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Posted: |
Jun 26, 2013 - 5:59 PM
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By: |
OnyaBirri
(Member)
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We have had a number of threads about the pros and cons of physical media vs. digital files, focusing on audio fidelity, having a dependable, hard source copy, etc.
I am asking the question from a purely psychological standpoint.
I am primarily interested in hearing from people roughly in my age group, folks who came of age during the LP era, pre-CD, pre-digital files, the so-called "digital immigrants."
I have a true affection and affinity for my LPs, and have no interest in getting rid of them at this stage of my life. In fact, I'm still buying them.
However, I do not have this connection with CDs, despite the fact that I've been buying them since 1991 or so. They seem cold, alien. The size is not substantial enough to draw me in with the artwork.
While I'm keeping my LPs, I am strongly considering giving up the CDs and hanging on to only the digital files. However, the digital immigrant in me is reluctant to do so, because I still connect to physical objects.
Has anyone in my age group - again, who came of age in the LP era - given up the physical medium of the CD and fully embraced digital files, and if so, what has the experience been? Do you feel liberated? Have regrets?
I'm curious...
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I have a true affection and affinity for my LPs, and have no interest in getting rid of them at this stage of my life. In fact, I'm still buying them.
However, I do not have this connection with CDs, despite the fact that I've been buying them since 1991 or so. They seem cold, alien. The size is not substantial enough to draw me in with the artwork.
I'm keeping my LPs for life, for their artwork and sentimental value. But I feel the same way about my CDs. They are beautiful, smooth, silvery goodies, and I love the fact that repeated play them does not wear them out-- a huge advantage over vinyl. Barring a manufacturer's defect, CDs are an archivist's dream.
I'm careful to back up my files because I don't want to lose them either. All the sentimental value is in the physical media, but nearly all the day to day usage is in the digital files.
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Like ZapBrannigan, I still retain a lot of LPs, mainly for their artwork. I embraced CDs when they came along, preferring their portability, longevity, lack of surface noise, etc. to LPs. Although I use iTunes / iPod for pretty much all my listening at this point, I am still a CD guy at heart, and rarely buy downloaded music, because I've more than once misplaced the downloads and trashed them by mistake!
These days when I do download an album, I burn it to CD-R and place it in my CD collection to have a physical "concrete" copy which won't get misplaced on a hard drive. So while I have bought downloaded music, I'm staying entrenched in the physical media camp!
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Posted: |
Jun 26, 2013 - 8:29 PM
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By: |
betenoir
(Member)
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I am intermediate, in that I had a large LP collection, and did not embrace CDs until music started coming out only on CD, not on LP. Then, as more and more film music on CDs became available I started to get rid of LPs, keeping only the more obscure ones such as Battle of Britain and Das Boot that I was afraid might not get released on CD. Eventually nearly everything I had on LP was on CD (with a few exceptions, such as Addison's Moll Flanders, which I am very happy to see on CD now) and I got rid of my last LPs.
On the other hand, I have zero digital downloads and a ton of CDs which I intend to keep permanently. That would change if someday my CD players died and I could not find a replacement, but I will more likely be the one to die first.
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Posted: |
Jun 26, 2013 - 9:50 PM
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By: |
Zoragoth
(Member)
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I loved the LP era for the artwork, but do not miss scratchy LPs one bit! I happily moved on to CDs, and not so happily rebought most of my collection. As with some other posters, I have purchased 2-3 mp3 albums because they were not available otherwise. Of course, within two years they were issued by Intrada. I'm talkin' BLACK HOLE and TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES. CDs do take up space, but I love the artwork, the liner notes, the booklet designs, especially those from folks like FSM and Intrada. Have an iPod, bu no intention of going full digital. Just bought a new Marantz CD player last week to replace my 1994 Marantz, which after being a great workhorse was beginning to skip unpredictably!
All hail CDs! ;-)
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Eventually, I can see a time when digital downloads are routinely superior in quality to CD. But that day is not yet.
When that happens, my CDs *might* start to feel old and superfluous.
Right now, I consider myself an accepter of digital. I have downloaded albums and I run a massive iTunes library, albeit 99% of it ripped from CDs.
I like the convenience and the abilities you have to protect your music collection from loss, which CDs just do not offer.
However, right now, I love my CDs and am not ready to give them up.
I just recognize I once said the same thing about LPs.
Cheers
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Posted: |
Jun 27, 2013 - 7:17 AM
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By: |
Thomas
(Member)
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I grew up in the era of vinyl, 7”, 12” and all that and I guess I’ve accepted downloads as well. As long as the sound is reasonably good and I can hear it clear enough, MP3 is fine ( I’ve more important things to worry about than slight differences in sound quality). The only CDs I buy now are film music and musicals, simply because I have a good collection of them and I may as well keep it going now (not that I buy that much anymore). Saying that, I do have a number of film music downloads, mainly due to price of acquiring the CDs. Rock and Pop music I like I just download. Easier, accessible and less storage space.
I visited my local HMV for the first time in ages yesterday. It now stocks very few CDs, and there was hardly anyone browsing through them. Soon enough there won’t be a choice. Few CDs will be released, and eventually there won’t be anything to play them on!
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Well, I can certainly remember when it was "LPs forever, CDs never".
And now it's "CDs forever, digital never".
Sometimes we do move on, even if we don't think we will. People go where the content is.
I know vinyl is making something of a comeback, but, at the end of the day, good luck getting your Blue Box, Star Trek TMP complete, etc, on vinyl.
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Posted: |
Jun 27, 2013 - 10:49 AM
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By: |
MusicMad
(Member)
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I'm very much in the camp of those who have moved on ... embracing the digital age (i.e. medium) although I do not collect or promote MP3 (notwithstanding I do have several such recordings).
I grew up in the 45rpm/vinyl LP age (I can recall handling some 78rpm discs though never owned any) and I spent most of my pocket/birthday money and teenage earnings on such discs and ancilliary items. I'd buy alternative releases of the same material just so I'd have a cleaner copy, my first, second, third, ... copies having suffered damage through playing/handling ... despite being ultra-careful.
But then I never owned a decent record deck with my best one still being only in the lower price range of okay ... it was direct drive and I upgraded the stylus and cartridge but compared to goods decks (e.g. Linn) it was a poor relation.
I took to cassettes like the proverbial duck ... and spent many hours creating compilation tapes, etc.
And it was a challenge to dispense with all these products when I finally accepted CDs as the way-forward. Having started my CD buying in 1986 it was only when I was comfortable with CDrs - say 15 years on - that the vinyl, etc. went to rest in the garage, and finally disappeared from my life a couple of years ago.
Yes, the sleeves were nice but with two teenage children around the house, combined with working from home, it was impractical to keep everything. Especially items not actually of any use!
My CD collection grew ... and continues to expand (not quite exponentially) but whilst I do like to have the physical item and the sleeve to browse, etc. I'm aware that we do not have the space and so all discs are now ripped to the PC ~ NAS drive (in lossless) and I very rarely play a CD (many are boxed away).
For those who are dubious about moving over: believe me, it's wonderful ... yes, it takes time to catalogue your recordings but the ease of access makes it so worthwhile. Keep a backup of the drive(s) and with the original CDs to fall back on and all should be well. Go for it ... you won't regret the investment (time and money).
I've just played Frank Cordell's The Best of Everything. without leaving my chair I can choose any one track from the many thousands ripped to the NAS ... the only difficulty is recalling a title. And if I'm too lazy to choose I just go for Random play ...
... so next up is: The Notebook from George Delerue's True Confessions .. to be followed by Comme Les Deux Doights de la Main from Gabriel Yared's Betty Blue ... etc. And all in CD quality sound (unless it's one of those MP3 tracks, of course!)
Mitch
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Though it appears optical drives will be available for the foreseeable future. Yes, car manufactures are taking them out of their vehicles, but I believe it will remain an "option". Apple took the optical drive out of their Macs, but they are selling an external optical drive as an accessory. (for $90 dollars more I might add!) 
