[marios_mar]

Do you miss the medium? Or do you reminisce the old times associated with it?
 
Back then LPs, CDs , MDs and Cassettes were in our everyday routine.  Collecting the discs was something special. Going to record shop every other day was a nice habbit for me and I really miss that. Downloads have made getting new music feel like a cheap experience. Convenience is great but I somehow connect the physical medium with trying to appreciate the music. Skipping songs is what I do now.
 
Just some random thoughts here. Share your opinion

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I don't miss a car full of scratched up CDs. I can't see how the convenience makes the experience of music "cheap," that depends on who's listening - like idiots who listen to concept albums on shuffle. With my smartphone as a music server I can listen to Kamelot's "Epica" and "The Black Halo" - two concept albums, part 1 and 2, based on Faust - where after the last track on Epica my phone automatically goes into The Black Halo. I don't have to take my headphones off, press eject/lift tonearm, lift out a disc (silver or black), put them in their containers, pull out the next one, load it, then hit "Close"/lower tonearm...it actually makes the music experience better as I go from one concept album to its sequel without doing anything, listening to it as if it were a seamless disc.

 

Then there are live recordings. They aren't necessarily the best in quality, but if I can skip the part where I stand up, hit open/lift tonearm, lift disc, return disc to container, pull out next disc, place down, hit "Close/lower tonearm," then  sit down, I'd take it. Used to be I'd pretend it was the intermission part where I'm supposed to have some tea (and a cigarette), but over time the disappointment over not actually wearing my best outfit and going back to my seat when Atsumori isn't actually going to be on stage to haunt Naozone has accumulated enough that I am able to appreciate technological advances for what I can do with them regardless of all the idiots who use them in other ways (like one story  I read about where some guy asked for new music to listen to, was given Dark Side of the Moon, then he listened on shuffle and said the album's progression was weird). 

 

[yage]

  Do you miss the medium? Or do you reminisce the old times associated with it?

 
I still use physical media (compact discs). I don't know what you whippersnappers are blabbing about. Now get off my lawn!
 

 

[Shaffer]

With ~6,000LPs and ~2500CDs, I don't miss physical media (god, I loathe that term) at all. That's what I play. This being said, I also have a 2TB HDD hooked into my Oppo with FLAC, HD, and DSD files, but it's hardly my musical mainstay. FWIW, I go to the record store at least once a week and have been doing so for the last 38 years.

 

[luberconn]

you can still go to music stores to obtain your music.  most people don't because of the convenience of downloading them effortlessly.  if you miss the physical aspect to it, you only have yourself to blame. 

 

[JuanseAmador]

Thing is, folks are going out of business.

 

[Shaffer]

Thing is, folks are going out of business.

Heh, perhaps in Ecuador. There are 9 independent record stores in my city - 2 new ones opened last year - and everyone seems firmly in business.

 

[JuanseAmador]

Thing is, folks are going out of business.

Heh, perhaps in Ecuador. There are 9 independent record stores in my city - 2 new ones opened last year - and everyone seems firmly in business.

Well, not exactly. Ecuador wouldn't be an appropriate example because of extremely high taxes. I was referring to things like Specs going out of the game 3 years ago I think.

 

[Shaffer]

Well, not exactly. Ecuador wouldn't be an appropriate example because of extremely high taxes. I was referring to things like Specs going out of the game 3 years ago I think.

I'm not familiar with Specs, but if you're talking about the big corporate chains going out of business, it's not such a bad thing.

 

[JuanseAmador]

Well, not exactly. Ecuador wouldn't be an appropriate example because of extremely high taxes. I was referring to things like Specs going out of the game 3 years ago I think.

I'm not familiar with Specs, but if you're talking about the big corporate chains going out of business, it's not such a bad thing.

I give you that.

 

[Aeneas]

Not in the slightest... I will never have that feeling of desperately trying to repair a scratched CD.
This is not unlike people "missing" or preferring/insisting on paper books, I think. 

 

[Spareribs]

If it's a great album then yes, owning it on a physical record is worth it!

That being said, everyone has a different personality. I know people who are collectionists and they feel that they need to own the entire series or things.

It is common in the male psychology for many guys to want to collect things. Not just music but many other things so yes there are guys out here who want that.

On the other hand, there are guys who are more minimalists and would rather keep things more simple with less clutter so owning things digitally and stored on your computer is more ideal.

If you live in a big city and a small apartment where there's not much space, it's better to keep less clutter unless you are a vinyl lover.

The most important thing is that there should be options. If I truly love the record, I want it. If it's a good album that I enjoy but not really a masterpiece, I'll just buy it on iTunes.

 

[Shaffer]

The thing about itunes, Amazon and the like, the cost of a download of a complete album is more expensive than a used CD, and it sounds worse. I don't understand the benefit, aside from convenience. Of course that same convenience drives one to miss the entire record store experience. Not exactly a fair trade.

 

[JuanseAmador]

The thing about itunes, Amazon and the like, the cost of a download of a complete album is more expensive than a used CD, and it sounds worse. I don't understand the benefit, aside from convenience. Of course that same convenience drives one to miss the entire record store experience. Not exactly a fair trade.

Exactly. Bandcamp is the best to buy digital albums, you get to choose your bitrate, and most of the time even the price for the album.

 

[Spareribs]

I totally agree. A used cd, in many cases will be cheaper than iTunes but the reason why I will buy it is out of laziness and in my impatient mood, I want it quick.

But if I really do love the album, I will try to buy it again in its best sound quality. Yeah, I know. I'm not the smartest consumer. I am a bit of a dummy ya know.