General Music Chat

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399679,00.asp

Neil Young - isn't that the bozo that accidently burned down his own warehouse full of memorabilia tinkering with his hybrid engine? Probably really helped the environment.

I saw him on TV a couple years ago playing some whiny tune and jumping around as if he was really getting down.

Kind of sad - he had a few decent tunes. Not that I've forgiven him for that novelty song, "Southern Man."

Talbot

well I don't know about all that

but I always liked needle and the damage done.

Don't need him around anyhow ...

I'm with Neil ..................... sort of. Piracy is terrible, and mp3's are like worse than 8track tapes. Vinyl is just too heavy IMHO. I don't think art suffers because of digital music on the contrary, Neil Young has become bigger than he would have been, but not without Youtube, and the dreaded mp3's. In today's market you have to figure that folks are going to pirate your stuff, if it's worth listening to. T shirts, bumper stickers, key chains, towels, ..................... there's your money. People spending small fortunes on fancy studio recordings or buying esoteric recording gear to release their stuff to a audience that is satisfied with mp3's on a Ipod is kind of 20th century. Sure you can still sell High Quality cd's, vinyl, to folks like me who still have some hearing left and a real hifi system, but ........................ if you ain't got a cool T shirt or hat .............. are you really trying to make money?

I wonder how many illegal downloads happen on a DAILY basis these days. I'll bet it's many MILLIONS. Who does somebody sue? There's a massive illegal black market in China where its 1.2 BILLiON people have NO concept of intellectual property rights. The cat, or Bengal Tiger, is out of the bag for good I'm afraid, unless somehow there's new CD technology that makes it impossible to download a copywritten tune.

I'm with Neil ..................... sort of. Piracy is terrible, and mp3's are like worse than 8track tapes. Vinyl is just too heavy IMHO. I don't think art suffers because of digital music on the contrary, Neil Young has become bigger than he would have been, but not without Youtube, and the dreaded mp3's. In today's market you have to figure that folks are going to pirate your stuff, if it's worth listening to. T shirts, bumper stickers, key chains, towels, ..................... there's your money. People spending small fortunes on fancy studio recordings or buying esoteric recording gear to release their stuff to a audience that is satisfied with mp3's on a Ipod is kind of 20th century. Sure you can still sell High Quality cd's, vinyl, to folks like me who still have some hearing left and a real hifi system, but ........................ if you ain't got a cool T shirt or hat .............. are you really trying to make money?

Actually Art does suffer..From the Digital.. I just learned that the hard way... One of my routines during the week, is to review the Cd Audio files we generate, ... But I usally convert the samples to MP3 for a worst case scenario mix... (This helps me to identify and punctuate weak parts of the song. ) However... Damned if the mp3 isnt a bit misleading ... I've registered numerous complaints to my engineer about tones and levels...and he looks at me like I'm outta my friggin mind...ANd he's right... I got them all wrong...SO we listen to his studio cuts and they sound pristine, compared to the MP3 versions... Needless to say Protools, etc, are intrinsically limited within the grander scope of natural sound and aural properties... I totally agree with Young's assessment about that.

Sure vynal sounds better if you are listening on "the right equipment" I believe todays society has chosen convenience and availability over record company's GREED and IGNORANCE! I love the fact I can store all of my songs in an MP3 player or laptop and arrange them in files. Alot of artist today are releasing their albums in a pay whatever you want format anyway! So what is the problem? The recording industry is changing for the better IMO for the consumer not for the greedy record execs. and lazy musicians that want to set in a studio and get rich! The music industry has never worked that way and NEVER will! I know I am pissing some folks off with this post sorry about that! The fact is the music industry is changing and ALL OF US have no choice but to except it. It is what it is! I remember the days of trying to get the record company's to notice us and it was very frustrating. Now days if I want I can record a record and sell my songs on line. I say phuk the greedy record company's. They got what they deserved thinking the gravy train they were riding would never end and refusing to change with technology and the times!

I'm kinda with mr Haley on this one,
If i had a million $ studio pressing and my audience were a group of tone junkies i might feel inclined to think they were being short changed.
but mp3's enable me to put something out,
I remember in the late 80's and 90's I had a tascam and a drum machine and mics;
worked my butt off to make a creation. then I would stick it in the dresser drawer. cause that's all you could basically do with it.
sometimes it would help me join a band or what not.
but basically it was a vanity exercise.
at least today I can say someone I never met listened to it,
and it exists beyond my bedroom.
other than that I'm not qualified to judge because I don't buy or download music.

There was a band playing in my head
And I felt like getting high

I also remember back in the day when the cover band I was in would decide to learn a song we had to buy the entire album to learn one song. Now days they say learn Purple Rain the club owner promised us a nice bonus if we play it. This is happening the gig this Saturday is also the owners B-day she asked us to play that song. Well I went to itunes downloaded the song for a $1.39 Prince sells a song, I don't have to buy the album. I learn the song in 5 minutes and I get a healthy little bonus on top of my regular pay which by most standards is not to shabby!

MP3's were never designed to replace your high end audiophile systems, just make it easier and more convenient to use on the web.

Alabama
Oh Alabama
The devil fools
With the best laid plan.
Swing low Alabama
You got spare change
You got to feel strange
And now the moment
Is all that it meant.

Alabama, you got
The weight on your shoulders
That's breaking your back.
Your Cadillac
Has got a wheel in the ditch
And a wheel on the track

Oh Alabama
Banjos playing
Through the broken glass
Windows down in Alabama.
See the old folks
Tied in white ropes
Hear the banjo.
Don't it take you down home?

Alabama, you got
The weight on your shoulders
That's breaking your back.
Your Cadillac
Has got a wheel in the ditch
And a wheel on the track

Oh Alabama.
Can I see you
And shake your hand.
Make friends down in Alabama.
I'm from a new land
I come to you
And see all this ruin
What are you doing Alabama?
You got the rest of the union
To help you along
What's going wrong?

Whenever I can, I save my MP3's @ 256 bytes, and that does make a difference. The problem with digital is that the sampling rates are still too low. If they were 32 bit instead of 16 or 24, the compression would be far better. We have cameras that put film in the rear now days. There is no reason that audio shouldn't be the same.

Vinyl better than digital? You have to be kidding. A needle dragging on plastic banging side to side is hardly a clean representation of the original master recording.

Some CD's are being put out in 24 bit, not many but a few. They increases the headroom and allows more subtle passages to come through cleanly.

But what's the difference anyway when studios and home recording enthusiasts use so much compression that their music is just a ball of noise rolling through your head? That makes it all moot right from the start.

PS. It would be nice if people would learn how to size pics so we wouldn't have to scroll just to read a thread. If it's too big to see it ain't worth looking at.