The Audiophiliac

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

The numbers are grim, all right, but the music industry still sells hundreds of millions of CDs each year. That's a lot of discs, and sales of downloads won't surpass silver discs for a while.

According to some industry sources, as recently as 2006, CDs represented more than 80 percent of the music sold in the United States. A recent report projects that it won't be until 2012 that download sales surpass CD sales. So fess up. A lot of you are still buying discs, and I want to know who you are.

I'm doing more than my share, still averaging six or seven CDs a month (vs. less than one DVD/Blu-ray Disc a month). The media sees trends, so even though the trend is down, CDs are not out. Oh, and there's a lot more profit in selling physical media than downloads, so the record business is in no hurry to quit making discs.

Not that it matters to most people, but CDs sound better than most downloads, including ones free of digital rights management (DRM), or copyright protection software.

Got an iPod? Rip your CDs to Apple Lossless or WAV files, and get way better sound than iTunes downloads. Buy used CDs, and save even more money.

CDs can have gorgeous cover art and liner notes, which aren't always part of the download deal. Yeah, I've heard the news that LP sales doubled in 2008, but their sum still equals the teeniest fraction CD sales.

I'd love to hear from folks who regularly buy CDs.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

Even hardcore audiophiles have to face the music--brick and mortar record stores are fading fast--and it's starting to look like the CD is on its way out. Sure, no card carrying audiophile would be caught dead downloading MP3s or iTunes, the sonic sacrifices are too drastic. Well, what if there was a site that offered bona fide CD quality downloads, would audiophiles go for it? That's HDtracks' prime directive, but I don't think the high-resolution download store is just for audiophiles.

Then again I never understood why anyone would pay more or less the same price for a low quality download as for a CD. Well, now that iTunes has become the #1 U.S. music retailer I have to admit the answer must be that buyers put a higher value on convenience than sound. Well alright, HDtracks offers three higher-resolution download alternatives: "CD quality" UNcompressed AIFF and lossless FLAC files or 320kbps MP3s. All three are DRM free. Oh, and when you buy a complete album you also get the cover art and liner notes as a PDF. Complete albums go for $11.98, individual tracks, $1.49.

True, iTunes isn't in any immediate danger of losing market share--HDtracks is just starting up--so you're not going to find Radiohead, R.E.M., or the Rolling Stones' music there just yet. HDtracks' selection is quirkier, less mainstream, with folk, gospel, blues, jazz, Latin, pop, R&B, rock, classical and soundtracks from a wide spectrum of independent labels. HDtracks is adding new labels all the time.

HDtracks was started by David and Norman Chesky, who will continue to run their audiophile record label, Chesky Records. HDtracks will in the coming months begin to offer ultra high resolution 96-khz/24-bit files, which will sound even better, much better than CD quality downloads, for a limited number of titles.

In the interest of full disclosure: I have worked for Chesky Records as a producer and writer, and written for HDtracks.

The Master at the controls.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

If you read CD or LP credits you've probably seen "Mastered by Greg Calbi" a bunch of times, but don't have a clue exactly what Calbi and other mastering engineers do. I don't blame you--it's a mystery to most music lovers. When I heard that Calbi was going to cut some LP masters I made arrangements to drop by Sterling Sound and watch the master masterer at work. He's mastered thousands of records--everybody from Bob Dylan to Talking Heads to The Roots, to the High School Musical soundtrack, and one of my favorite records from last year, Yo La Tengo's I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass. As a matter of fact, he's mastered all of Yo La Tengo's CDs and LPs of the past 10 years. He must be doing something right.

In the early days CDs were typically mastered from the LP master, Calbi explained. "It wasn't until the mid-'80s that we starting mastering for CD. Vinyl was still No. 1; CD and cassette masters were taken from the LP master."

Nowadays, remastering can refer to a redo of a CD master, going back to the original tapes/files and giving them another listen and eking out better sound. Calbi remastered Bob Dylan's Oh Mercy CD a few years ago, but he also mastered it the first time in 1989. The first mastering was digital all the way, but for the remaster Calbi introduced analog tools (equalization, analog tape machines, etc.), and that resulted in a much better sounding Oh Mercy CD and SACD.

In any case, Calbi works from the final mix and fine-tunes the sound with equalization, dynamic range compression, and volume level adjustments. The mastering engineer's entire signal path--playback machines, equalizers, black boxes, etc.--all influence the finished product's sound.

Still, you might wonder why the engineers don't just transfer the final mix and master CDs or LPs from that. But the sound benefits from a fresh set of ears. The mastering engineer perfects and completes the mixes, or as Calbi put it, "Mastering is finishing for a specific format, CD or LP." What about MP3? "That's very different, and not just from a sound quality point of view," he said. "It's assumed that MP3s will be heard in shuffle mode, competing against unknown music." Right, and that leads to extreme dynamic range compression; so all of the music's natural soft-to-loud dynamics are squashed flat; MP3s have to be loud all the time because with MP3s everyone is screaming for attention in a crowded market.

CDs and LPs are also different in that they're conceived as complete works, and their mastering balances are affected by the songs' sequence--how the songs sound next to each other, the key changes, the rhythm--all sorts of things are compensated for by the mastering engineers. They have to see, correction, hear the big picture.

The mastering engineer is the final critic of the mix, and uses his or her knowledge to try to improve it. And now that so many projects are recorded in home studios by inexperienced engineers there's even more of a need for a fresh set of ears to tweak recordings.

Cutting the Michael Powers' record at Sterling Sound.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

What about iTunes? I asked Calbi about the rumors about the Beatles catalog being remastered for iTunes. He was ahead of me, "They're not being remastered just for iTunes; they're being remastered because they got a deal with iTunes. I was partially involved in the discussions leading up to the remastering sessions; most of the Beatles catalog hasn't been remastered in 20 years." It's likely the new remasters are destined for CD release.

Watching Calbi at work, mastering this killer blues rock LP, Onyx Root, by Michael Powers, there's no doubt the man enjoys his work. Calbi's grooving to the music, swaying back and forth in his chair. His playback system is very audiophile--with massive Energy speakers and an Audio Research vacuum tube amplifier the sound is so good I feel like I'm listening to a live performance.

The Sterling Sound LPs will be available from selected online vinyl retailers, and on Sterling's site in a few months. I can't wait.

Michael Emerson is a Future regular.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

UPDATE: I just heard the sad news that Future Legend will be closing its doors later this month. I have personally bought more than 200 CDs over the years from that little shop, but now I'll have to go elsewhere for my weekly fix. If you're in NYC drop by and pick up bargains, starting today, 2/6/08, Future Legend will begin selling all merchandise at 50% off the sticker price.

I want to tell you about my favorite record store, Future Legend. I drop in every week to see what's new, and talk about music with the New York shop's owners, Paul Ruggiero and Greta Perr, both seasoned veterans of the record biz.

Future reminds me of the neighborhood record shops of my youth, and it's a great place to hang and meet music lovers. When I dropped by Friday I ran into actor Michael Emerson, (Ben), from the TV show "Lost." He was doing some last-minute shopping before going off to Hawaii to start shooting new episodes.

We Future Legend regulars appreciate it, and probably all share a secret dread--this is the end of the line. We know that what we get here is irreplaceable. Every week or two I see one of us thank Paul or Greta just for being there. When was the last time you thanked a store for being there?

Checking out the latest vinyl sides at Future.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

Future offers a surprisingly deep selection of rock, and a broad range of jazz, blues, R&B, reggae, soundtracks, country and folk--and Future mixes each artist or band's new and used CDs together, so it's easy to find bargains (which are cheaper and way better sounding than iTunes). Paul and Greta are always on hand to answer even your most obscure music question, which sure beats the hell out of staring into the cold glare of a computer screen. Oh, and there's a healthy selection of new and used vinyl treasures. If you don't see a CD you want, Future will special order it and have your music in just a couple of days.

Yeah, the music business is in shambles and they say the only hope, if there is any at all, is downloads. We'll see, but the little shop just celebrated its fourth anniversary, outlasting Tower Records, which closed last year.

So if you're lucky enough to still have a local record store, support it. For midtown New Yorkers, this is it. Future's on 9th Avenue, between 52nd and 53rd streets. Give the store a call at (212) 707-8180. And no, it's not on the Web--Future Legend is for real.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

Do you buy CDs, LPs, MP3s, iTunes, or 8 track cartridges?

If so, do you buy them from Amazon or other online retailer, brick and mortar chain store, or local "record" shop?

Do you regularly buy used CDs or LPs? And rarely buy new CDs or LPs?

Do you subscribe to a subscription service, if so, which one? Rhapsody, Yahoo, Napster, etc?

If you really like a tune you heard from a subscription service do you buy it? Do you buy individual tracks or complete albums?

Or do you get your tunes from a P2P like Morpheus or Blubster?

What about DRM, do you care?

What percentage of your physical music collection did you get for free (ripped CDs, gifts, etc)?

Is sound quality a factor, would you pay more for higher quality downloads or subscriptions?

Do you buy CDs, burn 'em, and them sell them?

How do you discover new music? Radio, friends, online, record stores?

What have I left out?

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

Not that I ever doubted your commitment, but you guys really love your iPods. Thanks to all who responded to last week's poll, here's what I learned.

First, Apple must be doing something right, more than three-quarters of the folks who responded own more than one iPod. Families seem to accumulate little armies of iPods--they pass from spouse to spouse to the kids--and from adult children back to their parents. So the average number was probably three 'Pods per family. Some people have actually lost count and don't know for sure how many they've owned. One guy proudly announced he has 26 iPods. And sure, I heard from more than few souls happy to remain iPod-less. Zune owners are the most vocal about their avoidance of all things Apple.

I was surprised just how few people mentioned video--only a handful cited ever watching movies or TV shows. So despite the technology advances, iPods are still mostly music players. Sure, my poll is a small survey. But if it turns out to be true that almost nobody watches video on their Pods, I'd be happy about that.

I gather most iPods don't last very long--two or three years is about it. Battery-related problems are the most common ailment, followed by screen and hard drive issues. I'm part of the small group still happily using their first and only iPod. A lot of you buy refurbished iPods to save some bucks.

KSC75, cheap but great-sounding headphones from Koss

(Credit: Koss)

Amazingly enough, barely anyone mentioned headphones. I wonder if I should take that to mean that most of you guys are still using the earbuds that came with your iPods. Say it ain't so!

Quick, check out Koss' awesome KSC75 headphones that go for $14 on Amazon. It's amazingly good for the money. But if you're any sort of audiophile wait for my high-end Klipsch headphone review coming next week--it may be the best ever in-ear headphone I've used with my iPod. By the way, iPod speakers were a more popular upgrade than headphones.

Repairs are common, but most of you seem perfectly happy with Apple's service, though I wondered about the guy who burned through nine(!!!) iPods in a row--all suffered hard drive failures. Hmmm!?!

Small as they are, it's no wonder people's iPods get lost or stolen. Maybe Steve Jobs should come up with a GPS for his next-generation models. Many just get old and die. You all take these mishaps in stride and happily trade up to the latest and greatest Pods. And so it goes.

Since Macworld 2008 didn't announce any new iPods, I thought this would be a good time to survey iPod owners.

Are you on your first, second, third, or fourth iPod? Apple has sold more than 100 million of the little buggers, so I'm a little curious about how many of you bought more than one over the years. How much money have you invested in iPods? Have you bought them as gifts, or received one as a gift? Are you still on your first iPod? I still have the one I bought in 2003, and I intend to use it till it breaks.

My first and only iPod, long may it run.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

Did you buy a new one because the old one crapped out, or did you lose it? Did you buy a new iPod because the new one did stuff the old one didn't? Or maybe the new one was smaller or better looking?

Do you regularly watch movies or TV shows on your iPod? Where do you listen to music--at home, car, plane, gym, or work?

How much money have you invested in accessories--docks, speakers, cables, and chargers?

And do you also have any other brands of music players? Do you ever rip CDs or LPs? Do you stick exclusively with iTunes? Or never buy iTunes? Hey, I'm just curious, please let me know.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

Audiophiles never gave up on vinyl, but now kids are driving a current LP boom.

Kristina Dell's feature article in Time magazine looks at the trend of people, including teens, turning to vinyl to escape the awful digital grime of downloads and MP3s.

"Bad sound on an iPod has had an impact on a lot of people going back to vinyl," one teen says. Another teenage vinyl devotee tells Time, "Most things sound better on vinyl, even with the crackles and pops and hisses."

And when you figure that LPs usually cost a little more than CDs and iTunes, you can conclude that some kids are willing to pay more for what they truly value! Wow, the kids really are all right!

Sure, the retro appeal of vinyl, the large format, cover art, and the tactile feel of the vinyl experience are responsible for the resurgence. The Warner Music Group posted a 30 percent increase in vinyl sales last year, and indie labels are cranking out new vinyl titles all the time. Used LPs, selling for a buck or less are easy to find at yard sales, used bookstores, and I've personally found dozens of perfectly good records on the street. The future of CDs may be in doubt, but vinyl will be around for the long haul.

A very small part of my collection.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

I own 3,000 CDs and 4,000 LPs. They take up a lot of space in my apartment, and that's OK with me. They're lined up in metal racks, wood shelving, and stacked up in piles on the floor. But a lot of my friends with just a few hundred CDs are in a big hurry to dump them into their computers and get rid of the discs. I just had lunch yesterday with an audiophile friend who is in the midst of transferring all of his CDs as WAV files to his new HD. As always I'm completely out of step with the times. For me, the joy of sauntering over to the wall and scoping the titles to figure out what I'm going to play next is still so satisfying. I stumble upon stuff I haven't played in years, like the other day I popped on "The Fantasy Film World of Bernard Herrmann" and that led to gamelan percussion from Evan Ziporyn, which put me in the mood for Radiohead's "Amnesiac." And so it goes.

I like clutter, it seems to spur creativity, but to most folks it looks like a mess. So maybe the whole move to download music and movies is really based on the urge to purge. That at least makes some sense. That's also a big part of the whole iTunes mindset. But for me, scanning playlists just doesn't have the tactile appeal of fingering CDs or LPs. I like sitting there reading the booklet or just staring at the cover. Which sometimes jogs my memories of buying the music in the first place. The funky store in San Francisco where somebody turned me onto Clifford Jordan's jazz, or the time I was walking through Central Park on a misty April morning listening to Copland's "Concerto for Clarinet, Strings, Harp and Piano" on the radio. The music so perfectly fit the scene I headed straight to the Tower Records store on 66th and Broadway and bought it. And now every time I play that CD it takes me back to the day in Central Park. The CD is a physical connection to that day, and I don't want to give that up.