HMV to close ?

[Pinhead]

ouch! I feel your pain.

I've recently gone thru just one of my shelves of CDs to re-rip them to MP3, at a higher quality than I originally did them at. It took me too bleeding long just for that one shelf.

I can't remember now why I ripped them at 192bps - I'm guessing cos I was worried about disk space - but in hindsight it was bloody stupid of me. I've done them this time at 320bps and 'high quality q=2' ... but now I'm writing this I'm thinking I've been daft again and should have done them at 'very high quality q=0'.

While mp3's isn't the best format I could have used I've gone for that because of its total portability to just about any device. I've got fed up over the years of wanting to play a digital file and then finding that it's in an unsupported format for the device I want to play it on. At least mp3 gets round that.

While I wouldn't give up my CDs and still play them if I'm listening in the same room as they're kept in, I like my digitised collection - it means I can do a look-up when in a record shop just to double-check I'm not re-buying what I already have (something I've done a few times), and it means that I have access to my music from anywhere in the world.

It's also quite good for randomly putting on some music thru the main front-room stereo when I'm out of the house and freaking out the missus.

[Kowalski]

Don't know if its been noted but HMV's website has been shut down now and will no longer be trading

[radish]

not sure where the record companies went wrong by not stopping free downloading of anything anyone wants.

[eFestivals]

I keep on about pledge music and the like, and I think with some justification.

Is it justified tho? Who has been successful to a decent level by going that route?

[eFestivals]

Sample at 41,000 or 48,000hz?

44,100 ... there's no point doing anything greater, because then you're distorting the recording yourself.

You cannot improve the quality from the quality of the original source.

[thetime]

Sad day for the staff of HMV as they have always been lovely to deal with and true music fans.

Time to move on and support your independant music stores, they do still exist, find them and use them...

www.recordstoreday.co.uk has a great list and search facility..

Edited January 16, 2013 by thetime

[dondo]

Selectadisc in Nottingham, which was a great shop...

Edited January 16, 2013 by dondo

[eFestivals]

well, my nearest independent is about 100 yards from my house, and I'm just taking my weekly stroll up there now to see what they've got that's new.

[thetime]

well, my nearest independent is about 100 yards from my house, and I'm just taking my weekly stroll up there now to see what they've got that's new.

[abdoujaparov]

well, my nearest independent is about 100 yards from my house, and I'm just taking my weekly stroll up there now to see what they've got that's new.

[ICGenie]

Is it justified tho? Who has been successful to a decent level by going that route?

[thegremlin_1999]

Is it justified tho? Who has been successful to a decent level by going that route?

[eFestivals]

there used to be three really good secondhand record shops in Gloucester Road when I lived in Bristol - one up by the prison and two down round where the post office is. Happy days

I don't get onto Gloucester Road too often, but when I do it's mostly to drink in a pub (the Lion) right near the prison. As far as i recall there's no shop there now.

I guess that Bristol has suffered like everywhere else, cos i know that one of the people who run Boomtown used to run a shop on Stokes Croft, now gone.

Edited January 16, 2013 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

Depends on what you mean by "a decent level". Marillion have quite happily been working this way for 13 years now. They probably wouldn't exist any more if they hadn't started pre-selling their albums. Admittedly it's something that's always going to work better for an artists with an established fanbase but they make a more than decent living and don't lose anything to the record company. It definitely works.

Ginger wildheart has done ok! His 100% album (the commercial version of the pledge funded 555% triple album) went top 10 in the uk...

I'm not sure that either of those count really - because they probably wouldn't have been able to do that without record companies having given them a leg-up in the first place.

I hold my own guilt for that with Marillion, having bought their first album aged about 17.

All that aside, it's a bit of a failing by those acts that they've needed to do that. They should really be in the position to fund new albums themselves - so I suspect it's more about them offsetting the risk of new recordings onto their fans, to avoid risking their own already-acquired (large or small) wealth.

[eFestivals]

Show of.

would it showing off even more if I tell you that it's the nearest shop to my house too? Talk about convenient.

[mrtourette]

There's no independent record store in my large town that handles new releases, the only one specialises in buying and selling second hand vinyl and CDs.

[TalkShow Bob]

Edinburgh is pretty shocking for independent record shops. I a nightmare trying to find Netsky's new album; ended up going to HMV after trying three shops. There there but one of them only sold back catalog one had it on order (despite it being out for two weeks) and one didn't stock that sort of music, though offered to order it in and pointed me to the one where it was on order.

Think I've been spoilt in Wales with Andy's Records in Aberystwyth and Spillers in Cardiff.

For who ever it was looking for indie record stores sites.

Andys: http://www.andys-records.com/

Spillers: http://www.spillersrecords.co.uk/

Edited January 16, 2013 by TalkShow Bob

[fred quimby]

well, my nearest independent is about 100 yards from my house, and I'm just taking my weekly stroll up there now to see what they've got that's new.

[grumpyhack]

Edinburgh is pretty shocking for independent record shops. I a nightmare trying to find Netsky's new album; ended up going to HMV after trying three shops. There there but one of them only sold back catalog one had it on order (despite it being out for two weeks) and one didn't stock that sort of music, though offered to order it in and pointed me to the one where it was on order.

Think I've been spoilt in Wales with Andy's Records in Aberystwyth and Spillers in Cardiff.

For who ever it was looking for indie record stores sites.

Andys: http://www.andys-records.com/

Spillers: http://www.spillersrecords.co.uk/

[pehaw]

Two things...

1) If you live near Banquet Records in Kingston (Surrey) they are offering 50% off if you give them your HMV vouchers. Terms and conditions obviously apply. See http://www.banquetrecords.com/HMVcards

2) I'm assuming everyone saw the great documentary on Sound It Out records in Stockton that was on BBC4 in November? If not check it out it's pretty damn good.

[kaosmark2]

Sad day for the staff of HMV as they have always been lovely to deal with and true music fans.

[radish]

I'm not sure that either of those count really - because they probably wouldn't have been able to do that without record companies having given them a leg-up in the first place.I hold my own guilt for that with Marillion, having bought their first album aged about 17. :lol:All that aside, it's a bit of a failing by those acts that they've needed to do that. They should really be in the position to fund new albums themselves - so I suspect it's more about them offsetting the risk of new recordings onto their fans, to avoid risking their own already-acquired (large or small) wealth.

[eFestivals]

And yet still bought the Adele album. the Shame

you don't find mainstream shite in specvialist record shops, so nerrr.

[A-Rob]

Flip, on 16 Jan 2013 - 13:51, said:/index.php?app=forums&module=forums&section=findpost&pid=3898696">

[jump]

Two things...

1) If you live near Banquet Records in Kingston (Surrey) they are offering 50% off if you give them your HMV vouchers. Terms and conditions obviously apply. See http://www.banquetrecords.com/HMVcards