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RE: Question on the HDtracks catalog

Posted by Vade Forrester (R) on August 4, 2010 at 10:09:28

In Reply to: RE: Question on the HDtracks catalog posted by Christine Tham on August 3, 2010 at 21:21:01:

> Sorry, this is not an SACD vs computer audio question, but specifically
about the HDtracks catalog.

So what is the HDTracks catalog if not a collection of downloadable computer audio files? You asked what the attraction of the HDTracks catalog is, and that's just it: it provides a large collection of downloadable computer audio files, fairly priced, in one convenient location. Given that your original post was a discussion of how you think SACDs are preferable to the HDTracks catalog, how can that NOT be considered "an SACD vs computer audio question?"

> The hirez store just seems to be a subset of the SACD catalog, but limited to (mostly) obscure artists by obscure labels, with a few titles from Verve thrown in.

You mean obscure artists like those listed in HDTracks' most recent weekly email ad, which included Ani DiFranco, John Prine, John Coltrane, Oscar Peterson, Billie Holiday, Al Di Meola, London Symphony Orchestra | Sir Malcolm Sargent, Don McLean, Patricia Barber, Alison Krauss | Robert Plant, Peter Frampton, Albert King | Stevie Ray Vaughan, Charles Dutoit | Philadelphia Orchestra, Charlie Haden | Keith Jarrett? Hey, I've heard of those folks, so they can't be too obscure.

> If you say you have 400-500 SACDs, then you already have more titles than the entire HDtracks hirez catalog.

True, but then there weren't always as many SACDs as are currently available. High-res computer files are relatively new on the market. The HDTracks catalog is a fairly new endeavor. I hope it grows.

> The non-hirez catalog is just rips from CD,

How do you know that? I'd bet that most came from masters.

> personally I'll rather buy the original CDs and rip them myself.

That's your choice, but you're making extra work for yourself. Downloading the music files lets you play them immediately on your PC/server, and you don't have a CD to store. And downloads usually include PDF copies of the liner notes and CD cover art, which would be even more work if you copied them yourself. Lots more work.

Your comments about the lack of multi-channel recordings is spot on-they're not available on HDTracks. If that's important to you, SACDs are your only source.


Vade Forrester

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