"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
"the dead comedian" wrote in message


Buying a stand alone recorder drastically simplified the transferring
of vinyl & tapes to CD.

Yes, it simplifies out of existence many important capabilities described
below.


After posting my message, I realized I left out an important sentence
fragment after the word CD: for me. Most vinyl I'm transferring is new, and
rarely suffers from pops. As for tape & vinyl hiss, I adjust my EQ levels
on my stereo. I'm not a big fan of altering the music source through
editing. My EQ settings for hiss are different from my uncle's. Who is
right? Both of us since we both have different preferences. To deal with
pops or other issues, I edit my new source, the audio CD-RW.

My laptop is on one side of my Manhattan one bedroom apartment, while my
stereo is on the other in the living room. I have to disconnect everything
from the laptop, disconnect either my CD or tape player from behind the
receiver (which is located in a tightly packed "entertainment center"), and
connect everything together. Talk about a lot of effort.

I use audio CD-RWs when I need to do some
editing on the computer. If I want to make a duplicate CD, I use the
high speed sync-recording. I've never had a problem with these
dubbed copies, but I still wouldn't use them to burn discs I'm
sending in a trade. It also saves time, since I don't have to rip
all the tracks to the HD first or accidentally burn the disc TAO.

The author is solving a non-existent problem. I copy audio CDs routinely
on
my PC. It's a total no-brainer. I click an icon, load the discs, click a
button and the copy happens automatically and properly. The software (EZ
CD
5 or 6 or Nero) does the rest.


Have you ever experienced problems burning on-the-fly? If not, good for you
.. I would have a huge pile of coasters if I didn't throw them out. More
problems occur burning on-the-fly than burning off the HD. That is why many
traders ask others not to burn on-the-fly. A multitude of errors can occur,
including wasted discs and cropped songs (this has happened to me). It is
easier FOR ME to duplicate a CD using my stand alone. Pop in the source &
destination discs, then press sync record. Just as simple as your method.
Also, I have never wasted a recordable CD yet using the stand alone's sync
feature. Keep in mind that human error can screw up discs burned by EZ CD
and Nero. The programs are good, but if set incorrectly or in haste.....

Non-existent problem? I think I've establish otherwise. People have to
find solutions for their specific problems. A general, catch-all solution
will not address all problems.

I believe in specialization. My television set is the best way to
watch TV, my stereo is the best way to listen to music, and my laptop
is the best way to surf the web/email/type a document/use a
spreadsheet. Jack of all trades, master of none.

So speaks the voice of mediocrity and inflexibility. You can't do as good
of
a job transcribing other media to CD on stand-alone equipment as you can
do
on a PC. For openers, name a CD recorder with the flexible tic and pop
reduction of a PC. Name one that lets you change the loudness of a song
after you've recorded it, but before you burn the CD. Name one that lets
you
edit lead-in noise as accurately and precisely.

Reread the first paragraph above for my views on hiss. If I was trading a
vinyl sourced disc, I would only eliminate the lead in & lead out noise
using my computer. Remember, I never said I never use my computer to edit
or burn CDs. As for being "the voice of mediocrity and inflexibility," I
believe you spoke in haste without actually asking why I prefer
specialization to a catch-all solution. I'll address that next.


The statement "My television set is the best way to watch TV" ignores the
popularity and power of the Home Theater PC.

The statement "My stereo is the best way to listen to music" ignores the
popularity of PCs as music players with vast music libraries.


I will take my 46 inch flatscreen HDTV over a crappy monitor or laptop
screen any day. TiVO is a lot easier to use than the contraption my friend
set up on his desktop. How many people have their furniture set up in front
of their computer? Nobody I know. My couch is not ergonomically sound, nor
is my desk chair sufficiently comfortable to watch a whole movie. I've seen
a home theater PC and am not impressed. Just because something is popular,
doesn't mean it is better. Beta was superior to VHS, as was laserdisc to
DVD. How many of us still have a beta VCR or a laserdisc player?

My stereo sounds better than any computer speakers I've tried. My music
collection isn't in MP3 format either. MP3 is a lossy format and usually
sounds inferior to the original CD. How big would a HD need to be to store
700+ CDs in WAV format? MP3's popularity derives from (1) it's small file
size, & (2) the P2P networks where you can get MP3s for free. MP3 is
popular despite it's sonic inferiority.

My original comments can also be applied in reverse. Take webtv for
example. Have you ever tried one before? I have and it was crap. I guess
it serves a purpose, but it falls short for what I require. A computer may
be an adequate TV and stereo, but it is not the best. Webtv may be adequate
to surf the web or send email, but.....