Archives Guy Stops By For Some Q&A
UPDATE 5/20 @12EST: Archives Guy Online *NOW* for Q&A Session
The Archives Guy stopped by yesterday for some Q&A.
You can follow updates in the comments section of Neil Young News: Demo of North Country Archives Disc #8.
An updated posting will be coming later this afternoon that you can use for new questions, assuming we see a return of AG.
84 Comments:
AG is most likely busy watching the Red Wings/ Blackhawks game.
go hawks
Let's make it two Cups in a row. Go Wings.
Yes...I was watching the game. Those Wings are tough to beat. Dang!
Shall check in here today from time to time for reasonable questions. Particularly those questions that aren't about what's NOT in the set. :-)
-Archives Guy
Archive Guy,
I just picked up a Sony 350 blu-ray player(I couldn't afford a PS3). I was wondering if I can play the music and look at memorbilia at the same time with this player.
tim
Archives Guy, a small 'question' from my longer post yesterday (you were gone in outer-cyberspace already). Not of great importance, but for some of us just nice to know:
The picture of the boat on the lake if you choose to play the song 'Harvest', might this be the famous 'more barn' listening session with Graham Nash (his presence at the session is clear to me now, as he plays Neils banjo-guitar on the unreleased version of Dance Dance Dance).
A more important one which I believe I have not seen before:
If you want the 7" Squires single, you can only obtain this by ordering directly from NeilYoung.com? And ordering directly from NeilYoung.com is only possible with the use of a credit card? No Paypal for those who don't own a credit card, such as me?
(thinking about the upcoming 'credit card crunch' this might be a good idea… :-)
And congratulions on your job-perspectives.
Best whishes - Peter Dees (Holland)
Tim- yes, that is a good machine and should work great with NYA BD discs.
As I say to everyone, make sure that you download the latest firmware updates for the player. They don't ship from the factory updated.
For that reason, it is often not a good test to bring the preview disc to a store to test drive players. Most likely the store hasn't installed updates.
This happened to me at B#*T B#Y. The young clerk looked at me like I was from Mars when I explained about BD-Live and firmware updates. To his credit, the clerk was only off by a couple of planets.
-Archives Guy
Archives Guy -
A few random thoughts, questions etc...
-- Once the Archives are officially released, would you let Thrasher conduct an interview with you so you can explain all the "sweat and tears" that went into pulling together this amazing compilation? The fantatics would love to know, i'm sure.... Heck, i'd love to conduct the interview....
-- Who is David Toms? Did he write the accompanying essay in the Archives.
-- i recently read a Graham Nash intv where he claimed Neil asked him to pull together a 74 CSNY Tour Comp.......True?
-- What did you think of the recent Altamont CSNY footage recently unearthed?
Peter-
No, the photo is not from the "more barn" moment, but gives a god visual reference to the time and place.
The Disc 8 Dance Dance Dance was recorded in England. Check out the Info Card in the demo's File Cabinet for details.
The 7" single comes with neilyoung.com orders only.
I'm on the creative side of things so don't know much about sales and marketing. You might try this link to look for ordering stuff.
http://warnerbrosrecordsstore.com/store/st.handler.asp?sslist=%27WBR%27&doc_type=CSP&l=NEILY
-Archives Guy
Anon-
Interview? I think an upcoming issue of Rolling Stone will have a pretty in depth article with interviews in it about the Archives production process.
Dave Toms is a Canadian writer...and not a professional golfer.
74 CSNY? I think that is correct, but there are SO many projects that these things take time to review and assemble for consideration.
I haven't looked at the Altamont thing yet.
-Archives Guy
Hi Archives Guy,
This isn't a question about "what's not on the set", more "how does what's not on the set get there"!
When you download something new from BD-Live, will this song (or whatever) and all the relevant information be added to the filing cabinet, and hence be visible the next time the disc is run? Or will the new addition only be present in the player's hard drive, and hence separate from the Archives?
I can't see any reason why it shouldn't be added to the filing cabinet, indeed, PS3 games have regular feature updates that are present in the actual game, but I thought I'd ask anyway. I'm intrigued. And excited that it's getting close!
Thanks!
Davie from Scotland
Altamont?
Nice little personal documentary. Doubt there is any sound to go with what is clearly audience quality picture.
Nothing from that performance has been selected for Archives release...not a great day.
AG -
regarding Altamont - did the Maysles ever record any CSNY footage on that dark day?
Davie-
When something is downloaded via BD-Live, it is stored on your player's hard drive (or external storage that you have connected to the player via USB).
The downloads appear in the Timeline, indicated by push pins. Every time that you insert your Archives discs, the downloads appear on the Timeline and are clickable. Whenever something new is available (that you don't have) a message appears when a disc is inserted.
To update the File Cab and introduce new Info Cards and such would take so much drive space and download time that it is not feasible. Keep in mind that the picture and graphics are in HD...HUGE file size.
-Archives Guy
Maysles?
dunno....
Archives Guy
you mention 'there are so many projects' for consideration. I asked this on another page before but are those projects that were skipped (sometimes at the last moment) like 'Island in the sun', 'Chrome Dreams I', 'Give to the wind' and so on also 'considered'. It would give an imho unprecedented insight if you could manage to let the user 'experience' these too. That could mean by providing some 'button' (or whatever) that plays all the songs that would have formed 'Chrome Dreams I' if it had been released in the order Neil had thought them, as well as the artwork for the album, and you know what else. Just to give an example.
I for one would love that.
But you probably have this ready and coming.
Thanks.
Peter Dees
Peter-
Good ideas. Vol. 2 is already in it's early stages and should be more interactive, with greater depth of stories/details....technology willing.
-Archives Guy
HI AG!
Nice to see you.
Thanks for stopping by.
Your time attention is very much appreciated.
t
I have PS3 and a 36" old syle TV.(not flat screen/not HD) I can't read most of the timeline or the documents of preview disc.
Do I need to change my video settings? Or anything else that would help?
Syscrusher
AG:
Also, a couple of q's popped in on post above @
Neil Young News: Neil Young Archives: "Defy expectation and transcend limitation"I'll redirect future q's to this thread.
t
Hi
I saw archive guys comments regarding downloading updates for sony vaio windvd bd so preview disc can be played so i tried that with my vaio and it still wont play.Very frustrating!Any one thinking of buying a pc or notebook to play the archives on you need to make sure its going to be compatible.Any suggestion on how to watch the archives on my vaio will be gratefully received thanks..
AG:
Any news on that NYA FAQ?
t
Archives Guy,
Thanks, that makes a lot more sense now. Do you have many of these BD-Live downloads lined up for the release date, or are you going to hold them back and release them gradually?
I remember you saying previously that there would definately be downloadable content available, more so that the BluRay owner didn't feel they were "short-changed" by promise of it and then nothing coming.
I know I shouldn't be wishing for MORE before we have even got the actual Archives, but as I said before, this is incredibly exciting.
Thanks for all your insight on the Archives so far, it's been great for all of us being able to ask all these questions, it's something that no other artist out there provides, which is something for us to be proud of.
Also, thanks Thrasher the great job you do on this site, and for hosting these Q&A sessions!
:-)
Davie from Scotland
Syscrusher-
I'm sorry to say that your old TV can't display the resolution of the Blu-ray disc. No setting changes can improve this.
The DVD set might be a better choice for your current setup, unless you have plans to upgrade your monitor. It's picture quality id dsigned for standard resolution.
I have a similar issue with my old Sony 32' trinitron and do all my BD viewing in my home studio with a nice flat screen and surround sound. Still working on talking the wife into the big LCD for the den.
-Archives Guy
dolbero-
I'll look into that for you. Can you give me any more details about the software version, the computer model and such?
In general, the software players and use of Blu-ray in computers is still in it's early stages and not as stable as set top hardware players. You might have noticed that even Apple doesn't offer Blu-ray drives yet.
In my earlier visits here 5 months ago I stayed away from software player info, hoping that we would have improvements by now.
Another question about your setup- do you have a soundcard that can play 192k audio? If not, your audi will get dumbed down by the computer.
-Archives Guy
Yo Thrasher-
Thanks for having us here today.
FAQ still in the works.
-Archives Guy
AG,
Just bought a Sony 350 blu-ray player and was wondering if it has the same ability to play music and memorbilia at the same time as a PS3?
Davie-
There is an ever expanding list of downloads. Some are ready and some not created yet.
They will be released over time in an unannounced manner. Of course a number of them will be available on and after June 2nd.
Not everything will be a song. There will be film clips and various archival materials that weren't included in the set..some recently discovered.
-Archives Guy
Tim- look up the list. I answered your question earlier.
I haven't seen this mentioned in discussions here about the preview disc but in addition to sound, the picture quality (HD-TV) is a m a z i n g, truly. Feels like you're right THERE, makes you want to walk right into the tv screen (ouch). Although I will def make my own Archives iPod (!) with the mp3 card when I get it, I am VERY enthusiastic about the BluRay and promise on my stack on NY LP's that I will only ever listen to my dedicated Archives iPod in an emergency (or when I leave the house). lovekaren
Well Karen, at least you can make your own NYA iPod now. :-)
Linc, Snap, Crackle and Pop send their regards.
-Archives Guy
well i thought for sure ny was going to break down and send me one but i keep checking my mailbox and it has not materialized, what the ? so sigh i'll just have to make it myself. ; ) srsly i do appreciate the inclusion of the mp3 card, i spend a lot of time waiting around for my daughters in my oh-so-cool-mini-van and my archives ipod will make that sooo much more fun. : )
hi to you all, miss you guys! archives schmarchives let's get back to the car. j/k. i'm already obsessed with the demo/preview. shocker!
lovekaren
AG,
I've been enjoying the web preview and the preview disc. Two questions -
If I’m listening to one song via the folder, can I look in another folder's contents? I found myself doing that via the web - opening one browser to listen and another to explore.
Do I need to be connected to the Intranet to listen to BDLive content I’ve already downloaded?
A few comments,
More pictures of tape boxes - I love looking at them.
Please consider releasing a complete show, start to finish, in the Performance Series sometime. So far everything has been compilations.
BDLive, BDLive, BDLive – I hope some of the obvious gaps are filled.
And I too am hoping you soon have more time to work in the era beyond 1972. I have high hopes for Volume 2.
And lastly – good job.
Sugarmtn
sugarmtn-
On BD one can navigate around to different folders while listening to the music. This navigation is limited to the folders related to the song in question.
Listening and navigating simultaneously on DVD is not possible.
No internet needed after download. The files now live on your player's hard drive and can be accessed by inserting a NYA disc.
I too, love the tape boxes. Hot tip- check out the Riverboat disc for lots of 'em.
Do you have this website?
http://www.sugarmtn.org/
-Archives Guy
Yes, that's me. Maybe try the more modern version too,
http://www.sugarmtn.org/db
Understood on the navigating.
Cool on the Riverboat. I need to wait a couple more weeks for that I guess ;-)
Thx,
Sugarmtn
looks good sugrmtn....
SantaCruz, right?
Got to get some work done....will check back here again in a few hours.
-Archives Guy
Getting so close now...and the Preview Disc is a Joy!
AG, was wondering if we all get a chance to see more of the "behind the scenes" footage so we can put faces to all the names we have seen along with Neil all these years? Maybe interviews with Larry Cragg, Joel Bernstein telling us about the work involved, Ben Keith on playing on the Sessions...that kinda thing?
Thanks for being here for us!
LIVE RUST
AG:
Your comment "The files now live on your player's hard drive and can be accessed by inserting a NYA disc" reminded me of a question I don't think has been answered yet (my apologies if it has) - can you only download/later access an update if you insert the specific disc for the time period that the update relates to? Or does the timeline somehow span across multiple discs? Still wrapping my head around all this BD stuff - looks great, thanks again to you and the rest of the crew for all your efforts.
Babs
Hey AG,
One of my fav Harvest songs is Out On The Weekend.Please tell me it's included in some form.?And since you mentioned it.Are you able to say and have any idea what years vol.2 will cover?Thanks for your time and effort.:)
The Mugwump
I pre-ordered the Archives a month ago, but am leaving town on June 3rd. Will I be able to download the music on June 2nd or is it a code that is included in the package that I need to download?
Thanks for everything, AG! Please pass that on to all involved... ;0
We watched "preview disc 8" on-line and ordered the BR version Saturday... disc 0 arrived yesterday... You guys rock!!!
Peace
Hi AG,
Will I ever have a friend?'.....and Who won the game the other night?
babbo. this one was asked and answered. you can access all of the BD-Live downloads with any BD disk, even the preview disk. each disk accesses the entire timeline.
AG-
There was a nice interview with Mazer in front of the Barn that I think was included on the Harvest DVD-A. Very, very cool! Is it somewhere on the archives?
I was looking for musician bios on the web demo...are those on the actual disk? I think the FillmoreEast DVD has 'em....
Hi AG- A few questions
Any chance of a signed copy from Neil please? I could collect it from him in Dublin, Nottingham or London in June
Failing that do you know if a Panasonic DMP-BD35 blu ray player is ok to play the archives as this is what I plan to buy? I have a HD ready TV. Is that all I need?
cheers
Dave G
Liverpool
yep - Santa Cruz. Good memory.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hello Archive Guy.
First of all, let me tell you we're all salivating in anticipation on this side of the pond, too. This is gonna be a reference project for any artist who will work on archival project from now on.
A suggestion: it would be cool to have the chance to "do your own mix" of some songs. For instance, on Freedom the song Someday features some stuff (distant vocal layers and sounds) I can live without. I find it distracting and I think somehow it kills the pathos of the song. The slower solo demo version is much more intense.
There might be a few songs which might benefit of this possibility,
or some songs where you might choose to use one lead guitar take instead of another (for instance).
Obviously the songs with this extra should be very limited in number and chosen for a proper reason.
Has any artist ever given this possibility already?
Best,
Francesco (Rome, Italy)
Live Rust-
You wil find some footage of Joel and Ben on Archives Vol 1.
Larry Cragg wasn't around back then.
-Archives Guy
I've not seen this asked before, but with all the bd downloads, just how big a harddrive or external hd is required to down them all?
Dave
Rustbucket
Michael-
the download card and computer connected to the Web should be all ya need to get the mp3 files.
-Archives Guy
Babs-
BD-Live content spans all discs. Insert any disc, see it all.
Doonerak-
No on the Mazer clip...not in the set..maybe later.
No other Bios. other than on Fillmore.
Look for more of that later and/or in Vol 2.
David-
dunno right now. I wouldn't get too worried about it unless your player has almost no drive space left after downloading a bunch of Hollywood trailers. Even so, you can always add more storage later.
that's why i like the PS3....tons of storage without adding additional.
Hi Francesco-
No plans to do this in Neil's world.
I believe that a number of artists have offered such a thing.
Todd Rundgren's No World Order album in the early 90's was one of the first as he helped in developing the short lived Philips CD-i platform.
I think that Radiohead and some other more recent bands have provided "stems" that could be used for remixes.
-ciao
Thanks A. Guy,
Dvd is simply not an option for me. I'll just have to squint until i
upgrade to the big flatscreen.
On my PS3 when I unplug the ethernet cable, I can no longer access my
BD Live download.(someone asked about this)
It appears again after I re-connect the internet.
Also interested: Has Neil provided any personal info about the songs?
(in the book?) Mainly interested in when things were written etc.?
Thanks again
Syscrusher
Welcome back, AG!
As I understand it, one must have the BD player web connected to get any additional material and system updates, right?
So, not only does one need to possess some variation of BD player but must also have a cable/dish networked. A BD player alone, will not suffice.
Are there other ways to obtain the additional content if one went BD sans pay-tv? Is it even possible?
Alas, gotta go dvd for now.
I checked into Macs w/BD at the Apple Store (they don't exist). Was told by the clerk that Apple won't go to BD, and as an aside, was told that it was sort of competition to Apple's own digital tv endeavors.
Go Blackhawks!
Cheers to the Archives Team.
-Chicago
Hey Archives guy~
First off, Archives Vol. 1 looks absolutely amazing! You've guys have created a real game-changer in a time where the music industry could certainly use one.
Secondly, are you guys open to suggestions as to what should be on Vol. 2? Because off the top of my head, some tracks I'd like to see included are the Aug. 11 1976 version of "Hitchhiker"; the fall 1977 recording of "Lady Wingshot" with Nicholette Larson; On the Beach outtakes like the 3/8/74 recording of "Greensleves" and the early 74 "Bad Fog of Loneliness"; the CSNY version of "Human Highway" from the Long May You Run sessions that's circulated in various bootlegs; "Pushed it Over the End"; Zuma outtakes "Ride My Llama," "Powderfinger" and "Born to Run" (the latter two of which were recorded at Echo Park I believe); and unreleased albums like Chrome Dreams and, especially, Homegrown.
Hi!
If you order the blue-ray on neilyoung.com do you get the european zone or is it only zone 1?
please forgive simple question: WILL I BE ABLE TO IMPORT MP3 FILES ONTO SOMETHING LIKE ITUNES AND THEN BURN THEM ONTO CDR'S? -i don't have/want ipod!
NYA Vol 1 is region free.
One more question: will BD Live songs also come with an mp3 version, or will they be able to play on a computer or anything, so I can listen to them when I'm not near my player?
Latest MP3 question-
Yes, you would need to use iTunes or another mp3 compatible media player to listen to the downloaded mp3 files.
Burning mp3 files to CD-R only woks if that disc is then played in a mp3 compatible player. Some car players can do this.
-Archives Guy
Chicago-
One doesn't need to have cable/ dish TV or pay TV to get firmware upgrades or BD-Live downloads...just an active internet connection.
This question has come up before and I don't quite understand how folks get internet connection confused with cable/dish TV.
Hawks better get it together..
-Archives Guy
Western River-
There will not be mp3 files of BD-Live audio tracks.
These files can only be accessed on your BD player.
They live on the Timeline can need to be played from there.
Syscrusher-
Sorry, but that makes no sense to me. Once fully downloaded, the files (such as I Wonder) live on your PS3 hard drive.
I just did the disconnect test twice and couldn't reproduce your experience.
Hi
a little info from the U.K.
I work in a record/CD store and we received an email from our Warners rep today saying the CD version is in very short supply in the U.K. and we may only get one copy per shop to sell .
Personally I am buying the BD which they say will be in plentiful supply ....
however the email states ,
the release date in the U.K. for all formats is now delayed until June 8th ..... excuse is import delays
... so we will have to wait a little longer for hell to freeze over on this side of the pond ..
Archives Guy , i have been enjoying your updates a lot so I'll add my thanks for that and to Thrasher for a great site ...
now for my question ... I have just invested in a PS 3 and a Panasonic full HD TV just for the archives ... I have an old but very good analogue stereo amp with no digital input .. at the moment I have the audio from the TV connected to the amp and the PS3 connected to the TV via an HDMI cable and being an analogue oldie I've not changed any settings on the PS3 .. any tips on how to get the optimum sound quality from my setup ?
thanks very much
Mike
AG -
just want to make sure you understood my question....
When i mentioned "Maysles" i was referring to the producers of the Gimme Shelter / Altamont documentary.
I am wondering if there is footage that they took, never used in the film, of CSNY? It would be amazing if these was professional quality footage of CSNY from that day.....so far, nothing has ever emerged....
Go Hawks!
Mike-
I can't help you with the sales/marketing stuff, but you have everything that you need in your setup.
Take the analog outs from the PS3 directly into your stereo receiver.
Use the HDMI out of the PS3 to get picture to your monitor.
Go to SETTINGS on your PS3
Choose SOUND SETTINGS->AUDIO OUTPUT SETTINGS
Here select Audio Input Connector SAVE
This will output 24/192 audio analogue into your receiver.
I have this setup going here right now to some nice Tannoy speakers....sounds wonderful.
If you had chosen to send audio thru the TV via HDMI you would have had another setup under AUDIO OUTPUT SETTINGS/HDMI to go thru.
In that scenario, your TV would then have made the D->A conversion and most likely not as pleasing as with the PS3.
Enjoy your new system!
Maysles question.
Yes, I knew who you meant, but still dunno about footage on that one.
Seems like an event best left in the past, IMHO.
I don't have any questions for you Archives Guy. In fact, I've never felt the need to ask anything as everyone has answered any questions I might have had over the past few months. Nevertheless, you have been providing a wealth of knowledge and critical information that I've thankfully had the pleasure to read.
Next week I'll be purchasing the Panasonic-BD35 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-DMP-BD35EB-K-Profile-Blu-ray-Player/dp/B001HN6H42/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1241294218&sr=8-3) which I presume is compatible with BLU_RAY LIVE because it is a PROFILE 2 player. Upon purchasing this, I shall place my pre-order for the Archives. I'll be honest, I've been holding back because I was pretty sure it was gonna be pulled at the last moment. Now that I'm excitedly assured it's definitely ready for release on the said date and therefore am prepared to make the big step.
Thanks again for all your help. You and your fellow team members deserve a bottle of champagne or something. I admire everything you've done for the archives and us hassling Neil devotees. Your work is respected.
Hi,
I'm probably going to be buying the LG BD370 Blu-ray player and I'm wondering if it works well with the NYA. Also, wasn't there going to be a compiled list of tested, working well players somewhere?
Thanks!
Burnzy-
Thanks for the kind words. I think straight information brings clarity.
Your Panasonic-BD35 should be ok with a firmware upgrade, but it is a very early Profile 2.0 player....kinda slow, sluggish.
In that price range, I'd steer you to a Samsung BD-P1500 or a Sony BDP-S350.
champagne? I was thinking tequila!
-Archives Guy
AG:
Were any of the "lossless" formats considered for the MP3 downloads? Apple Lossless, FLAC, etc?
I understand your perspective on quality between MP3 and DVD or Blu-Ray audio, but there are times for me when when coal trumps diamonds.
For instance, I can listen to anything on my iPod anytime ... versus my time with a Blu-ray player will be limited to when my family isn't using the TV hooked to the Blu-ray player.
That is, when we can afford a Blu-Ray player. I'll be buying the Blu-Ray set and using the MP3 downloads until such time we can buy a Blu-Ray player and enjoy the full set. Hence, the MP3 downloads are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Will- good questions.
We haven't tested that model ,but the older LG BD300 with v. BD.8.11.383 firmware worked fine.
This review questions picture quality of the player you are considering.
http://reviews.cnet.com/video-players-and-recorders/lg-bd370/4505-6463_7-33485559.html
We were going to publish a BD buyers guide, but after some thought didn't think it was our place to tell the public what products to buy. Many manufacturers have been helpful to us and it would not be fair to repay some of them with poor reviews.
Let's move this thread over to Thrasher's newer Archives discussion and I discuss some more about players.
-Archives Guy
Lets move all this over here:
http://www.thrasherswheat.org/2009/05/archives-guy-online-now-for-q-session.html
Multiple threads makes me busier than Larry Cragg with a bunch of broken strings and an amp with a ground loop hum...between songs.
Hey AG,
Just letting you know that we've playing the Preview disc 0 on a Panasonic BD35 and it works like a dream.
Downloads, hidden tracks, all good.
We get a little "squeaking" when playing the songs in the filing cabinet and looking through the photos/press/memorabilia at the same time.
It's a great experience and we can't wait until the real McCoy turns up!!!
regards
Stringman
thanks Stringy
Quick question for Archives Guy. Any reason why the version of Whitten's Look At All The Things recorded by Neil w/ Crazy Horse isn't included?
I am bummed out i bought my panasonic bd30 blu ray last year in anticipation of this release,but as you know it doesnt have BDlive.is there any chance neil will put all these download extras on a blu ray disc for the rest of us who dont have a blu ray player that is bd live ready???
Hi Archives Guy
Regarding the accessing of BD Live downloads - I also find that you do need to be connected to the internet in order to access them, even after they have been downloaded onto your hard drive.
Everyone else on the Steve Hoffman forum who has the preview disc has experienced the same thing.
This may sound daft but when do you expect Archives Vol 2 to be released? :-)
Christ Leroy,!!!
You impatient bastard!!!
The website still has no link to download mp3's, or for customer service. it appears that it hasn't been updated; it still refers to pre-ordering. I'm not the first to point this out, so why hasn't anything been done about it? We shouldn't have to wait to be able to get the mp3's.
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