30 Trips Around The Sun Box & Digital USB

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September 4, 2015 - 10:38am

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admin

Joined:
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"When we began discussing audio projects to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead back in 2012, we knew we wanted to do something completely unprecedented. We could think of nothing more exciting or ambitious than a career-spanning overview of the band's live legacy focused on what best tells the story: complete concerts. Our first criterion was the very best live music to represent any given year in the band’s history. We wanted to make sure that there were not only the tent-pole shows that fans have been demanding for decades but also ones that are slightly more under the radar, but equally excellent. For those who listen to the entire box straight through, chronologically, the narrative of the Grateful Dead's live legacy will be seen as second to none in the pantheon of music history." - David Lemieux

We are more than pleased to announce the Grateful Dead's most ambitious release ever: 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN. Available as both an 80-disc boxed set and a custom lightning-bolt USB drive, the collection includes 30 unreleased live shows, one for each year the band was together from 1966 to 1995, along with one track from their earliest recording sessions in 1965. Packed with over 73 hours of music, both the boxed set and the USB drive will be individually numbered limited editions.

The 80-disc boxed set is individually numbered and limited to 6,500 copies, a nod to the band’s formation in 1965. Along with the CDs, it also includes a gold-colored 7-inch vinyl single which bookends the band’s career. The A-side is “Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)” from the band’s earliest recording session in 1965 with the B-side of the last song the band ever performed together live, “Box Of Rain” recorded during their final encore at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 9, 1995.

The box also comes with a 288-page book that features an extensive, career-spanning essay written by Nick Meriwether, who oversees the Dead archives at the University of California, Santa Cruz, along with special remembrances of the band submitted by fans. Also included is a scroll that offers a visual representation of how the band’s live repertoire has evolved through the years.

The USB drive version* will be shaped like a gold lightning bolt with the Grateful Dead 50th anniversary logo engraved on the side. The drive includes all of the music from the collection in both FLAC (96/24) and MP3 formats and is an individually numbered limited edition of 1,000 copies. Digital version of the book also included on USB.

Shows will NOT be sold individually on CD. This release is sure to sell out quickly so pre-order your copy today and stick around as we will be revealing a mighty fine selection of music, art, and much, much more right here.

(Looking for a smaller 50th Anniversary commemorative keepsake? September 18th will see the release of a four-CD version of the collection titled 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN: THE DEFINITIVE LIVE STORY 1965-1995. More on that here.)

ROLLINGSTONE.COM SONG PREMIERE AND EXCLUSIVE DAVID LEMIEUX INTERVIEW
Head on over to Rollingstone.com for the very first listen of "Morning Dew" 9/18/87 Madison Square Garden, David Fricke's exclusive interview with archivist David Lemieux, and the reveal of 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN's '69 and '84 shows.

*Helpful hints for using your USB:

Running the 30 Trips Player / Reader program:
On Windows – Navigate to the USB drive and double click the PCStart.exe file to run.
On MacOS – Open the GD 30 Trips drive, and double click the MacStart to run.

Viewing the digital book:
You can either view it within the program that comes on the drive, or by opening the PDF directly.

To view the PDF, open the PDF folder on the drive and the USB_bk_spreads_08-31 file within. Selecting the option within your PDF reading application to view as a “single page” might be preferable to viewing as a continuous document.

Importing music into iTunes and other library programs:
When you import the songs from the USB into your library, the information used to identify the track will likely leave them sorted incorrectly. Please use the song list found here to re-number the songs for each show so that they playback in the correct order.
PDF
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December 19, 2015 - 12:14am

#621

outpost

Joined:
June 11, 2007

Bolthead UK

.... same as galvanised and gerd65. I went for this for the Hi-Res music. I've stated previously that I have every official release on CD and loads of live CD-R's, but nowadays, when I get them, I upload them to Apple Lossless, and play through my system, which can handle these files. That way I can also listen in my car, on my bike, without having to take the physical media. I have my music files backed up twice (RAID + separate SDD).Don't get me wrong, I love my box sets, and have even bought Japanese Mini-LP Replicas of the 1st album > Skullfuck for the artwork. Pride of place in my home office is my framed Live Dead album cover. As for the USB, I'm not sure if it's overwritable (I'm not going to try), but have copied the files, to convert, which is no different to ripping the CD's. Not sure if it helped, but after waiting 3 months for the USB, it took only 2 days to get to me in the UK. Previously, box sets and Dave's Picks etc. have taken around 2 weeks to get here. The packaging is small, but cool. Edit: Pretty much same setup as ziffle, but playing back using Apple Lossless rather than WAV (might try that to compare). DAC to B&W Speakers/headphones.
December 18, 2015 - 7:26pm

#622

Ziffle

Joined:
July 21, 2015

Bolt first impressions etc.

Transcoded to WAV, on a Mac, streaming to my DAC via iTunes. Started with '81. Audio is superior, communicates the music powerfully. Crystal clear, intense musical presentation. A masterpiece. The audio played back via the built in app is not as good as a transcoded WAV copy of the FLAC file. Perhaps the built in app is using the .mp3 files. Dennis Wilmot - the physical object is a simple and beautiful gold lightening bolt case with a USB part that you remove, stored in a small presentation case. Bummer we didn't get the printed book, but as Galvinized pointed out, this is the future. If you use the bolt directly (or clone it) there is a flash app (for mac, something else for PC) that accesses everything. Efficient, simple. I will certainly save the item, but copy everything over to an HDD for playback, and perhaps print out the book for reading. Others have noted, the files aren't tagged for a batch conversion for iTunes (or similar) music player. GDM omitted the disc # tag on the FLAC files. They are divided into separate disc folders on the USB, and therefore necessary to import disc (folder) by disc (folder) and tag. Same criticism applies to the .mp3 files. A minor inconvenience, in my opinion. Everyone has their own way of organizing and tagging files. File naming is helpful, each song includes the date and venue. Easy to batch remove and convenient to have so as to avoid losing track when making custom tags.
December 18, 2015 - 6:37pm

#623

gerd65

Joined:
November 12, 2015

Y Bolt

I agree with galvinized. I thought it would be much more convenient for playing on the go and in the car as well. That said, I thought then and still think now that that the bolt "box" should have included everything in the analog "box" except for the CDs themselves. Disappointing that the book was/is not being provided except as a digital pdf. While the tunes are the most important of course and I'd rather have the Hi Res files, on the bang for buck grid, I think the physical box wins.
December 18, 2015 - 5:18pm

#624

Galvinized

Joined:
April 17, 2015

Bolt Head

I can't speak for all who chose " The Bolt" but for myself the choice was an easy one.# 1 The files on Bolt will potentially sound better on a sound system able to reproduce the higher fidelity. This is the future of recorded music. More notes taking up less phiysical space. I can imagine this heirloom being passed down to the children of my children's kids.
December 18, 2015 - 3:30pm

#625

wilfredtjones

Joined:
June 4, 2007

The Bolt the future?

Boltheads prove to me that for them it's all about the music. But, I need some reassurance. Personally, I couldn't imagine dropping this kind of coin for something unless it had more there there. With substance, bigger, tangible. Something that commands your attention, says 'I'm in the house' and 'I really mean business'. The wow factor. Something I can pass on down the line as an heirloom as well. I think the box fits that bill. Don't get me wrong, the bolt looks cool, but aren't the goods strictly a metal case, some plastic and digital files? That's something pretty small, slightly understated for the same price. I can't figure it, unless it's a market testing strategy. I personally couldn't fathom going for it. That's why I didn't think twice and went for the mondo box. I suppose for some it was all they had available because the box sold out. Other people probably didn't think twice and immediately went for the mondo bolt. There are going to be people 100% satisfied, completely and utterly stoked and I am glad for them. That's how I want it to be. I want EVERYONE to be happy. I think we all do. I am just trying to wrap my head around the digital only concept. I suppose a lot of cars have USB readers now. I suppose that's the way things are heading? Digital only? Dead.net is getting with the future then. Boltheads, are you happy with the product and value? Can you see I'm confused? Can anyone recommend a good Franklin's Tower? :-)
December 18, 2015 - 2:47pm

#626

Dennis

Joined:
November 1, 2012

Boltheads....

.... did the usb stick come in the big box? How was the interior of the box designed to hold it. Did boltheads not get a physical book? Can anyone post a picture? I'm just curious. sidebar - If you have to bolt, will you just copy all the files to a hard drive and put the bolt on the shelf? Will you edit idtag/labels on the hard drive and then copy those to a cheap after market stick for listening? Can bolt be written over? That would suck.
December 18, 2015 - 12:12pm

#627

outpost

Joined:
June 11, 2007

iTunes

I'm using XLD to convert FLAC > Apple Lossless, and then directly into iTunes. Album art is in the files, and then I'm just editing the tracks to show as Sets rather than discs.Very Hi Res files avg. 3000kbps. Sound great though ..... Viola Lee from 7/3/66 playing now ! Edit: converting file copies by the way, in case you're wondering !
December 18, 2015 - 12:03pm

#628

outpost

Joined:
June 11, 2007

hmmm.......

I do actually recall seeing that email previously, but maybe someone posted it ..... anyhow, my shipping confirmation arrived AFTER my USB !
December 18, 2015 - 12:03pm

#629

VW3323

Joined:
November 8, 2015

USB waiting... iTunes question

Anxious for this baby to arrive. Would appreciate any info for downloading into iTunes. Any and all advice / issues would be appreciated.
December 18, 2015 - 11:20am

#630

Galvinized

Joined:
April 17, 2015

Bolt Head

The ups guy drives around my neighborhood in a cart around Christmas. I knew it was coming today, but could wait no longer. I hopped in my van and headed him off at the pass. This is a thing beauty! Good old #449/1000 Solid, and when the USB slides out the entire 13 point Lightning Bolt remains, as the USB is removed from the lower half of the bolt. Great design Ticket: May 27, 1993 Cal Expo. Backstage pass: March 24, 1993 Chapel Hill North Carolina (Attended) "Some got six months, some got one solid"

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

Forums

Dead Store Products

"When we began discussing audio projects to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead back in 2012, we knew we wanted to do something completely unprecedented. We could think of nothing more exciting or ambitious than a career-spanning overview of the band's live legacy focused on what best tells the story: complete concerts. Our first criterion was the very best live music to represent any given year in the band’s history. We wanted to make sure that there were not only the tent-pole shows that fans have been demanding for decades but also ones that are slightly more under the radar, but equally excellent. For those who listen to the entire box straight through, chronologically, the narrative of the Grateful Dead's live legacy will be seen as second to none in the pantheon of music history." - David Lemieux

We are more than pleased to announce the Grateful Dead's most ambitious release ever: 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN. Available as both an 80-disc boxed set and a custom lightning-bolt USB drive, the collection includes 30 unreleased live shows, one for each year the band was together from 1966 to 1995, along with one track from their earliest recording sessions in 1965. Packed with over 73 hours of music, both the boxed set and the USB drive will be individually numbered limited editions.

The 80-disc boxed set is individually numbered and limited to 6,500 copies, a nod to the band’s formation in 1965. Along with the CDs, it also includes a gold-colored 7-inch vinyl single which bookends the band’s career. The A-side is “Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)” from the band’s earliest recording session in 1965 with the B-side of the last song the band ever performed together live, “Box Of Rain” recorded during their final encore at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 9, 1995.

The box also comes with a 288-page book that features an extensive, career-spanning essay written by Nick Meriwether, who oversees the Dead archives at the University of California, Santa Cruz, along with special remembrances of the band submitted by fans. Also included is a scroll that offers a visual representation of how the band’s live repertoire has evolved through the years.

The USB drive version* will be shaped like a gold lightning bolt with the Grateful Dead 50th anniversary logo engraved on the side. The drive includes all of the music from the collection in both FLAC (96/24) and MP3 formats and is an individually numbered limited edition of 1,000 copies. Digital version of the book also included on USB.

Shows will NOT be sold individually on CD. This release is sure to sell out quickly so pre-order your copy today and stick around as we will be revealing a mighty fine selection of music, art, and much, much more right here.

(Looking for a smaller 50th Anniversary commemorative keepsake? September 18th will see the release of a four-CD version of the collection titled 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN: THE DEFINITIVE LIVE STORY 1965-1995. More on that here.)

ROLLINGSTONE.COM SONG PREMIERE AND EXCLUSIVE DAVID LEMIEUX INTERVIEW
Head on over to Rollingstone.com for the very first listen of "Morning Dew" 9/18/87 Madison Square Garden, David Fricke's exclusive interview with archivist David Lemieux, and the reveal of 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN's '69 and '84 shows.

*Helpful hints for using your USB:

Running the 30 Trips Player / Reader program:
On Windows – Navigate to the USB drive and double click the PCStart.exe file to run.
On MacOS – Open the GD 30 Trips drive, and double click the MacStart to run.

Viewing the digital book:
You can either view it within the program that comes on the drive, or by opening the PDF directly.

To view the PDF, open the PDF folder on the drive and the USB_bk_spreads_08-31 file within. Selecting the option within your PDF reading application to view as a “single page” might be preferable to viewing as a continuous document.

Importing music into iTunes and other library programs:
When you import the songs from the USB into your library, the information used to identify the track will likely leave them sorted incorrectly. Please use the song list found here to re-number the songs for each show so that they playback in the correct order.
PDF
Text

CD packaging

Are they in digipaks? The unboxing looks like minilp sleeves like Road Trips.

West Coast delivery scheduled 10/13

UPS delivery to Irvine, CA (SoCal) is scheduled for next Tuesday. Gonna be a long weekend.

re CD packaging

Not in digipaks just cardboard but smooth not rough like Road trips. The liner notes are the same as was in the PDF. Each how also has one set of small pictures. Overall I'm pleased with the packaging and the box. The book is printed in both directions. You can read half and then need to turn it upside down for the second half. edit *show not how

Glue spots on the gold record!

Received my box set this afternoon. After opening it, however, I find a big glue spot on Caution side of the gold record. To say that I'm not very happy with that development would be a bit of understatement.

@ fluffua 01

I didn't order the USB version, but I'd like to see how that is packaged and how to open it. I wonder if the scroll in included? We see that the number is embossed or printed on the USB stick.

Tracking UPS

Update on UPS.com info. Good lead. I have a UPS.com account and all I had to do was Agree to a UPS mychoice account. Making sure info was correct on both accounts. There is the tracking for my shipment. Now I have the info and I can watch. I am in Iowa looks like Monday for me.

ak delivery

Hey AIt's your buddy from across the river. Join "my ups" for free and you can check the status. My box is scheduled to arrive tuesday. Being your about 6 miles from me you should have yours then as well I would assume. P.S. Still ready to make a deal/trade on that E72 trunk Enjoy the tunes!!!

1st show...

I will listen to is...........

Sound

Yes, Sound is fantastic! I'm on the 67 show now, and the sound is amazing. I'm using Polk Audio powered by Yamaha. FYI, I'm a cd guy

The notes: 4CD vs 80CD

The notes from the the 4CD "Definitive Live Story" set ARE NOT reproduced in the 80CD set. If you want them, you have to buy the 4CD too. The 4CD notes are written by Jesse Jarnow (a guy who knows!) and are more-or-less geared toward the individual songs chosen, contextualized within that year overall. They are pretty enlightening IMO.

thanks rrot

4cd looks like a good cheap buy for car trips

30 Trips To Hell !

Man.. did I catch hell from the wife when the box arrived. It will be worth it though when that 1st cd goes in the player.

How to track via UPS?

can someone please tell me how u were able to track via ups? I have a ups my choice, as well...but I don't have a tracking number. Can u please tell me how you were able to track your shipment? Thanks so much.

If you have UPS "My Choice"

If you have UPS "My Choice", but it doesn't show tracking, there are basically 2 explanations: 1) Your box hasn't shipped yet! or 2) There is some discrepancy, some small difference, between the way dead.net addressed your package and the way your name &/or address are recorded in UPS.com. If there's a difference, your shipment won't show up online & I don't know any way to change that. It's their attempt to make sure you can't see tracking for packages that aren't addressed to you. I once got a shipment from someone who misspelled my last name --> so UPS my choice never told me it was coming.

UPS.com Has The Answer!

Thank you rrot and MidwayKid for the tips. It looks like a Monday delivery for Minneapolis. Go to https://www.ups.com/one-to-one/login and click the 'register now' button on the right side near the top. Fill out the info, and you're good to go. I had to sign out and back in before I saw my order pop up on the left side. Not sure why, but it worked for me. So happy after all this time to finally get an ETA.

Yessiree Bob!!!!

Got it! Had an old addy in there...delivery expected tomorrow!!!!! Soooooooo excited for the weekend!!!!!

Box Arrived - No email

I received no email of any kind and mine came this evening

50th anniversary box set

Box arrived for me today in Philly home of the worst team in baseball the Philadelphia Phillies...I gave up at 3 but then someone called me from my house to say it arrived...i'm amazed and floored...that it's here...now i'm afraid to open it knowing how much it cost...everything has to be ready when I open it because I may not do anything else for awhile but listen to the grateful dead.

West Coast, Not Best Coast?

I guess you guys in New England chose your home wisely. These beasts are shipping from PA. I would've thought they'd be coming from Cali or something. I enrolled in the UPS Mychoice thing per recommendation. Thanks for the tip on that. It's showing mine as arriving Weds the 14th. So I'll be a week behind, unless it happens to arrive earlier than projected. Still better than not shipping until Oct 31st though. EDIT: I am in Portland, OR.. by the way. So anyone else on the left coast might expect a similar delivery date as mine.

Digipaks

In my description of the contents, I described how the "digipaks" fit into felt lined cubby holes in the top of the box. They are not digipaks: they are the trifold sleeve type paks. Brain fart. Sorry about that. They do seem to be made more sturdy than the E72 ones, however.

O.K....

I didnt get my box yet...listening to 11/14/73, gotta get that 73 groove on!... Hey, going through a divorce and my "estranged wife"(to say the least) had her art contest submission picked for the book.(page 138?)....

Delivery 14th in UT

My delivery on UPS is showing the 14th for Utah. Dang gotta wait the weekend!!!

Where is a box number located?

Is it on the box, on the CD's?

The Scroll

So has anyone gotten a Miracle yet?Every number that gets announced better's the chance for those that have yet to even see a shipping notice. It would be ironic if the overseas people got them and then had to pay customs on a "Gold Record". It seems like the early batches were Miracle free so far. I see nothing on UPS, but they did have that Amazon delivery today of A Boy and his Dog DVD, so I know it's working. The ticket and backstage pass bonus is a nice touch, usable schwag, they make nice bookmarks.

Numbers

I believe the numbers are on the scroll. That's also where they said you would find the "miracle" thing. It's going to be really tough to avoid spoilers while waiting 6 more days. But it will be interesting to hear if anyone gets a gold record.

It is....

8:35pm in Philly, the wife is upstairs bathing the kids & getting them ready for bed and I'm all alone with 30 Trips the first show I've chosen to listen to is; 2/21/95 Philly is LAST in everything but appears to be FIRST when it came to receiving 30 Trips WOW I really LOVE the City of Brotherly LOVE!!!!! Not a typical ONE MORE THURSDAY NIGHT IT'S A GRATEFUL THURSDAY NIGHT!!!!!

3625 is Home!

Scrolling along

philledawg

On the Scoll, if there's a number it isn't a miracle.

pricked ears...

in the mid 30's heat, after a sparkle clear night that saw a slither moon in perfect proximity to venus, koalas lazily munch on gum leaves, way high up in the trees, whilst the roos are pricking their ears, highly expectant...

Los Angeles - Tues. 10/13

Thanks for the tips on UPS tracking.Mine shows Tues. for LA.

UPS tracking tip is huge!

UPS tracking tip is huge! Arriving in Chicago...tomorrow ~:)

Gold-colored 7-inch

who still has a record player?

7/3/66

I love to dance so is it just me that thinks that 7/3/66 is the best show int the box.

ok..

..I'm about 5:25 min mark on Alligator...this is serious shit, folks...:)

Records and the '66 show.

I have a nice turntable, but I have to adjust a rubber band thing on the bottom for it to play anything different than an LP. I had the same reaction when I streamed the '66 show, fourwinds. Not that I thought it would be the best show, per se, but it definitely had me "shakin' it" while cooking breakfast.

Unexpected arrival!

My wife texted me this afternoon telling me that two packages came today. I was expecting a small parcel from Amazon that contained a book and some health supplements. I had no idea what else came though. I didn't think would ship so soon.Then a second text came through that said, "it must be your Dead box. There's a Stealie on it and everyone's name is wrapped around the bottom." I told her I ordered it a few months ago, and vaguely mentioned the exclusive price tag. I thought maybe when the box finally arrived I'd know if she was upset or not. So, she came in when I unboxed and commented how nice she thought the package was put together. Then again she understands my reasoning for getting the Dead sets (and other limited editions) before they hit the aftermarket. Someone else commented that most of the delivery services would probably not just leave it with some sort of a signature. All my Dead box set purchases, including this one, are always just plunked down on the front porch in plain sight. This makes me nervous but without some kind of tracking number I'm not sure how to circumvent delivery. I'd say to ask a neighbor to keep an eye out, unless he/she is a head who missed out!

Helter Skelter

You maybe a lover but you ain't no dancer, but don't dancers make better lovers.

Unsigned Delivery

Yikes.. I live in a kind of bad neighborhood and on a busy street. Luckily, I am home during the day sleeping. Hopefully they at least knock loud enough to get my attention.

lowspark

I'm doing my best George Jefferson right now. hahaha

OH, here's a question..

Does the box have any sort of finish? Or is it raw, painted wood.. like splintery and all?

rrot UPS My Choice

Thanks to everyone for the tips on UPS, I signed up and couldn't find anything, then saw rrot's post. I started changing my name under preferences, but then, found a way to add name variations. In My Choice, click on My Settings tab, and on the left toward the top is "add name variations". Change to whatever may be on the card you used, and it should work. I added 4 different ones, and refreshed, and all of a sudden, my box showed up as scheduled for delivery tomorrow! I shall celebrate the birthdays of John Entwistle and John Lennon with some good ol' Grateful Dead! I've been streaming the shows in order at work (and some at home through good speakers '67 show especially) and made it to '85 so far. But I'm gonna start all over again when this bad boy arrives!

Nothing

I haven't received a UPS notice or anything, and when I look at my order it says "backordered" and scheduled to ship Oct 31st. Is anyone in the same boat?

original tickets?

Hey I'm confused. Each box will have an original ticket? Did they really have 6,500 original tickets laying around? Remember how they used to sell greatest hits albums on TV by "the original artists"- and "The Original Artists" turned out to be just the name of one phony band singing everything? Could "original tickets" just be a brand of phony memorabilia? If they are original, I'm guessing they are mostly late 80s and 90's. Anyone get a pre-hiatus ticket? I only saved one ticket from my shows, but it's a goodie: 6/21/83 at Merriweather. I had it laminated in plastic shortly after the show and it is still in good condition. It's my favorite bookmark.

@diggy

It seems the general consensus is that your order status on here is dated intel. It seems to be irrelevant in regards to when your box is shipped. Also, reports coming in seem to indicate that, for the lower 48 states at least, it's starting from PA and working it's way west. If you live on the east coast, you'll probably have it today or tomorrow. If you live in the midwest, perhaps sometime around Monday. Rockies to west coast, probably Tues-Thurs next week sometime.

This will please your wife

A lot of heads out there I'm guessing didn't order the set because their wives would arc up when they found out the price. Fear not - now you can have a taster of the set at a price that will please the wife - only $45 per show (inc postage) - these are the ONLY shows remaining - can't believe 68 and 90 are still there!!! email me gilmourstephen@hotmail.com remaining shows: 68 82 83 90 92 93 94 95

UPS My Choice

Another bonus with this is it gives you the option to change delivery. I am in Denver and my office is about 10 minutes from the UPS distribution center. I am in a wine club and pick the option to pick up my packages at the distribution center because you have to sign for the package and show an ID since it is booze. Inevitably I will not be home and will have to pick it up there after 3 failed attempts. Same with this box. I am picking the option to get it at the distribution center so I don't have to worry about it sitting vulnerable on my porch for several hours

081227955892