Record collecting vs mp3 collecting

[edafan]

Recently I found my Joel Whitburn Top Pop Records 1955 - 1972 book.
It has spurred my interest again in collecting songs.

I am not an audiofile, although I have copied a few 45's onto my computer
and in the old Napster days, posted some rare ones online there.

I see that we have quite a few Youtube clips.
I have found it much easier to take the audio
off of these clips rather than hitch up the old record player, etc.

I have about 4000 45's.
Now with people posting these discographies in wikipedia,
I have lists to go and get stuff.

The Artists I have now are:

Astors just a few
Dells I am amazed at how much they have done
Gloria Estefan & The Miami Sound Machine
Flamingos
Al Green
Bill Haley & His Comets
Al Wilson
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
Moonglows
Otis Redding
Boz Scaggs
Spaniels
Stylistics

I have paid good money over the years.
Now I can sit at my computer,
and pull up sya the 30 songs by one artist
and listen to how their career evolved,
giving me a new perspective.

I believe that I stopped collecting in the mid 80's


any comments

edafan

[arrr&bee]

recently i found my joel whitburn top pop records 1955 - 1972 book.
It has spurred my interest again in collecting songs.

I am not an audiofile, although i have copied a few 45's onto my computer
and in the old napster days, posted some rare ones online there.

I see that we have quite a few youtube clips.
I have found it much easier to take the audio
off of these clips rather than hitch up the old record player, etc.

I have about 4000 45's.
Now with people posting these discographies in wikipedia,
i have lists to go and get stuff.

The artists i have now are:

Astors just a few
dells i am amazed at how much they have done
gloria estefan & the miami sound machine
flamingos
al green
bill haley & his comets
al wilson
harold melvin & the blue notes
moonglows
otis redding
boz scaggs
spaniels
stylistics

i have paid good money over the years.
Now i can sit at my computer,
and pull up sya the 30 songs by one artist
and listen to how their career evolved,
giving me a new perspective.

I believe that i stopped collecting in the mid 80's


any comments

edafanhey keep doing your thing,whatever works for you do it you're building a classic collection.

[mickeymac]

Not to worry, there are still plenty of collectors out there who want their music on record first. In the last few years the sale of records has gone up, while MP3 and CD sales have dropped. New people are getting into vinyl, and long last people are starting to wake up that records sound way better than CD's, downloads, Ipods, or MP3's.

[edafan]

Not to worry, there are still plenty of collectors out there who want their music on record first. In the last few years the sale of records has gone up, while MP3 and CD sales have dropped. New people are getting into vinyl, and long last people are starting to wake up that records sound way better than CD's, downloads, Ipods, or MP3's.

I agree that records sound better and real.
But I just got done putting onto mp3 my first case I ever collected from the late fifties, 120 records times 2 sides. I even found some mp3s of records I had thrown away when I could afford the 77 cents for more popular records. I would listen to a pile of records at a record store, and the guy would sell me demos probably from radio stations stockpiles for 5 cents. I broke the case up into six parts, which I now have on mp3s. I can now listen to a part of my history, the collecting of records. The big problem I have with is playing the real records on a record player. I have one my high school was throwing out. But now I can play these cuts on my computer on MusicMatch and listen to a slice of my history.
Only about 3500 more to go.
edafan
thanks for the response
I would never sell these vinyl

[Motown_M_1056]

I hate listening to music via a computer. It's never loud enough and I want to feel the bass on most soul records in my solar plexus.

[sunshineonacloudyday]

I agree with Motown_M_1056

And, IMO, mp3s are fine for interviews, lectures and new "music" [[since there is so little-if any-real instrumentation to compress. I still think old school music sounds peculiar on mp3

[tomato tom]

I HATE listening to music via computer. I love the look, feel and sound of vinyl. Those musty album covers are a must. Sure I have CDs, but I am a vinyl junkie. Nothing against the new technology per se. It works for a lot of people and great for them. but give me that vinyl anyday!....Paulo xxx

[mark speck]

Well, for me, vinyl is the only choice for a lot of the music I like...a lot of Northern soul, garage rock, etc., isn't available in an MP3 format. I can see why both formats are viable.

Best,

Mark

[soulster]

Sometimes the only way to get stuff is to copy it from YouTube. However, I think you should do yourself a favor and upgrade those ripped YouTube files whenever possible.

The used record stores are starting to dry up where I live, but I still try.

I am mighty impressed by your 4000 45s! I have all of the artists you listed and tons upon tons more.

What I do for 45s is get the cleanest one possible, copy it into the PC at hi-rez, clean it up, if necessary, dither/sample convert to redbook, and then archive them to FLAC and 320 mbps mp3 and back them up to six hard drives for redundancy.

I'm into getting the best sound possible from my music, as I am an audiophile.

Just this morning I did a nice needledrop of Natalie Cole's "Jump Start" 12" single because I needed it for my upcoming 1987 comp. I had previously only had a copy I ripped from YouTube, but it just didn't sound that good.

I want the songs I take from vinyl to sound as close to the vinyl as possible, except without the noise. I usually shun using any EQ. But, also this morning, I did a transfer of a mint copy of Gloria Gaynor's "Never Can Say Goodbye" album on MGM. I didn't use an EQ, but ran it through a tube compressor emulator to help smooth out the peakiness in her vocals that I found literally painful to listen to, and my system is not bright.

I collect records from the 60s to the 80s. After that, it's all CDs and downloads.

Here is a sample of a relatively rare 45 I needledropped and restored:
Skate Now - Lou Courtney [[mono 45): http://db.tt/loTFoAm

[soulster]

Here's two more samples:

"Let's Swing" [[B-side of "Stomp!") - The Brothers Johnson: http://db.tt/gOPDQ4S

"I Want Her" - Keith Sweat [[45 version): http://db.tt/GS4Au6J

[tomato tom]

Soulster..I hear what your saying.BUT, but, but, I would not have a clue how to do what you do. Its all gobligoop to me, this technol.ogy.Should I just try. trial and error? Help. Paulo xxx

[soulster]

Tell me what you have for a stereo and what your computer is.

[edafan]

This has turned into a great discussion.
I agree that vinyl is the best.
I finally fixed the cables on my record player,
and I transferred alot of 45's today
I usually have in a folder 20 records with both sides now that my record player works again.
What I like to do is play some songs which are great but didn't chart.
Or B sides that I liked better than the A sides.
Now I have them on a 16 gig flash drive.

Going through my collection I love the great artists that the public didn't truely appreciate how great they are/were.

Adam Wade Brook Benton Dinah Washington Sarah Vaughn etc.

It is fun to hear them again. Plus some records are from my best buddy collector who has passed, and we traded and some records have his initials on them. R I P Dickie D. B.

Maybe I will learn how to upload them here for discussion


edafan

[soulster]

I do not believe any one format is superior over the other. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Vinyl, tape, CD, SACD, digital files, whatever. As long as they can give the music I want in the best way possible, i'm happy.

[edafan]

I have Musicmatch.
My old computer WIN 98 has the version
which allows me to record the records into mp3 format.
Then I bring them over to my WIN XP with the newer version
of Musicmatch [[which doesn't allow you to record )
So it is alot of fun,
just like collecting the vinyl in the old days.
I have done Case A [[ 120 records ) Case B [[ 120 records ) Case C [[ 75 records )
Also I just oredered a newer version of Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles from 1955 - 2002 for $ 25 plus $ 6 shipping.
Someday I will have the collecting house in order
edafan

[edafan]

I have a slight request.
One of my old 45's has disappeared
Would someone be so kind as to
load up here
the mp3 of

Special Delivery by the 1910 Fruitgum Co

I can't seem to get the audio off of the youtube clip.

Maybe someone could do that for me.

Many thanks in advance

edafan

[soulster]

I have Musicmatch.

Wow! That's ancient software! They don't even make Musicmatch anymore! Not only that, the mp3 encoder it uses is primitive! No one uses Fraunhofer anymore. Everone uses LAME.


My old computer WIN 98 has the version

I don't know how you're fixed for money, but again, that is an ancient OS. Microsoft hasn't supported it in many years, and it's totally unsecure if you are on the internet. XP isn't even supported anymore. Any current software or hardware will not even be supported by Windows 98. You will be AMAZED at what a modern Windows 7 PC will do!



Also I just oredered a newer version of Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles from 1955 - 2002 for $ 25 plus $ 6 shipping.

That's what I need to do. My copy ends in 1996. My Joel Whitburn R&B Hits book stops at 1995.

[edafan]

I have 2 other machines with XP
2 laptops from work one XP one Windows 7
But this old Win 98 in the corner I have my record player hitched up to it,
and I can record my records which I can't get the audio from Youtube
I will investigate that LAME
because we will be upgrading the office this summer
edafan

[chidrummer]

Just a point of clarification, Windows XP [[sp3) IS supported until April 2014.

You are correct about the other OS's including XP [[sp1 & sp2).

hmmmm, it may be time to invest in a new comp:p

[edafan]

Everyone can relax.
I got my copy of

Special Delivery
by 1910 Fruitgum Co.

edafan

[soulster]

How's the sound?

[edafan]

pretty good
What I want to do after this huge project,
is to buy something like an ipod,
put these various cases on there,
and listen to them in my auto while I drive to work.
I solved one problem, believe it or not at the vets.
Cases to put the 45's in are a problem.
They had these free styrofoam containers, which were the right size,
and all I have to do is make separators out of old file folders.
So back to work
Oh, I also inherited about 200 45's from my late aunt.
She collected in the 1950's mostly mellow stuff, Sinatra, Bennett,
so It is interesting to be cataloging her stuff also.
We were very close, as my biological mother [[her sister)
died when I was four years old. So It is a connection to my first
family. I was extremely lucky that my dad married a great woman
after my mom died. She raised me, and she is still alive, and she still goes out
at 87 to clean the old people's houses. and Auntie and my stepmom worked in the
same plant of G E and you can say that they didn't get along too well.
But my stepmom called just when I was working on my aunt's records.
Some things never end.
edafan

[chidrummer]

Some additional information you might want to consider, lossless formats:

http://wiki.hydrogenaudio.org/index.php?title=Lossless_comparison

[nickb11]

I'm 17 and trying to start my own vinyl collection. I've purchased a few, but I haven't really been able to get really into it.

[theboyfromxtown]

Nickb11

I think I must have records that are older than your grandfather! That makes me feel quite ancient!

[nickb11]

Haha! You're not ancient. Some of the music that I listen to from time to time is older than my grandfather; he'll be 71 in September.