What’s the format Kenneth?...

Being a Gen Xer, I grew up through some pretty amazing advances in audio and computing.

From floppy disks the size of your head, and tape drives, to a touchscreen computer that fits in your hand and it just happens to also be a phone, a camera and a media player.

I mean, Super computers used to fill entire rooms back in the day... now I hold even more processing and computing power in my hand, than what would have been in those “Super Computers”.

Format wars...

A long time ago... in a record store near you...

Oh the memories! Thumbing through stacks of vinyl, looking at tape cases. Taking a compact disc up to the front counter, with one of those large white, plastic “anti theft” devices attached to it, to buy that one album you scrapped up all your money to for...

I mean, I grew up with Vinyl, 8 tracks, Cassette tapes, CD’s, and even mini disk...

From physical formats, to files... (I won’t even go into all the different file formats, and I’m sure there will be even more, as the years roll on.)

From Radio...to Streaming.

Ch..ch..ch..ch...Changes...

My son was born in 2000. When he started to become more independently mobile, he would kind or roll on his sides one direction and then the other, in order to get where he was going.

Eventually he would start to crawl.

At this point in life my family and I were in a small two bedroom apartment.

I had JVC AX-R551 receiver and two ESS PS 1020 speakers that my father had given me years earlier, when he had moved on to a surround system.

This set up sounded fantastic and could definitely upset the neighbors.

It was probably a bit much for our tiny apartment.

One day, I came home to find that my son (in his curiosity) had accidentally pushed one of the woofer cones in... destroying the foam surrounds. (This was before I knew that these things could be repaired and how to do so.)

I was upset, but what could I do?

I’m surrounded!?!...

At that point I decided to “upgrade” to a surround system. Being that we had a confined living space... I went with a Pioneer surround receiver with integrated 5 disc carousel CD/DVD changer. It was a sleek system with 5 satellite speakers and a subwoofer.

It sounded good for what it was... but it wasn’t the JVC receiver and ESS speakers good.

Which at that point we had no room to store, so they ended up in the hands of my brother in law.

Not keeping them is a definite regret.

Zeros and ones...

I adopted MP3 players pretty early on.

It was a small an convenient way to take my music to work with me. Sound quality was still a bit suspect, but it worked.

The quality would start to catch up eventually.

My first player was made by RCA. That I can’t remember the model name/number. I would eventually make the jump to an Apple iPod nano, then a larger iPod that I would use for many years until I moved on to an iPhone.

While I was still enjoying music, the experience changed for me.

Computer age...

Having had loaded the entirety of my music into my HP computer, converted to MP3 from CD, listening through some Cambridge audio 2.1 computer speakers, most of my cd collection was now stored away. I would occasionally pull a few out to play here and there on our surround system but still the experience was different.

Islands in a stream...

Ok. You are stranded on a deserted island.

You can only take one.... streaming service?!?

Many of you may have been asked the “desert island album” question, but what if you didn’t have to settle for just one?

I do have to say, I have enjoyed streaming immensely. The ability to just think of a band, a genre, an album and then “Click” it meets your ears!

I have had a philosophy when it comes to my musical tastes...

“Be musically diverse”

Streaming has helped me in this quest of mine, to traverse down paths not yet trodden upon by my discerning ears. To give bands and artists the time of day, not yet given before.

(Pausing the tape)

In a conversation with my wife last night, we were talking about musical genres. As we were talking, these words exited my lips... “I am more interested the artist than the genre.” If an artist is talented, truly talented... they have my interest. The genre doesn’t matter!”

I may listen to Outkast one minute, then Alison Krauss the next... or Judas Priest, then maybe Gustav Holst.

I just enjoy talented creatives.

(Pressing play)

Streaming is an endless sea, with many ports with which to dock your ship. The options are endless. The audible topography is vast, which can be both great and overwhelming all at the same time.

The Song Remains the Same...

Well, kind of...

I have found myself coming full circle when it comes to audio gear and audio formats.

While I love the convenience of MP3 players, streaming, iPhones and Laptop listing and still use them daily.

I much more enjoy the experience of physical media. Holding it in my hands, reading through the material, and admiring the artwork. My ears also tend to lean towards the experiences I have with my listening time with vinyl and compact disc. Plus, there are all the childhood memories and vibes that just come rushing back when I’m listening to physical formats.

The process of looking through my collection and finding a few albums to just enjoy in their entirety is just so satisfying.

The equipment I am listening through has

come full circle as well. Large speakers, turntables, amps, CD players... with one exception... Streaming.

How can I not incorporate this wonderful tool for discovering new music and finding old favorites?!

I have so many options for enjoying my listing time. I may choose to find something new, pulling up an audiophile playlist on Spotify. I might choose to rummage through my cd collection, set one in the tray, press play and listen, while thumbing through the insert. Taking in information about the band/artist and the production team. Or... I may carefully pull a vinyl record from its jacket, put it on my turntable plater, place the needle to the vinyl and just sit back, eyes closed, enjoying every note that meets my ears.

The song really does remain the same...

I still just thoroughly enjoy listening to music! Gosh! I haven’t even talked about live music yet!? For another time...

Punkfloyd4eyes