The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

Peter Korsten wrote:

>

>
> The case of the RIAA versus MP3.com is rather clear. MP3.com put 45,000
> commercial, copyrighted CD's online. These are CD's from the traditional
> record companies, not from MP3.com. Now you must have the original CD to
> download the MP3's, but fact of the matter is that they infringed the
> copyright. There's no doubt about that.
>
> Did they have to do this? No.
>
> Was this very stupid? Positively so.

Well, that's what being debated isn't it? For those of you who would
like to read more, here's the link:

http://www.mp3.com/my/news/yourmusic.html

*I* believe this goes back to my original point regarding the monopoly
of distribution by the majors. The majors are resisting with all their
might coming into the digital age and it surely has nothing to do with
'artists rights', IMO.

>
> Another reason why DAT failed is because it's expensive, cumbersome (it's
> still a tape), it wears easily (rotating heads are always good for high
> costs), different sampling rate (48 kHz instead of 44.1 Khz) and it wasn't
> that much better than compact cassette.
>

What? The sounds quality of DAT is vastly superior to cassette and, uh,
have you noticed that 24 / 96 is being widely implemented at the moment?
32-bit will be in many Cubase users hands this summer with Cubase v5.
Granted, there are limits to the amount of resolution our analog ears
can detect ;-) and I find the idea of recording from 16-bit DAC to
18-bit ADC's at 48 Khz of dubious merit at best but...Furthermore, most
of the then cutting edge DAT recorders offered selectable sampling rates
and corresponding record times, i.e., 32, 44.1, and 48 Khz. Alesis made
a FORTUNE off of ADAT technology which was the next generation of
spinning head technology (still in use BTW in every household VCR!) as
did Tascam.

> DCC again was a tape, and it also failed. MiniDisc, although it had a slow
> start, has become a success,

Not here in the U.S. It's still floating near the surface but not close
to a success, IMO. DCC was a flop. Period. Waste of everybodys time.

and it also has the SCMS protocol. So my guess

> is that SCMS wasn't the sole reason why DAT failed.

We'll agree to disagree. SCMS kept the price between professional and
consumer MSRPs so out of whack it's amazing DAT became so widely used in
professional circle.

>
> About MP3.com, they're just as commercial as record companies. They just
> took a different posture, just like some bands (Metallica, Sex Pistols) sell
> a lot of records with their anti-establishment posture.

Yeah, and Metallica is suing Napster. ;-) haha ha LOL Along with Dr.
Dre too. Like he hasn't EVER used a sample without clearance ;-)

>
> > In addition, they're feeble attempts to enact a watermark security layer
> > for encoded music distribution is a joke!!! Liquid Audio already does
> > it - and does it better than anything this collective has prescribed.
> > Roland and Emagic have already joined up with Liquid Audio creating
> > interfaces from their hardware and a software DAW's to the Liquid Audio
> > specification. I only hope other big names join in.
>
> The trouble with encoded audio is that it has to be decoded somewhere along
> the stream. And you can always pick it up at that point. Hey presto,
> unencoded, high quality digital audio.
>
> > MP3 may not be perfect but look at your alternatives :-(
>
> I like CD's. :) I've found that, after downloading an MP3 file, I want to
> have the record. And I mean the whole record, including cover art, booklet,
> print on the CD... I suppose the record companies would stuff MP3 down our
> throats if everyone was like me. :)

Well, most the artists I know - myself included - agree with you. I
LIKE having the artwork too. Very much so but that again opens the door
to new modes of distribution. Notice the lack of graphics on my site?
That's because I stink at it!!! whereas some of my acquaintances are
fantastic with these new tools! There is NOTHING stopping an
independent artist from pressing his own CD's with quality artwork and
distributing them via online, SSL encrypted distribution & ordering
tools. There are a variety of virtual store fronts services available
at tiered prices points for the amount of product being supported.
MP3.com is only one or many avenues available today. The majors are NOT
the only recourse for musicians today. Unless you WANT to be the next
Ricky Martin or Brittany Spears.


Jon

--
http://www.jdlx-musique.com/

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