I was a wee lad when the CD (then known as the Digital Audio Disc) spun upon the scene around 1983… I read this morning in the news that the recording industry claims that by 2013, the compact disc or CD as we know it, will cease to exist. In its place will be digital downloads, or streaming. I have mixed emotions regarding this decision. First of all, you mean the music industry is going to get on the ball and EMBRACE digital technology? Am I hearing this correctly? It’s about time, right? Second of all, this also means that the music will no longer be available on a tangible medium, such as the compact disc. You will only be able to buy your music via digital downloads, and in the formats that are available. Hold it right there…different formats?
Yes, the music will be available most likely in mp3, aac, or some so-called “lossless” codec. “But, I like my CD’s because I can rip the raw audio as a wav, and convert it to whatever I choose!” As do I, friends, but once again, the industry fails to listen to its customers. Let’s face it; it’s highly unlikely that they will offer any of it in raw wav format due to space constraints and server bandwidth costs. Most people appear to be content with lossy audio, as they are not listening on audiophile-grade stereo systems; they listen in their cars, on their iPods, or computers. True life-like reproduction is a non-issue to them…they could care less. Much to the chagrin of the audiophiles, I do understand where these folks with so-called tin ears are coming from. It’s about convenience, and not the quality.
The fact is this; the generations that grew up after analog recording have no idea what they are missing! In some laboratory tests, when asked which version they liked better, they chose the lossy mp3 version of the original analog source! The reason? It was FAMILIAR to them. They know what to expect when they listen to music in these formats. Anything else sounded alien to them. So, what’s bugging me about all this?
As I said, I will be limited to certain formats, based on the whims of the record company (using that term loosely, I might add,) and more than likely they will be trying to get the same amount for what I deem to be an inferior product. I KNOW that they are capable of giving us better quality products, because I’ve heard what can be done in the past! I won’t go into specifics about what’s wrong with music and the production/mastering aspects of it these days…that’s not the point here. The point is their plan is to deliver music in substandard quality, allowing people to think that nothing has changed, or it’s even better. From a convenience standpoint it IS better, but from a sonic standpoint, the opposite holds true.
Now, before you say I’m totally against technology, I will say this; I appreciate the technology, and what it is capable of doing. What I do NOT appreciate is the way it is implemented, abused, and shoved down our throats. I personally like to rip my own CD’s with my own choice of hardware and software. I feel that it allows me to have somewhat of a choice; something you won’t get when you are only offered digital versions of an album. Hey, at least we have vinyl making a comeback, right? Long live 180-gram vinyl! But don’t hold your breath; folks. After all, digital makes it sound better, right?