Post by mcchuk January 16, 2009 (81 of 321)
|
|
bissie said:
Hello,
this is Robert from BIS, aka bissie.
In the current business climate even we have to look at bean-counting.
Since we release all our SACD:s as Hybrids and since we don't charge a premium, but absorb the extra costs for recording, editing, mastering and production of an SACD, selling at the same price as a RBCD,
*I would be extremely interested in knowing how many EXTRA copies we sell because of the SACD option.*
Mathematically, starting from the edited master tape, we need to sell some 600 EXTRA copies of the production in order to break even for the extra costs of producing the SACD, compared to releasing only a RBCD.
Question: do we do it? Since we don't have double inventory, there is no way for me to tell.
Obviously there are other factors as well: prestige, good-will, satisfaction with a superb product, but, when it comes to paying the salaries (BIS is nowadays probably the only classical company in the world with its own, full-time production staff - we have 7 producers/engineers hired that roam the 6 continents of the world recording with our own equipment) we need the green stuff.
So, since this would be the relevant Forum to ask something like that: how many of you, who do buy the occasional BIS SACD would abstain from doing so, were the identical programme to appear only as RBCD?
I think this is a relevant question to put, especially so, since many of my colleagues seemingly have made the same calculation - and then abandoned SACD.
Best - Robert
Greetings Robert!
I now buy exclusively SACD. The last set of SACD's purchased is the Genesis box set. I have about 175 SACD and 15 DVD Audio.
|
|
|
|
|
|
bissie said:
Hello,
this is Robert from BIS, aka bissie.
In the current business climate even we have to look at bean-counting.
Since we release all our SACD:s as Hybrids and since we don't charge a premium, but absorb the extra costs for recording, editing, mastering and production of an SACD, selling at the same price as a RBCD,
*I would be extremely interested in knowing how many EXTRA copies we sell because of the SACD option.*
Mathematically, starting from the edited master tape, we need to sell some 600 EXTRA copies of the production in order to break even for the extra costs of producing the SACD, compared to releasing only a RBCD.
Question: do we do it? Since we don't have double inventory, there is no way for me to tell.
Obviously there are other factors as well: prestige, good-will, satisfaction with a superb product, but, when it comes to paying the salaries (BIS is nowadays probably the only classical company in the world with its own, full-time production staff - we have 7 producers/engineers hired that roam the 6 continents of the world recording with our own equipment) we need the green stuff.
So, since this would be the relevant Forum to ask something like that: how many of you, who do buy the occasional BIS SACD would abstain from doing so, were the identical programme to appear only as RBCD?
I think this is a relevant question to put, especially so, since many of my colleagues seemingly have made the same calculation - and then abandoned SACD.
Best - Robert
I have 27 BIS SACDs and 2 RBCDs. It was SACD that got me listening to classical music, having inherited surround speakers and a decent receiver. Now I buy pretty much all classical, all in SACD. I did buy your Sibelius box set however.
Paul
|
|
|
Post by crsearle January 16, 2009 (83 of 321)
|
|
Overall, I buy 95% exclusively SACD and only RBCD on rare occasions to support a particular artist. For classical I buy 100% SACD and have a few BIS discs which are all excellent.
|
|
|
Post by bwcgrx1 January 16, 2009 (84 of 321)
|
|
95% of the 40-50 discs I purchase per year are SACD. The majority of my purchases are what would be broadly termed classical music. I do buy a few RBCDs of certain works, Ravel's solo piano music for one, and interesting new content not otherwise available on SACD. To be quite honest, I really value what SACD has to offer in terms of hi-res audio and multi-channel sound and it weighs heavy in my purchasing decisions.
Outside of the Jarvi/Tchaikovsky recordings, I've until recently not been a regular buyer of BIS SACD titles. I have been a fan of the label since the late 80's and have recently acquired the Vanska/Beethoven set and have added to my soon to purchase list the Sudbin and Kempf piano discs. I've also been intrigued by the Dausgaard/Dvorak chamber treatment. However if not for the SACD content I doubt more than one or two of these would be in my collection.
I seem to remember a month or so ago a thread regarding Ondine's pending Suk - Asrael Symphony recording. I believe it was mentioned that BIS would also be releasing their own recording of this great symphonic work. If this were available in SACD on BIS it would be a guaranteed purchase by me, and the Ondine version too :)
Considering the current economic climate and general condition of the recorded music industry I applaud and am grateful for BIS continuing to support SACD in a time when many have given up and most are totally unaware. I will continue to do my part; small it may be, to help make your efforts less of a financial burden.
Brian C.
|
|
|
Post by Jann January 17, 2009 (85 of 321)
|
|
I buy nearly (the exception are some music(opera) blu ray) exclusively SACD and among them there are around 30 from BIS. If these had not been SA-CD, I wouldn't have purchased it.
|
|
|
Post by Fugue January 17, 2009 (86 of 321)
|
|
Not to overly generalize, but it strikes me that people who limit themselves to only SACD are SOUND lovers, not necessarily MUSIC lovers. Sure, I'd prefer that all CDs were SACD, but the music is paramount to me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fugue said:
Not to overly generalize, but it strikes me that people who limit themselves to only SACD are SOUND lovers, not necessarily MUSIC lovers. Sure, I'd prefer that all CDs were SACD, but the music is paramount to me.
I agree. To close yourself off from some of the finest music being released just because it isn't SACD is ignorant.
Recently, I bought the MP3 download of Fedoseyev's Glazunov recordings from Amazon for $6.99. The complete symphonies! Would I buy them if they were SACD? No doubt, but at least for now I have these to listen to and am glad to have gotten them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
flyingdutchman said:
To close yourself off from some of the finest music being released just because it isn't SACD is ignorant.
Maybe not so ignorant, just very committed. You know I am a big big fan of Julia Fischer.
But I am not nearly so certain of purchasing her new Decca CD of Bach concertos with ASMF or the Paganini Caprices soon to follow as I am of purchasing both Suk Asrael Symphonies from Ondine and BIS. Not to be didactic, but "ignorant" means in a state absent knowledge. You may have found "foolish" to be a better word. And I will admit that there is perhaps a degree of foolishness in my steadfast refusal to use my money to support the likes of Univeral et al. I would like to have Hilary Hahn's new Schoenberg / Sibelius disc. But I don't like the thought of using my money to endorse Universal's policy re SACD when I can use that same money to support those who are actually providing us with SACDs.
|
|
|
Post by DSD January 17, 2009 (89 of 321)
|
|
Fugue said:
Not to overly generalize, but it strikes me that people who limit themselves to only SACD are SOUND lovers, not necessarily MUSIC lovers. Sure, I'd prefer that all CDs were SACD, but the music is paramount to me.
Not necessarily sound lovers, remember a lot of people especially early on before multichannel SACD adopted Stereo SACD because they like analog and don't like how brutal Redbook CD is with orchestral Classical music! CD is cold, strident, dry and to my ears very unmusical.
On the other hand SACD is like the best analog perfected, SACD is so realistic and beautiful it's really hard for me to believe it's actually digital!
There is absolutely nothing at all similar about SACD and CD except for the size of the disc!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Windsurfer said:
Maybe not so ignorant, just very committed. You know I am a big big fan of Julia Fischer.
But I am not nearly so certain of purchasing her new Decca CD of Bach concertos with ASMF or the Paganini Caprices soon to follow as I am of purchasing both Suk Asrael Symphonies from Ondine and BIS. Not to be didactic, but "ignorant" means in a state absent knowledge. You may have found "foolish" to be a better word. And I will admit that there is perhaps a degree of foolishness in my steadfast refusal to use my money to support the likes of Univeral et al. I would like to have Hilary Hahn's new Schoenberg / Sibelius disc. But I don't like the thought of using my money to endorse Universal's policy re SACD when I can use that same money to support those who are actually providing us with SACDs.
Bruce,
The fact that we see enormous numbers of releases by labels such as CPO and Naxos of composers that will hardly see the light of day, it is not only foolish, it is also ignorant. One composer that I wish would still be on cd is Hamerik, but Dacapo has virtually eliminated his output. Another Limblad, which Marco Polo has taken out and is only available via download.
|
|
