CDs Anonymous

[Don Petter]

I think it’s worth making a distinction between the ‘format’ and the delivery/storage medium. ‘Downloads’ aren’t a fundamentally different format to CDs - it’s all digital and that’s the crucial thing. The delivery/storage medium is interchangeable as it is for any digital computer information - discs (of whatever type) memory stick, hard disc - whatever new storage product might be developed.

A new ‘format’ would have to be something other than digital - something non-computer based.

While all you say makes sense, I think people here, and in general, are using a slightly different definition of 'format'.

Yours would say that cylinders, 78s, LPs and even tape are all the same format, which makes for more difficult discussion. 'Delivery/storage medium' is a bit of a mouthful and even 'carrier' seems unlikely to catch on?

[MrGongGong]

I still think that with the demise of MC and non-take-up of MD there is currently a need for a cheap user-friendly instant recording machine. Incidentally there is also a hole in the market for a cheap DAB digibox to convert all our FM radios.

You could argue that we use one to write posts on ?
Most people don't seem to be concerned with having something that records as opposed to something that downloads and stores. Its a shame that the manufacturers gave up on MD.

[Ian]

While all you say makes sense, I think people here, and in general, are using a slightly different definition of 'format'.

Yours would say that cylinders, 78s, LPs and even tape are all the same format, which makes for more difficult discussion. 'Delivery/storage medium' is a bit of a mouthful and even 'carrier' seems unlikely to catch on?

Yes and no - the analogy breaker lies in the fact that the content (i.e. the audio file) can exist independently of any particular storage medium.
This is not true of analogue recordings and consequently they are not easily or satisfactorily interchangeable.

[mathias broucek]

the next generation will I think keep more of their 'stuff' on kindles, i-players, out there in the cloud...

Perhaps just as well given how hard it has become for the younger generation to afford housing larger than a broom cupboard.......

[gurnemanz]

Perhaps just as well given how hard it has become for the younger generation to afford housing larger than a broom cupboard.......

... and be able to justify continuing to store about two-thirds of their belongings in the parental home, e.g. the CDs which are now on the ipod.

[mathias broucek]

... and be able to justify continuing to store about two-thirds of their belongings in the parental home, e.g. the CDs which are now on the ipod.

eBay?

[MrGongGong]

... and be able to justify continuing to store about two-thirds of their belongings in the parental home, e.g. the CDs which are now on the ipod.

pedants corner ?
they can't be "On" the iPod can they ?

(this is not mean't to be a serious question.........)

[Bryn]

I still think that with the demise of MC and non-take-up of MD there is currently a need for a cheap user-friendly instant recording machine. Incidentally there is also a hole in the market for a cheap DAB digibox to convert all our FM radios.

Depends what you mean by "cheap". Devices which record in surprisingly high quality, and even include fairly decent microphone capsules in a sensible orientation can be had for under £70. They record to micro SDHC cards and are very simple to use. Spend somewhat more and the facilities include surround sound recording.

http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/6677012/art/zoom/h1-handy-recorder.html?srcid=11270&nopopup=1

http://www.planetgizmo.co.uk/zoom-h2n-handy-recorder.html?gclid=CMvH7qnEmbACFQ8htAodcky5Xg

The second is a quite amazing tool.

Other similar gadgets are available from quite a wide range of manufacturers.

[Pianorak]

http://www.planetgizmo.co.uk/zoom-h2...FQ8htAodcky5Xg

The second is a quite amazing tool.

I bought the H2 Zoom from the US quite a few years ago and got some good results, but found it a bit too fiddly and soon lost interest.

Still mourning the demise of my wonderful Ferrograph reel-to-reel.

[Bryn]

I bought the H2 Zoom from the US quite a few years ago and got some good results, but found it a bit too fiddly and soon lost interest.

Still mourning the demise of my wonderful Ferrograph reel-to-reel.

I too got an H2 when it came out. It 'went missing' and I replaced it with an H2n. It's a huge improvement on the original design. Much, much less fiddly, it has a larger, much more readable screen and superior mics. The H2n also has the great advantage of seamlessly starting a new file when it reaches the 2GB file size limit. I managed to get the whole of a performance of Feldman's SQ2 on one, in 4 channel surround, (though when it came to editing I junked the rear channels - too fiddly getting the 4 channels processed to 5.1, given the ad hoc nature of the recording).

The H4n, is worth considering if you have decent condenser mics available. It offers 24 or 48 volt phantom power, though it does drain a pair of 2700mAh AA NiMHs in a couple of hours or so of recording at 96/24. When using it with external mics I tend either to employ the mains adaptor or use an 8 AA cell battery pack I lashed up.

[VodkaDilc]

I too got an H2 when it came out. It 'went missing' and I replaced it with an H2n. It's a huge improvement on the original design. Much, much less fiddly, it has a larger, much more readable screen and superior mics. The H2n also has the great advantage of seamlessly starting a new file when it reaches the 2GB file size limit. I managed to get the whole of a performance of Feldman's SQ2 on one, in 4 channel surround, (though when it came to editing I junked the rear channels - too fiddly getting the 4 channels processed to 5.1, given the ad hoc nature of the recording).

The H4n, is worth considering if you have decent condenser mics available. It offers 24 or 48 volt phantom power, though it does drain a pair of 2700mAh AA NiMHs in a couple of hours or so of recording at 96/24. When using it with external mics I tend either to employ the mains adaptor or use an 8 AA cell battery pack I lashed up.

I love reading Bryn's postings. So often I do not understand a single word!!

[Pianorak]

I love reading Bryn's postings. So often I do not understand a single word!!

Yep - glad to see I'm not the only one often struggling to get to grips with Bryn's postings. What would we do without such expertise (recording engineering, presumably).

[EdgeleyRob]

I love reading Bryn's postings. So often I do not understand a single word!!

Me too.
Oh to be so knowledgeable

[Dave2002]

I still think that with the demise of MC and non-take-up of MD there is currently a need for a cheap user-friendly instant recording machine. Incidentally there is also a hole in the market for a cheap DAB digibox to convert all our FM radios.

I don't see how a cheap digibox could really be a viable proposition, as it would be easier to simply replace FM with DAB, and there are DAB sets available cheaply. I suppose it might work to have one unit which picked up DAB, and then relayed the signal over FM over a short range, so that all the FM sets in one's house could pick up the signal. That might violate spectrum constraints, though presumably there'd be no broadcast FM channels to interfere with. It seems unlikely that the quality would be good - even if the unit was more expensive and well made, and who would buy it? Surely each household would have to have at least 3 FM sets to make this worthwile, and then it would get more complex if the device had to provide more than one channel simultaneously.

I have tried those cheap FM units for transmitting the output of iPods and similar player for use in cars. They're not very good. I just don't see how a DAB digibox solution could really work economically, and it'd be fundamently limited in sound quality - and not only by the DAB quality.

Some FM sets might just have an analogue audio input. There'd be nothing to stop one connecting this to an analogue output of a DAB set, but what really would be the point? It might be worth it for some form of integrated FM radio with good speaker sound quality, but I doubt the manufacurers will see it that way.

I fear the best solution is to have FM/DAB sets for a transition period, and then send all the FM sets to museums or landfill when there's a switchover. Possibly also some early DAB sets might also have to go the same way in time.

Amusing how this thresd has drifted. My box of Schubert choral music arrived yesterday, and the Nielsen symphony box is on its way soon. I think that only leaves a Dvorak box outstanding - I hope Amazon haven't managed to sneak a non delivery/cancellation past me, though they did default on some piano music played by Jorg Demus - which surprised me as I wasn't sure that I'd even ordered it.

[Don Petter]

I suppose it might work to have one unit which picked up DAB, and then relayed the signal over FM over a short range, so that all the FM sets in one's house could pick up the signal. That might violate spectrum constraints, though presumably there'd be no broadcast FM channels to interfere with. It seems unlikely that the quality would be good - even if the unit was more expensive and well made, and who would buy it? Surely each household would have to have at least 3 FM sets to make this worthwile, and then it would get more complex if the device had to provide more than one channel simultaneously.

I do have such a unit (Pure Highway) for use in the car, which works excellently. Though I would add that the only reason I bought and use it is to listen to sport on R5 (poor reception on MW), R5Extra and R4Extra (neither otherwise available). In no way do I prefer DAB to FM otherwise.

And yes, it does also work well in the house, and I can relay Test Match Special to all my five FM radios, upstairs and down. Only one channel at a time, though, I agree.