TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Hi all

I picked up a copy of Cropredy Capers yesterday.  Terrific music, really enjoying it so far, but...

...the discs refuse to play on my hi-fi.  They're fine on the PC and on the DVD player hooked up to the TV, but no joy on the stereo.

Anyone else had this problem?  Any thoughts or suggestions?

Jules

That Garrard SP25 Mk II of yours needs a new needle.

Older CD players can be rather sensitve to dust. Try cleaning the CD's from the inside outwards with a soft cloth, having "herred" on them without actually spitting.

Done that.

I've had this problem before with CDRs but never with a commercially pressed silver disc.  I guess I'll have to make copies for the hi-fi and see if they work.

The boxed set itself is fabulous - some of the performances so beautiful that I was somewhat emotional.  In fact I'd say not only is it the best Fairport-related box thus far, but one of the best boxed sets I've ever heard.

Jules

It is quite wonderful and, dare I say, a good deal more listenable than some of Free Reed's other collections in terms of sound quality. I did not have any trouble with it but I did have a similar problem with Scrumhalfbricking which was also a Free Reed product. I contacted them and they replaced the disc for me. Worth a try possibly.

Thanks Gub, I may try that, though I think it's the same thing with at least 2, maybe 3 of the discs.

Totally agree about the sound quality issue.

Jules

I had the same problem -- the disks haven't been properly finished and, AFAIK, are not proper CD audio. My player, a Marantz, isn't designed to play some types of CD-R and only rejects non-audio disks.

So it was the same problem with your Cropredy Capers specifically?

Jules

So I called up the Free Reed guys and they said they'd replace the CDs no problem.  Only thing is - is it worth the bother?  Surely the replacements will be exactly the same, no?

Jules

Yep, all 4 disks.

Thanks, Keith, interesting.

Weirdly I haven't had the same trouble with any of the other Free Reed box sets.

This whole business puzzles me.  And irritates me too.  Listening to music on the computer is all very well, but it's not my number one preference by a long shot.

Jules

It might just be a batch that haven't been finished properly. Worth exchanging them I would have thought. Mine have all always played fine on any player that I have put them in. I know my brother has a copy too and his is also ok.

Weird though as you say.

If they still don't work, I guess your only option is to rip them on to CDR to use on the hi fi.

Thanks Gub, I think you just persuaded me.

I thought about the rip option, but it's just not the same somehow.

Jules

I bought mine two years ago -- hell of a batch  :o

Being a bit of a luddite with suxh things am I reading this correctly - Free Reed have - for whatever reason, sold a bunch of CDs that can't actually be played on a CD player?

Yes & no it seems, depends on the player by the looks of it, all the discs from my copy play on my main separate CD player, my ghetto blaster, my DVD player, my PC CD drive and even on my car stereo which is very fussy indeed!

Mine looks like it could well have been sitting around on the shelves for two years, Keith, so it may be the same batch.

Jules

Weren't the first 2000 signed ?  Mine's #1695 according to the little hologram on the signatures label so first batch I'd imagine.

Mine has a hologram and a label but no signatures.  Maybe it's a higher number.  I can't recall offhand.

Jules

My box was signed and the CDs play OK on both my - ahem - Linn player, also on my car CD.

At least they did play in the car - the blooming thing ate another disc and I now need a Torx screwdriver to get it out, with no guarantee the player will ever work again. The usual pliers, coathangers and lump hammer have had no effect. So if the software doesn't get yer, the hardware will.  >:( >:(

Commercial CDs are Pressed from a master and not burnt, though - which means that there's no real concept that they aren't finished off properly (As in the CD hasn't been closed and the TOC written - which is what happens if you don't close an Audio CD you've burnt on your PC.)

Maplin sell a very good Torx set, it's called the "Security Screwdriver" set or summat similar. I had to buy one to get into my Sky+ box to change the disk for a biggun.

Did anyone make up the model that came with it?

Hehe, I was going to, complete with LED spotlights, cocktail stick flags and mini speakers, then I woke up ::) ;D

So I took Gub's advice, mailed them off and now I have replacements.  Discs 2 and 3 play on my CD player now.  Disc 4 did after a lot of persuasion.  Still no joy with Disc 1.  So close, but no cigar.  I still think it's weird.  I've got loads of Free Reed boxes now and this is the first sniff of trouble with their CDs.

Jules

Can't say I have had problems with any disks playing sometimes my car CD player has a fit with CDRs but these seem fine.

I think the booklets with this set are great - but doesn't it get out of date quickly! (stopping with a blank set list to fill in for Cropredy 2004 or whatever). I don't feel I have had the set that long.

As much as I love Cropredy I didn't really get the point of the cardboard model but maybe I am just a trainee misery.

I didn't make up the Cropredy paper kit, I would have done if there were hundreds of fold away deckchairs, tents and flagpoles to make up too. It would have been really authentic then and made the effort worth while. On important things like the playing ability of the CD's, mine are fine.

I made mine up...  very nearly cut CL's legs off in the process!!

It comes out each year for a few weeks before Crops...   ;D ;D ;D

I've got signed box 1937  (dunno if the music's any good) and a copy of a very rude email from Free Reed which suggests that my stereo's no good.

Many thanks to the person who bought it for me though. It's always nice to get a shelf-filler present  ::)