Synthpop Collection - How bad is your obsession?

[~Nicholas]

Actuallly - I would never refer to my synthpop as a collection since never would I sell one release. However my "synthpop appetite" not too long ago arrived at a point (no surprise to my wife) wherein I converted a walk-in closet to hold the 5000+ CDs.

It is all synth - new romantic synth - industrial synth - pop synth - remixes including every CD Razormaid! ever produced.

Hard to believe of someone living on the southern East Coast of the US!

How bad has your habit become?

Nick

[~Ekstasis]

Mine is some where around 3000 CDs. Mostly singles. I have a bad habbit of trying to find ever remix ever done of a song. Also have about 400 synthpop 12' singles, and about 300 trance and hard house 12' singles.

[NoirTech]

My habbit was spinning out of control. When I lived in Germany ('90-'92) I would buy tons of vinyl and CD of bands I could not easily get in the US, when I was back there.
Then..when I moved back...I started working at a new/used record store (Zia Records) from 93-97. That was the time when my habbit really started taking it toll. Since I was one of the ones who would buy CDs from people coming into the store, I would have first pick on many good CDs.
Sometime around this point I started moving a lot around the Tucson area, and I came to a realization....moving CDs, Cass, and vinyl from one place to another really really sucks. So after I left the record store to work for an ISP company, I decided to sell a lot of them. Mind you, I did record most of them before I did all that. I mean...there is only so much KMFDM I can listen to. Do I really need every single release they ever put out? Or for that matter Skinny Puppy? I decided to keep what I really really wanted.....
So I ended up with only 2,000+ CDs after that. Yeah....it's still a problem. ...but who's complaining? :D
....oh yeah..my wife is.

[~Niños_Del_Brasi]

Collecting music is really a bad habit I used to spend lots of money in music every week, I would spend around $200 or more but then I realise that it's just a waste of money and time, I still buy music though but once in a while.I have like 2000 that includes 12" Singles Cd Singles and other rare synthpop and another 300 in Spanisn Synthpop that includes records and Cd's.

One thing I really care is my spanish Synth :-) whenever I come across to any hard find OBK single or any other spanish synth band in particular I'll take any offers to have it in my collection and I really like doing this because you don't see Spanish Synth bands very often.

[~Mike Gjennestad]

well i thought i had a pretty decent sized collection, but after seeing your numbers, i am still coming up. i have just over 1500 cds. wow, that is all i can say./ i lobe it i spend about 100 a month on average for cds.

gjennmike

[7red7]

In my music colection total, I have well over 3000 cd's, I've never counted the general electronic stuff, but the numbers are up there I'm sure...

I collect everything from vinyl, posters, memorablilia, videos, clothing, you name it...Anything and everything music related, more so electronic now though...My collection ranges everywhere from New Romantic/Blitz stuff to New Wave, Synthpop, and spans to modern synth thats circuilating today...

I pretty much feel the need to buy a cd at least once a week, it's my drug of choice...An expensive habit, but well worth it to me...In fact, just last night while on the way to our little EGN dinner, I stopped at a record store in hollywood and picked up some vinyl and a couple cd's...Yeppers, I need help :laugh:


UPDATE:

I forgot to add that I'm a complete music nut and spend at least a couple hours a week checking up on a number of band and music sites online :)

[test]

Ha! My collection of over 300 cds pales in comparison. :laugh:

[~Mike Gjennestad]

steph don't worry it just snowballs from where you are at. i was at 300 just a couple of years ago now i am over1500. it is great. just becareful about what you are getting into.

7red7 i am the same as you, i am checking out band sites daily, and i am a completist as far as the groups i like. i try to get everything a bnd puts out. it is a fun hunt.


gjennmike

[~Quixote Chapter]

I,m a pantyweight compared to you guys with my modest 100 disk rack. My drug of choice is gadjetry to make music with.

-Kevin

[Synthpopalooza]

I guess I am the same way ... albeit, due to my many contacts with musicians in the scene, I've often traded CD's with these people (they send me their demo CD-R, I send them something I have done, perhaps the remixes I did on the Red Flag Skulls project).

But my CD's are getting up into the 100's now.

[7red7]

Originally posted by Mike Gjennestad
7red7 i am the same as you, i am checking out band sites daily, and i am a completist as far as the groups i like. i try to get everything a bnd puts out. it is a fun hunt.


gjennmike


Oh yeah thats the best part of it...All of my favorite bands have their own section everything in chronological order, everything has it's place...And the hunt is really exciting especially that feeling you get when you're in the record store and you spot a disc in the used section for a dirt cheap price...You almost have to keep yourself from blurting out the fact that they have no clue what it is they're selling and that your practically ripping them off paying so little for it...Okay, so I'm off to do some shopping tomorrow!!!

I'm sorry, but I'm a big kid in a candy store when it comes to finding rare stuff in the used bins :D

[test]

I wanna go shopping with you sometime, Dan! I bet we'd have fun. :D

[7red7]

Originally posted by StphLadd
I wanna go shopping with you sometime, Dan! I bet we'd have fun. :D


We definately have to do that soon...Oh the fun we're gonna have...Mike and I used to make an entire day of travelling from city to city and stopping at every Wherehouse music there and checking their used bins...We're addicts :laugh:

[~Ninthwaver]

Oh thank God, I feel so normal now. I have I guess under 3k Cds after 16 years of collecting plus about 1000 lps and singles (7" kind).
How bad is it, I got my first Cd, a copy of Endless by Heaven 17, a full year before I owned a CD player. I had to get a friend to make a tape of it. Back in 1986 Cd players were still $300 after all :-)

[~arronc]

Mmm : pretty addicted myself.

I probably have about 4k cds, but I used to DJ. Like Dave the 1st CD I bought was howard Jones "Dream into Action" long before I had a CD player.

Still addicted though : After all these years I am still desperate for the 1st kissing the Pink CD "naked", "code" by caberet voltaire, and anything by VIcious Pink on CD.

In fact, the track we are currently writing (with Eight to Infinity (plug plug plug:)) is called Mistress Vynal and is about the joys and anguish of collecting rare records. :)

[~zoggoz]

Its an addiction thats unstoppable my wife and I are the same one of the many reasons why I ended up getting married to her. We just can't stop no matter how hard we tell our selves we just can't afford it we have A house to pay on now I'm surprised we got one sometimes. We use to have the local used CD shops but we have plundered them so now we do the same on ebay. Ah but there is nothing like A CD shop I always LOVED the thrill of the hunt tracking down my newest fave or old and when you find it in A discount bin (must stop drooling on my key board ) its euphoria all over again. Especially now for the past two years I'v been on a huge synthpop bender see for along time all I collected was a lot of EBM, industrial, noise, ambient and some synthpop but now its almost nothing but synthpop especially from over seas. Thats it I need A trip to Chicago to do some hunting.

[seraphim]

I used to have a substantial amount of CDs in my collection, I honestly stopped counting when it hit the 3000 mark but that was a couple years back. Over time I have whittled that number down quite a bit, I must have sold off nearly 300 in a two week span. My collection consisted of large amounts of albums I had not listened to for at least a couple years, not to mention taste changes. I'm in the process of cataloging my collection now, I'm on the N's and the number is in the 900's so I'm estimating that I have half of what I had a few years ago. For me, for the past couple years, it's been more about quality over quantity. I'll only pick up an album if I think it's a solid release with at least half an album of worthwhile tracks. I used to buy bands that were "Ok but could stand some improvement but these couple songs are pretty good". Though sometimes, I admit I miss those albums but still...have to make room for the new.

[NoirTech]

Oh man...a lot of you would be in heaven here in Tucson. I like to call Tucson .... "The City of Used CD stores". Seriously though, we have a ton here. I used to work for one of the bigger ones (Zia Records...Cheetah will know what I'm talking about). There is a newer store here...huge huge location, ...called CD City that sells used CDs for.....2 for $5. Can't believe some of the things I find there sometimes. For example, I've found early Cause And Effect, Red Flag, SPOCK, even a copy of Secession "A Dark Enchantment". ....and that's just the tip of the ice burg. Only problem ... I can barely find time to go CD hunting now a days. Probably a good thing for my wallet.

[~Hajas]

Mine is small compared with yours.

I have about 1200 CDs , 100 vinyls, and 200 videos.

All are listed at http://cds.hajas.org

I really only buy when I really like or is cheap, I $can´t$ buy anything in synthpop unfortunately.

Freddy

[~stevo]

My collection is going pretty good, i started collecting in 97, right now i have a little over 2000 cds, mostly Synth/EBM/Industrial. I went to 3 ZIA's stores in tucson about 8 months ago and they were getting rid of all there imports brand new still sealed for $1.99 each, i grabbed about 100 of them, like MUTE samplers, Fad Gadget, heave 17 and alot more good ones.
I'm going to San Francisco in OCT. i'll be checking out what Aomeba and Rasputins have to offer, i'm totally excited.

[~spi]

I have right around 100cds. Which isn't to bad at all considering a year ago I probably had 50cds. I have been about doubled my collection in a year. I wouldn't doubt if the same thing happened again. It definately an addiction. I think the one main thing that is slowing me growing my collection is that there are no real used stores around me. Also I am in college so I am kinda short on cash at the moment.

-steve

[~matrix]

It started a while ago with me and it's getting worse and worse! I am addicted to music.

[~Nicholas]

I thought about creating a list of all my stuffs - but as soon as I look at all the CDs I would have to catalogue, my next thought is "to *** with that!".

My wife laughs when I want a particular song and then after 30-minutes of searching I give up!

I figure when I go - I'll bequeath them all to a "preserve synthpop" museum - the owner can transfer all the CDs to their quantum storage jukeboxes.


Nick

[NoirTech]

If only there was a free program that would make it easy for us to catalog our collection. Is there one out there? I mean...a good one? At the moment, I'm in the process of cataloging everythign using EXCEL...and man...it seems like such an undertaking. Don't want to do it all over again if I find a cool program out there that would make it a lot neater...and easier to use.
Anyone here use anything like this? or is everyone pretty much using Excel as well?
Guess I'm asking...how are you all cataloging your collection on your computer...if at all?

[~Mike Gjennestad]

noirtech, well it isn't free, but it is quite inexpensive and i have used it for 2-3 years now it is a program called mediasauce. it cost me like 5-10 bucks and it is great. you can put your disc in and more often than not download the info off the web pertaining to the disc, it will alphabatize your collection and you coan do searches based on track, title, artist, style, year etc. it is really great and would recomend it to all.

I got it from a link off of a different drums website. if you can't find it there.



gjennmike

[~Mike Gjennestad]

when i lived in utah i had a lot of luck finding stuff especially from modified music, greywhale, and a couple of years back crandal audio. some really r4eally great stuff. and finding something for cheap makes you want to look at the guy or gal behind the counter and say sucker......


fun fun fun


gjennmike

[Electroswank]

damn... as much as i love organization and that software you mentioned sounds great - i am sitting here trying to visualize myself going thru all the 1500+ cds in our apt. and trying to catalog them using said software... :(

not counting the two huge storage bins i have of vinyl and the other storage box of cd's in our closet, the stacks of cds i have at work and the other boxes of lp's being stored at my parents home.

a rather daunting task - i estimate it would be an entire month to complete.

i get a new cd or two almost every day. (a perk of working at a record label) but there are only certian bands we both have to have everything by tho -for me its Sylvian /Japan, Madonna, Duran Duran, and Depeche Mode. plus i moved into an apt. here with a built in Erasure collection.

*side bar* when i moved in the heaviest items were the boxes marked "DURAN STUFF" ;) hee hee

As far as how mad i can be about collecting music - you don't want to know and i probably coudn't calulate all the money i spent hand over fist on things and driving to remote locations finding rarities. ahh.. the things we do for the love of music.

:) Anna

[7red7]

Originally posted by Mike Gjennestad
finding something for cheap makes you want to look at the guy or gal behind the counter and say sucker......


fun fun fun


gjennmike


Yeppers, thats that giddy feeling I was talking about...You just want to burst out laughing at them, and yelling out HAH!!! you guys got jipped!!! :laugh:

That feeling is the high I get while music shopping...

[~Human Clone]

Obsession or addiction? Music has always been my Achilles heel. I have approximately 2500 cds in my collection (I was relieved to read in this thread that there were people with many more). No matter where you turn in my apartment there are cds everywhere. I sometimes feel really ashamed when I calculate all the money I've spent and think where it could have been better allocated. Then I will hear about a new release and I will get that serotonin rush, and the hunt begins again...

[~draxijn]

i simply keep a text file catalog...if you add to it everytime you get a new release it's really nice. for those of you starting from scratch...good lord =)

600+ in my collection...about 100 being vinyl...i'm a rookie i guess =)

[NoirTech]

Originally posted by Mike Gjennestad
noirtech, well it isn't free, but it is quite inexpensive and i have used it for 2-3 years now it is a program called mediasauce. it cost me like 5-10 bucks and it is great. you can put your disc in and more often than not download the info off the web pertaining to the disc, it will alphabatize your collection and you coan do searches based on track, title, artist, style, year etc. it is really great and would recomend it to all.

I got it from a link off of a different drums website. if you can't find it there.



gjennmike

Couldn't find the link you mentioned on the Different Drum website. That's alright though. I started compiling an Excel spreadsheet last night, and I'm now entering in all my collection on it. I'm still in the "A's" *sigh*....Think I'll be done by the time the last Star Wars movie comes out. hehehe

[Electroswank]

Originally posted by Human Clone
Obsession or addiction? Music has always been my Achilles heel. I have approximately 2500 cds in my collection (I was relieved to read in this thread that there were people with many more). No matter where you turn in my apartment there are cds everywhere. I sometimes feel really ashamed when I calculate all the money I've spent and think where it could have been better allocated. Then I will hear about a new release and I will get that serotonin rush, and the hunt begins again...

it's not a bad addiction or obsession to have - it could be worse right?? :)

I know how you feel - its the same at my apt. there are cd's EVERYWHERE... even in the kitchen?? don't know how that happens!

- Anna

[~Human Clone]

I have them in the kitchen as well, bathroom also, I often take my discman in there if I am going to be a while (too much information).

My apartment is "the dogs breakfast" where my cds are concerned... When I buy a house I am going to devote one room to my collection.

[Electroswank]

Great idea - i wish i had a spare room now for all my cd's but then i'd be annoyed that i would have to get up and walk to another room to search for something! :) LOL


- Anna

[~robotiko1]

Heh. Living in NYC the issue of storage certainly is relevant as much as it is scarce. There is no way my modest 1 bedroom pad is going to hold my collection in a way I can maneuver around like a normal person. So I devised a simple plan. I moved everything to binders grouped by genre of music, copied or typed in tracklists for easy reference to go into the CD-sleeve, and bought some card files to house the CD-jackets and track info (these I'll eventually alphabetize one day), then tossed out the jewel cases as they just take up too much space. The only pain in the tucas is when I get digi-packs or limited release cd packaging. These I think I'll just display somewhere, but I definitely keep the packaging since that's probably the reason I got it in the first place. Like the new Melotron. One other flaw with this system is organization, as I like to keep like bands together and so forth, so i find myself doing ALOT of CD shuffling. Ugh. But alas, there is no other option for me as I would be tripping over the damn things everywhere.

[~Mike Gjennestad]

hey noirtech here is the website

www.flatcracker.com

it really didn't take me too long to do. i think i spent a total of maybe 6-8 hours over acouple of weeks to get the 900+ i had when i got the program. i think it is more than worth it.

gjennmike

[NoirTech]

Originally posted by Mike Gjennestad
hey noirtech here is the website

www.flatcracker.com

it really didn't take me too long to do. i think i spent a total of maybe 6-8 hours over acouple of weeks to get the 900+ i had when i got the program. i think it is more than worth it.

gjennmike

Cool! Thanks for the link. I'm checking it out right now.
Erick [NoirTech]

[Electroswank]

Hey robotiko1 - omg! i wish i had your energy and time!! that's a great way to store cds - creative thinking clever trousers! :)

some day if i have some free time i'm going to use that plan!
- thanks for the tip!

Anna

[~PaulSynthpop]

You guys are awesome! I have to show this thread to my wife. She is getting quite frustrated with my 400+ cd collection. Of course I don't think it will really help, she'll just call us all crazy.

Cataloging note. I use musicmatch. It has an export feature that I can upload into Access which makes it very easy to catalog my whole collection after putting in each cd once.

BUT...I also own a neo jukebox which uses a real hard drive to store all my music. I have my whole collection on a 40gig hard drive that I keep in my vehicle and a back up on my computer. I never have to hunt for a song. You can check these out at www.ssiamerica.com (no, I don't work for them) It also saves on wear and tear on my cds.

Later

Paul

[~robotiko1]

Originally posted by ElectroSwank

some day if i have some free time i'm going to use that plan!
- thanks for the tip!

Anna

No problem! Now if I can only figure out a space saving technique for the vinyls *scratches head*

[~spi]

I got to thinking and then it hit me. I already have all the data I need on EVERY cd I own. As soon as I put them in a my computer my program querys http://www.freedb.org/(a free version of cddb) and stores the data on my comptuer. Now all I need is to find/write a script to enter that data into a database(mysql) and then it will be easy to make a website to access that data!

I am so pumped!
-steve

[~Mike Gjennestad]

SPI - that is basiccally what mediasauce does. media sauce wil also create an html that you can upload onto the internet like onto your website etc. i am sold on it, but what you said is basicallywy what it does.


gjennmike

[~jetjaguar15]

I think I've got about roughly 300 cds. That's just going from the size of the 4-5 portable cd cases I keep the actual cd's in.

[~draxijn]

you guys don't find those cases scratch the discs? my cd-r archive of programs and junk is massive and i have them stored in those cases. some i noticed, don't read anymore as they get a little scratched. i much prefer the actual jewel case...never touch the dics's surface. sure they take up space but nothing will protect your investment better.

[7red7]

I gotta agree...They're bulky, clangy, and just take up a lot of room, but I have to keep plenty of jewel cases on hand, I love my cd's too much to lose any of them...


I'm obsessed:

DAN

[~jetjaguar15]

Sometimes, yes, but overall I find it a lot easier to keep a large selection of discs with me on the go with them than Jewel cases.

[~spi]

I have a small 20 cd visor that I take use to take cds on the road/to work. As long as I keep the visor clean and free of dirt I doubt any of my discs will get damaged. At home all my discs are in jewel cases to keep the dust and dirt of them.

I need to buy something to store them on though right now they are in piles on my floor. :)
-steve

[~Mike Gjennestad]

I bought this big ole armoir or however it is spelled, to house all my cds. a big wooden case that has glass front on some of the shelves. it looks really nice. and i am filling it up quaite quickly.


gjennmike

[~Nicholas]

Wow!

I had to do some travelling (and some intense programming) so I never had an opportunity to see that this thread grew.

Thanks for the replies all!!!!

- Nick

[~Kirlian Blue]

I currently have over 700 Albums on CD over 1000 LPs. 400 singles on 12" 200 on 7" .....then about a 1000 cd singles! Its a nightmare keeping track of them as I DJ now again up London and get so dammm drunk or forgettfull I misplace the CD's and Records ! But for a 23yr old im not doing to bad. mY FREIND dj STYX HAS FOUR WALLS covered in CDS box's and Cupborads stacked to the ceiling with them but being the Biggest sYNTPOP/iNDUSTRIAL/GOTH/EBM DJ in the UK would explain his collection. I Just sometimes now go and buy a 80's 12"becasuse i like the Cover............not the music !