[KR...]

These guys are not pop stars, most bands , I found, even the more famous ones (they just have less free time), are very easy to talk to. E-mail them and just ask.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Quote:

Originally posted by DarkAngel Dusty The groups/artists do submit music to MP3 site using MP3 (MPEG 3) format, but can't you use various bit transfer rates higher than 128K? Depending on software settings they are using you can submit multimedia (win ripped) MP3s at 256k or better for songs to be sold in CD format on disk.........I may be way off here because I have never created MP3s, just the impression I got from info at site.

Could well be. You're getting into territory I am not as familiar with. I will have to remember to ask my friend the next time I see him (I am in the process of joining his band). But I suspect (without looking at the link you provided) that different expenses are involved, either with disk space or something. So most opt for the lowest (read: cheapest) quality). Quote:

Sounds like no one is too impressed with CDs purchased from this site.

Yes, but as someone else so rightly pointed out, it's music, and that's the most important thing to me. I have to admit, I disagree with the characterization that it is unlistenable. I mean, I can hear the difference, but I can hear through the compression artifacts to the music, and that's all I care about.

BTW -- I don't think I need to get that Collide sampler, I have the four discs pictured.

 

[eastsidemetalhd]

don't know about buying from MP3.com, but i just downloaded both Exhorder albums (Slaughter In The Vatican and The Law) from there and it sounds ok to me, 128k and all that.

 

[skippy]

i've got an mp3.com page, but i just opted for a non-paying hobbyist page thing and they only allow me to upload 128kbs files.

 

[coolvij]

Quote:

Times change, music changes, and I guess we all must adapt and accept. I must accept your music. Accepting and liking are different. You probably wouldn't like Coltrane anymore than I'd like Radiohead or some of the other new groups.

Time may change, but good music doesn't - so, from that, I reason that John Coltrane is god

 

[gaineso]

Time may change, but good music doesn't - so, from that, I reason that John Coltrane is god

Maybe not, but sits pretty close to the right hand.

 

[Xevion]

mp3.com forces you to use 128k CBR mp3s, probably because of bandwidth. And I am very sure they just decompress the mp3s onto CDs. Why not? Noone cares about sound quality anymore

.

I don't mind if I can only get a 128k file for free, but paying for it? When I can download it and burn it? Or buy it straight from the artist? No.

 

[cajunchrist]

I've purchased three CD's from an arist named Silent Watcher of Dark Matter from mp3.com. I was able to play the CD's on my Kenwood disc player, but now that I use my JVC DVD player exclusively to play CD's, it is unable to read them. Any idea why?

cajunchrist

 

[gaineso]

I know that a lot of DVD players won't read CD-R's or CD-RW's. Are the playing sides of your discs blue or silver? If they aren't silver, or gold for some audiophile releases like the old MoFi's, then they are CD-R's. Not good.

Xevion, If you don't care about sound quality, why are you in a Hi-Fi forum. It's true a lot of people don't care about sound any more, but a lot of those people have never really heard a quality sound system. If they did, a lot of them would realize the error of their ways.

Then there are the unfortunants, like my SO, who are essentially tone deaf. She honestly can't tell much difference between the phones that came with her $35.00 Aiwa portable cassette player and my Kenwood pcdp with Total Airhead and HD600's. She does say the HD600's are more comfortable.

We need to expose as many people as we can to the beauty of well recorded and well played back music. Otherwise, quality components and quality software may just disappear.

 

[DarkAngel]

I got my three Cds from MP3.com and the sound quality is not bad at all. I have some regular redbook CDs that don't sound as good as these, I'm sure there is some variation depending on quality of original recording etc. The MP3 CDs themselves are Mitsui Color Thermals and do have the blue/rainbow tint coloration. They played no problem on my Pan CT470 portable CDP and in my main system CDP. Did not try the MP3 playback, but disk has music in both formats.

Most Cds from MP3.com are under $10 and come in clear jewel case with professionally printed graphics booklet. Tracks can be programed no problem. Besides the DVD player problem mentioned above, the only downside I see is there is no place to resell used MP3 CDs like you can regular CDs. You can buy the software only for $4 less and listen online or download to your computer.

I put my MP3 Cds on main 10k rig and sound was about equal to your average pop/rock CD from 70/80's, amazingly MP3 CD have very good 3D spatial presentation. Didn't notice the brightness some have mentioned here, but did sometimes detect some glassy/tinny sounding treble and thinness of midrange vs the best CD recordings. I will be buying a few more since there is great music here not available anywhere else. I probably wouldn't buy jazz/classical here because recording standards are much higher, but for rock/alt/gothic/industrial etc new/obscure bands this is a great site.

Just to give an example all three of my MP3 Cds sound superior to my 1980's U2 Joshua Tree CD, so probably 90% of the public wouldn't be able to appreciate the improvement that good redbook CDs offer vs MP3 CDs

Dusty
That Collide stuff is very cool, fortunately they do have some regular CDs for sale, so I ordered "beneath the skin" CD.

 

[Xevion]

Quote:

Xevion, If you don't care about sound quality, why are you in a Hi-Fi forum. It's true a lot of people don't care about sound any more, but a lot of those people have never really heard a quality sound system. If they did, a lot of them would realize the error of their ways.

Did I ever say I don't care about sound quality? No. To rephrase what I said - I will listen to a 128k mp3 if it is the only way I can hear something before I consider buying the CD, and I usually don't get too fussy about it. But yes they do sound like complete crap, but I am willing to forego it because it is so easy to download an mp3, and it takes me a bit ovebr an hour of work to pay for a CD. Then I go out and buy the CDs I like when I have the money.

Sound quality is important, but the music is more important, and if I want to listen to Arena (I don't have any of their CDs, yet), I will open up my mp3s of them and listen to em. I generally use my speakers for listening to mp3s because my heapdhones (HD600)t very fautiging on most mp3s, I don't know why other then the sound, perhaps it is because it can be so harsh and my ears like smooth (I have Celestion speakers).

As for my incorrect assumption about sound quality, it is from a friend that has a group with something on mp3.com, he told me that they just used the mp3s. Whoops, and now I might want to purchase a couple CDs from there, thanks DarkAngel

 

[DarkAngel]

A bit more observation about CDs sold by MP3.com. I stated prevoiusly that the three I just purchased sound as good as the average redbook CD from 1970/80's including U2 Joshua Tree as an example. That is because the source material for these new MP3 CDs was of higher quality. Obviously if I compared the original CD to MP3 CD the original would sound superior because the MP3 format uses @12:1 compression ratio to reduce data stream to 128k. However the compromise in sound quality is relatively small and I believe 90% of the public would not notice the difference. Sound engineers are very clever employing compression codes/formats that do as little damage to sound as possible.

As hardware/storage performance increases, and broadband price comes down less compression will be needed and MP2 (256K) and MP1 (384K) will become more common, eventually direct streaming of CD format (1,400k) will be practicle. Record companies of course are alarmed at this prospect and are scrambling to catch up with consumers/technology.

 

[gaineso]

The industry is really scrambling to stop copying. They're going to start adding different types of encoding to stop digital copying of all CD's. There is consensus among the various scribes talking about this, that there will be a marked reduction in sound quality from an already imperfect medium.

If they start this BS, I'm sure someone(s) will come up with various methods of defeating it. Meantime, those of us who give a **** will probably be moving to SACD or (shudder) DVD-A.

I can burn near CD quality discs from the analog outs of ans SACD player to use for portable and/or car listening.

I WILL NOT buy any CD that I know in advance is copy protected, and I suggest a lot of thought about this. The record industry has already stated that protection will degrade sound. I won't pay for something less.

I can buy from the specialty audiophile labels, or I can probably be very happy for a very long time with just the music collection I already have.

Probably got way off topic, but hey!

 

[DarkAngel]

Gaineso
I'm with you and whenever possible will get CD of music and use CDR copies from CD for portables, car etc. I only use MP3.com for music I can't get anywhere else and put up with less than ideal but cheaper sound. BTW this is legal and music is purchased and money paid to artist.

The whole Napster fiasco has caused some irreversable changes in the music industry, some form of copy protection is probably unavoidable. But Record companies are realizing what a great concept web based distribution of music is, cuts much of the cost and provides instant worldwide release of CD along with tremendous cross selling opportunities.

From an artist point of view it is much easier/cheaper to release
music online and bypass entire record industry infrastructure.
This can provide tremendous boom of creative music that would otherwise be rejected by "got to sell a million copies" record
industry bean counters.

 

[KR...]

Have you heard this band?

http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/25/fairytale_abuse.html