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 October 1, 2009 The Digital Music Revolution: What Download Sites Have to Offer -- Part 12
There are two big differences between iTrax and other download sites. At iTrax all titles are derived from original 24/96 masters. There are no upsampled tracks and no classic titles that have been juiced up for HD. All iTrax titles are also available in surround versions; AIX titles even allow a choice between stage and audience perspective (the 2L and SFS titles are all audience perspective). Waldrep believes strongly in surround sound and has several articles on it sprinkled throughout the site, mainly in the "Gazette" section. Hardware for playing surround tracks from files is limited, so Waldrep is probably ahead of his peers in offering them. But AIX has always been a pioneering label. Though the source files for titles on AIX are all 24/96, the downloads are offered in a wider variety of configurations, so just about everyone can take advantage of them. As an example, a popular title like Nitty Gritty Surround, featuring John McEuen and Jimmy Ibbotson of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, is available in stereo in MP3, Dolby Digital, WMA Pro, WMA Lossless, and PCM 24/96 formats. The surround version is available in all of those, plus DTS. Each format is explained in a help section, and all files are available as album downloads or as individual tracks. All files are DRM (digital rights management) free. Each format has a "Buy" button, and a box beside it lets you add it to your shopping cart. If you hover your cursor over the button, a popup will tell you the price, file size, and estimated download time. It’s pretty easy, then, to compare prices and times for each format. You can also sample the track by clicking the speaker icon, and you can click the information icon to learn more. You can pay with any major credit card, and with downloads there’s no shipping charge. I downloaded 24/96 and WMA files and was astounded at how quickly they finished. The estimates Waldrep gives during those cursor hovers all seemed extremely conservative. This is the only site I’ve encountered whose download speeds matched (and sometimes surpassed) those of HDtracks. There’s no download manager, so you’ll have to use your own. As you might assume, the tracks I downloaded were of the highest audio quality. I would expect nothing less from the company that produces AIX DVD-Audio discs, and the quality of the 24/96 downloads is identical to that of those discs. I don’t have equipment to play surround files yet, but I think it’s safe to say that they’ll match the discs as well. AIX is covering all bases by planning to release some of its HD titles on Blu-ray. Sure, they offer video as well as audio, but Waldrep claims that HD video downloads are coming to iTrax in the near future! It seems obvious, then, that AIX will be offering some of the highest fidelity in the industry while making the same high-quality recordings available in different formats. If you’re not familiar with the company, I’d start with the aforementioned Nitty Gritty Surround, John Gorka’s The Gypsy Life, Ernest Ranglin’s Order of Distinction, Paul Williams’s I’m Going Back There Someday, and Rumor Mill with the Carl Verheyen Band. From 2L, there’s the 2008 disc of the year, TrondheimSolistene’s Divertimenti, and a radiant disc of Mozart violin concertos. The San Francisco Symphony label offers Mahler’s music in performances led by Michael Tilson Thomas, though these are a slight drop in sound from the AIX and 2L releases. After trying those entry-level recordings, you can explore the unique and fascinating catalogs that iTrax offers, knowing that each download will showcase some of the best sound you’ve ever experienced. Speaking of HDtracks, I recently downloaded their complete Mahler symphony live performance series with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Lorin Maazel. The CD-quality sound was quite good, but the performances seemed to be of less value than their many competitors. Maazel takes slower tempos as a rule, and though it often pays off with something majestic, it doesn’t always work. Of more interest is a riveting Mahler’s 6th, also live, with Bernard Haitink conducting the Chicago Symphony. It’s offered in HD without the applause that somewhat mars many of the Maazel readings (the symphonies that end loudly include applause; those that end quietly mercifully leave it out). While at HDtracks, I also discovered some amazing-sounding true HD downloads that are worth your time and effort: Monty Alexander’s The Good Life, Elgar’s Symphony No.1 with the late Richard Hickox conducting, The Desmond Project, a tribute to the famous Brubeck Quartet saxophonist by the John Basile Quartet, and Neon Angel by Nancy Bryan. If you still haven’t tried HD downloads, any of these will make you a believer. . . . Rad Bennett
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