jeremy c Posted March 24, 2003 Share Posted March 24, 2003 What is SACD? Do I have to buy another piece of gear? To re-argue one of my points, there doesn't seem to be a shelf life for vinyl. It will last indefinitely if cared for. (Maybe not for millions of years--or maybe).But all digital media and all tapes will degrade and become useless. The wonderful benevolent record companies switched everything to cds and now they charge us more money for them than they did for records. Only it costs them less to produce cds than it did to make records. What's up with that? And I'm sure they will switch to another new format when that comes along in the hope of getting us baby-boomers to buy our entire music collections again for the third time. Not me, I'll still happily listen to my records.Of course I buy all new releases on cd. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted March 24, 2003 Share Posted March 24, 2003 Originally posted by jeremyc: Be like Mozart, go to a concert, then go home and write down everything you heard.Great idea. You should let Bumpcity know. I think he's bound for a King Crimson show tonight. That should keep him busy for a while after he gets home. I wonder if he's ever done a transcription for a Chapman Stick or a Warr Guitar? (Bump -- you out there?) Gotta say, though, that Mozart fellah was pretty kick-ass when it came to music. spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumpelstiltskin. Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 Originally posted by jeremyc: What is SACD? Do I have to buy another piece of gear?SACD is another sony/philips creation that is an improvement on CD. it is an acronym for super audio CD. you do need new gear, as SACDs have the information density of DVDs. they're encoded incredibly different that DVD-video and DVD-audio discs, however. primarily, SACD is a stereo and 6-channel surround format. further, the encoding format is entirely new. instead of "stacking" sample's information into one packet of information (i.e. 16 bits or 24 bits), the information is a continuous stream of 1s and 0s. because of its extremely high bitrate, it has better resolution and frequency response than 24-bit/192kHz PCM. but it doesn't have as much inherent error due to jitter and the physics of semiconductors, because it's a stream -- less change in voltage during dynamic passages. it's pretty cool stuff. sony copied the tape master of a bunch of its classics, like "kind of blue" (i know you know the birth of cool) and "time out", to SACD, so the degrading tape masters will be preserved. the sound is incredible -- noticeably better than CD, and matter of taste with vinyl. don't worry, though. you can get SACD players for about $200, i think, and a really good one that i like can be bought for around $450. it'll play your CDs, and if you buy intelligently, it'll also play DVDs and DVD-audio discs. mine plays SACD, DVD-video, DVD-audio, CD, .mp3CD, and video CD. i have one unit for everything, and it performs as well on video as it does on audio. it's awesome. i can't say enough how great a player it is. robb. because i like people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 ok, I already have Kind of Blue on disc (it was $2.50 when I bought it). I also have it on cd and remastered cd. So now I've got to buy it again. Next time it'll probably be $25. I love technology. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumpelstiltskin. Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 yeah, but the flip side of that coin is that i get the sound quality of vinyl and convenience of disc for the first time that i buy these classic records that i've always meant to buy. procrastination rewarded! you have to experience it. go to the snobby hi-fi shop in your area (there must be a dozen or more in the bay area) and listen to some demos on a $20k system. you'll love it -- even the tape hiss. robb. because i like people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edendude Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 I finally broke the LP habit... I just recently gave away 400 plus LPs and a Sony direct drive turntable with a nice Shure cartridge. However, I do still possess an immaculate Tascam TSR-8 half inch, eight track, reel to reel! Does it sound better than digital for bass tracking? Of course it does! Nothing can replace the effect of natural tape compression to make bass and drum tracks sound as PHAT as hell! Analog is still alive and well, and definitely has it's place. My Last Band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc taz Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 Originally posted by jeremyc: If you are listening to sound quality, you are not really listening to the music. If the media type distracts you, try listening harder to the music. Be like Mozart, go to a concert, then go home and write down everything you heard. Who cares if I own a $20k system? I hear everything just fine with my $200 receiver, 20 year old hand-me-down Marantz speakers, $300 Harman Kardon tape deck, and $150 for a five CD plattered CD player, among other things. Less than $2,000 for my hifi rig. I MIGHT spend more if I made more money, but maybe not... would rather spend the $ on some good instruments. sevenstring.org profile my flickr page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 Just to stick my two cents in, I think we all agree about the album art. I have trouble reading the credits on CD liner notes !! Jeremy - shelf life is an excellent issue. One key is that you know you have to take some steps to preserve vinyl, and you have done so. Mine are in boxes moldering in my in-laws basement (at least they are standing on edge - I think). We tend to view CDs as stronger, and I suspect we protect them less (I do). The thing I feel a bit better about is that computer formats seem to be more fluid as they go out of style - they usually can be converted (it's just software). The shelf life thing that cracks me up is when the printer companies say that a printed picture will last 80 years.... I weigh in for the ease of use of CDs. Most of my vinyl is in worse condition than Jeremy's - though I still like listening to it. Like many vinyl-ites, I save it because of the memories and because so much of it hasn't been released on CD. For example - my longtime favorite Cactus albums are not available, and while the "Cactology" CD has great material, it's also missing great material. Cup, I'm too old for being so earnest about a point of view about this kind of thing. And at 48, I was 13 for the summer of love, but there were still hippie things going on when I was 17 & 18. And even at 13, there were "hippie" experiences in the culture that shaped who I am. This is all in deference to those who are old enough to have "really" been there. Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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