day In The Life of Maurice Haylett) most of them are u nfinished studio versions, alt-rakes or live renditions, which kind of ruins the original album if played directly after it (Love's Forever Changes is really awful that way with seven version of the same track), especially on repeated listens. I mean, it's nice to own all of these second-choice bonus tracks, but they shouldn't accessed the same way as the album itself, but on a separate menu that requires pucshing a button on the remote control.
    I'm one to really prefer if it's a non-album single or a B-side not on the album (Twilight Alehouse, for ex)... or really a track that got shelved for lack of space (like most of Tull's bonus tracks). Caravan's remasters also have some relatively poor reproduction of the artworks (look at the sky of If I could, or the near fluo-pink of Grey & Pink). Likewise I would welcome Groon on Poseidon
    Yep, I rarely rip CD bonus tracks to hard disc; to play them, I have to get the CD out of the case, and put it in the player - work for it. Also, that leaves the digital copy as the original track listing.

    However VdGG's remasters, while often having good bonus tracks, are plagued with an ill-advised Hammill tampering with the inyegrity of the album's original sonics.
    Precisely why I purchase the "first generation" of CD reissues from the 90s!
    "Always ready with the ray of sunshine"

  17. #67
    Member davis's Avatar
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    I do. When I buy a CD, if it's in a jewel case, I put the folder or booklet into a sleeve and the disc(s) behind it. If it's a digipak, it goes on the collection shelf after I rip it to an external drive. I even have a CD player in my car

  18. #68
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    I have both a hard drive and a 5 disc changer in my car plus an old school iPod classic hooked up as well.

    I do rip CDs to flac etc., I just don't download just physical media....and that definition DOES NOT include USB sticks (looking at you Ahmet...and I know I can get the 3CD version of just the 10/31 show)
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  19. #69
    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    ^^ I have all my CDs ripped in FLAC format on the backup drives I rotate between onsite and offsite backups. That's in addition to the downloads I purchased from Bandcamp, HDTracks, et cetera, and all my vinyl records recorded in 24/96 Hi-Res. A 3TB drive can easily fit in my filing cabinet at work, or if worse comes to worse, in the smallest available safe deposit box at nearest bank. Try doing that with 700+ physical CDs. Bottom line, if my house burns down, I still have all my CDs elsewhere.

    Quote Originally Posted by rcarlberg View Post
    Apparently He forgot to back up the dinosaurs.
    We *HAVE* the backups of dinosaurs to this day, left over from the originals dying out millions of years ago.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

  20. #70
    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by progmatist View Post
    We *HAVE* the backups of dinosaurs to this day, left over from the originals dying out millions of years ago.
    Can you restore?

  21. #71
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    Quote Originally Posted by davis View Post
    I do. When I buy a CD, if it's in a jewel case, I put the folder or booklet into a sleeve and the disc(s) behind it. If it's a digipak, it goes on the collection shelf after I rip it to an external drive. I even have a CD player in my car
    It bugs me that it is not so easy to buy a newer car that actually has a cd player these days. Plugging in a media player or USB stick may mean you have lots of music with you but its impossible to navigate through the music while driving. Or is it just me?

  22. #72
    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rcarlberg View Post
    Can you restore?
    If there's any truth to the Jurassic Park series of movies, then yes.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

  23. #73
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rcarlberg View Post
    Losing everything to a drive failure would give me pause.

    And the illegality of passing your downloads on to anybody else, should you die or need to raise capital.
    a) The idea of passing your downloads on to someone if you die gives you pause? Really? I don't think the contents of your computer and drives are going to be analyzed by the law unless you die in a kiddy-porn sting or spy-related shootout.

    b) Do you think you could sell your downloads? Maybe, never thought of that. Kind of funny since so many of us don't want to buy downloads on the primary markets.

  24. #74
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve983 View Post
    It bugs me that it is not so easy to buy a newer car that actually has a cd player these days. Plugging in a media player or USB stick may mean you have lots of music with you but its impossible to navigate through the music while driving. Or is it just me?
    I see they still sell in-dash CD players. I never understood though if car CD players, radios, etc. are all standardized somehow, or if not (I don't think they are) they install different models in different makes/models of cars.

  25. #75
    Member Yodelgoat's Avatar
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    I would never consider selling a download... Who in the hell is gonna buy a 2nd hand download? I have not sold or traded my used DC's for many, many years. I guess Ive finally reached a point where I've decided its not worth the effort, just buy the stuff and hold on to it forever. My CD's seem to disappear of their own accord. I have lost count of the downloads Ive picked up over the years, but its definitely becoming more and more of a practice for me. I bought a Robyn Hitchcock CD about a month ago and it never showed up. Anyone else had much issues with that happening?

    I just checked and they said it was delivered. I never saw it. Frack...
    This is the third valuable item in th last 2 months I have lost out of our mailbox
    My wifes drivers license (had to pick it up from the local police because it was used in a local crime)
    a $1743 check from my insurance company for a claim. (had them direct deposit it)
    Robyn Hitchcock - self titled - The USPS says thye put it in my mailbox, but I never got it. - Dont know what to do about this.


    RobynHitchcock.jpgRobynHitchcock.jpg
    Last edited by Yodelgoat; 12-21-2017 at 04:41 PM.

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