definitely not a fan. typically the little spines that hold the disc in place snap, and of course you can't just pop in another one the way you can with jewel cases. my copy of FLA's Implode came with the spines pre-snapped, and consequently that disc has been basically ruined...

Digipacks are my friends. But I like you negative attitude. It is beautiful.

Im not fond of digipaks either. No matter how much I try to take care of them with plastic sealed wrappers, etc. They still end up dinged and lose or ruined after years gone by (ie. Placebo Effect - Galleries of Pain, Mortal Constraint - Legend of Deformation, etc).

I know a digipak is mainly done for arts sake, and I appreciate that, but overall, I simply prefer the standard release format.

I really like them. Ad Noiseam Records does some great Digipacks. I have Placebo Effect's "Slashed Open" digipack and it looks exactly the same now as when I got it. Guess it depends on how you take care of them :P

I prefer digpacks to jewelcases anytime. The later makes the CD look real cheap which they aren't.

Digipaks=the lose. I am a fan of creative packaging, be it metal tins, funky thin plastic holders, etc...ususally creative cases is only found in noise/experimental and ambient.

I also prefer digipaks and creative packaging found with the dark ambient/noise/experimental stuff I buy.

hah, if it weren't for "digipaks" and "lmtd. box-sets" the noize genre would be fucked for sales from their cliquey elitist fan base.

That's right psychopomp, I never buy cds for the music.

it's not music, it's noise.

*noize

"Noise music is not necessarily "noise" to the listeners, although it is certainly "noisy" in the more general sense of the term."

hey man, i'm just chillin' under a bridge banging hubcaps together and callin' it industrial.

Hopefully the sounds are both unpleasant and painful.

@dark meat

it is a tad loud actually, would you mind so much if i borrowed your head and used it as a buffer for when i smack 'em together?

Im into metal boxes or round tins, nice designs, digipaks are too fragile, I prefer a cd in a metal box with colour coded casing, velvet inside tin, all colour coded, band logo stamped into the tin lid. The forthcoming Red Sekta will be a metal tin box set, rubber and velvet inside, all colour coded with cd artworks for a total intergration of art between each cd in the set. Digipaks are not so cool as they once were.

I have some digipak's beat to hell- KMFDM's Angst comes to mind, but overall I don't mind 'em too much. It can give a different feel to a release. The Monstrum Sepsis and Hecate releases look pretty sweet in them.

psychopomp: and if it wasn't for crappy remix ep's and "limited edition re-issues" the same could be said for the EBM/Electro genre.

@ gunhed,

give me a break, yeah that statement does ring true to a point for all the lesser bands in the ebm/electro genre, but statistically speaking does not even begin to compare to all the rainforests that black rain & ant-zen have chopped down to push just about all their releases in quaint little digipacs,
noize is image, that's all it is, i know noize-heads here in toronto and they're all lame ass elistist fucks. they can all take their post cards and badges and ram them up their fudge highway.
btw, cudos to anyone who first buys the latest wumpscut boxset, smashes it up and kicks it around their street with all that keychain & poster crap flying everywhere and takes photos to prove it.

@psychopomp

So you dont like wumpscut or just boxsets?

So you're basing the whole noise genre on what black rain and Ant-zen has released? And since when is Black Rain considered a noise label? There's plenty of noise labels releasing normal cd jewel cases (like any other EBM/Electro label). It's funny, you call them "lame ass elitist fucks" and come off sounding like one yourself.

wow. this is a lot of getting worked up about digipaks.

Yeah, apparently digipaks hit a nerve with some folks if "they" ... are "lame ass elitist fucks" who happen to like box-sets and dark/ambient/noise releases.

Guess Wumpscut box-sets aren't for everyone in north America plus other countries around the globe.

@ gunhed & dark meat

hey, can yous two give me your mailing addresses so i can mail you stickers and badges for being such heros of lmtd. releases?
*psst, btw, those wannabe noise labels that just release cds in regular jewel cases, they're really not that cool and have lower cd sales, they actually bring the rest of the scene down because without all the hype, the music stands out as just crap.

I didn't say I was a fan of limited editions, I said I was a fan of digipaks. Maybe if you took the time to read the thread, instead of just trying to bash a genre you don't enjoy, you would have noticed that.

They are in league with Ewoks...Bad!!!

I prefer limited first-run editions, digipaks and unique packaging which to me adds to the mystic of dark/ambient/noise releases. Usually if one waits long enough you can buy the same music in jewel cases once the limited sales items are depleted. By that time it could even be on sale.

don't like them either..for all the reasons stated above....we never went that route at DSBP either..its sucky when the cd tray breaks or loses some of the circle...then the cd gets fucked up badly and scratched...and falls out when you open it...what a mess...thats why its best to go with the regular cd case and have some cool stuff inside to make it worthwhile..

I like digipaks in my collection. They look good, but that's about it. They suck when you have to take them to club to dj with. They do get messed up too easy. It also really sucks when you find some digipak in the used section that's really rare, or something you've been looking for forever, and it's all messed up and has a broken tray.
If it's something I'm not going to take to club, I like them.

I never have any problems with my digipacks. Its all about how you treat your collection. I don't give Cds to other people so they can to listen it at home. The CDs always come back scratched etc., so I stopped doing that.

"wow. this is a lot of getting worked up about digipaks."

Welcome to the internet. ;)

Let's all get stressed out about digipaks.

Agreed with all the above reasons why DPs suck, particularly when you have to take them out to DJ with, bah!

but while we are bitching about packaging that pisses us off here is my addition:

I recently bought Sero.Overdose "No time for Club Silence" via mail order having no idea of the packaging I was about to receive - what the fuck was the deal with the size of the box it came in, was I missing a couple of thick books that werent included?? While the music on the disc is wonderful, the CD case itself is the biggest waste of space thus far in my house!

end rant

empusa,

Is this what you ordered for Sero.Overdose "No time for Club Silence" ?

http://www.sero-overdose.de/no_time_for_lim_silence.htm

Maybe the thing to do is contact Order at http://shop.alfa-matrix.com + www.hellcity.de if you think your order is incomplete

Dark Meat thanks,
I ordered http://www.sero-overdose.de/no_time_for_silence_clup.htm

considering this release is sposed to be aimed at DJs, the size of the packaging is ridiculous. I have a hard enough time trying to fit a nights music in one case let alone trying to find room for this grossly oversized CD.

empusa,

Sounds like awkward packaging, hopefully you were able to put together some type of arrangement for your evening. Aside from the silly oversized glossy cover... is the music any good?

Digipacks are great. I can't stand the boring old standard jewel case. No imagination at all.

I'm with hydro616 regarding the digipak debate.

plastic cd jewel cases are easy to replace when they are damaged, digipaks especially if they are of poor design break and that's it,
cd jewel cases can be decked on top one another until you reach the sky, digipaks are flimsy and can get in the way and be annoying when there is cd clutter,
digipaks look crusty after less than a year of use,
people who crave digipaks share the same attributes, they're crusty and break easy, have a superficial exterior,
cd jewel cases are alcohol friendly, you can get drunk, throw them around and not give a flying fling-a-ding,
digipaks are for sober elitists that scratch their balls rather than hold a drink,

plastic cd jewel cases are easy to replace

people who crave digipaks share the same attributes


people how crave jewel cases are easy to replace...

@Dark Meat,
the music is great, no complaints there, this band is due for big things. The remix available from Side Line.com is included here too.

Re: alternative arrangements, I always leave my house in a total mess before each club night as every digipack I own gets repacked in another casing to avoid damage of travel and alcohol!

If someone has good solution for storing Digipacks neatly I would love to hear it as the area besides my stereo is littered with them and other weird shapes or promo discs.

If someone has good solution for storing Digipacks neatly I would love to hear it

Yeah, I am careful even when I drink. So my beloved digipacks Survives.

I like digipacks, they're nice.

I like noise, it's nice.

I need no more justification than that.

Digipaks are known for their fragile construction so I try to file vertically on a bookcase for easy access. That said, potential "mishaps" hopefully won't happen and the items can stay systematically in order:)

psychopomps,

for now and ever I will admire you for using the term "flying fling-a-ding."

that is all.

If someone has good solution for storing Digipacks neatly I would love to hear

really.. this isn't rocket science...

1) remove elitist cd from elitist digipac

2) empty jewel boxes/slim line cases are a dime a dozen. find one.

3) place beloved cd in jewel box.

4) place digipac safely on shelf

5) why the FUCK would a dj make life so difficult so as to bring his/her discs to a club/station in cases anyway? flip books. look into em.

why the FUCK would a dj make life so difficult so as to bring his/her discs to a club/station in cases anyway? flip books. look into em.

Sure next club night I'll drag out the 200 odd discs that I need out of their covers and slip them into the easy to pack flip books that do such a super job at keeping the covers of the said CDs in a tip top condition! Thanks for that insightful suggestion

A few other odd points:
1) if you read the thread properly you would see that I re-package my digi pack cds when I go out

2)most CDs DO NOT have track listings on the disc itself thus rendering the flip book useless- unless you like your covers ruined as stated above.

and finally
I dont have ANY space nor shelf space in my house, so it thought someone else may have a super idea that I may not have considered

enjoy the sunshine

@ Empusa, Burn the tracks you want onto a CDr. You don't have to carry umpteen CDs around with you... Or better yet, get a cheap laptop and mix MP3s from that. Much easyness.

Wax comes packaged in shrink wrapped cardboard sleeves, Sunshine. Djs have been lugging those 12" hunks of plastic around for decades.

musicians have to lug around gear to perform and the majority gets paid a fraction of what most djs make pressing play, but for some crazy fucked up reason, they still enjoy it. go figure.

stop whining.

@Dan H thanks, good ideas, I already have 50 odd compilations I've made up but some stuff has copy protect on it and some albums have so many great songs on them that you never know which one you might need. As I do the bulk of the evening I like to be prepared for anything :D

Maybe I should consider the laptop idea though as I am usually carrying a stack of decorations and other bits and pieces with me.

@mSepsis I've spent the last 15 yrs of my life playing in bands and lugging gear around. As far as whinning go, well if i recall correctly we are talking about reasons why we dont like digi-packs, yeah?...

lovely to meet you though

I don't "hate" digipacks, but I'll take jewel cases over them anyday. Digipacks wear out too much over time, without being able to repair them. You can replace all the pieces of a jewel case, minus the paper sleeves.

if i recall correctly we are talking about reasons why we dont like digi-packs, yeah?...

true.. but..

Agreed with all the above reasons why DPs suck, particularly when you have to take them out to DJ with, bah!

DOES seem like quite a silly thing to get so stressed over, thats all. didn't mean anything personal.

ahh the interweb :)

I hate digipaks...
For all the reasons you wrote above.
De/Vision - Antiquity, Funker Vogt - Machine Zeit, etc...
I hate taking them for the club, and it's sooooo annoying to burn a CD you bought.

About Sero.Overdose's CD- I have the same problem with Duran Duran's Astronaut. I bought the limited edition, heard it 3 times and put it somewhere safe. Yes, it looks great, but I forget to listen to it...

Anat.

I like the hard cover things that Hands Productions is using. If you ever wanna release a digipak, use them for they're reallly solid. There's no room for a booklet in those things, though.

I like digipack...;)

Its funny Displacer and I have had this discussion many times.

He = Pro
Me = Agin it

I HATE THEM.

Is it just a presentation thing, or is there also an environmental issue, with plastic vs cardboard? Do the green artists in particular use them, SP have used them for last couple of albums and also Ohgr's solo work.

My Headscan Pattern Recgnition is already starting to fall apart? Give me a good old jewel case any day, so much easier to replace.

Wow this thread is old... back from the grave!

Personally, I've had way more problems with Jewel cases. They always crack and break... and the little plastic hinges always break, making the whole case useless. I dig Digipaks.

Hmmm. My Headscan Pattern Recognition came in a jewel case?

And agreed, with the walrus. Jewel cases = teh suck. Every Manufactura disc I ordered came in a cracked / mangled / destroyed jewel case. I'm almost paranoid enough to think Karloz was doing it on purpose.

And agreed, with the walrus. Jewel cases = teh suck. Every Manufactura disc I ordered came in a cracked / mangled / destroyed jewel case. I'm almost paranoid enough to think Karloz was doing it on purpose.

Digipaks are only cool if the artwork is badass, cause artwork looks better on digipaks. hands down.

Mine's a digipak (Alfa Matrix); was it also released on another label stateside?

I think Digipacks sell more CD's but I do agree they damage quick. I also agree with HerMAchine, the artwork stands out on a digipack.

YEAH I AGREE WITH PPOMP NOISE IS SHIT!

I do like the look of 2CD digipaks, but tend to stay away from them nowadays after having so many ruined over the years. They look great as display items, but aren't very practical for anyone who wants to transport them outside of the house. They scratch, they tear, they have no resistance to water or moisture, you're totally fucked if the CD tray teeth break, they can come unglued, and basically fall apart if you look at them wrong.

This is why I vastly prefer good old fashioned jewel cases. They're like a protective shell, are easily transportable, can hold thick booklets and upto 2 CD's, and the cases are extremely easy to replace if they scratch or break. If they come in fancy boxes or slipcases, even better. Then you got something for your CD display AND the ability to still take the main content wherever you want without the whole thing getting damaged. To me that makes much more sense than taking the discs & booklets out of a digipak so as to transport them to the club or in the car.

I don't like them much myself.At least if a Jewel case cracks you can replace it easily enough. A cardboard case not so much. Once it's scratched there is no salvaging the picture/artwork.

i am fine with either. dunno what you guys do, but i don't generally fling my cds around so there isn't much opportunity for the digipak to get fucked up. unfortunately digipaks are more expensive to make, so most of the releases in this scene only get 1 or 2 fold digi and no booklet which is sad.

I personally love digipaks. The artwork looks a lot better when presented by panel.

I have been DJing for 10 years. If you have to still use CDs try getting a case like this: http://www.pcx.com.au/products/detail.asp?i=952&p=186&g=181&item=867 .

I rip and burn copies of every CD that I buy so that my originals stay fresh and clean. I then print a track listing, complete with notes to myself and pack them in clear plastic sleeves. Poof! 600 CDs at your disposal and no screwed up discs. if a CDR gets destroyed, it's easy to just burn another. Hell, some nights I've gotten hammered and started throwing my discs like ninja stars, ahahah!

I completely dislike jewelcases. Cheap and worthless. They do not protect shit. The same damage to your disc that can happen with a digipak can happen with a jewelcase. The reason labels use them is simply because they are cheap. I will give a band props though if they offset the use of a jewelcase with special inks or slipcases.

I'm not huge on digipaks either, though they do show me that someone took some time in designing their release. Also I like the wear and tear the outer cover receives. I have digipaks from 15 years ago that have never fallen apart and have only slight wear. Just take care of your shit. And whining about the glue coming apart? Seriously? People are so inept that they cannot repair the paperboard and plastic in a digipak?

Anyhow, I like Eco-paks or Eco-wallets the best. The package will bend with the disc, offers a lot more protection actually. No shite plastic is used. Also because of the design you can use several different kinds of recycled stock. Not many people are using this option right now, but I bet, as the world becomes more eco-conscious we will see a lot more artists taking this route.

Then they are even cooler packages like Jakeboxes
though they are expensive right now and only huge bands have been using them in bulk. We are going to see even more of this style of non-plastic presentation. There is even a new CD design I think in Sweden, that uses less plastic on the disc and the result is actually pliable.

In the end I have observed, most people use the plastic CD as a vehicle to get to their computer and digital file playing device. Then they store the disc and maybe the booklet someone safe and toss the rest of the packaging. This means all those 1000's of jewelcases that bands opt for in order to have a release and keep it cheap. End up in the landfill causing more human waste issues for our future generations to deal with. I think it is much smarter and more efficient to spend more on packaging to produce less copies and make the whole package a desirable possession.

`michael

I just throw away the packaging (due to volume, I have more cd's than space),
but what I really hate is when the cd itself doesn't show the band or record name...

like totally black cd's... it might be cool, but not when you have 13 and wonder what's on them...

i dislike digipacs.

especially cos i work in a cd store and i hate taking hours to shrink wrap instead of just putting a security case on them cos they will get damaged. and after all that some fucking crack head will just tear off the plastic and steal it from the fucking hip hop section anyway.

but honestly, i'll just use Jewel cases for any releases i may do. thats cos its very close to becoming dated and i think that makes it cool. they may be cheap and worthless, but beatiful things come from humble origins... especially when you apply a little post modern awarnes of the shitness of the format.

@xeno

what?? you just throw away CD cases? CD CASES ARE BOTH ART AND HISTORY!!! you are a terrible victim of the mp3 generation...

I love digipacks
especially when they start to fall apart
I like the though of the artwork getting scars of its own

@ON/OFF

@xeno

what?? you just throw away CD cases? CD CASES ARE BOTH ART AND HISTORY!!! you are a terrible victim of the mp3 generation...


Maybe, but this is more a matter of me not having enough money to buy a second apartment for my cd's...

When that is said, I won't deny that I love having cd cases in my hands, with artwork and lyrics and all... but also, I think there's too much distraction around music - people spend a year or two making ~60 minutes of sound, but when it's ready to be sold, it's wrapped in a ton of what is basically advertising stuff... thematic band photos, artwork designed by professionals, image... the complete band/cd package consists of 30% content and 70% marketing shit...

that said, I love having artwork (of any kind) bundled with the music, but it should be because the artist feels it's needed to enhance the music, not to fit in a predefined marketing package like it's now...

@xeno2
hmm, i never thought about it like that...

@tapage
okay, you win

@ON/OFF- A cd STORE you say? What is that? It sounds fantastic and imaginary...like Jim Henson puppets.

`michael

@ ON/OFF

yay :)

Are digipacks cheap? Because EN uses them and I doubt they are rich... my en ones + DBOG are the only digis I have.

oh an Reise Reise and Rosenrot, massive fold out ones...but since they are a s thick as a jewel case are they still called digipacks?
I am exited about what soilodge said though. Environmentally friendly objects should be in greater numbers.

I love artwork that complements the music, but yes the marketing artworks usually suck.

Digipak's are anywhere from 200-400$ more than jewel cases. Depends where you look, how may panels, colors, etc...
Although, shipping weight is a little less and the "green" factor is kinda nice...

I tend to buy a digipak release over a jewel-case one.

whats the most industrial case?

i say jewel, especially if all the inserts have that simple no-nonsense font that they used when CDs were invented to re-release bands like the Beatles.

The Hands Productions SmartPacs are pretty industrial.
Except for the one that's all furry :D


Most industrial case ever created has got to be this one though:
http://www.discogs.com/PAL-Plugged-Live/release/1117094

my vote goes to digipak. I pressed my CD using digipaks and they look great!

People tend to think digipak is more expensive then jewel case, but the replicator I used actually were selling digipak lower than JC, http://www.newcyberian.com

that pal case is pretty cool.

this one has cool packaging too: http://www.discogs.com/Boundless--Little-Sap-Dungeon-Geist/release/866480

Or the metal box like tin can.

http://www.discogs.com/Ah-Cama-Sotz-Declaration-Of-Innocence/release/1485295

http://www.discogs.com/Troum-All-Sides-Shut%C3%BBn/release/858460

No complaints about cracks or wear.

that reminds me, this one's also a tin circle case, and an awesome idm comp at that.

http://www.discogs.com/Various-Hyperreality/release/933041

I dislike digipaks. They don't stand the test of time no matter how well you take care of them. They're cardboard, and get tattered and worn easily. They seem nice and fancy at first, but after a while they wear out. Jewel cases are the ideal storage medium for music CDs IMO. If they break or crack, you can simply replace them. Once a digipak gets worn, there's no replacing it unless you buy another copy of the album.

So, I guess all of you that don't like Digipak's, you don;t like record's (vinyl) either?? With the exception of Soviet France and a few others...the majority were cardboard.

You must take care of your music collection. Protect it, buy protective sleeves something...

I like digipaks. It took me a while, but now I like them more than Jewelcases.

@Sigsaly Transmissions

No, I don't like records (vinyl). I've been collecting CDs since the early 90s. That's my preferred format when purchasing albums. I have very artistic and stylish CD towers that my CDs are displayed in. I take very good care of my CD collection. My CDs never leave the house. However, no matter how much I take care of the few digipaks that I have, they still get worn over time. Also, digipaks come in different shapes and sizes, and don't fit well with the other CDs in my collection. I think that all digipak albums should come with a CD sized booklet and paper tray insert so that people like myself who prefer jewel cases can put the booklet and paper tray insert into a jewel case, and not have to have the album in a digipak.

Point taken.
Still.. I like them. And the newer ones are made of recycled materials. Another perk. :)