Free MP3s with Vinyl Purchase

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by btf1980

Point well taken, but eh - you drink coffee at 3am?

Unless I haven't gone to bed yet, and then it's a cold beer!

I'm an early riser, sometimes as early as 3am, just can't sleep much anymore. All I need is about 5 hours and I'm good to go most times. So then I have a coffee, check my email, come on here and just relax.

John

[Riff Magnum]

Originally Posted by naturephoto1

Hi John,

Why not slip a CD into the computer disc player and listen through headphones. I would venture a guess that the CD on the computer would sound better than an MP3.

Rich

C'mon, if your listening to music through your computer on a crappy little 2" speaker or using some $10 earbuds, there's really not that much difference between a cd and a mp3.
Really i think more people would get into vinyl if audiophiles weren't such snobs and push people away that just wanna have a well rounded musical experience.
I've been a music freak since i was about 4 years old and i used to carry around one of those portable record players and a pair of headphones. I'm sure that wasn't ideal, but it got the point across and kept me from having to talk to my family.

[FreddieFerric]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

C'mon, if your listening to music through your computer on a crappy little 2" speaker or using some $10 earbuds, there's really not that much difference between a cd and a mp3.
Really i think more people would get into vinyl if audiophiles weren't such snobs and push people away that just wanna have a well rounded musical experience.
I've been a music freak since i was about 4 years old and i used to carry around one of those portable record players and a pair of headphones. I'm sure that wasn't ideal, but it got the point across and kept me from having to talk to my family.

[Psychonaut]

I would buy the CD and the vinyl and have done so on MANY occasions. When I started buying vinyl, I had already amassed a decent CD collection so I wanted to supplement it with the vinyl but that's not the case.

Something about having the music electronically doesn't appeal to me. It's just a tiny file mixed in with millions of others but the CD cases and vinyl jackets are material and have their own personalities when standing with the rest. I'd rather browse through my shelves of wax than scroll through a list of songs.

I did recently buy a vinyl that came with the CD as well in a separate pocket of the jacket. I couldn't have been happier and I hope more do it.

[Riff Magnum]

I agree. I PREFER physical media as well, and I'd rather have companies include a cd with the record instead of an MP3 code, but guess what i'm gonna do with the cd as soon as i get home? Download it to my itunes and put the cd on the shelf where it belongs.

I dunno, i would think more music lovers would be ecstatic about having their entire collection in a device the size of a cellphone and available to take with them in any situation. I feel kinda sorry for a person if the only way they can enjoy music is if it's always presented and delivered in it's ideal form. Life is not ideal. I'd miss out on chances to jam when i'm driving, running, biking, hiking, camping, at the gym, on vacation, waiting for my kids to finish practice/school/activities, etc. Face it, portable cd players stink. Cd cases stink. Having 1000 of cd's in a binder in your car stinks, and it's screaming out to be stolen eventually.

It's similar to movie lovers who, because of bluray, won't watch dvd's anymore. No classics, no indies, or underground movies/concert video? When delivery methods actually hinders your ability to enjoy the content intended to be delivered, there's a problem.

I see the same thing happen to musicians and it even got to me for a time. Obsessing over what guitar, what amp, what effects, what tone, what pickups, what cables, what interconnects, what picks, what strings, what hardware. It's fun to obsess, read reviews, look at pictures, learn, tweak, experiment, daydream about that "perfect" sound, but eventually the obsession has to give way to actual creativity and enjoyment. I see the same thing happening to me with listening to music and i feel the need to nip it in the bud as much as possible. Even though i still plan on dropping about $5000 on new speakers, TT, and amps. But once i have that, i'll be happy.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

I agree. I PREFER physical media as well, and I'd rather have companies include a cd with the record instead of an MP3 code, but guess what i'm gonna do with the cd as soon as i get home? Download it to my itunes and put the cd on the shelf where it belongs.

I dunno, i would think more music lovers would be ecstatic about having their entire collection in a device the size of a cellphone and available to take with them in any situation. I feel kinda sorry for a person if the only way they can enjoy music is if it's always presented and delivered in it's ideal form. Life is not ideal. I'd miss out on chances to jam when i'm driving, running, biking, hiking, camping, at the gym, on vacation, waiting for my kids to finish practice/school/activities, etc. Face it, portable cd players stink. Cd cases stink. Having 1000 of cd's in a binder in your car stinks, and it's screaming out to be stolen eventually.

It's similar to movie lovers who, because of bluray, won't watch dvd's anymore. No classics, no indies, or underground movies/concert video? When delivery methods actually hinders your ability to enjoy the content intended to be delivered, there's a problem.

I see the same thing happen to musicians and it even got to me for a time. Obsessing over what guitar, what amp, what effects, what tone, what pickups, what cables, what interconnects, what picks, what strings, what hardware. It's fun to obsess, read reviews, look at pictures, learn, tweak, experiment, daydream about that "perfect" sound, but eventually the obsession has to give way to actual creativity and enjoyment. I see the same thing happening to me with listening to music and i feel the need to nip it in the bud as much as possible. Even though i still plan on dropping about $5000 on new speakers, TT, and amps. But once i have that, i'll be happy.

Well said Riff, and most eloquantly at that I might add!

Nothing sounds better (to me) than listening to a well-recorded, well-produced, well-mixed vinyl LP. However, I can't take it with me wherever I go, so I am forced to listen to other music formats. Sometimes that is CD and sometimes that is MP3. And you know what? I don't mind one bit. As such I am very happy to see that free MP3 codes are included with a lot of newer vinyl releases.

The only time I do critical listening is when I'm at home with my 2-channel setup. Listening to CD's in my car or MP3's on my laptop actually makes me appreciate how lucky I am in having a "real" audio setup at home!

John

[Riff Magnum]

Originally Posted by John72953

Well said Riff, and most eloquantly at that I might add!

Nothing sounds better (to me) than listening to a well-recorded, well-produced, well-mixed vinyl LP. However, I can't take it with me wherever I go, so I am forced to listen to other music formats. Sometimes that is CD and sometimes that is MP3. And you know what? I don't mind one bit. As such I am very happy to see that free MP3 codes are included with a lot of newer vinyl releases.

The only time I do critical listening is when I'm at home with my 2-channel setup. Listening to CD's in my car or MP3's on my laptop actually makes me appreciate how lucky I am in having a "real" audio setup at home!

John

Tru dat!! LOL!!
Yeah, i think circumstances dictate the way we consume our art. I'm married and have two young children. As such, i don't get to just sit down and get lost in a high decibel two channel setup like i used to. Much of my movie watching and music listening is done at night and through heaphones (hey, i still need immersion!!), or out and about in the world. If i didn't allow myself that compromise i would not be able to enjoy nearly the amount of content that i NEED to make me happy. I have close to 1000 records, over 2000cd's, and nearly 35,000 songs on my ipod. If i waited for the ideal situation, i might be waiting forever and i don't see the point in that.

[Psychonaut]

Maybe I was misunderstood? Good points all around. I would use the mp3's IF I had a physical copy of the album but the download would never be my first choice for purchasing.

[Riff Magnum]

Originally Posted by Psychonaut

Maybe I was misunderstood? Good points all around. I would use the mp3's IF I had a physical copy of the album but the download would never be my first choice for purchasing.

You weren't misunderstood. I think we're all in agreement that MP3's aren't the preferred format for critical listening. I just don't think the tag of "bane of the universe" that some posters have given them are appropriate, nor is the attitude that people who enjoy their ipods/zunes are somehow inferior music lovers who "don't get it" or are somehow listening to music for the wrong reasons.
Every single musician and music fiend i know has a portable listening device that we use to turn each other on to new stuff. "Hey, got the new Portishead, wanna hear it?"
"Yes."