30 Trips Around The Sun Box & Digital USB

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September 4, 2015 - 10:38am

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March 9, 2007

"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

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February 10, 2016 - 4:41pm

#181

jrf68@hotmail.com

Joined:
August 6, 2013

Off topic

Moses GuestLive Stages Get some...it's good. :) ...Over The Car->Under The Stairs...
February 10, 2016 - 3:13pm

#182

LoveJerry

Joined:
March 19, 2015

dharwin

Somebody on the other thread, I forget who, brought up a point about the secondary market, which was basically that Rhino depends on it to ensure they sell x number of copies of each release in a very short amount of time. This guy who wrote the article worked for a record company or something, I wish I could find the post. But it totally makes sense. Basically, Rhino needs to sellout each release in 3 or 4 weeks to not only be profitable, but to extend the life of the series. By making it limited edition, they sellout immediately and actually rely on the secondary market to be there and buy out what the individuals don't buy. It amounts to free distribution for Rhino. They sell off their 16,500 Dave's Picks in a week, and never pay a dime in distribution costs. For Rhino this means more dollars per unit and less units sold to make both make a profit and re-invest in the next release (and making the next profit). So I get it. Rhino is a very unique position, in that they have a rare product with seemingly no end, and this thing called the internet. And in fact, these very message boards are a major source of advertisement. I'm just happy I'm ahead of the curve now. I spent a lot on eBay back-filling my Dead collection. What I would be interested in, is the legalities involved in re-issuing a product that they originally sold as a limited quantity item. Even if legal, I doubt they would do it, out of fear of ruining their current, buy it now, while it's hot sales model, which is undoubtedly working. One thing I feel confident in, is that if Rhino felt that re-releasing FW 69 Complete would be profitable in the long run, they would do it (and perhaps they will). But I imagine it's a tricky balance, as Morning Sun said - never underestimate the turmoil of breaking a promise to the original people who bought it (of whom I am not one - fucker cost me 400 bucks). Plus I'm sure they all have a dozen copies of all of them that they're saving for 10 years from now when they're going for a grand on eBay ;-)
February 10, 2016 - 9:55am

#183

Cousins Of The…

Joined:
September 10, 2009

FW 69 re-release

Not sure what the exact wording was when they first released it, but some of the music included in the set has been available on the 3 disc compilation.Rhino could produce a set with all 4 FW 69 shows, add 2-11-69 Fillmore East release, change the name and add a disclaimer that would say something like "portions of this set was previously released as Ltd Edition FW box set, etc." Lots of "limited Edition only", and "promo only" music has been re-released that way.
February 10, 2016 - 8:31am

#184

mbarilla

Joined:
August 8, 2013

FW69 Box set

if they want to re-release they would definetely need a new mix. I dont think packaging much to do with it
February 10, 2016 - 7:43am

#185

Roland Bruynesteyn

Joined:
August 7, 2008

re-release FW'69

FWIW, let me echo SpaceBro's (and others) sentiment: I own FW'69, and enjoy it immensely.By all means, re-release it, so that more people can enjoy it. I do not mind scalping, or a secondary market. In general, I don't mind limited editions, bonus discs with first runs etc; companies can run their business as they see fit. But I'm a capitalist through and through: if more people want it, and Rhino can make more money, by all means let's do it. I know that the secondary market, at least in this particular case, exists bcause Rhino said that FW'69 would never be released (in any form?) again. Some people would feel cheated if, after paying a lot (NOT to Rhino though), it was re-released. But surely most Deadheads would want other Deadheads to be able to acquire this set, and there should be some way around it (cheaper packaging or whatever) to get past this?
February 10, 2016 - 6:37am

#186

Born Cross Eye…

Joined:
August 25, 2008

FW 69 box re-issue?

Yes, reissue it as a limited edition of 16,000.$130 each + shipping and sales taxes where applicable. For that $130 you'll get the four shows - 2/27, 2/28, 3/1 & 3/2/1969 in 4 tye-dyed design artwork, thin cardboard type sleeves with a simple booklet with only the song titles, the track times, the songwriters credits and publishers credits with two or three photos, WITHOUT AN ESSAY, all enclosed in a lightweight cardboard case with artwork similar to the original 2005 issue.
February 10, 2016 - 6:14am

#187

Sun King

Joined:
September 19, 2007

shrine vinyl et al...

glad to hear the 69 shrine vinyl release sounds so good. i plan on picking one up soon. as for the 69 box, and other limited releases, i think rhino needs to view their 'investment' in the grateful dead as being holders of something culturally significant. limited edition stuff should be just the initial physical product, but everything should be available via download. as i've said before, they should act like smithsonian/folkways, where nothing they have ever released goes out of print. you can't go to their site and order an original woody guthrie or leadbelly record, those have been out of print forever, but you can download it or order a custom burned cd. there is nothing you can not order. i believe rhino is just waiting for the last 150 usb's to sell, then they will offer all 30 shows via download. as for the 69box, i don't remember their wording, but a physical product probably can't, or shouldn't, be re-released that way, but all 4 shows should be put out via download, if the suits think they can legally do it. if not, lesson learned....
February 9, 2016 - 7:28pm

#188

Charlie3

Joined:
September 21, 2015

Ramble On

Dennis Wilmot, feel free to ramble on, you made some good points in a funny way. it sounds like I may have been one of the same two people seated next to you at shows;)For my two cents, I have the 30 trips box and it wouldn't bother me a bit if they made another production run in the future, with or without all the extras. I didn't buy it as an investment, I purchased it because I wanted to have the music and after missing out on FW69 I knew I would regret not having it more than I would regret spending the money. At some point I would like to pick up FW69, but there is a limit to what I can pay and feel OK about the purchase. I understand that the limited edition model is probably what makes the ongoing releases possible to this extent, so it is what it is, but it seems that they could set it up so that it would be possible to reissue things after some period of time. As far as copying limited edition releases, I guess the band makes their money when the original sale occurs and are unaffected by any subsequent transactions, so there's that.
February 9, 2016 - 6:53pm

#189

Dennis

Joined:
November 1, 2012

Re-releases, Limited Editions, illegal copies, ebay prices

I throw my 2 cents into this, I agree with those that say a release of limited edition stuff as maybe a digital download is just fine with me. As always if price is the limiting factor I can not believe you can't find someone to make you a copy. Some say "oh that's illegal", sounds like corporate lawyer talk to me. I agree you shouldn't be knocking out 1,000 copies of something and selling them at the local flea market, but to slip a buddy a copy, fuck no. I remember when people didn't even think twice about making a cassette copy for a friend. Of course the "industry" hated that, they even tried to get a "tax" on blank tapes to cover the "losses" they were suffering. What hogwash! The record companies seem to be doing fine! Ebay prices will disappear or come down if people stop buying them, just like tickets for sporting events (which sports fan seem to believe are way out of whack). Remember when FM first took off and stations would play a perfect album side, even told you when to start your tape. I'm sorry if the record industry makes a product that is easy to copy. Why didn't they just keep producing records? You couldn't copy them as easily as cd. Because they wanted to squeeze out the free music of radio, cd's people would buy more of because you could take them in your car. Did the industry ever return money for those shit 8 tracks that they sold? Or even the shit cassettes they sold? Those store bought tapes NEVER lasted long, but a good maxell made at home lasted forever? I still have cassettes I made from 1980 that play just fine. But the few store bought ones I got the cases always warped in the heat.I think I can most assuredly say that if you could shove a new caddy into a port of the computer and have it shit out a new caddy, everyone would have a new caddy and be saying fuck GM. (probably a lot of people already saying that) You don't see anyone making "illegal" copies of books and you could zerox a whole book. I'm surprise the corporate lawyers haven't tried to shut down public libraries, since they allow people to listen, read and view all copyright material without paying any fee to the owner of the copy right material. There was a point when Mickey Mouse was about to enter the public domain and Disney just couldn't let that happen, so they had congressman Sony Bono push thru a revision of the copyright laws that allowed them to keep the copyright. (see - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Term_Extension_Act ) Technically if you owned a bar, you couldn't play cd's you own there without a fee being paid to industry. CD's YOU OWN! Can you imagine if you bought a repair guide for a car you owned and you got a second car of the same make and being told you couldn't use that manual to fix the second car, that the use of the manual was only for the first car. You have that same thing with software you buy, you buy the package but can't use it where ever you want, only once (maybe 3 times for some) Sorry I've rambled a bit, but corporations piss me off. They want risk socialize and profits privatized. They want to be citizens with no one responsible for jail time. Fuck them! Record profits and the world still fights for crumbs. On the illegal front, I get a chuckle out of this. I thought it was illegal to bring "drugs" into shows or buy and sell them. Oh, I forgot nobody who went to dead shows did drugs. Like nobody in England watches Doctor Who. The show has been on for 50 years and nobody admits they watch it! Just like back in the .net days, nobody on net.dead did drugs! I must have always got seated next to the same other 2 people who did :-) Once again sorry for the excessive rambling.
February 9, 2016 - 5:20pm

#190

dharwin

Joined:
June 23, 2007

Just to be clear...

I am fully supportive of a re-release of the FW69 box. The whole reason I have the info that I have is that (being the anal retentive completist that I am) I emailed David Lemieux to ask why in the hell the box set hadn't been reissued. Any deadhead that has looked at eBay in the last 5 years can see that this box is in absurdly high demand. I hate the idea of limited releases and find it absurd that they would limit anything. The only thing that does is drive up the price on secondary markets (just look at the 30 trips box on eBay).

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

Jrf68

What headphones did u get? I need a pair and don't know where to start looking...any help would be appreciated.

Fuk Yeah jrf....

....you get it. '76 is the milk chocolate year of the Dead....smooth and tasty.

takimoto

I picked up a pair of Sennheiser HD 280 pro's from Amazon for about a $100.Resisting the urge to spend much,much more,I'm more than happy with these baby's. I've never had headphones that sound this good. :)

RE: USb questions

Not being a buyer of the usb product, I'm only commenting on what I know about usb devices, computer technology, and how the device is described. Anyone who has the device, let me know if any of my assumptions are wrong. "Is it really metal, which would be a potential shock hazard?" It appears to be in a metal casing. Not all metal is conductive. Even if the metal the device was cased in was conductive, there would have to be contact between the metal and the circuitry to make the device a shock hazard. Contact between the metal and the circuitry would cause a short circuit, likely rendering the device unusable. Additionally, the amount of power supplied by a usb port is much lower than a bare socket connection. For the usb device to be a shock hazard, the metal casing would have to be conductive, there would have to be a connection between the circuitry and the casing, and the usb port would have to produce more juice than it usually operates under. Not saying this can't happen; anything is possible, but the likelihood is so small that all these things align, you can put the notion to rest that the usb device is a shock hazard. "Is there a USB cable or does this heavy metal memory stick plug into a USB slot, which on my audio PC are all on the rear of the machine?" Neither the product description or any of the information related by buyers indicates that there is a cable included. It appears to plug directly into the machine. Usb cables are inexpensive and easy to find. The usb device is advertised as USB 3.0 compatible. USB 3.0 has a much faster data transfer rate than USB 2.0, which has been the standard for almost 10 years now. In order to get the benefit of the faster transfer rate, all steps in the chain have to be USB 3.0, including the cable. USB 3.0 connections are colored blue. The plastic at the end of the device, under the metal housing that plugs into the usb port, will be blue and the usb port that receives the device will have blue plastic as well. This blue plastic will also be in any expansion cable you use if you want to get USB 3.0 speeds. If you use a regular USB 2.0 cable with a USB 3.0 device and USB 3.0 port, you will get USB 2.0 speed. Hopefully that helps.

I concur....

....the segue between Good Lovin and Comes A Time is priceless. Well worth the $700 entry fee. Another nug stored away.

At the 1:13 mark of the Cobo NFA....

....someone says "Yeah!". I think it's Bobby. Something clicked, then it's off to one of the most flowing Not Fade's I've heard in recent memory. Check out Garcia's subtle riffing....stupendous. The China Cat theme Bobby breaks out at the 10:10 mark breaks out a smile on my face. Remember, China Cat had not been played yet since the hiatus. GDTRFB teases come next, then Bill gets a chance to bring the band back around at 11:40. He gathers a rhythm....12:18 brings the boyz back to the forefront. Majesty. At 13:10, the band is searching. Phil breaks the curtain with a mean riff, then they are calling out around the world again. Loving this NFA....can you tell? C'mon guys. Spin it or stream it. Just love it. I hope some of you respond in kind in what I noticed....

Top 5 30 Trips: add 1976 Cobo

okay,add this awesome Groove show to the list. so far, essential relistening top 5 30 Trips years are 1967 1968 1969 1970 best evr Dancing 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1979 1983

Tagging issues are really f**&ing annoying

Sorry, I want to love the bolt and all the incredible music on it but the amount of work I'm going to have to put in to get these songs play in the correct order across all these shows makes me want to tear what's left of my hair out.

I've had great experience

I've had great experience with a free app called Bulk Rename Utility. You can rename files in folders and sub-folders using every imaginable condition you can think of. I'd give it a try.

Cobo Brubeck

I hear Dave Brubeck as well coming out of Good Lovin! Nice catch. 1976 keeps creeping up my "top o' the box" list. That 10 minute Sugaree is growing on me as well. peace and love peace and love P.S. try mp3tag to fix up your mp3 files

Capitalism

Go Capitalism, go. I need you Capitalism, you are the only thing between me and being out on my ass. And besides, how else will I swing it (seat of pants, per my style) and PAY what are truly the big shining emblems of ripoff prices in modern American life.... health care, higher ed, and taxes. I can still eat, live, and enjoy most of the pleasures of modern life. But the doc, the prof and the taxman, I dunno... rapacious and rent-seeking. Help me Cap, help me pay them off.

USB Delivered . . . but . . .

Where's the scroll? It is a very nice product. The music quality is amazing. I have the same problems / complaints as others with the folders and file naming conventions, the fades. But we paid the same price as the box. We waited three months. And there's no digital copy of the scroll?? Why should the USB buyers get ANYTHING less for the same price?? I really think this should be made available to all USB buyers.

USB answers

The bolt weighs 177 gram, and the removable USB stick weighs 28 gram. This plugs directly into the USB on my laptop. Definitely USB 3.0.

USB Delivered . . . but . . . Where's the scroll?

The end of the book pdf has the scroll as an appendix.

Re: USB Delivered

I'm still waiting on delivery of mine. Maybe by tonight. Can anybody say EXACTLY what is contained in the package? USB, of course. Is the physical book included, now? What about the much vaunted "Holiday Cheer" that was promised to us back in November?

USB

Purple box contains Gold Lightning Bolt, in a custom foam mould, USB Spec. Sheet.Mine came with a Backstage Pass from Shoreline May 23, 1993, and a ticket from Oakland Feb. 12, 1986. I believe the 'Holiday Cheer' will be coming separately.

Re: USB

@Outpost So no book? I received an email on 11/16/2015 stating that "Dr. Rhino will be including a hard copy of the book with all USB orders as a small token of gratitude for your patience."

USB

The "Holiday Cheer" is a pack of Xmas greeting cards in Grateful Dead style. There is a digital copy of the book on the USB. What is this "scroll" people are talking about? edit: I don't recall getting eamil about there being a physical copy of the book shipped out to those of us who ordered USB. That would be kind of nice actually.

Outpost

Outpost, PM sent. Also, I've been listening to the Selland Arena 7/19/74 show on Archive.org and it's a real nice show, great sound, unique playing. It portends well for Dave's Picks in 2016.

re: HD files -> should've been included in the boxset

IMHO, they should've included the HD files for everyone in boxset, whether on a fancy bolt (looks nice from picturs) or a one use download code. I don't have a need for the HD files now, but I'm sure down the road I will... I hit a stagnation wall with the 1985 trip - thought is was alright. Looked at some of the reviews from the date's page at dead.net and see it appears to be worthy of a fresh listen with open ears. Would love to get One Man's take on it when he revisits the 30 Trips version - he was at the show and spoke highly of the sbd or aud that was in circulation at the time. I use MP3Tag to relabel all my Dead music... Happy Friday!

@KCorriganM USB

No physical book, and I didn't get any kind of email indicating there would be, just the 'holiday cheer'which I assume is more tickets.

Hard Copy of Book for USB Purchasers

Here is the email from 11/16/2015Response Via Email(Melinda) - 11/16/2015 10:51 AM Hello, Thank you for contacting Dead.net customer service. I am sincerely sorry for the delays in shipping of your USB set. Unfortunately, as you may have heard, we have run into several road blocks in shipping out the physical box sets, so that has pushed back the shipping of the USB sets significantly. However, once we finish sending out the physical box sets, we will begin shipping the USB sets, at which point you should receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking. Additionally, we have received word that Dr. Rhino will be including a hard copy of the book included in the physical box sets with all USB orders as a small token of gratitude for your patience. Again, I apologize for the delay, but hopefully we'll be able to get the USB set out to you without the hiccups we've experienced with the physical box sets. If you have any further feedback regarding the shipment of your particular item, I encourage you to reach out to our supplier, Dr. Rhino, at drrhino@rhino.com for the most accurate and up-to-date information! If you have any further questions or comments, please let us know. Sincerely, Melinda

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"

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.

hmmm.......

I do actually recall seeing that email previously, but maybe someone posted it ..... anyhow, my shipping confirmation arrived AFTER my USB !

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 !

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.

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? :-)

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.

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.

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.

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.

wilfredtjones - Frankiln's Tower

9.29.77 - Sugaree ; Let It Grow ; Franklin's Tower ! 4.10.78 - Dancing In The Street -> Drums -> Franklin's Tower -> Black Peter 4.1.84 - Help -> Slip -> Franklin's 6.27.84 - Merriweather ! and last, but not least are two from 1989 9.29.89 and 12.8.89 - both primo !!

thanks mbarilla

I'm going to jump into the one from '78 with both feet. I'm starting with Rhythm Devils because I love those percussion jams from 1978.

1985 Cincinnati

Boblopes, your memory is better than my own. You are correct, this is the only officially released show I attended. I remember stormy weather, Bob Weir having a sneezing fit, and my surprising ability to single-handedly bring the band back for an encore by whistling louder than anyone has ever whistled. I was working my way through 30 Trips chronologically, but thanks to you I detoured and listened to the first set of this today. Once I got over the dry, in-the-board audio mix and lack of Phil, I was surprised at how edgy Garcia's guitar playing became as he warmed to the task. I am certainly biased, but I found his playing completely thrilling on the last solo in Minglewood, but also Loser, and Let it Grow especially. I'll plug in the second set later. So far, I'm really glad this show is in the box. One big complaint -- Healy should have been fired by this point in time. His constant toying with the delay effect on the vocals is beyond annoying. If the band ever heard this tape they were probably pissed off. There is no excuse for that kind of intrusion by the guy who is supposed to be helping to make you sound professional. Jerk!

1985 Cincinnati

I was not at that show, a friend offered me a tickets and I blew it off.. and it turned out to be killer. I should have gone . '85 had some great moments. Comes a Time is always special to me.

I Hope That Downloads Are Coming Soon ...

I expect that at some point, sooner rather than later, we will see these shows being available for download. This won't happen until all the USB's are sold out, so I hope that happens soon. I guess that this whole delay in shipping has hurt their sales projections as TPTB would have thought that by Christmas they would be selling downloads ....

Yes waiting

Seems I still have three more days to wait. Good thing I ordered this the first week it was offered.........oh and of course no holiday cheer. Epic fail. At'll teach me. Now definitely grouchy. Arriving the first day of Winter. Guess I should be grateful that it's at least coming-venting.

One Man

>>...toying with the delay effect on the vocals is beyond annoying.<< I just happen to be listening to this show as I read your post and I wholeheartedly concur. It's intrusive and unneccessary

Just got the USB.Music was

Just got the USB.Music was very easy to upload but the digital book came as 2 seperate folders. One folder has the left hand pages as one would have in a standard book and the 2nd folder has the right hand pages.Does anyone know how to combine the two folders into one. Any help would be mu appreciated. Thank you

USB Book PDF

You should have a PDF titled USB_bk_spreads_08-31, which is the book.Also, if you go to the folder 'main' there is the book and the music, in a more interactive form.

Oswald, your guess is correct.

Bolt update: Last 3 songs of San Diego Sports Arena '73-11-14 concert, are in folder Disc 2

74 show

I've made it up to the 74 show. Every show so far has been beyond my expectations. I've listened to every show (66-74) at least 4 times. The 74 show is amazing.Glad the USB's are finally making to the customers but I am glad I went with the box. I think I would have "lost it" big time if I would have ordered the USB. These folks deserve a discount after this type of delay.

USB Book PDF

Thank you. I am all set with the book but when I move the "main" folder to my desktop and open it up it does not allow me to access the book or music.Does the thumb drive need to be inserted for it to be interactive?

Roscoe

Try moving the PDF folder alone.The Bolt comes with 2 presentation segments. I for PC 1 for Mac. These are auto play presentations of the music(MP3), and the book. When the MP3s are played the Cover art is shown.

Spirit of '76/ Cobo Show

Add another enthusiastic Cobo '76 fan to the mix! Thanks for the thumbs-up recommendations from fellow posters. Don't own the box or bolt, but have been pickin' off desired shows from kind Deadhead vendors. Road Trips Vol. 4 No. 5 (6/9/76) from post-hiatus days has long been a personal favorite of mine, and this ranks right up there with it! Blessed holidays to all!

Enjoy, USB guys

So glad you finally got your product. As a happy owner of the Godzilla box for quite a while now, I check in here from time to time to see if you guys got your jollies yet. Of course the long delay was a spaced out fuckup but hey you're ordering from the Grateful Dead not Adele. But now I see posts about brain-scrambling file conversion issues! May I - as an old geezer with ol' fashion ways - simply now ask: aren't you wishing you got the box?

USB Arrived

Box arrived today. No hard copy of the book as was promised. FLAC files sorted by disc. MP3 not. As a result, going to take a couple maybe three hours to sort shows into iTunes to play in order.

The Force is strong with this one....

....stumbled across 8.3.82 Starlight Theater earlier today. Nice surprise show....second set Shakedown-> Samson To Lay Me Down Let It Grow-> Jam-> Drumz-> Space-> He's Gone-> The Other One-> Stella Blue-> Sugar Mags Casey Jones ....oh yeah.... ....disappointed to hear the USB '73 show is mixed up too. Seems lazy on Rhino's part....

1985 Cincinnati Part Deux

Just had to finish off the '85 show today, and I'll say it sounds way better than I remember it. Sonic ridiculousness aside (thanks Healy) the playing is so exuberant and the setlist so unusual, that I can't help but love it. In my little circle at the time, we were not expecting "Smokestack Lightning", "Cryptical Envelopment" nor "Comes a Time" although well-connected heads knew these were possible, since they had all been played earlier that year. "Smokestack" signaled the first plundering of Pigpen's grave (other than "Good Lovin'", but that was such a different arrangement it might as well have been a new song) and I was sure it would not be the last. For me, highlights of the second set are the end of "Drums" into the beginning of "Space" (tune in for interesting on-stage chatter amidst the glorious chaos) and all of the Garcia tunes. (I'm not a fan of Weir's over-emoting at this stage of the band. His rap in "Good Lovin'" makes me cringe.) Even the "US Blues" is full of the best sort of Garcia energy, and it propels the whole band to a win. Now that I have broken my vow to listen chronologically, I will skip back to 1976, because y'all are on a roll with that one. And yes, that is me whistling like crazy before and after the encore. I can still do that, if anyone needs really loud whistling.

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