No we've devolved - pe - General Asylum

General Asylum

General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories.

No we've devolved

In Reply to: Have we come full circle ? posted by Ross on April 7, 2012 at 18:09:11:

Putting music on the computer has been a great blessing in one respect: it has temporarily made it commercially feasible to resurrect tons of old music, put together a staggering variety of compilations, and make them available to everyman at an affordable price. This is because all that is required is manipulating digital files. There is no need to make a master, press vinyl, or have CDs manufactured; no bulky item to transport, just electrons to move through the ether. You can now buy a five-CD set with every outtake and throwaway ever produced by the favorite band of your youth - even including that toothpaste commercial with the neat guitar lick.

I like that sort of thing. But I don't think the 60 year transition from having to know analogue electronics to having to know how to operate digital software represents a return to origins. The person who understood how his speakers or amp worked could build his own, but the person who understands how his ipod works cannot build his own. Learning about digital stuff is mainly just boring memorization. Music is analog (vibrating air)but computer technology is all Boolean logic with no intuitive relation to the music it is used to encode and distribute.

For a hobbiest, shopping is one of life's more pleasant experiences, bringing one into contact with others who share one's interests. Hanging around the audio store or the music store is for many of us a cherished memory. But the internet is taking that experience away. If it has value, economics says there should be a way to charge for it. I can't think of a way to do this except maybe to turn brick and mortar stores into clubs with membership fees, possibly refundable if you buy enough stuff.

Has anyone given this idea a try?

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Have we come full circle ? - Ross 18:09:11 04/7/12 (13)

RE: Have we come full circle ? - Ralph 12:18:17 04/9/12 (0)

No we've devolved - pe 04/9/1208:36:54 04/9/12 (1)

Hanging around audio stores... - mkuller 09:11:15 04/9/12 (0)

No, we've evolved... - mkuller 14:08:50 04/8/12 (0)

RE: Have we come full circle ? - Bob Olhsson 12:48:20 04/8/12 (0)

The problem has always been that when presented with convenience vs quality the mass majority of the public - cfb 07:26:31 04/8/12 (1)

It's the backbone of our economy. Imagine... - genungo 10:12:08 04/8/12 (0)

a great read but you failed to mention - Green Lantern 06:52:21 04/8/12 (0)

Not really. - b.l.zeebub 04:20:14 04/8/12 (0)

Not me. I believe time is linear. - soulfood 20:46:07 04/7/12 (1)

RE: Not me. I believe time is linear. - Ross 06:18:22 04/8/12 (0)

Kudos! - geezerrocket 20:29:36 04/7/12 (0)

Not really.. - Maniac 18:32:05 04/7/12 (0)

Follow Ups

No we've devolved - pe 04/9/1208:36:54 04/9/12 (1)

Hanging around audio stores... - mkuller 09:11:15 04/9/12 (0)

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