Do you collect the music or the original CD? And Why?

[prémont]

Almost sounds like you're talking about a son or a daughter. 

Completely intentional. I have lived with the music for so many years, that I almost feel myself related to it.

[orbital]

It wouldn't be a problem if you guys used Sarge's Miracle CD Organizer System (patent pending). It's a breeze to find anything quickly.

Sarge

CD # 10359 That is cold 

My memory is really not the best (I am told a side effect of my previous profession  )
I also started to make use of the rating system on the IDTags. I forget if I like a particular recording or not after a while, the rating system helps me with that. Plus I can sometimes visit the 1-2 star recordings to give them another chance from time to time. I don't know hoy you guys keep thousands of CDs and generally remember if you like this/that recording that easily

[prémont]

I don't know hoy you guys keep thousands of CDs and generally remember if you like this/that recording that easily

Not always that easily. I think everybody has experienced to relisten to a recording after some years, finding out that it impresses you much more, than you remember. And the opposite may happen too. The changing factor must be one´s actual frame of mind when listening. And this is why I look at even my own opinion of a recording with some reservation, unless I know the recording very, very well.

[Mark]

Not always that easily. I think everybody has experienced to relisten to a recording after some years, finding out that it impresses you much more, than you remember. And the opposite may happen too. The changing factor must be one´s actual frame of mind when listening. And this is why I look at even my own opinion of a recording with some reservation, unless I know the recording very, very well.

I'll admit I'm with you on this.

[Bogey]

Yeah, me too. That's why I label my CD-Rs and put them into cases I buy at Staples. 

Perhaps you should share which Schnabel Pearl you need in case another member knows where to get it?

Well then, I will send you your choice of cdr's and labels and you just pop the pro copies of Vols. I, II  , and V in the mail and send them out my way. 

[George]

Well then, I will send you your choice of cdr's and labels and you just pop the pro copies of Vols. I, II  , and V in the mail and send them out my way. 

[BachQ]

For Joyce Hatto performances, I prefer to collect the original studio master recording .........

[George]

For Joyce Hatto performances, I prefer to collect the original studio master recording .........

The joke that just keeps on ticking. 

[Valentino]

I find your poll too polarized, George. Can't vote.

I buy CDs and used LPs. I like liner notes. I make CD-Rs of alternative interpretations, i.e. I fileshare with friends. Sometimes I bring out my cassette with Bernstein conducting Mahler 7. I plan some harddisk based storage system for the ripped stuff.

What's my vote then?

[George]

I find your poll too polarized, George. Can't vote.

I buy CDs and used LPs. I like liner notes. I make CD-Rs of alternative interpretations, i.e. I fileshare with friends. Sometimes I bring out my cassette with Bernstein conducting Mahler 7. I plan some harddisk based storage system for the ripped stuff.

What's my vote then?

I purposely polarized the poll. (say that three times fast  )

I guess what it boils down to is: do you prefer to collect the music or the product?

Sounds like it's the former.

[Catison]

I voted for original CD.  I like knowing I have the highest quality version available.  I am currently in the process of ripping all my CDs to FLAC, so that I have a digital copy I can call upon at any time.  And I know that when I listen to my music digitally, I am getting all the information available into my ears.

I am an open source advocate, so for a long time I used ogg files.  The ogg format is an open source alternative to mp3 that has a smaller file size and sounds better for acoustic music.  There are many digital music players that can play back these files now.  But one day I decided to try out FLAC, just to see if there was anything I was missing.  I was listening to Barber's first symphony, and out of nowhere a timpani roll surprised me, as if I hadn't heard it before.  From that day forward, I decided I would only use FLAC.

I was ripping my CDs as I go along, but about a year ago, I found out I would be spending about 3 months away from my home and all of my CDs.  I bought a 500 GB hard drive and just kept ripping until my hands bled.  I had about 300 GB ripped before I had to leave, and it has been a real treat to have so much music with me in a small hard drive.

At home, I have a very nice system set up so that it is very easy for me to take my music with me when I want to.  I keep a repository of all my music in FLAC and transfer that to my media player.  When I want to transfer music the media player I take to the gym (which doesn't support FLAC), I can automatically convert them to ogg files.  Once the ripping process is done, it is very easy to work with.  I have been planning to write a post about using classical music with Linux.

[Mark]

I voted for original CD.  I like knowing I have the highest quality version available.

Short of DSD/SACD or studio masters, presumably?

[jochanaan]

I still do CDs.  But my ideal is to have the scores.

[marvinbrown]

I still do CDs.  But my ideal is to have the scores.

  Ahh I like how you think Jochanaan  There is nothing quite like reading the score while you're listening to the music- short of playing the music yourself of course 

  marvin

[Manon]

I want to buy CDs but in my country i can hardly find what i want and i also don't want to pay for a CD. (Because i am a student now, i don't earn money.When i finish my school and be a teacher i will start buying CDs  ) So i prefer downloading for now.

[jochanaan]

  Ahh I like how you think Jochanaan  There is nothing quite like reading the score while you're listening to the music- short of playing the music yourself of course 

Indeed.  That's the most efficient and pleasurable way to get to know music.

[snyprrr]

If you only knew how meticulously I arranged the grail...er,collection, you would see how all the different spines combine to form my artwork, a seamless web of DG, Stradivarius, Philips, Decca, Naxos all working together to please the eye.

Some of my favorite spines are Orfeo (very noble), and whenever I see a Philips spine I know a classic lurks therein. Sometimes I quibble with Naxos because the color of the lettering doesn't match where it's supposed to go in the collection, so I have to do some fancy reshuffling, and let me tell you, when you've got your baby as perfect as I have, you don't want it to be a chore to add a new member to the family.

This is absolutely true: I have bought 2 cds again, twice, because originally I didn't get the "original" release with the original spine, and when the whole point of my collection is documenting the origins of the cd (does anyone have a longbox?-biooong!), well, then, you understand, no?

I mean, can you imagine my consternation when I saw the same music on two different EMI pressings, one with the "red and white" and the other just red??? You don't believe me, do you? Oh, ye of small...

So, of COURSE it's about the cd. Let me ask you, are you as happy when you get a download, or when you reach into the mailbox and your hand feels THAT shape??? hmmm? "Is that yoo, my love?" Don't tell me you don't,haha.

But seriously folks (not that I wasn't), I would love to just record that "one" piece I like off of each cd (the ones that only HAVE one good piece) and trash them.

I mean, I'm a hypocrite. I have the Musical Heretige Society's version of Hyperion's Dvorak/Martinu Sextets. Sacre bleu!!! Oh, how we have fallen. :'(Hyperion, I tell you.

Don't try and tell me I haven't gotten over on the world when I get an MDG, Hyperion, or some other outrageously priced cd for $3!!! I DOES MAKE THE MUSIC BETTER (just a tiny haha there, but sometimes true).

Maybe this is as good a place as any to remind you all that a DG new release cost about $14-15.99 @1990. Ha, my internet $$$ go a whole lot further on ebay and amazon than they did at Tower back then. So, basically, there IS no recession for cd freaks, because I can get the same DG, still new!!, for probably $4-8. Still, don't blame me when you realize it's true and spend all your money anyway. And I can see some of you needing an escuse . Your wives WILL find out!

I could have gotten Pizzetti's SQs on Marco Polo for $6 on ebay the other day(as opposed to twice that on amazon- though still way below 1990 prices), but, I guess, unemployment has its drawbacks, like no money in the bank. hrummph.

Which brings me to my conclusion. Everything I said earlier reminds me of that Peter Greenaway film with the guy with his library (Cook, Thief??). It is definitely a different world out there all of a sudden, and I just ain't got da cash baby, so, when one of our kind members said they would either sell me Pijpers SQs (Olympia, impossible to find) for $25, OR give me a free CD-r, WELL (trumpets blaring fanfare) I caught on quick. Mind you, if Pijper was higher on "the list" (another thread), I would have STOLEN the money, so, thank GOD for 2nd and 3rd rank composers, those who are CD-r worthy. But I HAVE wanted to hear them, and I tell you...

There are some folks here on GMG who have just written me out of the blue and offered me all kinds of musical "courtesies", and, you know, I find that really heart touching,- just that general sense of community and help and love for a common thing...though it be a chili dog, or wot not. So, many thanks already to those open hearts.

I bought 2 cds in 6 months, and that was not by choice. I have earned my chair in the CDCDCD (co-depend...?? what was it?), but I am learning to live a new way of life, a life that will include "non traditional" forms of acquiring music. I might even be able to believe that if I can "hear", I "have" it. And THEN, maybe, one day, I won't need this crutch of music anymore, and I can live my life free of these burdens, and I can thank you all for that (now I'm just bein cheeky,heehee, couldn't resist). caio.

[Daverz]

I need to have a physical artifact.  Digital files are too ephemeral.  If I had a cheap, consistent, permanent backup system and the discipline to use it.  If the tag system wasn't just for music that comes in units of "song", and didn't require frequent fixing to get the tag info consistent.  If texts and translations were included.  If I had a way to use all this that integrated well with my stereo (no noisy computers allowed).  Then I might consider dropping real money on lossless digital files. 

[Wanderer]

The music is the important thing, but I prefer to have it on CD or vinyl. I like having something physical to go along with the music to look at and refer to. I think a lot depends on how you like to listen to your recordings, though. If your player of choice is an mp3 player or computer, then you're less likely to want or need the packaging. ... I still like having something I can hold in my hand.

I much prefer to buy original CDs, mainly because of the artwork and the liner notes. Also, CD-Rs won't last as long.

Agreed with the above.

I have and enjoy downloads as well, but I don't consider them as parts of my proper collection (especially if they're encoded in lossy formats). They mostly serve as samples in order for me to decide whether the original release is interesting enough to purchase or else it is music I don't listen to often but nevertheless like to have around (non-classical mostly) or music that is otherwise OOP.

[Grazioso]

I too prefer the physicality of having actual CDs lining the shelf, of seeing and handling physical discs and looking at physical artwork and liner notes. It's like walking into a library filled with books of all different sizes and colors and even smells, artifacts that you can physically interact with, versus browsing through .pdf's online. A completely different experience.

Note to classical music labels: you're losing a chance for my money if you decide to release music only as digital files instead of CDs.