Re: [ARSCLIST] Fw: [ARSCLIST] Gold CDs

["H. Duane Goldman" <thedoctor@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Perhaps I've come into this thread to late, but does sound quality have a
place in these assessments?  Is a digital copy of an analog  recording now
considered equal to the original by this group?  Have you traded sound
quality for convenience? Have you lost touch with the original recording or
don't care about the performance but simply want to claim that you have a
"copy" of the work?

Is this the direction that sound archives are seeking?  if so its a sad day
indeed!!!  Of all the media presented in this thread, vinyl & shellac
recordings offer superior sound quality & longevity than CD/DVDs or tape,
so just what is the end point of your archives?  Is it to preserve second
class sound for the sake of convenience?  Do any of you actually care about
the sound of your holdings or isjust your ability to make a list of your
digital recordings all that matters?

If I'm having a bad day & missed the point then please forgive the tirade,
but I can't help but see a pattern that has little to due with a reference
to the quality of the sound of the original recording.  If you actually
hear typical digital recordings as equal to their analog originals, then it
is fair to say that indeed a very sad time has been reached.

Duane Goldman



At 06:58 PM 9/24/2004 -0400, you wrote:
> Tape recorders require threading, cleaning, demagging, etc. a lot more than
> cleaning the lens in a CD player.  It takes fare less skill to play a cd
> than a reel-to reel, or even an LP.
>
> A factor in my own longeivity analysis of media predictions concerning the
> players is, do the reproducers meet the hock-shop test, i.e., are they
> around cheap?  Are they easy to fix?  How likely is it that new ones (many
> in bubble pack) are available on eBay?  Are likely to continue to be
> available 10 years later as used and playing devices?  Can perform where
> there is no elecrical source?  The CD wins, hands down.  The cassette comes
> in second.
>
> Steve Smolian
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "George Brock-Nannestad" <pattac@xxxxxxxx>
> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Friday, September 24, 2004 5:28 PM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Fw: [ARSCLIST] Gold CDs
>
>
> > From: Patent Tactics, George Brock-Nannestad
> >
> > Joe Iraci wrote in this discussion (but he is not the only one)
> > >
> > > Storage and handling, of course are major elements in any longevity
> > > discussion.
> > >
> > > "For example, if there were standards by which the term "archival" was
> > > defined and enforced,
> > > then one or more lines of blanks labelled "archival" could be used."
> > >
> > > Archival is a tricky word and can mean different things to different
> > > people.
> >
> > I would say that it is system longevity, not just carrier longevity that
> is
> > the issue. I think I have heard rumors that tape reproducers are not so
> > common any more. What makes any of you think that anybody is seriously
> > interested in providing CD-compatible players in the long term future? Re-
> > selling the repertoire is much more profitable and archives will not be
> able
> > to afford anything that is not mass produced. You will dance to the tune
> of
> > manufacturers.
> >
> > So, once you have your information in digital form, refresh or migrate, do
> > not store. Storage per se is death of information, because you will not be
> > able to get at it. It is a bit like living matter: the individual does not
> > survive, but the genes do. Only we need clones.
> >
> > Kind regards,
> >
> > George
> >

     ------
h. duane goldman, ph.d.   |   P.O. Box 37066   St. Louis, MO  63141
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