I started buying CDs again. Here's why...

[@soulchorea]

the CD was the perfect format, and we took it for granted. Perfectly sized to be large enough for creative artwork/liner notes, but small enough for portability. Potential for interesting hidden tracks, and the sound quality could easily have just been upgraded over the years from the original 44.1, to 192 and beyond if they really wanted to. We messed up lol

[@eddieleonard6925]

Music industry made a killing in the 90s off of CDs, but you're right -- it was an amazing format. I love the jewel cases...sound quality...nostalgia, and quality. Get em while they're cheap!

[@uriel-heavensguardian8949]

Me too!!!! I love physical copies!! I hate streaming!! People want instant gratification instead of slowing down a little bit. Take your time and enjoy the experience.

[@eddieleonard6925]

I hate streaming, too.

[@Noise-Conductor]

The long term bad effect of instant gratification is numbness those same thing will make you feel later & now, your stuck being alive consciously feeling nothing.... & BAM! They hear funky James Brown song out of the blue & slow their roll. You know how it go!

[@BigCore-]

I never got rid of my cds so I still have a ton. I have the cds in books, and the jewel cases are in containers in storage. My Father has a ton of Vinyl that I'm trying to track down after he passed so I only have about 12 pieces of vinyl. Everyone one of those 12 records were picked up by my wife when she saw me get back into beat making. Shout to her!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Love that. Keep on with your audio journey. Jewel cases, linear notes, the story behind each album and how you lost and found them again -- all that is a part of the experience.

[@Thought-Forms]

Amen! Switched largely to collecting CD's a year ago for all the same reasons. Will typically rip them and still sample out the audio interface, but there are a ton of hidden gems on CD that never saw vinyl or streaming services. Really enjoying having my own local library of stuff that will never go away. So many good comps & obscure jams - great audio quality (can dirty it up in the sampler / desk if needed) and you own it

[@eddieleonard6925]

You nailed it. Lots of music that isn't on streaming services...lots of mix tapes, compilations, etc. I love CDs. And I love how cheap they are, too.

[@tali813]

I was a 90's teen that got into sampling in the 2010's. I went to a record store for the first time to find something to sample and I loved the experience. Easier is not always better.

[@eddieleonard6925]

You nailed it. It's hard to quantify the experience of searching, finding and then creating. It's just different...

[@stanleyipkuss]

Yah man, this made me wanna start sampling CDs now you made some great points. Not every artist was fortunate to have the funds to press they shit up on wax, I know I never did. But everybody made CDs lol. Let the hunting begin!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Exactly. On top of looking for samples, Jason and I had a convo a while back about all the indie music across genres (circa '98 - '06) that was only released on CDs, or homemade mix CDs with tracks ripped off napster, limewire, etc. It's an entire era of music stuck in between digital and physical. I have CD towers full of demos, mixes, etc. We should get a plane ticket and go hunting for rare CDs globally..

[@normanosbourne5050]

This would be perfect for my MV8800

[@stanleyipkuss]

@@normanosbourne5050 idk much about that joint but i've heard good things & know some talented ass mfs that made some crazy incredible shit with it. if it can take CDs thats a dub!

[@normanosbourne5050]

@@stanleyipkuss As far the Mv8800 the initial sound is very flat you have to use the onboard effects. You can create your own sound. It’s a in DAW a box. The best way to use the MV8800 is to create templates to make you work flow faster. It’s also a synthesizer you can create sounds from thin air if you want to go deep. It also has linear recording if you choose to. I could go on and on. It’s a studio in a box, literally

[@ritofuturito]

That’s a really good collection for that price. And if you ever need the space, you can always donate those CDs to the shop after sampling. Looking forward to hearing what you make with those!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Yessir! I already started going through them and I love what I've discovered so far. Stay tuned.

[@DJShoji]

Also it's worth mentioning that a lot of music were released on CD format only. This is usually the case for music releases after 90s'. Just be careful of CD rot / decay, it's real. I've seen fair amount of rotted CDs, often with Tommy Boy CDs (my De La Soul 1st CD and Digital Underground "This is EP Release" CD both rotted, etc.)

[@eddieleonard6925]

Do you think how CDs are stored leads to the rot? The only issue I've had is scratched CDs. That underside is super sensitive if they're not handled correctly.

[@DJShoji]

@@eddieleonard6925 It seems that it depends on where it was manufactured. I haven't have any issues with Japanese CDs, but a lot of Europe (discs with no clear edges) and some US issued CDs have issues. Those are the discs that no protective layer; data layer is supposed to be "sandwiched" with clear plastic (therefore it prevents oxidation), but a lot of CDs were manufactured cheaper way.

[@eddieleonard6925]

@@DJShoji interesting. I'll keep an eye out for that. It's true that some CDs are really really cheap feeling, while others seem more robust. That's probably why

[@IvarConq]

Thank you Eddie for the piece! I recently went to Pittsburgh and found James Brown 'In the Jungle Groove' on CD for 2 dollars. WTF my head exploded. Bought it and am about cds all day any day where the record is mad expensive. Peace peace

[@eddieleonard6925]

wow. i rarely find james brown cd's. with vinyl, you used to be able to find gems for real cheap...but everyone's caught up..even smaller thrift stores are pricing their vinyl higher than ever. that's why CDs are such a great value. in general, nobody values them. they're junk. but not to a true crate digger :)

[@soensaid]

im picking up cassettes too while theyre still cheap. only issue is that not many spots carry em now a days.

[@eddieleonard6925]

I hear that. Cassettes made a big comeback in the last few years. They're a fun medium. Once you find the spots, there's worlds of undiscovered music hiding there. Cheers,

[@djReason19]

Good reminder about CDs. Btw, I know the studio is going through some changes but everything looks tight. Inspiring quarters.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Appreciate that. Diggin for CDs has yielded some unexpected surprises. Studio rebuild almost done. Now I can get back to beats! Will be sending some new sounds your way soon. Let's collab.

[@djReason19]

@@eddieleonard6925 Word. Music has taken a back seat the last 2 weeks for work. Hope to get back in the swing of things soon.

[@ryanhursh6322]

Get ‘em while you can. CD sales have been on the rise. Nothing close to vinyl but moving upward.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Really? Used CDs? I'll keep that in mind...I love the jewel cases and the sound quality, when in good condition. thanks for the heads up.

[@torocruz1192]

Great channel I am subbing. My daughter is 8 years old, she is mesmerized by anything 90’s and she loves CD.s she can’t believe there’s music inside these screen less things. CD is the new vinyl fr✌🏽

[@eddieleonard6925]

It's crazy that CDs are "vintage." haha....get em while they're cheap!

[@bad_parent]

yes! Records have become expensive. They already were expensive by the time I started crate digging, BUT the plus side is that I developed a very methodical approach to crate digging. Listening in more carefully and thinking hard about how and what I would sample.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Agreed. I actually find that less and less people actually dig for physical records, because it takes so long. But people who do make music that I tend to like. Cheers, and happy digging!

[@MalaminBobotron]

My Man! You are dropping to many gems on us. thankyou very much. Also if you ever want to buy a motif es7, I got you. Living in Copenhagen though but anything is possible like KG said.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks for the note. I'll let you know about that motif! Next time I"m out in Europe I may have to check it out :)

[@MalaminBobotron]

@@eddieleonard6925 anytime champion. I have let myself be inspired by your online contributions, and have started doing it myself on insta though, trying to transition to the tube. Just trying to display the motif workflow and such. No deeper reflections like yourself, just a bit of upliftment. thankyou for the inspiration bigman!

[@phdirac]

Nice points. I was hesitant to sample off of CDs for a while because of the very clean audio quality; you touched on some really good points, like sampling through the S950 or SU-700 to color the sound a bit. Plus the price and form factor of CDs are great.

[@eddieleonard6925]

You nailed it bruh. It's all about what you sample it through. The quality of the music is top notch, though. And they don't take up as much space as vinyl, so it's a nice alternative. I'll share some new tones once I flip these.

[@phdirac]

@@eddieleonard6925 that’s ill, looking forward to hearing what you cook up 🙏🏿

[@GritsNGravy]

I had a car get stolen once, and I was only mad because my CD book was in the car and I couldn't remember what CD's were in it.

[@eddieleonard6925]

I feel u. CDs are priceless. For the memories...for the linear notes, jewel cases...the whole package. A CD collection is like a personal journal...can tell u a lot about a person. Sorry for that loss.

[@AmazonCrime]

Hey Eddie. Keep these vids coming brother. One love from MTL.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Appreciate the shout out! Cheers,

[@controllerforce_50East]

You are a doggone genius. CDs are a clear digital signal recording.

[@eddieleonard6925]

and depending on where you get them, they're also dirt cheap.

[@joshuarezac8590]

Sampling off of records is definitely my favorite. It’s just a lot of fun to listen to them. But I do get a kick out of sampling from all kinds of different media tho. Cd’s on the cheap is an awesome idea!! Pro tip for sure lol. Always dig hearing your perspective on samples sound and gear.

[@eddieleonard6925]

I appreciate the support. Nothing beats vinyl. But CDs bring a new flavor to the mix. I'm having fun with them (and they're CHEAP!)

[@elcooljay1821]

Yeah I ended up buying cds instead of vinyls because I didn't have a vinyl player. It was nostalgic ripping them onto the computer. Using serato to sample is a breeze.

[@eddieleonard6925]

There's a lot of overlooked gems on CDs. They have a personality of their own, which may grow with time. Happy sampling!

[@leogolive]

I still have all my CDs from the 90s on up. I love CDs. When I make my beats, I record them into my Tascam DP-24 multitrack recorder. It’s one of the originals with midi and CD drive. I can then put all my beats on CD. Nothing better than a physical medium. At least to me.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Oooh, nice. I never owned a Tascam DP 24, but I had a korg d3200, which was similar and allowed me to burn CDs. I miss that thing! I love multitrack recorders because you don't have to update them and they never crash.

[@traitortotheliving]

Nice I recently dug out some of my old CD collection for sampling purposes. Enjoy seeing your journey and love the creativity man!

[@eddieleonard6925]

It's a great forgotten medium. Lots of gems on CDs.

[@jerrywcarman1483]

They say that vinyl outsold CDs in 2022. Really, I think that they're kinda full of it. They're talking about in store sales. They're not talking about online sales. Very few cassettes are sold in stores now days. They're almost always sold online, and the same could probably be said about CDs. Truth be known, CDs could actually be outselling vinyl. Given that vinyl costs a hell of a lot more than CDs I wouldn't be the least bit surprised.😅

[@eddieleonard6925]

That's an interesting perspective. I know cassettes are big in certain music communities, and CDs are a niche item, but vinyl definitely gets all the attention. Probably a difference in numbers between used and new releases as well.

[@TheFUNKSTARR]

I still love CDs, got a ton amongst my vinyl. I love reading the linear notes in the booklet/covers. Absorbing all the information, who produced what, who engineered and mastered, which studio tracks were recorded in, the thank you notes. Definitely enhances my listening experience.

[@eddieleonard6925]

I think linear notes and artwork are the most overlooked aspect of CDs. The cover-art, the lyrics, the overall art direction and packaging really add to the experience. And yes...nowadays if you want producers, engineers, etc. you have to do outside research, so annoying.

[@TheFUNKSTARR]

@@eddieleonard6925 Absolutely, got a lot of the cover-art on display, for sure streaming services need to step their game up and give producers and other personnel more credit.

[@joselarios2571]

I have a collection of PILZ Archive CDs from 1989. I have a great connection with an Estate Salesperson... N I continue to buy CDs n records in bulk. You are absolutely right. Wes Montgomery!... Great find. Recently, I have been using my Denon DN-S3500 CD Scratcher. That has not given up on me. It's a Tank. This CD deck has great features, and so I have it going into my Boss SP505, n with the FXs from both, have been blown away at the incredible, one of a kind samples I am getting. From Houston TX. Peace. I need a a ART TubePac...Are u familiar with?

[@eddieleonard6925]

The Denon sounds solid. I'm not familiar with the ART TubePac...but I love ART as a company, so I'm sure it's legit. Keep diggin for those CDs!

[@luisfernando4725]

Yo, Thriftshops all around the peninsula got fire shit for the low. I can say from experience since I'm in Daly City, peace.

[@eddieleonard6925]

OoOhh....I need to expand my search. Thanks for the tip!

[@reddmusiclab]

Keep the lost art alive Eddie. Your creativity is only blossoming more and I’m enjoying unfurl before our own eyes. Looking forward to hearing what you come up with.

[@eddieleonard6925]

I appreciate the support, man. that means a lot. I'll keep it going, although it's so hard to find time these days with family, work, etc. How do you do it?

[@reddmusiclab]

@@eddieleonard6925 Words of a Working/Family Man. Bro! I should be asking you, you’re doing much better than I am. I gave up trying to “feed the algorithm” and just post as time allows. Like I’ve told my little ones, Family and Home come first. Stay blessed my friend.

[@hcab43]

Loved it, good one! nice idea

[@eddieleonard6925]

Get em while they're cheap!

[@michaelheath1194]

Good stuff here. CDs are definitely slept on nowadays. I happen to be a part of the younger crowd, but I prefer to crate dig and use older gear. There are just so many aspects about how things were done in the old days that fascinate me.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad to hear that you're embracing new ways of creating, even if they're older, maybe slower, and sound different. This is def a prime time to be buying CDs if you're into music and sampling. Happy digging!

[@poorrichard1321]

The timing of this vidoe is halarious. My sons mother is bringing over her book of 90s cd's today. Sample everything!

[@eddieleonard6925]

That's the GOLDEN ERA of CDs. I bet you find some gems.

[@poorrichard1321]

@@eddieleonard6925 its like squeezing gold from leprechaun with her...

[@ceciliafbrown373]

Thats a steal for that price! I think we may have similar taste as I have four of the CDs you pulled up on vinyl!!! 😃

[@eddieleonard6925]

Niice.

[@ceciliafbrown373]

@@eddieleonard6925 What I love about vinyl is that that was the only medium back in the day. For me listening to vinyl which I have done all my life is the fact that the album is telling a story so you had to listen to both sides. I would spend a long time musing the cover and reading the album notes. e.g The players involved in creating the album from musicians engineers the producer even the BVs. I guess what Im trying to say is the album told a story!

[@tomblaze2]

Your videos are excellent

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad you dig. Thanks for the support.

[@thorstenlieblang]

Do you use the digital sample in of the mpc 3000 with a cd player or Blu-ray dvd player ?

[@eddieleonard6925]

I could do that, but I run the line outs of my cd player into the analog inputs of the mpc, s950 or another sampler.

[@technopriest8686]

My brain just went " CDs of course " ! 😅

[@eddieleonard6925]

If they're in good condition, they're excellent for the price.

[@AT-eh2eo]

CDs are valuable for the same reason as records. At some point they were the most practical option, thus there are loads of material only on cd. I certainly love a cheap CDJ to emulate the physical rewind or pitch shift of a records when sampling

[@eddieleonard6925]

That's a good idea...I've never actually used a CDJ...always thought they were "fake" turntables, but they might be a fun music production/effect machine. And yes, there's so much material that's only on CD...especially mixtapes.

[@AT-eh2eo]

@@eddieleonard6925 for sure! its def useful when you use a machine like the 404. I want to organize sound pack into cds as well to pull like floppies...but with more memory...

[@a3a2_m]

i thought i was the only one 🔥

[@eddieleonard6925]

I'm late to the party, but glad i made it!

[@WesWookBeats]

SF & Oakland libraries are great for source material. SF main library has a HUGE music section. Love CDs as mix/master reference. Appreciate you player, love the content!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks Wes. I need to renew my Oakland Library card!

[@Fundaground]

Peace. Dug the talk. Digging is life. A perfect way to spend a day! Oooh child! Nice come up. I have that Global Soul joint! A couple other. But that was it. Sampling from sources with little information like mp3s are going through converters yet lack of information to convert, it its lost and can't be regained. Sample source is so key, I've learned. No rules just know the ledge. Peace!

[@eddieleonard6925]

It's hard to explain the satisfaction of digging for sounds. It's a lost art...but some of us keeping it alive! Respect

[@bornshamir7792]

@@eddieleonard6925 nuff respeck!

[@Noise-Conductor]

I start off sampling on my SP505 20 years ago from CD's & VHS let not forget those gem which could be a video for the future. VHS is more unwanted CD's I'll bet but more interesting because if offers, both music & video. I got into vinyl 2 years later. In 2008 I found 8 crates of mainly soul records. Hit the jackpot!

[@eddieleonard6925]

VHS are definitely a hidden gem. I think I first learned this from groups like Boards of Canada. Or maybe their music just sounds like an old VHS..either way, I need to power up my VCR and get back on it.

[@Noise-Conductor]

@eddieleonard6925 I need to get a VCR. I do have a DVD player & DVDs can be cheap, but they don't have that analog/vintage sound like VHS, but that's not always a bad thing.

[@stormie909]

For my workflow, sampling from CDs is just a lot faster. I really like having high quality rips of an entire album on my computer out of just 5 minutes of burning it.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Yea the sound quality is a great starting point. And you're right...it's FASTER.

[@rickycoto7889]

Hella late the conversation but I got into CD's for the same reason you did at this time (not sure if your opinion has changed since this vid dropped). I have Salsa, Brazilian, rare funk and all sorts of stuff on CD. Most of which would be insanely priced if it was on record. Don't get me wrong I have some imported Japanese ones with Obi strips and all that but even those CD's pale in comparison to the price of doing that same thing with records.

[@eddieleonard6925]

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I've been finding some gems on CD a lot lately as well. Things that on vinyl would cost $75 might be less than $5 on CD. At most $10. Keep digging till the secrets out!

[@Crazyreviewer123]

I’m starting to pick up cds my next one is going to be a new Weird Al yanksvice CD. A couple months ago I ended up getting a brand new portable cd player a MONODEAL one it sounds good and plays my cds no issues and the battery is rechargeable so need for AA or AAA Bbayteries. It feels good to use my cds again

[@eddieleonard6925]

nice. i'll have to look that up. a good CD player is a must-have too. Also very affordable right now.

[@Crazyreviewer123]

@@eddieleonard6925 yeah the one I got was $50 but it has good features and looks pretty nice for a modern portable CD player I haven't had one in many years so I considered it a big upgrade compared to my old CD player

[@HoodHandyman]

I just walk in a thrift store and make an offer for all thier cd's or a large amount of them. I have never been turned down like that. Huge gem. but what is the sound quality of a cd compaired to youtube or real records etc. is what i want to know

[@eddieleonard6925]

Smart move. CD sound quality can vary, but overall, it's top notch. #1 records. #2 CDs. #3 youtube/streaming. That's just my opinion.

[@HoodHandyman]

@@eddieleonard6925 sounds good to me thanks

[@beataddiktgodd]

Righteous

[@eddieleonard6925]

Facts.

[@taylorcorker6069]

Video on making a beat with cd’s would be sick

[@eddieleonard6925]

that's def up next...

[@makupally]

Kind of stuck with vinyl. I sample breaks from youtube then run them through s950 to my mpc 4000. Like to sample everything else from vinyl. Just like the vibe it adds to the experience. Digging the records, checking what instruments they used and so on. Just dont like that so many of the cheap used records are kind of fucked and hiss and crackle way too much

[@eddieleonard6925]

We're on the same page. The difference in sound is subtle, but I'd say 99% of the time I prefer sampling vinyl. I've always been curious about the mpc4000. How you like yours?

[@makupally]

@@eddieleonard6925 Same here with vinyl. makes you also chop different type of music that you would not go for on youtube. Had the 4000 for a year as my main machine i make music on. I have had 2000xl and tried models like 2500, 5000 etc. The 4000 is my favourite so far. It is a bit of a learning curve but the sequencing and editing samples is really fast and intuitive once you learn it. Filters and effects do not sound so great, but as you can use outbord gear i dont find it a issue. I recommend buying and trying it out, def one of the best mpc’s i think! Would like to own the 3000 too, but they are so expensive that i think the investment is not worth it for me.

[@iengineer_247]

I collect cd's. Maybe I got about 300plus in storage!!!

[@eddieleonard6925]

OOH! People are gonna view collections like that they way we look at large record collections today.

[@andrewsmyth1652]

When i sample from Cd i first record the sample to tape. Really fattens up the sound. You can push the tape recording into the red for that old taped off the radio sound.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Nice technique. You sample to cassette or 1/4"??

[@deanivan3951]

lol man still have thousands of cds but i hate them because i have lost count of times i ripped a cd back in the day, taken it somewhere and it decides it doesn't like the cd player so won't play. it's done this with demos and originals , i'm done with CD'S 😂

[@eddieleonard6925]

You've got a point. This is the biggest downside to CDs...that they're not a reliable storage medium, at all. If they get scratched, it's over.

[@bartolocasanova]

Cds have the best quality audio

[@eddieleonard6925]

Sound quality is top notch. And if you need to dirty it up, you can just run it through tape. :)

[@tybaker8092]

We should enjoy digging for records tape and CD’s because these mom and pop stores may not be around for cats like us.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Great point! We take stores like this for granted, but who knows what the future holds...

[@asonx8624]

maybe in the bay. we still valid in ny

[@eddieleonard6925]

Take advantage! Records are getting expensive. Feels like everything's a collectors item now. haha.

[@bkhiphopnews4030]

you have to go over seas to get something specials

[@eddieleonard6925]

true..expand the search.

[@dollhousehero7596]

I just use Apple Music or Spotify lol.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Whatever works! But I need the linear notes. I love CD jewel case booklets.

[@guillll]

CDs are great. One of these days, people who get rid of their CDs are going to feel as dumb as people who got rid of their vinyl in the 90s.

[@eddieleonard6925]

I agree. I don't know if they'll ever be worth as much as vinyl in terms of money, but I do believe there will be rare CDs that are highly sought after.