FREE/BARGAIN — Media Deals (non-eBook/non-audiobook)

[cromag]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Just a quick question; discussion probably belongs on another thread.

Does the average mid-range laptop computer have the circuitry, processor, or whatever else that is needed to get high-res sound from a high-res recording (i.e., to take full advantage of the high quality of the recording)? If not, what would be the best that one could expect, do you think, on average, from said mid-range laptop computer?

I refer to a specific laptop computer (mine). It is a gaming computer--not that I do any gaming, but it was the only one that I could find, within a reasonable price, that otherwise had the specs that I wanted. Would the fact that it is a gaming computer, 1) probably make no difference, 2) make some difference, 3) make no difference at all in the audio quality that it could reproduce?

Thanks.

A true gaming computer usually has very good specs -- especially for video, but I'd expect audio to be above average as well. That being said, a 10 year old gaming laptop might not have the best specs when compared to a new machine. Of course, even a good laptop speaker probably won't qualify for critical listening, but good headphones or a good external speaker setup should do well!

[cromag]

Many years ago I started posting on a forum that was affiliated with a "free-form" college radio station. I developed quite a few "friendships" that have lasted long after I left that forum. Those friends would cringe right about now as I share my love of the song "Popcorn" by Gershon Kingsley, and a ten year old blog post that provides access to 79+ covers of that song. I'd say probably 70 of them aren't worth bothering about, but there are a couple of "good" (or, possibly, "interesting") works here.

The blog post is 10 years old and run by a legitimate radio station, so I just accept on faith that the appropriate clearances have been made.

http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2007/0...sions_of_.html


(You might want to listen to the Ham Jammer cover or the Fiddlers Green cover. )

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by cromag

A true gaming computer usually has very good specs -- especially for video, but I'd expect audio to be above average as well. That being said, a 10 year old gaming laptop might not have the best specs when compared to a new machine. Of course, even a good laptop speaker probably won't qualify for critical listening, but good headphones or a good external speaker setup should do well!

Thanks. That's helpful. I happen to have some just-below-studio-quality headphones, so the quality of the computer's speakers is not an issue.

I think that the laptop is about 2 1/2 years old. I bought it because it had lots of memory, good processor, etc. that I could not find on reasonably priced non-gaming computers. It is an ASUS. Other brands of laptops and models of laptops that I have bought have lasted maybe a couple of years and are literally falling apart (yes, "are" means that I still have them; I've got to pull the hard drives before I can chunk them or find someone who will take them off of my hands). This ASUS wasn't that much more expensive than the flimsy ones that I've bought, so buying it has turned out to be a good financial decision. And it shows no sign of wearing out anytime soon. The only thing that some people may not like about it is that it is as heavy as a boat anchor. Despite it being called a laptop, and you can use it as a laptop, it's almost impractical to carry it through the airports, etc. But I think that that very heaviness is one indication that it is built tough.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by cromag

Many years ago I started posting on a forum that was affiliated with a "free-form" college radio station. I developed quite a few "friendships" that have lasted long after I left that forum. Those friends would cringe right about now as I share my love of the song "Popcorn" by Gershon Kingsley, and a ten year old blog post that provides access to 79+ covers of that song. I'd say probably 70 of them aren't worth bothering about, but there are a couple of "good" (or, possibly, "interesting") works here.

The blog post is 10 years old and run by a legitimate radio station, so I just accept on faith that the appropriate clearances have been made.

http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2007/0...sions_of_.html


(You might want to listen to the Ham Jammer cover or the Fiddlers Green cover. )

This is the only version of the song I know. It's the 1972 Top 10 hit by Hot Butter.

[cromag]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

This is the only version of the song I know. It's the 1972 Top 10 hit by Hot Butter.

Yep, that was my "gateway." There are quite a few new versions available since that list was compiled. You can go to YouTube and search for "popcorn" followed by one or more modifiers like remix, techno, dubstep, trance, space, etc.

Some of them are pretty good!


EDIT: Just checked Wikipedia and I think I might have heard Gershon Kingsley's 1969 release first. I remember hearing it in high school, and by '72 I was in college.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by cromag

Yep, that was my "gateway." There are quite a few new versions available since that list was compiled. You can go to YouTube and search for "popcorn" followed by one or more modifiers like remix, techno, dubstep, trance, space, etc.

Some of them are pretty good!


EDIT: Just checked Wikipedia and I think I might have heard Gershon Kingsley's 1969 release first. I remember hearing it in high school, and by '72 I was in college.

I saw the 1969 version while hunting up the video and took a listen. I never heard it before and didn't like it.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

This is the only version of the song I know. It's the 1972 Top 10 hit by Hot Butter.

Likewise (the didn't-like-it part).

[GtrsRGr8]

Remixes on steroids. ha

Any of ya'll get FreeGal through a library? One of my libraries where I have borrowing privileges has it, and there are two listings for Gershon Kingsley's Popcorn under the song name Popcorn. Both are 2'32", so I suspect that the songs are identical.

You can freely download at least one copy of each of the two, if you have FreeGal. Of course, they show multiple other versions of the song, too.

Unfortunately, my library card with this particular library system just expired a few days ago. They require me to show up in person, like I did when I first got the card. Ack! It's about a 35 minute drive from here to the closest branch, but I've got other things that I need to do in that area. I'm looking forward to getting the song.

Thanks for the heads up.

[GtrsRGr8]

YourClassical's free Daily Download: Adagio in G Minor, by Franz Schubert.

http://www.yourclassical.org/story/2...gio-in-g-major.

[GtrsRGr8]

Classical-music.com's free download of the week: Maurice Steger performs Hasse's Recorder Sonata in B-Flat.

Log in at http://www.classical-music.com. Follow the prompts at http://www.classical-music.com/free-...-sonata-b-flat.

[GtrsRGr8]

YourClassical's free download for the day:
J.S. Bach - Cello Suite No. 1: Prelude.

The dedicated YourClassical webpage for this freebie:
http://www.yourclassical.org/story/2...e-no-1-prelude.

[GtrsRGr8]

Alexander Street has announced Richard Wagner's Der fliegnde Hollander as its free classical piece of the week.

You must have an account with Alexander Street in order to take advantage of the deal. Check your email for the message from them. Follow the prompts.

[GtrsRGr8]

Perhaps you've heard of the composer of today's YourClassical free piece. It's Ludwig van Beethoven. ha

The free piece is Symphony No.3: III. Scherzo.

For some reason, however, I wasn't able to get any sound when "playing" the piece. Nothing on my computer seemingly is responsible for muting sound, so I don't know where the difficulty lies. Would some of you please make a post and let the rest of us know your experience, whether good or bad?

http://www.yourclassical.org/story/2...-3-iii-scherzo.

[GtrsRGr8]

No need to check or respond. Apparently, there is some issue with my computer. I tried several different MP3 player apps, and several different songs that I knew had played in the past. None of them would play.

Anyway, you have your YourClassical download for the day.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

No need to check or respond. Apparently, there is some issue with my computer. I tried several different MP3 player apps, and several different songs that I knew had played in the past. None of them would play.

Anyway, you have your YourClassical download for the day.

I tried several things to get my sound back. No luck. Finally, out of desperation, I tried the Windows troubleshooter. Amazingly, it worked.

This was the first time, of all of the times that I've used a Windows troubleshooter wizard, that the problem was correctly diagnosed by it. Furthermore, it apparently fixed the problem, too.

I played YourClassical's freebie of the day (a Beethoven piece) and it sounded great.

It it so nice to be able to hear things on my computer again.