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Ethical MP3 Problem

First off, I love my records. I spend a shitload of money on them and if my house were to burn down I'd be jumping out the window with records in hand and little else. However, I also download a lot of music. I'm not really liking the whole legal MP3 download idea because and MP3 is simply not high enough quality to play in a club or on a large sound system. If these downloads were AIFF/WAV I might consider it but as it is now I really just don't like the idea. That said, I download MP3s mainly to see whats new, not really to play out. However, a lot of stuff gets ripped LOONNNGGG before it gets released on vinyl which leaves me wanting to play it out. I can touch up any MP3 to near WAV quality in Sound Forge so it sounds clean but is this a crime if the track won't be released for sometime? I really can't decide...

If you're paying a lot for vinyl anyways it's no big deal. The only real assholes are the one spinning sets mostly with downloaded tracks, and accepting compensation (cash, etc) for doing so.

As for the sound quality, one of the ways mp3's cut down the filesize is by cutting the frequencies that the human ear can not hear. This doesn't make a lot of difference on a home system, but in a big club you can definately feel that something is flat and shallow sounding. I don't think there's really much you can do about that. I know the Xone V6 has a CD line in that filters a few frequencies into it so that it sounds just like vinyl, but that's already a full quality wav, who knows what good it would do to a mp3 (if any). Plus that mixer's only about $5000, and thats without an eq board.

It sucks when you're playing a song with your tables, then want to cut to a track you've got on your computer with Final Scratch. No matter what people tell you, the fullness of the sound just isn't there, and the transition usually sounds like poop.

But I do feel your pain with the whole unreleased track stuff. There is so much solid stuff out there that'll never make it to vinyl and just screams to be played. Plus you've got that edge of new stuff no-one has ever heard of.

You can't win every war.

I understand how MP3s work, usually I just fatten it up with Ozone and hope for the best

I guess I'll just keep buying records and playing MP3s at the same time. I think if I keep it to about a 70/30 ratio I should be fine (70% vinyl 30% mp3s I suck at math lol)

you need to learn the art of vinyl mining and hunting.
How do you think they get on the net?
Someone gets sent a promo and whacks it up on winmx or kazaa or wherever.
You can bet your ass its available somehwere on vinyl- you just have to know where to find it.

i usually have stuff before its available as a download now simply because i know where to look and im quick.

there is no shame in playing out the odd download that you simply cant get hold of before release. Just dont make a habit of it.

quote:

Originally posted by Freak i usually have stuff before its available as a download now simply because i know where to look and im quick.

What kind of places are those? I mean, you don't have to give away specific names or resources, since everybody would go there then and that'd be a bad thing for you, but I was just wondering.. What types of resources are you referring to?

Given the fact that I live in a place with only a single, very small record store (which only sells stuff that is relatively well-known), it's pretty hard to keep up with good vinyl releases that don't make it big.

online shops- they pretty much all ship worldwide.

quote:

Originally posted by Freak online shops- they pretty much all ship worldwide.

OK, so nothing new to me Thought that maybe I was overlooking a few opportunities.

Thanks anyway

this is how my ethics on this subject work:

if you are playing out in a club, only play things you have paid for. legally speaking, you have a right to play those things, and no right to play some rip by >insert rip group name< which has been pulled illegally off a promo months before its actual release.

but if its solely for bedroom use, i don't see any harm in playing those rips to yourself and your friends. as someone already said, its not as if you are taking the piss and not buying any music at all.. you just have to be careful what you play in a club, cos if its obvious you never had the record/shouldn't have that tune, you will be raped

quote:

Originally posted by tu_face this is how my ethics on this subject work: if you are playing out in a club, only play things you have paid for. legally speaking, you have a right to play those things, and no right to play some rip by >insert rip group name< which has been pulled illegally off a promo months before its actual release. but if its solely for bedroom use, i don't see any harm in playing those rips to yourself and your friends. as someone already said, its not as if you are taking the piss and not buying any music at all.. you just have to be careful what you play in a club, cos if its obvious you never had the record/shouldn't have that tune, you will be raped

ya tu_face pretty much summed up my views on this subject

quote:

Originally posted by Freak you need to learn the art of vinyl mining and hunting. How do you think they get on the net? Someone gets sent a promo and whacks it up on winmx or kazaa or wherever. You can bet your ass its available somehwere on vinyl- you just have to know where to find it. i usually have stuff before its available as a download now simply because i know where to look and im quick. there is no shame in playing out the odd download that you simply cant get hold of before release. Just dont make a habit of it.

Yeah but you're also a DJ with a residency and therefore a reason for record companies to give you promos and such. I don't have that connection, I mean I'm sure I'm gonna outgrow downloads once I get on some promo lists but until then I'm a 17 year old high school kid that is just starting to get paid to play EDM...

Alright heres a perfect example...

BT - Remember (Benz & MD Remix)

I have the full version through MP3 and since this tune has already been released numerous times I really doubt theres even gonna be a whitelabel pressing of this. So is it wrong to play that kind of tune out? I just can't decide...

quote:

Originally posted by Max Thomson Yeah but you're also a DJ with a residency and therefore a reason for record companies to give you promos and such. I don't have that connection, I mean I'm sure I'm gonna outgrow downloads once I get on some promo lists but until then I'm a 17 year old high school kid that is just starting to get paid to play EDM...

As nem will also tell you, half the stuff sent on mailing lists is wank, its also not sent until near release date, or in some cases after the release date.
I hunt out records i like, i dont rely on it being sent.
I stand by my statement that if its out there you will be able to find it if you look in the right places and are quick enough.

example?
heard on pete tongs essential selection a few weeks back-' col hamilton presents c-sixty four 'on a good thing'' Awesome french stylee house track that i predict big things for. Not on winmx or kazaa when i checked either.
I wont be sent that for probably 6 months- if at all. I have 3 test pressings of it sat right here. rare as rocking horse shit- but i was quick and i know where to look. They werent obtained through a distributor either- they were bought retail.

Same with Shapeshifters-lolas theme. everyones been fighting for a copy of it recently. I snapped up loads of copies when i found them months and months back and have been selling them for 35 ukp a time. every single place was sold out within an hour or so- you just have to be quick and know where to go.

You have to know whats coming out, what the buzz tracks are ( i hate that expression) and release dates. Most importantly you have to know where to get them.

Ill have a scout for that BT tune for you and see what i can find...

quote:

Originally posted by tu_face ... only play things you have paid for. legally speaking, you have a right to play those things, ...

Actually you don't have a right to play in public most music that you buy, unless it specifically says you have that right. Almost all music you buy is for private or personal use only and not licensed for you to play in public. The club or place where you play is supposed to take care of getting permission for you to play the music in public.

If the above is correct, you have no more right to play in public an ordinary store-bought vinyl or CD than a pirate MP3 CD.

This brings up another question: if the club is responsible for licensing or getting permission for you to play music at their location, does that permission apply regardless of the source of the music (store bought media or pirate MP3)?

quote:

Originally posted by tvmann Actually you don't have a right to play in public most music that you buy, unless it specifically says you have that right. Almost all music you buy is for private or personal use only and not licensed for you to play in public. The club or place where you play is supposed to take care of getting permission for you to play the music in public. If the above is correct, you have no more right to play in public an ordinary store-bought vinyl or CD than a pirate MP3 CD. This brings up another question: if the club is responsible for licensing or getting permission for you to play music at their location, does that permission apply regardless of the source of the music (store bought media or pirate MP3)?

This is a really good point/question.

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