is CD-r still an "acceptable" format?

[implementsofsacrifice]

At the very least CDrs are consistent in terms of sound. I can't count how many times I've received a brand new cassette with a faulty/weak dub.

Assuming that a high quality product is guaranteed, I'm not particular when it comes to format, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish that my great CDrs were CDs, that is, if the latter does prove to have more longevity.

[CannibalRitual]

At the very least CDrs are consistent in terms of sound. I can't count how many times I've received a brand new cassette with a faulty/weak dub.

I guess many are just dubbing tapes on a cheap boombox. Can't even adjust input level. When I started doing tapes again earlier this year at least I bought a tape drive that's been refurbished. The only 'new' tape drive that I've seen available seemed like it wasn't necessary as good.

Sometimes it happens when another label releases your stuff, you sell artist copies, then receive feedback stating the recording was basically unlistenable (due to a faulty dubbing), dubbed on wrong sides, or even only got an empty tape. Stupid shit like that can happen with cdrs too. But not everyone can afford/wants to do factory produced releases. For a simple release up to 50 or 100 copies one can probably handle to produce them on his own, otherwise where's the fascination with clicking a button to submit online and then let someone else's machines do it.

[Zeno Marx]

At the very least CDrs are consistent in terms of sound. I can't count how many times I've received a brand new cassette with a faulty/weak dub.

I guess many are just dubbing tapes on a cheap boombox. Can't even adjust input level. When I started doing tapes again earlier this year at least I bought a tape drive that's been refurbished. The only 'new' tape drive that I've seen available seemed like it wasn't necessary as good.

Sometimes it happens when another label releases your stuff, you sell artist copies, then receive feedback stating the recording was basically unlistenable (due to a faulty dubbing), dubbed on wrong sides, or even only got an empty tape. Stupid shit like that can happen with cdrs too. But not everyone can afford/wants to do factory produced releases. For a simple release up to 50 or 100 copies one can probably handle to produce them on his own, otherwise where's the fascination with clicking a button to submit online and then let someone else's machines do it.

I watch a forum or two about old stereo gear.  It's common for younger people to come into the forums with genuine questions about the most basic things. "What are these red and black things?"  Which turns out to be RCA jacks.  Or "How do I get the wires to stay into my speakers?"  When buying old technology, they might as well be trying to read Latin.  The point is:  I often get the impression that this fascination with old mediums is also accompanied with the approach that learning all the details is pointless tedium.  "I don't care about any of that stuff.  I just love cassettes."  Same with vinyl.  "Why would I care about mastering or how it is pressed?"  A novelty with a novelty approach.  Shit product and poor quality ensues.

I think Bloated is talking lossless digital.  Not youtube streaming.  But maybe I'm wrong.

[CannibalRitual]

I watch a forum or two about old stereo gear.  It's common for younger people to come into the forums with genuine questions about the most basic things.

I bet there's tons of questions on how to 'hack' tape write protection.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I think every format has it benefits and flaws. Tapes could be fantastic. I have almost no tapes that have deteriorated in use. There are some early 90's dubbed tapes with flutter/wow emerging, but it was just some cheap blank tapes where punk 7"s were being dubbed with pretty damn shitty gear.  other than that, even tapes from early 80's, which sound brilliant today. It is surprising how often these days you do get shitty dubs or technically really weak quality tapes you need to first adjust manually to play properly.

I would not expect 40 years old CDR to even work. So many of them are unplayable already now. There are some brands that promised guarantees that their discs should last 100 years or so. Yet most discs used by labels and artists were of course cheapest stuff available out there. CDR format itself is chemically deteriorating. There is nothing one can do to prevent this, as it is part of format itself. After X amount of years laser will not be able to read it anymore. Until that happens, of course it's fairly reliable. Regular CD is different, so unless there was some pressing mistake (like the UK early 90's desaster), or mistreatment of disc, that'll last longer than anyone here. Anyone concerned of preserving sound, pressed cd is way to go.  If wanting just something cheap and temporary - CDR is just fine.

Related:
I just had utmost horror with couple of Emil Beaulieau "Big foot" CDR's being totally destroyed. PVC sleeve, xerox covers.. this results the notorious chemical reaction many may be familiar with? What we had here, was that PVC reacted with cover and insert, and insert melted into both surfaces of CDR. When ripping paper off the pvc, and the disc, xerox ink and paper fragments had been melted into cdr - both sides. This is of course not CDR fault, but the PVC sleeve. I do recommend anyone having PVC sleeves on records or CDR with "diy covers" to check out condition for some surprises. Damn what a horror to see Aube "Pulse Resonator" LP+7" set PVC react with the cover... and the vinyl itself.

[Cranial Blast]

I've hated this format since it's inception and vowed to never give into CD-r and that vow has been broken many times over. There are some really great releases on CD-r, there is a lot of stuff by the Grey Wolves on CDr and so I've given in to picking up those and pretty soon you say, well I've got these albums on CD-r, so now why not have those and pretty soon you just give in, but definitely don't care for them and they disc rot a lot quicker and some quicker than others.

[Into_The_Void]

CD-R is pure garbage, I couldn't understand the obsession for this format 20 years ago, and I still cannot. I remember, when I used to run a small black metal label, I wanted to release a CD and (probably a mix of my teenage naivety and their lack of transparency) didn't understand that the factory was actually printing on pro CD-R and not CD. Because of that, I lost plenty of set trades, and I still have copies thrown in my ex-bedroom. What a fucking delusion has it been haha.

[Cranial Blast]

CD-R is pure garbage, I couldn't understand the obsession for this format 20 years ago, and I still cannot. I remember, when I used to run a small black metal label, I wanted to release a CD and (probably a mix of my teenage naivety and their lack of transparency) didn't understand that the factory was actually printing on pro CD-R and not CD. Because of that, I lost plenty of set trades, and I still have copies thrown in my ex-bedroom. What a fucking delusion has it been haha.

I know exactly what you mean about the obsession from years ago. I remember back in like 2000 when they first came out with the CDr burner home unit, that looked like some oversized DVD player and CDrs were expensive then and the machine would take an eternity to copy over from master CD and how everyone thought that this was going to be tits from here on out and well turns out with time, not so not much, especially when specifically talking about the home unit shit, easily was replaced by better burners on home PCs. I remember being a teenager and thinking how this home unit was so great for about a month and after that my CDr copies of things just felt an imposter amongst my normal CD collection. A CDr copy of a friends actual CD, still didn't feel like the same thing. I got to hating that format back then pretty quickly, as it just symbolized generic format. It's kind of like the streaming thing today, some people and particularly young ones, just see a screen as like the only tangible thing these days because they've got their heads cocked downwards for 24 hours a day staring into a screen, it's like the whole modern world is part of the fucking Videodrome or something, I hate streaming same way if not worse than my memories of CDr, same feelings of, this isn't the same experience as with actual CD or tape. Then you've got like you say the Pro CDr and that's like this weird middle ground of kind of almost there...almost a real CD, but not so much! I can never understand the pro CDr, but I've forced myself to become somewhat tolerant of it, because of it's "official" release idea, rather then thinking of it as another xeroxed copy from a master.