captainwrong Posted September 12, 2008 Report Posted September 12, 2008 http://us.puretracks.com/catalog/details.a...42284663021_mp3 Someone pointed this out on the eMusic board as a Canada only thing, but I can confirm I downloaded this here in the US. Three caveats: 1) 192kbp CBR only (make sure you don't hit the WMA version by mistake.) 2) The bonus track/disc 11 is missing (you might be able to snag this elsewhere.) 3) no booklet (which is a big drag to me, anyone hook a fella up with a spare? LOL) Still, considering this is $200+ on the second hand market, I think I'll live with the faults. There were some other UMG/Verve boxes supposedly available in Canada for $10 (Bill Evans, Billie Holiday, Hank Williams, Ella's Songbooks) but I didn't see 'em in the US. I'm guessing this is a limited time thing (or a screwup) like the Rhapsody deal a month or two ago, so YMMV and I wouldn't wait around if I were you. Quote
mjzee Posted September 13, 2008 Report Posted September 13, 2008 Does anyone have experience with this website? I've never heard of them. Quote
RDK Posted September 13, 2008 Report Posted September 13, 2008 (edited) Hint for those living in the U.S.: while the registration for the site requires you to input a Canadian province and postal code... they don't actually ask for an address and you don't need one when entering your CC number for a purchase. They don't, after all, need to mail anything to you. It appears to work. Though I will say the site navigation and download manager sucks. Lots of box sets can be had for bargain prices. More info at the emu boards... http://www.emusic.com/messageboard/viewTop...?topicId=116071 Edited September 13, 2008 by RDK Quote
captainwrong Posted September 14, 2008 Author Report Posted September 14, 2008 Hint for those living in the U.S.: while the registration for the site requires you to input a Canadian province and postal code... they don't actually ask for an address and you don't need one when entering your CC number for a purchase. They don't, after all, need to mail anything to you. It appears to work. Though I will say the site navigation and download manager sucks. Lots of box sets can be had for bargain prices. More info at the emu boards... http://www.emusic.com/messageboard/viewTop...?topicId=116071 Yeah, I think I was the one who discovered the Canadian thing. (I post as Rob G. there.) Anyway, the site is horrible to navigate, the download manager is awful and some people even had their files with a wma extension even though they were mp3s. My biggest beef is everything I've bought has required a bunch of retagging. It's all been box sets and not one has had the disc numbers included anywhere in the information. Dragsville, but thanks for the cheap tunes. Can't say I'll be back when this dries up. Quote
John L Posted September 14, 2008 Report Posted September 14, 2008 The complete Bill Evans on Verve costs 9.99 in WMA and 189.99 in MP3. That's quite a difference. Quote
sidewinder Posted September 14, 2008 Report Posted September 14, 2008 The complete Bill Evans on Verve costs 9.99 in WMA and 189.99 in MP3. That's quite a difference. Whoah !! Thanks for the heads up. I've been on the lookout for that Bill Evans set. Quote
sidewinder Posted September 14, 2008 Report Posted September 14, 2008 the site requires you to input a Canadian province and postal code... t I'll try my old one. After all - it's legit. Quote
sidewinder Posted September 14, 2008 Report Posted September 14, 2008 Hmm - seems to be a US zip code thing.. Quote
sidewinder Posted September 14, 2008 Report Posted September 14, 2008 Seems to be downloading OK. All I need now is a rust old ex-ammo tin Quote
randyhersom Posted September 14, 2008 Report Posted September 14, 2008 I nailed the cheap tunes, but never noticed the place to specify MP3 so I got WMA. Anybody know of a bulk converter? Quote
Daniel A Posted September 14, 2008 Report Posted September 14, 2008 I nailed the cheap tunes, but never noticed the place to specify MP3 so I got WMA. Anybody know of a bulk converter? Conversion would only make sense if you've got to have them in MP3 format for some reason (for example if your portable doesn't support WMA), as the files would have to be de-encoded from WMA and then re-encoded at the risk of additional compression artifacts. Quote
John L Posted September 14, 2008 Report Posted September 14, 2008 Seems to be downloading OK. All I need now is a rust old ex-ammo tin Are you downloading the WMA version? Are you going to convert it to MP3? Quote
sidewinder Posted September 14, 2008 Report Posted September 14, 2008 (edited) Seems to be downloading OK. All I need now is a rust old ex-ammo tin Are you downloading the WMA version? Are you going to convert it to MP3? Yep - its the WMA version. Good enough for me ! The only problem is that you get a random bundle of track files, so it will be Xmas before I reconstruct the 18-CDs runnning order ! Edited September 14, 2008 by sidewinder Quote
randyhersom Posted September 15, 2008 Report Posted September 15, 2008 Being a pro computer geek I may post batchfiles to rename and folder Kirk, Brown and Hank Williams (9.99 MP3). Like the Verve Evans, you have to take WMA to get the Brown deal, and I did. I paid again for Kirk and Hank to get MP3s make sure you don't take WMA if MP3s are the same price. Quote
randyhersom Posted September 15, 2008 Report Posted September 15, 2008 The Coltrane Classic Quartet 8 cd set is 9.99 for WMA http://us.puretracks.com/catalog/details.a..._00011105028028 and the Complete Lester Young on Verve is 9.99 for MP3 http://us.puretracks.com/catalog/details.a...31454708722_mp3 The complete Ella Songbooks is, alas , 169.99 either way. Quote
randyhersom Posted September 15, 2008 Report Posted September 15, 2008 (edited) Keith Jarrett Sun Bear Concerts 6CD http://us.puretracks.com/catalog/details.a...42284302821_mp3 At the Blue Note 6CD http://us.puretracks.com/catalog/details.a...31452763822_mp3 Impulse Years 1973-1974 and Mysteries 1975-1976 are both 9.99 for WMA only. I had no need or opportunity to claim to be from Canada. Edited September 15, 2008 by randyhersom Quote
RDK Posted September 15, 2008 Report Posted September 15, 2008 A couple of the Motown Complete Singles boxes are avaiulable in WMA for $9.99 as well - but I don't do WMA. (Not that there's anything wrong with WMA, but the way I tend to listen I need the files DRM-free to transport.) Quote
randyhersom Posted September 15, 2008 Report Posted September 15, 2008 I certainly won't get my second WMA set until I have listened to the first in an acceptable format. I am starting to prefer MP3 CDs now that I can listen in the car and at work, but I'm willing to have Brownie on individual CD burns. Quote
captainwrong Posted September 15, 2008 Author Report Posted September 15, 2008 OK, someone at eMusic compiled a pretty complete list for both the US and Canada. So, cheers to TMBGfan, here's a link for all interested parties: http://www.emusic.com/messageboard/viewTop...d=116071#739959 Quote
randyhersom Posted September 16, 2008 Report Posted September 16, 2008 The Clifford Brown WMA's do not have unique filenames, while the Kirk and Hank Williams MP3s do, so if you go for the Brownie, you'll need to a implement a naming convention as you save the files - I just used the track number as a three digit number with leading zeros and an underscore before the filename they provided. I have been able to listen to a few tracks through my computer, the first time I listen to each I have a few extra clicks to tell it to go ahead and get the licensing info on the Web. The music is worth it, but the MP3s are a far better alternative when competetively priced. It'll take me a few days to get to renaming the Kirk files, but I'll share my batch file when I do. Quote
RDK Posted September 16, 2008 Report Posted September 16, 2008 I was considering grabbing a couple of the Motown sets, but I hate DRM'd WMA and have no way to play the files (directly at least) except through WMP on my computer. I use Squeezbox at home - and love it! - but it won't play the DRM'd files, making them almost useless to me. I suppose I could burn them and then re-rip them - which would also allow me to attach the metadata automatically from the web. Quote
John L Posted September 18, 2008 Report Posted September 18, 2008 Warning: These downloads appear not to work outside of the US and Canada. The connection to their server resets every 30 seconds and cuts off any downloads. Quote
jeffrey r Posted September 18, 2008 Report Posted September 18, 2008 (edited) Their websites and downloading mechanics are completely clunky, but this is an amazing find. You have to take into account WMA vs. MP3, US vs. Canadian sites, Windows XP vs. Vista, etc. But once you figure out what works best, it goes ok. The bottom line with Windows Vista is that if you are downloading MP3s, and download all tracks at once off their regular site, you'll actually download WMA. You need to click on the link they provide for Vista users, but then to get MP3s, you literally need to click each track, one at a time, to get MP3s. This just doesn't work on huge collections like the Evans Complete Verve. And many of the discounted titles on the US site are WMA, so I downloaded most of mine off the Canadian site. No surprise, I ended up using my older laptop with XP on it, instead of my newer desktop with Vista on it. XP was simply much easier to use with puretracks. Bottom line, with a little inconvenience (but avoiding the worst of it), I was able to download the 7 or so sets I wanted in MP3 format without much issue, got them all into itunes without much hassle, and am good to go. Amongst others, picking up the Jarrett Complete At the Blue Note, Bill Evans Complete Verve, and Ella Complete Songbooks sets for $9.99 each is incredible. Edited September 18, 2008 by jeffrey r Quote
jeffrey r Posted September 18, 2008 Report Posted September 18, 2008 (edited) Their website and downloading mechanics are completely clunky, but this is an amazing find. You have to take into account WMA vs. MP3, US vs. Canadian sites, Windows XP vs. Vista, etc. But once you figure out what works best, it goes ok. The bottom line with Windows Vista is that if you are downloading MP3s, and download all tracks at once off their regular site, you'll actually download WMA. You need to click on the link they provide for Vista users, but then to get MP3s, you literally need to click each track, one at a time, to get MP3s. This just doesn't work on huge collections like the Evans Complete Verve. And many of the discounted titles on the US site are WMA, so I downloaded most of mine off the Canadian site. The MP3s from puretracks are totally unprotected, as opposed to the WMAs. Bottom line, with a little inconvenience (but avoiding the worst of it), I was able to download the 7 or so sets I wanted in MP3 format without much issue, got them all into Itunes without much hassle, and am good to go. Amongst others, picking up the Jarrett Blue Note, Evans Verve, and Ella Complete Songbooks sets for $9.99 each is incredible. Edited September 18, 2008 by jeffrey r Quote
captainwrong Posted September 18, 2008 Author Report Posted September 18, 2008 (edited) Yeah, the Ella is nice. Not normally my bag but I paid more for a Book of the Month club LP edition of just the Gershwin stuff once upon a time so seemed kind of like a easy call on this. Edited September 18, 2008 by Captain Wrong Quote
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