CYBERNETIC BREAKTHROUGH
By Jack Kopstein
For as long as I can remember, military band recordings have been difficult to buy. Often much sought after the recording was not available in the record stores or took weeks to arrive when ordered by mail. Despite the fact that several well-known and prestigious record houses had vast catalogues of the original 33 1/3 and later cassettes as well as the comparatively new CD recordings, the cost was very often out of proportion with the music.
Altissimo bridged that gap in North America with fast delivery of military band CDs of US Service bands, but consumers are becoming use to downloading other types of music from the Internet. Today the best of two worlds has been merged. You have the luxury at nominal cost of obtaining the US service bands by downloading or by ordering the recording directly from Altissimo.
This technical advance in CD downloading and eventually being able to burn off a copy certainly make Altissmo a recording industry leader in the world of military music.
Little did John Philip Sousa know how the recording industry would advance when he met with the inventor of the phonograph Thomas Alva Edison in October 1923. The two met to discuss the advances made in recording since Edisons momentous discovery in the late 19th century Sousa , actually had a distinct dislike of recording and had had avoided studios as he preferred only live performances. Radio interested him because he realized that a much wider audience would hear his music. The earliest of band recordings were a sordid collection of very poor quality band music.
Progress of recorded band music was very slow in developing. If a golden period could be identified it began in the 1950s and lasted until the early 1960s with the advent of stereo. However, new technology in the form of the much maligned eight track helped to onset a decline in the number and quality of band music. A sharp shift however occurred when the cassette was introduced in the mid 1960s and bands were able to record up to 60 minutes on one tape, rather than having to do double and triple albums.
The cassette as a listening medium however began to decline, because of several factors. Most recorded tapes had a life of about 30 plays and then they would either break or unravel. The equipment used for both recording and replay outstripped the quality of the reproduction. Very often, there were large gaps in the recording or tape lengths varied. More importantly, information regarding the recording was useless. The cassette became obsolete with the introduction in the late 1980s of the Compact disc.
The production of CD has answered a need for music that had concert hall quality. The digital recording technique has become the state of the art; even previous recordings could be transferred with amazing results. Military bands could now be heard with total instrumental balance.
Altissimo recordings developed the medium into leading edge technology with both high quality Compact discs with the enclosures that are invaluable to the listener. John Philip Sousa certainly would have been stunned by the advancement in recording techniques and sound equipment. Nevertheless, unquestionably he would have been delighted to know that recording in the 21st century has reached the next plateau, the step into space.
Al McCree and Company with Altissimo recordings has certainly made a leap to the cybernetic threshold of recording by offering internet listeners downloads of a vast array of band music. The opportunity to download music at a reasonable price and to burn off copies in the privacy of your own home is a giant step for man.
Bands around the world are welcome to join with Al and the Altissimo family in presenting your band in this format. All bands are welcome! Contact Al for information. al@militarymusic.com
Make yourself heard with Altissimo.
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