Music and Technology
For this week’s list, I’ve decided to do something completely different. I’m going to focus on programs, applications and other devices that enable me to listen to music at work and on-the-go.
Simplify Media
This program is an absolute marvel. Now I can listen to my entire home iTunes library here at work and remotely without taking my iPod (which is way too small to house my entire collection anyway) or an external hard drive. All I had to do is install it on both computers (the download only takes a few minutes) and have iTunes open.
The only drawback is that sometimes there are short delays due to buffering, but that typically has to do with your connection. Still, the fact that I’m now able to access everything I’ve imported into iTunes from any location is nothing short of amazing. Did I mention that it’s completely free as well? Furthermore, you can invite others to listen to your entire library as well!
Rhapsody
This is another marvel. I first became a Rhapsody member in 2004 and was a member until 2006. I recently subscribed again and it’s just as great as I remember it. For $12.99 a month or so, you can access pretty much any album ever made. If you think I’m exaggerating, give it a try. It’s an invaluable resource.
iTunes
For the past four years or so, I’ve been digitizing my CDs and vinyl into iTunes. I rarely buy music from iTunes as I’m an old-timer who likes to have the physical media as a backup and to play, but I’ll occasionally buy exclusives or digital-only singles like X’s recent Christmas single.
My 8 GB iPod Nano
This is my third iPod, though I’ve never owned more than one simultaneously. My first one was a 20 GB 4th generation that I got about five years ago. It lasted for about three and a half years and still played when I sold it for $20 to someone on craigslist, but the battery had deteriorated to the point where I needed to charge it after playing music on it for just an hour or two.
After that, I took the plunge and invested in a 160 GB classic. Currently, I have 140 GB of music on my iTunes, so it held my entire collection. Unfortunately, though, I found its design clunky. I think Apple made the initial run of 80 and 160 GB iPods almost as afterthoughts in comparison with the care they put into the iPhone, iPod touch and the Nano. Nonetheless, I had no major problems with it and it worked fine until one day, it was stolen on the subway. I’d had it for less than a year!
After that jarring incident, I decided to replace it and got the 8 GB Nano as a birthday gift earlier this year. Its functionality is incredible and it looks great. I wish it held more music, but honestly, I only use it at the gym and occasionally on public transportation, so that’s no big deal.
Last.FM
I’ve been a Last.FM member since 2005. Primarily, I use it for two reasons. One is as an online concert calendar and the other is to see what I’ve been playing (it’s an application that scrobbles what you play) and what others play as well. I love looking at stuff like that!
Its one drawback is that I can’t get it to sync with Rhapsody, but since most of the music I listen to is on iTunes, that’s not a big deal, either.
Google Talk
There’s a neat little feature in Google Talk called “Show Current Music Track” (it’s one of the status options). If you select it, your status will be set as whatever you’re listening to at that moment so others can see it.
iOn USB turntable
I got this as a birthday gift last year and since then, I’ve been able to digitize about half of our 7” collection. Sure, the complaints about the sound have some relevance and I’m sure that plugging in a regular turntable into the computer’s sound card would give the digitized files a fuller sound, but if you’re not a hardcore audiophile (or a bit of a technophobe or if you’re just looking for the easiest possible way to digitize your vinyl), this is an incredible tool. It’s so easy to use and install that you’ll be digitizing your vinyl in minutes. Plus, how the output will sound will also depend on the headphones/earphones or speakers you use as well as the bitrate of the files and the quality of the record as well.
eMusic
To be completely honest, I’ve never used eMusic, but my wife used it extensively when it was an “all you can download” service for $9.99 a month. Although it eventually changed into a service where you have a download limit (and the price got a bit higher, too), I still applaud it for never having DRM (something the iTunes store only got rid of recently) and for selling high-quality mp3 files. Furthermore, it specializes in music on independent labels.
In-ear headphones
About four yours ago, I got my first pair of Shure e3c in-ear headphones as a holiday gift from my wife. Although I had to get used to the snug fit, I was absolutely blown away by the sound. Comparing them to the iPod’s default, ubiquitous but awful-sounding and fitting “earbuds” is like comparing a 4-star restaurant to McDonald’s. Honestly, they sound better than the studio-quality Beyer Dynamic headphones I sometimes use. However, they have a tendency to wear down easily and after a year, I sent them back and since they were still under warranty, I got a replacement pair. Admittedly, that pair lasted a bit longer than my original one did, but after a few years, it also wore out and since it wasn’t under warranty anymore, I decided to spring for a much cheaper alternative.
I’m now on my second pair of Skull Candy in-ear headphones and though the sound replication is nowhere near that of the Shure e3c, it’s still much better than those of the earbuds and the fit is much better and more comfortable, too. Thus far, they also seem more durable and haven’t broken yet, though I’ve had my current pair for only six months or so.
mp3 download codes
Specifically, I’m talking about the current trend that indie labels like Matador, Sub Pop, Dischord and others (along with some major label releases) have taken up that pairs the purchase of a new vinyl Lp with an mp3 download code. I think this trend is fabulous and the best of both worlds. You have the vinyl for home listening and the mp3s for listening on the computer and on-the-go. In a world where musicians and record companies are finding it tougher to sell physical media due to a wide range of factors, this is a great way to give the consumer more bang for his or her buck.
