Close

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 22
  1. #1

    Default OT: Happy 25th B'day Compact Disc!

    Love or hate em - whether you think they remain the most viable current delivery format for audio or think they are a fading thing of the past - the introduction of the CD was truly revolutionary and opened an entirely new path for audio delivery, and remains an influential invention to this date. Happy B'day CD!

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6950845.stm

    Best regards,
    Steve Berson

  2. #2

    Default Re: OT: Happy 25th B'day Compact Disc!

    Man it seems like a year or two ago.

    This old stuff stinks.

    Better than cassette's, MP3, 8 Track Tape, wax cylinders
    Warren @ The Masters Tracks

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Ennis, Texas USA
    Posts
    456

    Default Re: OT: Happy 25th B'day Compact Disc!

    Wow, it seems like yesterday blank CDR's were $17.00 each

    I'd be interested in anyone's opinion of how long they think CD's will be around.

    Scott

  4. #4

    Default Re: OT: Happy 25th B'day Compact Disc!

    Quote Originally Posted by Scott P View Post
    Wow, it seems like yesterday blank CDR's were $17.00 each
    Heck - I remember when they were something like $50 each! - "back in the day" when I was doing editing/premastering on a Digi SoundDesignerII work station everything would be bounced to DAT - having access to a CD-R burner was unheard of.

    Anyway -
    for those who want to dive deeper - a nice history on the early development of the CD is at -
    http://www.opticaldisc-systems.com/2...volution42.htm
    &
    http://www.opticaldisc-systems.com/2...volution52.htm

    Luckily the engineers at Sony won out over the ones at Philips or we would have ended up with 14bit CD's!

    Best regards,
    Steve Berson

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Southern Arizona
    Posts
    160

    Default Re: OT: Happy 25th B'day Compact Disc!

    There were some 14 bit CD players in the early days. One high end 14 bit player was the venerable Tandberg. It was the first CD player Tandberg built. I guess they felt truncating 2 bits was not a loss in the quality of the playback.
    Gary R.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Ennis, Texas USA
    Posts
    456

    Default Re: OT: Happy 25th B'day Compact Disc!

    Quote Originally Posted by TotalSonic View Post
    Heck - I remember when they were something like $50 each! - "back in the day" when I was doing editing/premastering on a Digi SoundDesignerII work station everything would be bounced to DAT - having access to a CD-R burner was unheard of.

    Best regards,
    Steve Berson
    That was the day before yesterday. Yes, I remember that too, though the memory is fading.

    s

  7. #7

    Default Re: OT: Happy 25th B'day Compact Disc!

    A few memories:

    My cousin worked in a stereo shop. When they got their first CD player, he treated it like a turntable. He turned it up until he could hear a little hiss. Then when the music started, he blew out a pair of speakers and took several weeks off his life.

    At the radio station, we got a first-generation player from one of the owners. We ended up dubbing CDs to reel before carting the songs, because we couldn't figure out any other way to get a nice tight cue. The first time you hit play, it might take a second. The next could be half a second or two seconds.

    When a friend got her first CD player, she brought it over. We set up a 100-watt amp and the EV Sentry 100A monitors I still use today. We listened to the demo CD that came with her player. It had songs from Paul Simon's album with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Al Green, and many more. We blew our brains and ears out that night, amazed at how we could talk with each other with the music blasting because it was so clear.

    I agonized over buying my first burner. The CDRs were 20 bucks. And in those days, you had inexplicable errors. A 20-dollar coaster was way out of my budget. The burner was a Plextor, I believe, and cost me 4 or 5 hundred bucks. But clients were impressed. No more expensive 7-inch reels and boxes for longer projects.

    In the CD heyday, I would take 8 or 10 envelopes to FedEx each night during political season. Now CDs are used here only occasionally. Most jobs these days go out over the net and backups are on DVD.

    And music CDs? Let's see, I can pay 18 bucks for a CD that has 2 or 3 songs the kids like. Or I can pay 18 bucks for 18 iTunes the kids like. Yes, I hear some swishyness on the cymbals now and then, but the kids don't. Considering how the audio market has changed, I am absolutely AMAZED that HDTV is catching on. Even with the mandated change to digital TV (a moving target anyway.) I guess the audio manufacturers don't have as many lobbyists.

    I hope drives that read CDs are around for a while, though. I have over ten years of work archived on CD. Now and then, I get asked to update something. Usually though, it's from the last couple of years.

    So, CDs have come and will go. But the digital audio standards they established have allowed me to grow my freelance VO business way beyond what was possible when I was driving to different studios all day.

    And so Carl doesn't get upset, Bob helped, too, with SawPlus and its sons.

    Fun ride.
    Ian Alexander
    VO Talent/Audio Producer
    www.IanAlexander.com

  8. #8

    Default Re: OT: Happy 25th B'day Compact Disc!

    Ian, you provide some great memories.
    **EDIT**
    I too "Hope DRIVES that read CDs are around for a while"....

    Remember when we all wanted to use CD's that would last a 100 years shelf life?!!

    Unfortunately, archiving through a digital evolution is not a one step process! (but I often think "Alas, a format that will be here for my great grandkids to view & Hear what we've done") I was dreaming!
    Last edited by Carl G.; 08-18-2007 at 10:56 AM. Reason: Miss Quote correction
    Carl G.
    Voice Talent/Audio Producer
    www.creativetrax.com

  9. #9

    Default Re: OT: Happy 25th B'day Compact Disc!

    Quote Originally Posted by Scott P View Post
    Wow, it seems like yesterday blank CDR's were $17.00 each

    Scott
    Seems like yesterday that music recorded CDs were $17.00 while vinyl was $5.00, and we paid it because it was a revolutionary new format and the prices would come down eventually. And now music CDs are... $17.00. That's progress!!!

    It is amazing though that the record companies are having such a hard time breaking even and giving royalties to artists, selling a 25 cent disc for $17.00.

    End of rant

    Cheers,
    Scott
    Last edited by studio-c; 08-17-2007 at 11:37 PM.

  10. #10

    Default Re: OT: Happy 25th B'day Compact Disc!

    I just remembered, I bought my first CD burner, a 1x speed, for $2000. Needed it for a client project, so had to buy it to get the gig. Ouch. And man, the software was clunky! And setting up and terminating SCSI chains was a PITA cuz we just wanted to burn discs, not read manuals. And the failure rate! Oy! We used to decorate the studio Christmas tree with failed discs. LOL...

    Oh oh, another "back in the day" OT rant. I'll go away now.

    Cheers,
    Scott

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •