Digital has Killed Music both Recorded media and HI-Fi

[Madiel]

There will be HIP Pink, too!

"The Academy of Ancient Music has reconstructed an ancient computer interface known as "WinXP" and are attempting to process "MP3" files recently unearthed in the library of congress. Researchers believe the key to this project is understanding mysterious references to 'the blue screen of death,' which is appears to be central to the system."

Ha. So much for historical accuracy. Windows XP was far too stable for blue screen of death to be a feature.

[Elgarian Redux]

Suddenly I see it: the current fashion for vinyl is the HIP concept applied to recordings.

[Florestan]

Ha. So much for historical accuracy. Windows XP was far too stable for blue screen of death to be a feature.

I knew it and I said it: HIP is about strawmen. 

Suddenly I see it: the current fashion for vinyl is the HIP concept applied to recordings.

I knew it and I said it: HIP is a strictly modern phenomenon. 

[Daverz]

I started collecting records in the mid-70s.  I never thought vinyl sounded better than CDs, and I have pretty good analog equipment now, though it mostly sits idle.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Ha. So much for historical accuracy. Windows XP was far too stable for blue screen of death to be a feature.

Perhaps our current HIP notions are also slightly off.

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

System wizard has detected a GPF. Time to sit and watch it scan your hard drive for six hours--oh, and it lost all your work from the last three hours. Sry.

Macs were NO BETTER. I remember those little cutie pie first generation, jelly-bean colored iMacs (with the ridonkulous circular mice) that were dumped on educational institutions everywhere (incl UC Davis where I was a grad student). They sat there and did NOTHING except look stupid cute. Try to open a document? FAIL. Time to lift it off the desk 1.256 meters at a 48.58 degree angle from the ecliptic and restart it with the little pin-prick tool, while simulataneously pressing the heart, apple, and teddy bear keys. Why should I put up with this shite? I was told: Just buy a Mac! Just get a Mac! They're just better! They just are! They just are! They're just better! Just buy a Mac!!!

I have been this close to switching everything over to Linux for years now...

[Madiel]

Perhaps our current HIP notions are also slightly off.

To the extent that most of us don't bother about the difference between 1720s technology and 1740s technology because to us it's all "old", probably.

But thanks for getting me to reminisce about Windows 3.1 for the first time in ages.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

A lot of the vinyl experience has nothing to do with the sound quality. It's the tactile, immersive experience - dusting off the album, watching it spin, adjusting everything just so. It feels ritualistic, something you have to pay attention to.

I work at home, and while doing so, I spin CDs. But I save the vinyl for when I'm not doing anything else.

Also (and this applies more to pop/rock music) LPs can be art objects. A lot of classic rock albums have iconic cover art, and reducing those covers to CD size or (worse) a little image on your computer screen seems like a mild form of vandalism.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

System wizard has detected a GPF. Time to sit and watch it scan your hard drive for six hours--oh, and it lost all your work from the last three hours. Sry.

Macs were NO BETTER. I remember those little cutie pie first generation, jelly-bean colored iMacs (with the ridonkulous circular mice) that were dumped on educational institutions everywhere (incl UC Davis where I was a grad student). They sat there and did NOTHING except look stupid cute. Try to open a document? FAIL. Time to lift it off the desk 1.256 meters at a 48.58 degree angle from the ecliptic and restart it with the little pin-prick tool, while simulataneously pressing the heart, apple, and teddy bear keys. Why should I put up with this shite? I was told: Just buy a Mac! Just get a Mac! They're just better! They just are! They just are! They're just better! Just buy a Mac!!!

I have been this close to switching everything over to Linux for years now...

I used linux extensively back in the day. About 4 years ago I decided to try again. Every distribution I used to use was gone. I installed the one that seemed to be the most popular. After a frustrating few days trying to get it to install I booted it. I tried to start whatever brain-damaged web browser was linked on the desktop. Kernel panic, locked up. Got out the Windows7 install discs and started installing Windows from scratch.

Now, when I want unix, I open a terminal window in macOS...

[Daverz]

I used linux extensively back in the day. About 4 years ago I decided to try again. Every distribution I used to use was gone. I installed the one that seemed to be the most popular. After a frustrating few days trying to get it to install I booted it. I tried to start whatever brain-damaged web browser was linked on the desktop. Kernel panic, locked up. Got out the Windows7 install discs and started installing Windows from scratch.

Now, when I want unix, I open a terminal window in macOS...

If I had to guess, I'd say you were unlucky with your hardware.  Linux installs and runs very smoothly these days.  That said, I'm also a Mac user for the most part, keep a Windows 7 box for dbPowerAmp and consulting work, and currently only use Linux for my music server (Ubuntu Server) and transport (piCorePlayer).

[Gurn Blanston]

Also (and this applies more to pop/rock music) LPs can be art objects. A lot of classic rock albums have iconic cover art, and reducing those covers to CD size or (worse) a little image on your computer screen seems like a mild form of vandalism.

The only thing I miss about LP's. *sigh* Always loved 12x12 album art. Iconic? Indeed!

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Ubuntu, that was it.

Uptime, 37 seconds, I'd estimate. It was an Intel motherboard, i5 processor, Western Digital SATA drive, LB CD-ROM drive, and whatever the most popular video card was at the time, don't recall. Ran Win7 flawlessly until last week, when it refused to boot (didn't even get to the beep code). Now I'm down to a MacBook, the one before they took all the connectors off. Don't know what I'll do when it dies.

[Cato]

The only thing I miss about LP's. *sigh* Always loved 12x12 album art. Iconic? Indeed!

Some great covers: NONESUCH always had interesting covers, usually rather whimsical!  I remember one - I searched the Internet to no avail - of the Dvorak Seventh Symphony, and it showed a conductor sweatily exhorting the orchestra, but the timpanist was sitting in an easy chair watching a T.V. set perched on the kettledrum! 

I owned both of these, and many others:



The next cover was almost as awesome as the music!

[Sydney Nova Scotia]

Digital what? Digital audio? Digital downloads? Please specify what you mean.

All digital formats

[Sydney Nova Scotia]

Very much agree with this entire post. When I was very young, I was privileged to have the acquaintance of many quite old people, who had been brought up playing instruments and singing, etc. in their homes. Thus we had that in OUR home, and it wasn't until they all died that I realized what a great thing had been given me and now was gone. When MY generation dies out, there won't be many who remember it from when they were young.

"yes, son, I remember when we used to gather around the computer after dinner and stream Pink..." 

You got my point exactly - digital formats are a curse 

Look what happened to recorded music, particular in the non-classical sphere its gone to pot and I blame digital for that.

Any fool can record something and push it out to the masses with little or no involvement from anyone with some form of musical skill...........................

[Gurn Blanston]

Any fool can record something and push it out to the masses with little or no involvement from anyone with some form of musical skill...........................

Ah, well that's a different thing, innit? I agree with that, though it is not to say there is no talent left in the music business. Merely that if one doesn't have talent, there is now nothing stopping you from complete and utter success!  Concurrently, tastes and standards have changed to match. It is sad, I must say...    All the more reason to support the talented artists who still work their asses off in every facet of music, from art music to pop. Don't let their efforts be overwhelmed by the backlash against AutoTune....

[Sydney Nova Scotia]

Ah, well that's a different thing, innit? I agree with that, though it is not to say there is no talent left in the music business. Merely that if one doesn't have talent, there is now nothing stopping you from complete and utter success!  Concurrently, tastes and standards have changed to match. It is sad, I must say...    All the more reason to support the talented artists who still work their asses off in every facet of music, from art music to pop. Don't let their efforts be overwhelmed by the backlash against AutoTune....

Every one has the right to make music - but my goodness some of that AutoTune/ rap stuff is dangerous to mental health or only suitable as an instrument of torture 

[Moonfish]

Digital what? Digital audio? Digital downloads? Please specify what you mean.

Probably the digital AI/management that makes all these music compilations....     0:)

[Moonfish]

To the extent that most of us don't bother about the difference between 1720s technology and 1740s technology because to us it's all "old", probably.

But thanks for getting me to reminisce about Windows 3.1 for the first time in ages.

Ah, me too, Madiel!!! 

[Gurn Blanston]

Ah, me too, Madiel!!! 

HAH!  I loved my Flying Toasters Screensaver program!  My first computer (an IBM PS1 with a 386SX-25 MgHz processor and TWO megabytes of RAM!!)  had DOS 3.3 and Win 3.0. I liked 3.1 a lot, actually was able to learn what there was to know about it. Sure as hell can't do that with Win today! Which exactly goes back to the root of what SNS was complaining about. Technology now owns us instead of us owning it. It even owns our music, or how we make, record or listen to it. If I was vain enough to attempt to clarify his opening remark, I would only say "digital=technology".