The Digital Music Revolution: What Download Sites Have to Offer -- Part Ten
This month I spent some time at the B&W (Bowers and Wilkins) . B&W might be familiar to SoundStage! Network readers because they manufacture highly rated and innovative http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">loudspeakers. It therefore stands to reason that the company would want to put the best in sound on their software download site.
B&W has engaged the golden ear of musician Peter Gabriel to select their releases, which are all recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios. Gabriel has openly praised the Society of Sound philosophy:
I’m a huge fan of the digital revolution, but one of the things that’s frustrating about it is that the audio quality seems to have taken a step backwards. Society of Sound provides a platform for those of us who have worked really hard to get things to sound full and rich and build landscapes out of sound.
B&W offers downloads in three formats: 16-bit FLAC, Apple Lossless, and 24-bit FLAC. It’s one of the few sites to offer Apple Lossless, which I use at home when converting my CDs to files because it offers excellent fidelity while saving space.
B&W works sort of like the you can purchase memberships for about $40 for a half year and $55 for a full year. The full membership lets you download the selected new monthly albums in any format you choose, complete with notes and art. You’ll also have occasional access to other labels’ samplers and B&W back catalog titles. If you take advantage of every available download, you’ll end up paying $3 or $4 each. http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
But if you’re unsure about B&W’s music, their free membership is still an excellent deal. With it you can download a sampler as well as one or two tracks from each selected monthly album. The one catch is that you can download these excerpts only in 16-bit FLAC or Apple Lossless, as 24-bit FLAC is reserved for paying customers. You can, however, upgrade your membership at any time. B&W’s site also lets you listen to 30-second excerpts of each track on the site and watch videos of groups exploring their instruments and explaining their music philosophies.
Once you have a membership, B&W will send reminders when new albums are available and links so you can quickly check them out. It’s like having a perpetually updated sampler. Membership in the B&W Society of Sound also gives you access to various audiophile blogs. The hot-button question of the moment is "Is studio recording killing music?"
I found the music at B&W a mixed but enjoyable bag, ranging from folk and jazz to folk rock and a little bit of power rock. I especially liked Charlie Winston’s Passport, which virtually defies categorization. Sometimes it seems like folk; other times it’s dramatic R&B or even urgent electro-pop. American singer Julianna Raye captures bossa nova jazz perfectly in her Dominoes album, which channels Astrud Gilberto. Tom Kerstens and his ensemble find new sounds for acoustic guitar and strings, while Portico Quartet bring unique colorings to jazz with their saxophone, double bass, drums, and Hang. http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
The recordings are detailed and revealing, with perfect balance between instruments and voices. The only transgression I noticed was that on the Grindhouse disc, the raucous instrumentation overwhelmed the vocals. The downloads, which arrived as zipped folders, were quick and simple. As with most worthwhile sites these days, all the music is DRM free. I also liked having the Apple Lossless and 24-bit FLAC options.
The site is fascinating, but I have to admit that even though I made some interesting discoveries, I didn’t warm up to all of the music. I’d therefore recommend the free membership and a spirit of discovery in approaching B&W’s Society of S
B&W has engaged the golden ear of musician Peter Gabriel to select their releases, which are all recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios. Gabriel has openly praised the Society of Sound philosophy:
I’m a huge fan of the digital revolution, but one of the things that’s frustrating about it is that the audio quality seems to have taken a step backwards. Society of Sound provides a platform for those of us who have worked really hard to get things to sound full and rich and build landscapes out of sound.
B&W offers downloads in three formats: 16-bit FLAC, Apple Lossless, and 24-bit FLAC. It’s one of the few sites to offer Apple Lossless, which I use at home when converting my CDs to files because it offers excellent fidelity while saving space.
B&W works sort of like the you can purchase memberships for about $40 for a half year and $55 for a full year. The full membership lets you download the selected new monthly albums in any format you choose, complete with notes and art. You’ll also have occasional access to other labels’ samplers and B&W back catalog titles. If you take advantage of every available download, you’ll end up paying $3 or $4 each. http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
But if you’re unsure about B&W’s music, their free membership is still an excellent deal. With it you can download a sampler as well as one or two tracks from each selected monthly album. The one catch is that you can download these excerpts only in 16-bit FLAC or Apple Lossless, as 24-bit FLAC is reserved for paying customers. You can, however, upgrade your membership at any time. B&W’s site also lets you listen to 30-second excerpts of each track on the site and watch videos of groups exploring their instruments and explaining their music philosophies.
Once you have a membership, B&W will send reminders when new albums are available and links so you can quickly check them out. It’s like having a perpetually updated sampler. Membership in the B&W Society of Sound also gives you access to various audiophile blogs. The hot-button question of the moment is "Is studio recording killing music?"
I found the music at B&W a mixed but enjoyable bag, ranging from folk and jazz to folk rock and a little bit of power rock. I especially liked Charlie Winston’s Passport, which virtually defies categorization. Sometimes it seems like folk; other times it’s dramatic R&B or even urgent electro-pop. American singer Julianna Raye captures bossa nova jazz perfectly in her Dominoes album, which channels Astrud Gilberto. Tom Kerstens and his ensemble find new sounds for acoustic guitar and strings, while Portico Quartet bring unique colorings to jazz with their saxophone, double bass, drums, and Hang. http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
The recordings are detailed and revealing, with perfect balance between instruments and voices. The only transgression I noticed was that on the Grindhouse disc, the raucous instrumentation overwhelmed the vocals. The downloads, which arrived as zipped folders, were quick and simple. As with most worthwhile sites these days, all the music is DRM free. I also liked having the Apple Lossless and 24-bit FLAC options.
The site is fascinating, but I have to admit that even though I made some interesting discoveries, I didn’t warm up to all of the music. I’d therefore recommend the free membership and a spirit of discovery in approaching B&W’s Society of S
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