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Prog_Traveller 
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 Topic: MP3 album download question
Posted: July 15 2010 at 16:49 |
I'm interested at some point soon in downloading some albums in mp3 format(probably to burn to disc but also to save for when I finally get an ipod).
My question is this: If I download an album at some site(it doesn't really seem to matter which one)will it play like a full album or will it be broken up into individual songs? What I mean is most of the time it won't matter because it's usually pretty obvious where one song ends and another begins but with something like the early Moody Blues albums where each song seemlessly flows into the next I don't want to hear it in a way that loses it's continuity. Another example would be some of Genesis' "the lamb lies down on broadway." I want to hear the title track seque into "fly on the windshield" without any space in between. So how do downloaded albums usually sound? Is this usually a problem or do I have nothing to worry about?
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chopper
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Posted: July 15 2010 at 16:55 |
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I think it depends on the player and the software. My MP3 player (a Samsung) inserts a very short gap between tracks which doesn't detract too much from the overall album. I have a feeling though that with some software you can reduce the gap to 0.
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A Person
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Posted: July 15 2010 at 17:17 |
 chopper wrote:
I think it depends on the player and the software. My MP3 player (a Samsung) inserts a very short gap between tracks which doesn't detract too much from the overall album. I have a feeling though that with some software you can reduce the gap to 0.
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Yeah, I have had one that played seamlessly, my current one has a small gap when changing between mp3s. I don't really notice it as much anymore though.
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Prog_Traveller
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Posted: July 15 2010 at 17:36 |
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I guess maybe if I can predict which albums might have songs that blend into eachother I'll just buy them on cd and download them later. I suppose I shouldn't worry too much about it but what software is recommended to prevent the gap? And how much does it cost? ;)
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harmonium.ro
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Posted: July 15 2010 at 17:38 |
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I love the half-second of silence between suite sections. I know what's going to happen and the anticipation makes that short moment (long as the blink of an eye) wonderful.
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Wiktor Hatif
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Posted: July 15 2010 at 18:46 |
harmonium.ro wrote:
I love the half-second of silence between suite sections. I know what's going to happen and the anticipation makes that short moment (long as the blink of an eye) wonderful.
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oh, I have the same thing  and continuity is just a state of mind 
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cobb2
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Posted: July 16 2010 at 02:59 |
If you download MP3 as albums it will come as a folder, with the tracks split as a cd. Most players will play this folder as if it was a cd, ie right click folder and select 'play with ... your player of choice'
If you burn mp3's to disk you can control the amount of time gap between tracks in the burning software.
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Prog_Traveller
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Posted: July 16 2010 at 16:02 |
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Ok. I have itunes on my computer so is that considered software or just the player?
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cobb2
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Posted: July 16 2010 at 19:22 |
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itunes is a media player (audio and video). Its specific purpose is to download paid for music or video, catalog it and play it or sync it to any of the apple hardware such as ipod. itunes is heavy on DRM and all the pros and cons that go with digital rights management. This would not be a player of choice unless you have an ipod (addition- or an apple pc)
Edited by cobb2 - July 16 2010 at 19:23
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scatterplot1
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Posted: July 16 2010 at 20:50 |
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What I noticed when I first downloaded MP3 albums in the early 2000s was they had(most did) ALBW near the extension. This meant "albumwrap", a usefull software for pasting MP3 songs together into one album, since ripping a CD using Windows Media player put each song by itself into a folder. Its usefull software even today. I bought a copy around 2003. It also has an extractor that takes the large MP3 file back apart into it's original files.
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scatterplot1
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Posted: July 16 2010 at 20:57 |
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Gee.....the point being, say you downloaded a Moody Blues album that had tracks fade into each other, and it was all in individual tracks that now end strangely from being cut up(which does bug me), you can drag and drop the songs in order and have your album back. Or you could make an album with your fav. Genesis, MB etc. wrapped together if u like.
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cobb2
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Posted: July 16 2010 at 21:05 |
scatterplot1 wrote:
What I noticed when I first downloaded MP3 albums in the early 2000s was they had(most did) ALBW near the extension. This meant "albumwrap", a usefull software for pasting MP3 songs together into one album, since ripping a CD using Windows Media player put each song by itself into a folder. Its usefull software even today. I bought a copy around 2003. It also has an extractor that takes the large MP3 file back apart into it's original files. |
ALBW is dead, because torrents have taken over.
And- You can never get the original files back from an MP3. MP3 conversion from wav (or cda as it is in cd) throws out information that can never be reclaimed when converting an mp3 back to wav. Just because the file size increases by 90% doesn't mean the original info is back in the file.
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Prog_Traveller
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Posted: July 16 2010 at 22:52 |
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wow, this sucks. It looks like I'm not going to get what I want unless I buy the cds. I knew there was a drawback to all this new technology. Geez.
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VanVanVan
Prog Reviewer
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Posted: July 17 2010 at 11:08 |
Most albums from (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon MP3, whatever) will play seamlessly if the album is meant to play that way. The majority of my collection is digital and I do not have problems with seamless albums.
I use iTunes and an iPod Classic, if that helps.
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"The meaning of life is to give life meaning."-Arjen Lucassen
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scatterplot1
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Posted: July 17 2010 at 16:58 |
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Not really Travellor. It's all out there waiting for you to get it. Most of it can be found with high bit rates. Entire discographies available, ready for you to dissect, assimilate and enjoy. Have fun.
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Prog_Traveller
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Posted: July 17 2010 at 22:16 |
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OK. Like I said before, I have itunes on my computer so I should be ok, right? I'm still not sure if there is other stuff I need to download.
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scatterplot1
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Posted: July 18 2010 at 02:31 |
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Good God man. Whats with I tunes. Don't you know how to use utorrent? I've tried to lead you in the direction without using the name. There ya go! Have fun! Amass large quantities of your music. Hook your mp3 player to the AUX in jack of your car stereo or your home stereo. Myself, I hook my PC line out to a 16 channel mixer which goes to line in's on a reciever and every album I own is on my hard drive(external). I've backed up every CD I ever bought from Renaissance to MB to Yes on PC. Plus when I wanna play git or keys or both, I'm hooked up to play. If you need tech advice I'm here to help. I cant endorse utorrent or any other download means, but you have your choices to make. Have fun!!.
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Slartibartfast
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Posted: July 18 2010 at 08:59 |
Prog_Traveller wrote:
Another example would be some of Genesis' "the lamb lies down on broadway." I want to hear the title track seque into "fly on the windshield" without any space in between. So how do downloaded albums usually sound? Is this usually a problem or do I have nothing to worry about? |
I wouldn't even think of having the Lamb as a download only.
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Adams Bolero
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Posted: July 18 2010 at 12:07 |
All of the MP3 Albums I have downloaded play each track seamlessly with no spaces so you should be able to download albums like "the lamb lies down on broadway" and play them on iTunes track by track with no spaces. You don't need any other software, I have always used iTunes and it has always played MP3 albums with no trouble. In fact the only time I have had annoying spaces that break the continuity of an album is with the most recent CD release of Hatfield and the North's debut album. It really made the album sound disjointed so I have only had trouble with CDs with this problem and never with MP3s.
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''Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.''
- Albert Camus
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Snow Dog
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Posted: July 18 2010 at 12:26 |
If you listen to your MP3s on your PC using....say.....Windows Media Player...the tracks will play seamlessly without any audio break. However MP3 players are another matter.....as far as I know some will add a gap and others won't. So check out your MP3 player before you buy.
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MP3 album download question
