Smithsonian Global Sound (and Folkways downloads)

Subject: Smithsonian Global Sound: World Music Site
From: Cruiser
Date: 05 Aug 06 - 04:57 PM

Good source of World music.



Smithsonian Global Sound Home Page

Subject: RE: Smithsonian Global Sound
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Aug 06 - 06:00 PM

I believe this site has downloads available (for a fee) of ALL Folkways recordings - I think the standard price for a downloaded album is $9.95, about half the colse of a Folkways "custom CD." Works great for you Broadband people, but it doesn't do me a whole lot of good on my dialup connection.

One thing at this site is very helpful to me, though - you can download (for free) the liner notes of many Folkways albums in PDF format. Many have lyrics and fascinationg background information.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Smithsonian Global Sound (and Folkways downloads)
From: Zhenya
Date: 06 Aug 06 - 09:54 AM

Joe,

Have you been able to print the liner notes out at all (legibly?) When I try to print, I get two pages worth on the one piece of paper, and it's very small and fuzzy and unreadable. I've tried changing the printing settings any way I could think of, but can't fix this. (I also can't save the file to Word and open it there - I just get gibberish and also can't fix that.) It's still great to read the info or study lyrics off the monitor screen, though.

Zhenya

Subject: RE: Smithsonian Global Sound (and Folkways downloads)
From: 12-stringer
Date: 06 Aug 06 - 02:39 PM

I'm with ya, Zhenya! Thought I could replace the long-misplaced notes booklet from FA 2360, Frank Proffitt Sings Folksongs, but no such luck. I can't even get them clear enough to read on the monitor with any comfort, though admittedly I'm legally blind in the left eye and don't see that well out of the right.

Subject: RE: Smithsonian Global Sound (and Folkways downloads)
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 06 Aug 06 - 03:17 PM

You may have misunderstood what Joe was saying. To the right of the "Recording Details" there is a picture of the album cover. This is a link to a larger version of the picture, but it is still a low resolution image. Just below the picture, however is a button which says "Download Liner Notes". If you click on that it will either download a PDF file, or open the same file in your browser. THAT is the higher resolution image which can be printed.
Quack!
Geoff the Duck.

Subject: RE: Smithsonian Global Sound (and Folkways downloa
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Aug 06 - 06:27 PM

Thanks, Cruiser! Great link. I downloaded the six freebies, for today, and am enjoying them, greatly.

Subject: RE: Smithsonian Global Sound (and Folkways downloads)
From: Zhenya
Date: 06 Aug 06 - 07:52 PM

Geoff,

Thanks for taking the time to answer. However, I actually have been trying to print from the PDF file. I've tried out all the icons on the top PDF menu, to see if one of the tasks would work, and tried saving the whole file and then just a part of the file to print from Word. No luck, and not sure what I'm doing wrong. The PDF Help section didn't help either.

I'm not that familiar with printing from PDF files, so maybe that's the problem. If someone has done this successfully and gotten a readable printout, and can explain it step by step, it would be most appreciated.

It's the reason I've ordered regular and custom CDs from them (which come with printouts of the booklets – not sure how they're doing it!) but not downloads.

Zhenya

Subject: RE: Smithsonian Global Sound (and Folkways downloa
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Aug 06 - 08:05 PM

One problem I've found with printing the PDF files - they scan everything the size of the album cover, which means they have a lot of dark-colored blank space on the liner notes - and that uses up a lot of ink when it prints. I suppose it's no trouble if you have software that will edit PDF files, but I don't have it.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Smithsonian Global Sound (and Folkways downloads)
From: Ebbie
Date: 06 Aug 06 - 08:06 PM

This is such a simple, obvious thing that I hesitate to mention it but - One thing I have noticed on pdf files is that they are often given in a smaller percentage than 100%, sometimes making them unreadable. Have you tried ordering 100 or 125%?

Subject: RE: Smithsonian Global Sound (and Folkways downloa
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 11:12 AM

It's a good deal, but not quite as good as Joe has pictured it. The $9.95 cost per album seems to be for albums that Smithsonian Folkways has already issued as commercial CDs, so the comparison should be with a selling price (at CAMSCO, at least) of $13.98 per album. What you get for the additional four bucks is better sound quality (WAV rather than MP3), a jewel case, and printed disc, notes, box insert and tray card.
    For the vast body of Folkways material that hasn't been issued on commercial CDs, the price seems to be $.99 per track, which is less than a good deal unless you only want specific tracks; typically these albums contain from 15 to 25 tracks, and the price (at CAMSCO, again) for a custom CD is $16.

Subject: RE: Smithsonian Global Sound (and Folkways downloads)
From: Cruiser
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 11:58 AM

The following has been posted under the Record Shop heading in the main Mudcat Menu for a very long time:

"While we revamp and update the Mudcat Record Shop, please contact Dick Greenhaus at Camsco Records.
Purchasing from Camsco benefits the Mudcat Café and the Digital Tradition."

I would definitely purchase CDs through this source if it were easier. I like to be able to go to website to sample music sound clips before purchasing. My guess there is a lot of work setting up such a website and it may not be practical. I would prefer this service to Amazon or Barnes & Noble though to benefit Mudcat. I realize if a CD is available at Camsco I can go to big retailer's website to listen to the tracks there, if available at that site, then purchase through Camsco. I have often done that before. I have gone to the extreme of purchasing a 21 track CD just to be able to get the one track I wanted because it was not available on any other format. However, I hate to purchase a $16.00 CD only to find I disliked all the tracks on it.

At the minimum it would be helpful to be able to order online instead of by e-mail or by phone.

Cruiser

Subject: RE: Smithsonian Global Sound (and Folkways downloa
From: artbrooks
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 01:23 PM

The current version of Abode Acrobat Reader (v.7.0.8, I think) has a "snapshot" tool, that lets you cut out the area you want from a .pdf file and paste/print it in another application (eg, Word). That eliminates the unwanted black areas, although it's still an image file rather than a text file and can/will distort if you resize it. Another thing is to always use the "print" icon on Acrobat rather than the one in your browser.

Subject: RE: Smithsonian Global Sound (and Folkways downloads)
From: Zhenya
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 05:40 PM

Thanks to everyone for all the printing advice, all of which I have now tried. I still can't get the liner notes to print legibly, (although I can read them comfortably on the screen) but I really appreciate that everyone tried to help. 12-Stringer, have you had any luck?

Subject: RE: Smithsonian Global Sound (and Folkways downloa
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Aug 06 - 12:54 PM

Look again, Dick - it appears that the $9.95 is a per-album download price for all Folkways albums, not just those on commercial CD's - and that all of the original Folkways albums are now available for download at that price. The Smithsonian/Folkways price for "Custom CD's" is now $17.99, plus shipping. Noting that CAMSCO Custom CD price is cheaper ($16) than Smithsonian/Folkways, the $9.95 download price is a good deal for you who have broadband (not me).
-Joe Offer-