Mid-year 2010 CD mix swap

June 28, 2010 11:45 AM

It's way past! time to swap mix CDs again, so let the mid-year 2010 (NOT HEMISPHERIST!) MeFiSwap begin! Hooray!

To sign up, send me an email containing at the very least your MeFi username and your mailing address.

tediseasy [at] gmail [doot] com

I will reply with a form letter confirmation saying something along the lines of 'You're signed up to swap!' and acknowledging any special requests.

I think these work best if some guidelines are set out right at the beginning:

• Swapsets consist of 6 people. You mail out 5 copies of your mix to the other swapset members, and in return you get 5 different mixes mailed to you.
• We usually swap music CD-Rs. If you want to swap data discs or tapes or something and enough are interested, I can set up a side-swap. Don't send any media other than a music CD-R without running it by your swapset first.
• If you signed up to participate last time but didn't mail out your mix, you are not invited to swap again you mooch. Maximum pukka is attained through 100% participation. If you sign up to participate this time, do so with the full intention of mailing out at least 5 mix CDs within 6 weeks from now. If you didn't get all 5 mixes last swap, feel free to tattle to me (in email, please) so I can keep track of who's in and who's out.
• You may be asked to mail overseas, and if you live outside the USA, you will most definitely be asked to mail packages to foreign countries. Communication is important so if you can't get your mixes out by the deadline (see below), let me or the other members of your swapset know.
• Deadlines, here's some schedule:
  • Sign-ups close in ~2 weeks on Sunday, July 11th, 2010.
  • Swapset assignments will go out shortly thereafter via email.
  • The mailing deadline is in about a month and a half, let's say Saturday August 14th, 2010
• If you would like to be in two swapsets (mailing 10 copies of your mix out) or if you have any other specific requests or restraints, please include them in your sign-up email. I will honor them the best I can, but no promises.

posted by carsonb to MetaFilter-Related at 11:45 AM (161 comments total)

And of course, I'm posting this as I scramble out the door to work so don't fret if I'm not around to answer questions for an hour or so while I commute.
posted by carsonb at 11:46 AM on June 28, 2010

In what hemisphere is it not mid-year 2010?
posted by DU at 11:47 AM on June 28, 2010

We'd been calling previous swaps "Summer" or "Winter" swap, which is totally HEMISPHERIST.
posted by carsonb at 11:48 AM on June 28, 2010 [1 favorite]

Plus, I needed another exclamation point above the fold!
posted by carsonb at 11:54 AM on June 28, 2010

Cool, I've already starting working on this last week!

Will still wait 'till the last minute to send it out though
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:06 PM on June 28, 2010

Yay! Also: one of my mixes last time was returned to me, so either the address I got was wrong or, I dunno, bad mojo. If the postally scorned user tattles, I'm sorry and I really did totally send it.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 12:06 PM on June 28, 2010

W00t! I'm in. :)
posted by arachnid at 12:07 PM on June 28, 2010

I ask the following as someone who has run one of these before: before signing up to participate please try to think ahead to what your life will be like in mid-August 2010. Will you have just moved? Just started school? Will your life be "like totally crazy right now man for the next year or so"? If so, please do not sign up to participate in a mix CD swap now when hypothetically burning five CDs, placing them in padded mailers, driving to the post office and determining the correct amount of postage to place on them, and purchasing and affixing said postage before placing them in the mailbox does not sound too overwhelming. Ask yourself now: "Do I have that exceedingly rare quality of being able to not just get excited about something, not just send an e-mail, but actually take a series of fairly simple actions?"
posted by ND¢ at 12:12 PM on June 28, 2010 [10 favorites]

so on it.

thanks for setting this up!
posted by artof.mulata at 12:14 PM on June 28, 2010

Yes, I want in on this one as well.
posted by Dr-Baa at 12:15 PM on June 28, 2010

I am hemispherist.

No amount of wriggling in between "autumn" and "fall" as compared to "spring" and "vernal" will make, in brain-dead alphabetical sort, spring-as-a-season come before fall-as-a-season, despite the fact that the seasons order that way temporally ... unless you're in the southern hemisphere. From the standpoint of English-speaking semester-sorting geeks, the southern hemisphere is clearly superior.

With my luck, I would move somewhere in the southern hemisphere where the local words for the seasons would create the same problem all over again, just in a different language, or that it would just be "rainy season" and "dry season."
posted by adipocere at 12:18 PM on June 28, 2010

I'm in again! Any excuse to make a MeFi mix is a welcome occasion.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 12:24 PM on June 28, 2010

I'm in. Remember, these are CDDA Audio CDs, and not mp3 files on a CD-R. (I had someone send me a DVD-R with mp3 files one year... that was disconcerting.)
posted by hippybear at 12:34 PM on June 28, 2010 [2 favorites]

I'm pretty sure I'm in, but I'm afraid that even though I'm a musician, my tastes in music suck.
posted by SNWidget at 12:40 PM on June 28, 2010

Would love to participate (again) but the Argentinian postal service is so fucking monumentally shite that it really isn't worth wasting your time and money.
posted by jontyjago at 12:42 PM on June 28, 2010

I'm in. I'm so going to mix-cd the hell out of 5 of you.
posted by 23skidoo at 12:44 PM on June 28, 2010

Hey, can this be a DJ mix? I recently had a hard drive die on me, but I have plenty of records that still work.
posted by hellojed at 12:54 PM on June 28, 2010

I'm in. I hope my swapmates can deal with my uncool tastes again.
posted by immlass at 12:55 PM on June 28, 2010

I love inflicting my taste in music upon the innocent. Email sent! Exclamation point!
posted by Devils Rancher at 12:58 PM on June 28, 2010

Is there such a genre as rap polka?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:11 PM on June 28, 2010

Count me in.
posted by special-k at 1:21 PM on June 28, 2010

Thanks for coordinating this again.
posted by ChuqD at 1:28 PM on June 28, 2010

Yup, count me in again.
posted by anagrama at 1:31 PM on June 28, 2010

I'm in. Remember, these are CDDA Audio CDs, and not mp3 files on a CD-R.

I would love and adore to send mix-tapes (if anyone likes Manchester music and/or old Blues music) but I have less than no idea what the above sentence means. I'll google before comitting.
posted by shinybaum at 1:47 PM on June 28, 2010

I'm in, I just need to come up with the theme/gimmick I'm going to base it around this time.

Remember, these are CDDA Audio CDs, and not mp3 files on a CD-R.

I would love and adore to send mix-tapes (if anyone likes Manchester music and/or old Blues music) but I have less than no idea what the above sentence means. I'll google before comitting.

Basically use iTunes or a similar program to make an audio CD, rather than just burning a folder of mp3 files directly to a data CD. That way people can play them in any standard CD player, rather than just one of the new-fangled ones that can play mp3 files.
posted by burnmp3s at 1:56 PM on June 28, 2010

Ah, thank you - I don't have itunes but other people in my house do. So could I start out with mp3s then? I think pretty much all my music is mp3s :(
posted by shinybaum at 2:00 PM on June 28, 2010

In for another round. Last time, I got some really awesome tunes.
posted by reenum at 2:00 PM on June 28, 2010

Basically use iTunes or a similar program to make an audio CD, rather than just burning a folder of mp3 files.....

posted by burnmp3s at 1:56 PM on June 28

heh.
posted by special-k at 2:00 PM on June 28, 2010 [5 favorites]

yes! thanks for organizing once again.
posted by gursky at 2:08 PM on June 28, 2010

i'm in! got some awesome tunes last time, all interestingly curated. one even came with an astro-snack! carsonb you are the bestest for wrangling this whole dealie.
posted by slappy_pinchbottom at 2:09 PM on June 28, 2010

If I participate, am I just choosing tunes I love? Tunes I think others won't know but might want to? New stuff? Old stuff? Tunes I'm into right now, regardless of age? Are there guidelines to creating the mix other than to make an audio, not data, CD?
posted by TrarNoir at 2:11 PM on June 28, 2010

I'm in and also a little nervous that my bad taste in music will be revealed!
posted by soelo at 2:12 PM on June 28, 2010

Throat-singing and avant garde bagpipe music. Yup. That's what my swapmates are getting.

Stop whimpering.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 2:12 PM on June 28, 2010

my god, last time I fucked this up enormously, leaving them in a stack under some books for a month plus, then sending 3 of them to canada with not enough postage, then...it was horrible.

so I will be sitting this one out, but the mixes I got were great, so I recommend highly to others
posted by internet fraud detective squad, station number 9 at 2:13 PM on June 28, 2010

i'm always a little taken aback and puzzled when people say they believe their own taste in music is not so good. i mean, taste is relative, right? and you like what you like, that's your taste. so are people saying that they don't actually like what they like? or what?
posted by slappy_pinchbottom at 2:15 PM on June 28, 2010

Trannoir:

I've done weird mixes on whatever struck my fancy, uptempo shake your booty stuff, a collection of music from sci fi shows, in concert recording or just a cd of my favorite songs..

I've gotten mixes that were all female, of a specific genre, celebrating spring, old country tunes, and just seemingly random songs that just all flow well together.

Current thoughts for this swap are strictly acapella or americana gothic.

So really, the skies the limit. Pick a theme, subject
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:16 PM on June 28, 2010

er, pick a theme, subject or mood and just go with it. It's supposed to be just fun as you share cool music with others!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:18 PM on June 28, 2010

My goal is to out-weird all of you and send out the strangest CD of all.
posted by reductiondesign at 2:26 PM on June 28, 2010

Ah, thank you - I don't have itunes but other people in my house do. So could I start out with mp3s then? I think pretty much all my music is mp3s :(

Yeah, pretty much any program that will burn an audio CD will accept mp3 files as the input. In the background it will decode the mp3s into raw audio and write that to the CD. With most burning software or media organization software you just need to select the audio CD option, pick your tracklist, and click a button to start writing it. If you're on Windows InfraRecorder is free and easy to use.

I participate, am I just choosing tunes I love? Tunes I think others won't know but might want to? New stuff? Old stuff? Tunes I'm into right now, regardless of age? Are there guidelines to creating the mix other than to make an audio, not data, CD?

Based on what I've received in previous swaps, any of the above is fine. If it's music you like and want to share with people you can't really go wrong, the fun part of getting a lot of random mixes is that they are all different and you never really know what to expect. I tend to base my mix around a theme, but that's just because I like finding songs that fit some set of restrictions and trying to organize them into something that flows well from song to song.
posted by burnmp3s at 2:27 PM on June 28, 2010

If I participate, am I just choosing tunes I love? Tunes I think others won't know but might want to? New stuff? Old stuff? Tunes I'm into right now, regardless of age? Are there guidelines to creating the mix other than to make an audio, not data, CD?

Most of my mixes are songs that I think flow well together, sometimes with a "storyline" or something that moves through the album. Other mixes that I've received have been all on a certain theme or all in a certain style. I think the point is to come up with a mix that you feel confident about sending out to five strangers, whether that confidence comes from sharing music that is your favorite or whether there's an intrinsic whole to the project in some other way -- that's for you to determine.

I haven't received a mix yet that I've really disliked, and more than once have had a musical doorway opened for me, which to me is the best part.
posted by hippybear at 2:29 PM on June 28, 2010

Thanks again, burnmp3s. I'm excited to share my coffee themed blues music with some poor souls.
posted by shinybaum at 2:30 PM on June 28, 2010 [1 favorite]

ha! About two weeks ago I thought of the one I made in the winter, and how much fun it was as they all rolled in ... so I checked the history on 'mefiswap' tag and saw that usually there's another one towards the end of June.

I was waiting and waiting, checking MetaTalk regularly over the past two weeks, and just yesterday afternoon I thought to myself, maybe if I start making the mix itself, I can manifest something - only to wake up to this thread today!

if you mix it, they will send ..............
posted by mannequito at 2:48 PM on June 28, 2010 [1 favorite]

rap polka -> I'm pretty sure Weird Al has that market cornered. very hard to break in to....

also, I'd like to request to be in palmcorder's group, just so I can find out what the hell avant garde bagpipe music sounds like!
posted by mannequito at 2:53 PM on June 28, 2010

It's been a long long while since I've done a cd mix swap and I think it's time to give it a try again. I warn you all that I like oodles and oodles of vintage cheese.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 3:01 PM on June 28, 2010

slappy, maybe it would be better to say that my taste in music is awkward, but not in a way that would gain me any hipster cred.
posted by soelo at 3:02 PM on June 28, 2010

Reductiondesign:

Bring it on. I've got half a dozen Hungarian jazz-punk albums, and about a gig of experimental glass music. I ain't scared.

and Mannequito:

Avant garde bagpipe music sounds like *heaven,* except for the tracks that make you want to slam your head in a car door. I'll include the former variety, I think.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 3:03 PM on June 28, 2010

Last time I made multisession CDs with audio and data tracks. If anyone's interested, I can post instructions for doing this with command line tools on linux-y things when I get home.
posted by arrjay at 3:06 PM on June 28, 2010

I failed at the last swap. Which reminds me, now that I have abundant free time, I should go and make good on that. And no, I don't expect to be absolved of my sin.
posted by sciencegeek at 3:14 PM on June 28, 2010

Yeah, uh, could I be put in palmcorder_yajna's group? Pleeeease?
posted by reductiondesign at 3:20 PM on June 28, 2010

Wow. I did this once (years ago?) -- and now feel the need of an infusion of weird and wild. Bring it on!

Thanks carbomb-carsonb!!

... musings ... old nutty stuff? ... spike jones?
posted by Surfurrus at 3:28 PM on June 28, 2010

This sounds fun, and by coincidence I just finished a 25 minute mix of fairly abrasive electronic music. 5 of you poor souls are in for a headache!
posted by Kirk Grim at 3:29 PM on June 28, 2010

Last time I made multisession CDs with audio and data tracks. If anyone's interested, I can post instructions for doing this with command line tools on linux-y things when I get home.

please do!
posted by mannequito at 3:35 PM on June 28, 2010

I need to stop reading this thread. I'm going to want to be in everyone's swapset.
posted by reductiondesign at 3:41 PM on June 28, 2010

Last time, digital copies of some swapsets were put online, so keep your fingers crossed.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:14 PM on June 28, 2010

Ooh, yay, I'm in! I always end up making mix CDs around this time of year anyway (summer holidays with the family are a great time to inflict new music that I've found on them) so I'm already in a creative mood. Emailing you now...
posted by ZsigE at 4:16 PM on June 28, 2010

reductiondesign: Yeah, uh, could I be put in palmcorder_yajna's group? Pleeeease?

I'd ask to be put in this group, but this is the sadface of recognition that I'd bore them. (Seriously, I'm OK with any group I end up in.)
posted by immlass at 4:20 PM on June 28, 2010

If you can't help yourself, and you're quite sure you're good for 10 discs and 10 mailers and c. then let me know and I will put you in two groups.

As to what you should include on your mix, there is no right answer except for what you ultimately decide.
posted by carsonb at 4:25 PM on June 28, 2010

Also, I'm sorry none of you have gotten confirmations yet. It's been busy at work so far today. If you don't hear back from me via email by tomorrow, something wonky happened and I'd request you try sending again.
posted by carsonb at 4:26 PM on June 28, 2010

I really want to do this, so I will save up my entertainment $$ to send out CDs. Woo!
posted by Wuggie Norple at 4:39 PM on June 28, 2010

I haven't done this in a while, but I'm in due to extreme curiosity. Already anticipating the sweet randomness.

Just to clarify: Though it's a 'mix' it's OK to not have fancy edits linking the tracks, right? JBOT (just a bunch of tunes) is acceptable?
posted by Hardcore Poser at 5:09 PM on June 28, 2010

Oooh count me in in in, I loved doing this last time! carsonb you rock for coordinating again!
posted by headnsouth at 5:14 PM on June 28, 2010

mannequito, I've quickly written up something and threw it on my my LJ, you can check it out here. You can either comment there or MeMail me for clarification.
posted by arrjay at 5:17 PM on June 28, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm in!
posted by elder18 at 5:54 PM on June 28, 2010

Can we sidebar this so that infrequent MeTa readers will still catch it? Thanks.
posted by arcticwoman at 6:14 PM on June 28, 2010 [2 favorites]

You know, I was planning to start a contentious MeTa thread requesting 20 posts (or a user-variable #) on the front page of MetaTalk before posting this one, but that works too. =)
posted by carsonb at 6:54 PM on June 28, 2010

Just to clarify: Though it's a 'mix' it's OK to not have fancy edits linking the tracks, right? JBOT (just a bunch of tunes) is acceptable?

Yes, the "mix" is about the variety of songs you choose, not about linking them together using fancy editing. It's more like Chex Mix than Rice Crispy Bars.
posted by hippybear at 7:00 PM on June 28, 2010 [1 favorite]

Thanks carsonb for making this happen. Does anyone know how Gracenote track data works for custom mix CDs? If I submit the metadata information (using iTunes), do other people see the information when they receive and import my custom CD?
posted by conrad53 at 7:01 PM on June 28, 2010

Does anyone know how Gracenote track data works for custom mix CDs? If I submit the metadata information (using iTunes), do other people see the information when they receive and import my custom CD?

It should work, although I think it's generally discouraged because it clutters up the database for a very small pool of users' benefit overall. But given how Gracenote works (using track length, number of tracks, and order of tracks to create a fingerprint for that disk) it should work just fine. In theory. I haven't tested this.
posted by hippybear at 7:06 PM on June 28, 2010

Yaaaay mix time! I loved the last one. Now I just need to find enough things to put in it.
posted by jinjo at 7:21 PM on June 28, 2010

ooo, i did this a couple of years ago with you guys and it was great! Count me in.
posted by mosessis at 7:55 PM on June 28, 2010

A question: Is there any criteria for what you put on your CD? For instance, if I like a certain very punk type of music, and it is full of expletives and noise, would anyone that receives it call foul?
posted by Splunge at 8:05 PM on June 28, 2010

I'm in too. I got such wonderful music sent to me last time.
posted by robotot at 8:40 PM on June 28, 2010

Splunge, I can only speak for myself, but I see this whole exercise as a relatively low-effort and low-cost chance to try some new and thoughtfully selected music.

I think if someone doesn't like a particular song, or entire CD for whatever reason, they can just discard it and there's no harm done.

Having said that, it might be nice for your listeners if you included a variety of songs so you increase your chances of appealing to everyone and being crowned King or Queen of the MeFi Mix CD!
posted by cranberrymonger at 9:13 PM on June 28, 2010

I have been thinking about a mix for this for weeks already, hoping that it would happen in the summer again. I've received some fantastic music the last few years.

I was in a swapset last time where one of the disks came back as undeliverable (the same one as grapefruitmoon), which was sad.
posted by gemmy at 9:14 PM on June 28, 2010

Email replies have begun, in the order received. Again, if you emailed me but didn't get the generic 'Well Hello Swapper!' confirmation email in return, there's some sort of issue and hopefully I've replied to you regarding it. If none of the above? Please email me your info again.

63 sign-ups so far. Hot shit!
posted by carsonb at 9:28 PM on June 28, 2010

Err, to clarify, if you haven't received the generic 'Well Hello Swapper!' confirmation email by tomorrow let's look into it. I've just started replying.
posted by carsonb at 9:29 PM on June 28, 2010

I'm in! I've done CD mix swaps with friends before but never one here, I'm looking forward to it.
posted by stennieville at 9:53 PM on June 28, 2010

I just got your email. I first read your subject line as Hello wife swapper! and panicked for a moment since I don't have a wife and even if I did, I'm not sure I would send her to five other mefites.
posted by special-k at 10:23 PM on June 28, 2010

Naw, the wife-swaps are quarterly and managed off-site.

OK I'm caught up on replies, and I think we got everyone who had issues taken care of as well. Please note that my data entry skillz seriously deteriorated over the course of the past two hours, and some of you may very well have a confirmation email that doesn't start with Wife-Swapping or 'Well Hello Swappers!'. If it says you're signed up to swap, you're signed up to swap.

Much love to all North Americans who included their country in their address.
posted by carsonb at 11:12 PM on June 28, 2010

I'm in again! Just out of interest, how are you excluding the welshers from last time, as I don't recall anybody collating this information. Perhaps they should be named and shamed!
posted by salmacis at 3:44 AM on June 29, 2010

I'm in.
posted by starman at 5:35 AM on June 29, 2010

Naw, the wife-swaps are quarterly and managed off-site.

Oh, that's just for the new couples.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:42 AM on June 29, 2010

Must we be so uptight about gender in our spouse swapping? FREE SWAPPING OF ALL SPICE OF ANY AND ALL GENDERS!
posted by grapefruitmoon at 6:03 AM on June 29, 2010

Stop othering the Welsh, you otherer.

I am in!
posted by Sallyfur at 6:06 AM on June 29, 2010

oh what the hell….I am in. Now to think up a cool leitmotif
posted by ShawnString at 6:33 AM on June 29, 2010

Sallyfur, I'm so sorry. I meant "welchers" of course. Although I think the chances of a CD making it all the way to my house from Cardiff in one piece are pretty small.. :-)
posted by salmacis at 6:44 AM on June 29, 2010

I did this like, 8 years ago, I ran late that time though. (Sorry!) But I did get them out eventually.

This time I'm in, and I'll be on time! Pinky swear.
posted by artlung at 6:58 AM on June 29, 2010

I think I have to pass this time. But I loved the winter swap!
posted by lunit at 7:08 AM on June 29, 2010

Hmm, I may have to sign up again for this go around. I've been toying with the idea of putting together a collection of what I like to call "aural aggravated assault and battery" and I've been in need of test subjects.

This might do nicely.
posted by quin at 7:22 AM on June 29, 2010

Last time I participated in this was years and years ago. I think I may have even lamed out and not send off the CDs in a timely fashion. I may have to try again and redeem myself.
posted by 40 Watt at 7:48 AM on June 29, 2010

Yes, I agree with grapefruitmoon, I have people to swap but none of them are wives :( is that okay or do I need to download some kind of software to change them to something wife-compatible?
posted by internet fraud detective squad, station number 9 at 8:38 AM on June 29, 2010

ifds,sn9: We could always arrange a side kind of protest non-wife swap. Where we swap everything BUT wives.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 8:55 AM on June 29, 2010

I've signed up. Have you guys ever heard of Lady Gaga? I'm planning on just doing a Lady Gaga best of.
posted by eyeballkid at 9:13 AM on June 29, 2010 [4 favorites]

Much love to all North Americans who included their country in their address.

Oops, I forgot. My Vancouver is the Canadian one, with the Olympics and all that.
posted by Kirk Grim at 9:33 AM on June 29, 2010

I'm in! The last time I tried this I totally flubbed my swap, so I'd like to redeem myself. And if you were in the "Jade Tree" swaplist from a couple years ago, PM me if you want the CD I owe you.
posted by bettafish at 10:52 AM on June 29, 2010

I'm excited and I'm in! Are there any sort of guidelines on number of tracks or minimum amount of music acceptable? I'm not striving for the least effort here, I just suffer from a need to comply with the rules, and also don't want to disappoint anyone.

This is awesome! Thanks!
posted by fyrebelley at 11:50 AM on June 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Whee! I haven't done this in a while. I can't wait to design some liner notes!
posted by rhapsodie at 12:06 PM on June 29, 2010

yes yes yes yes yes yes this is so great.

I got some thoroughly incredible stuff last time round and I'm still getting caught up on grabbing whole albums from mix selections. I've already been switched on to some stuff I would never have found otherwise, and it's encouraging me to be a bit more esoteric this time.

/sighs at lack of atonal chiptune experimental choir rock

To the record store!

Also fyrebelley - I got mixes last time ranging from about ten tracks to two discs of something like 18 tracks each, so I don't think you need to worry about the numbers too much. If it's good, the people will rock.
posted by Dandeson Coates, Sec'y at 12:22 PM on June 29, 2010

I'm in.
posted by elmono at 4:25 PM on June 29, 2010

I think I just finished mine already... now, to decide if I should make two different mixes for my two swapsets, or just spend a bunch of time on making album art...
posted by showbiz_liz at 5:49 PM on June 29, 2010

I am in and already working on it.
posted by uaudio at 6:03 PM on June 29, 2010

I'm in. But no fancy fade ins & outs like I did last year -- took forever. No big concept, either. This time just a simple iTunes collection, I'll knock it off in an hour. (yeah, right, who am I kidding -- I'm sure I'll agonize over it, like I always do...)

Also, last time I participated, lots of folks posted links to their mixes here; that was awesome, wound up w/ an additional 5-6 mixes. We should do that again.
posted by Bron at 9:11 PM on June 29, 2010

Now I want to do one that is all fades in and out, and NO MUSIC WHATSOEVER.

Which is the least horrible?

70s kid music from vinyl, or
Toxic Earworm, or
Spy Movie Music, or
Grotesque Cabaret Tunes?
posted by Sallyfur at 11:15 PM on June 29, 2010

This is what I look for in a swap disk. They seem obvious, but you'd be amazed how few people get all of them.

1) An audio CD with the tracks clearly delineated. Don't provide MP3s or AACs, and don't try to mix your tracks together.
2) The Mefi username written on the disk itself (preferably with the swap name, like "Mid-year 2010" as well.) Helps identify the disk when it's not in it's case.
3) Provide a case of some description, whether it's hard plastic, soft plastic or paper, doesn't matter.
4) Include a cover that at the very least provides a track-listing. Just because a track-listing is automatically found when you pop the disk in your own computer doesn't mean that will happen for the recipient. More likely, they'll get "Track 1 - Artist 1". Artwork is nice, but not necessary.
5) Create a mix of stuff you'd want to listen to. Don't just include crap to fit a theme. If you want to make a disk entirely of some obscure genre then do it as a second disk.
posted by salmacis at 2:19 AM on June 30, 2010 [2 favorites]

Oh, man, I am sure my recipients will be appalled at the pedestrian nature of my musical tastes, but what the heck, I'm in. I've always come across these swaps after the signup period and regretted missing my chance....
posted by Janta at 6:23 AM on June 30, 2010

Don't provide MP3s

Do you mean don't just provide MP3s? Is there an issue with including both the audio and mp3 files?
posted by soelo at 7:27 AM on June 30, 2010

I'm not sure if an audio CD can contain data or not. If you can stick an MP3 on an audio disk, then yeah great, go for it. The important point is that it should play in a regular CD player as well as a computer. I think you're better off providing MP3s via a service like Dropbox.
posted by salmacis at 7:51 AM on June 30, 2010

arrjay mentioned making a multisession CD upthread (burning the audio and then the mp3s), so I was going to attempt that. I'll be sure to check that it works in a regular CD player. If only the two I own weren't broken.
posted by soelo at 8:18 AM on June 30, 2010

1) An audio CD with the tracks clearly delineated...and don't try to mix your tracks together.

Really? This bothers you? Hmm, I do this all the time just for myself--a lot of tracks I find great but maybe a bit too long, so I often edit and mix. Guess I'll have to do it the old-fashioned way this time, but I'll throw it out there that if anyone's doing a big mix CD with tracks beatmatched and blended I totally don't mind.
posted by Kirk Grim at 10:09 AM on June 30, 2010

Guess I'll have to do it the old-fashioned way this time, but I'll throw it out there that if anyone's doing a big mix CD with tracks beatmatched and blended I totally don't mind.

Yeah I also like more blended mixes. On mine I usually just have crossfades at the beginning and ends of tracks, I think it gives it more of a mixtape feel rather than just listening to someone's music collection on shuffle. Also I don't mind if a mix is entirely within an obscure genre.
posted by burnmp3s at 10:39 AM on June 30, 2010

Yeah, if someone doesn't like crossfading/mixing, definitely speak up if I end up in your swapset. My 1>2 punch is gonna be rad.
posted by SpiffyRob at 10:49 AM on June 30, 2010

What the heck, I'm in!
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:48 AM on June 30, 2010

Mid-Year? That's so Gregorian-centric.
posted by Bonzai at 2:41 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

OK email should be all caught up as of RIGHT NOW.
posted by carsonb at 2:48 PM on June 30, 2010

If you want to make a disk entirely of some obscure genre then do it as a second disk.

No way! Bring on the obscure genres please!
posted by naju at 3:09 PM on June 30, 2010

In. Five people are going to receive an hour of intense, hand-selected hand-wringing majestic Wagner. Or maybe something even better.
posted by spherical_perceptions at 6:11 PM on June 30, 2010

So in! Yay! Get ready for a selection from the golden years of the Boy Bands. Also Celine Dion.
posted by Go Banana at 6:20 PM on June 30, 2010

If you want to make a disk entirely of some obscure genre then do it as a second disk.

No way! Bring on the obscure genres please!

I actually agree with both of these statements; i.e. everything in moderation. I'd love to hear the obscure, just not an hour of the same genre of obscurity. I'd also like to hear something in a familiar vein.


hand-wringing majestic Wagner

Wagner would sound great on handbells, but they'd be awful heavy to lift if you wanted to keep it in the original key.


..oh.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 9:36 PM on June 30, 2010

sounds good, idaho represent
posted by okbye at 10:17 PM on June 30, 2010

Yeah, if someone doesn't like crossfading/mixing, definitely speak up if I end up in your swapset. My 1>2 punch is gonna be rad.

*starts shadow-boxing*
posted by mannequito at 10:19 PM on June 30, 2010

*prepares to make a single-track undocumented unlabeled uncased CD full of songs not in his own music library on the theme of "chartreuse" just in case he's in salmacis' group*
posted by hippybear at 11:34 PM on June 30, 2010

*cockpunches* hippybear

The reason I suggest not mixing the tracks together is that I like to keep the tracks I like and discard the rest. It's almost impossible that there won't be tracks I like, but it's highly unlikely I'll like *every* track. Having said that one person did send a single track mix last time and I've kept it in my iTunes library.
posted by salmacis at 11:59 PM on June 30, 2010

I guess it's ok to look a swapped horse in the mouth.
posted by ChuqD at 4:53 AM on July 1, 2010

A good compromise, if people care to do it, would be to do all their mixing but also include the actual mp3 files as data on the CD. This would also discourage (further) quality loss from mp3s being ripped a second time in cases where the CD is already burned from mp3s.
posted by two or three cars parked under the stars at 6:31 AM on July 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

The reason I suggest not mixing the tracks together is that I like to keep the tracks I like and discard the rest.

...and lots of the fun of making a mix tape/disc, to me anyway, is constructing something that hopefully works from beginning to end. I completely dig that iTunes is the ultimate destination for lots of people, but I also dig the idea of having a neat little experience. And artful crossfades.

I like the less rules*/more luck of the draw aspect of this, otherwise why spend all the time printing art & making it into A Thing?

Anyway, I'm in again. Thanks a ton for organizing, carsonb.

(*My one rule last time was to only use MP3s as a source when absolutely necessary. The couple of tracks that I just couldn't nail down were at least 320kbps, so I hope they sounded ok... If I ever run across that elusive John Davis 12" everyone from my last swapset will be invited to Mintcake Towers for dancing & nibbly bits.)
posted by mintcake! at 7:11 AM on July 1, 2010

If you want to include actual MP3 files it still seems easier to upload them to Dropbox.
posted by salmacis at 7:18 AM on July 1, 2010

*weeps quietly to himself, perhaps from the cock punch, but can be seen slowly stroking a burned CD-R and saying "it's okay... salmacis didn't mean it... he loves every track and every moment and every transition... we all worked so hard... he wouldn't actually dismember any of you like that... it's okay..."*
posted by hippybear at 8:14 AM on July 1, 2010

Potential Mix Titles:

Building The Perfect Cockpunch
Dark Side Of The Cockpunch
Cockpuncher's Delight
Appetite For Cockpunching
Slippery When Cockpunched
No Cockpunch Required
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Cockpunch (banned)
Please Hammer, Don't Cockpunch 'Em
Pisces Aquarius Cockpunch & Jones Ltd.
Private Cockpuncher
Telephone Free Cockpunch Victory
Cockpunch The Clock
posted by mintcake! at 10:07 AM on July 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

The reason I suggest not mixing the tracks together is that I like to keep the tracks I like and discard the rest.

Dear carsonb, please group me with people who are excited about the MeFiSwap for the community/surprise/fun/giftgiving/open-to-new-experiences aspects of it, rather than with people who have a list of rules for what I'm allowed to give them and how I'm allowed to give it.
posted by headnsouth at 10:14 AM on July 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

mintcake!: I think you just helped carson come up with the theme for this years swapgroup names!
posted by hippybear at 10:22 AM on July 1, 2010

Er, additional suggestions for swapset name themes are appreciated.
posted by carsonb at 11:12 AM on July 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

This is why you should never leave your house without at least 3 blank cdr's stuffed down the front of your pants.
posted by mannequito at 2:29 PM on July 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Jeez. A couple of people wanted a bit of guidance as to what to put on their disk, and suddenly I have a list of rules for what you're allowed to give me? Get real headnsouth. If we're in the same swapset you can send me what the hell you like and I will do likewise. I'm sure I can fill a whole disk with the greatest hits of Stock Aitken & Waterman. ;-)
posted by salmacis at 1:05 AM on July 2, 2010

My mix is just about done, woot! Here's a preview of a song by the esteemed Revered Glasseye that didn't quite make it into the mix, just to give everyone a taste of the hellfire and brimestone that 4 lucky sinners will be blessed with.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:33 PM on July 2, 2010

Oops, that link goes to Uncle Sinner. Reverend Glasseye is much more fun usually.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:43 PM on July 2, 2010

Alright, sorry about the holiday everyone; email confirmations should be caught up as of right now.

If you sent me something in email and I missed it or replied confusingly, please try again or memail me to straighten it out. It's been sort of a disjointed week, and I had to put the keyboard down the past two days. Excuses, excuses. Hopefully July will be not so crazy to me as June.

Up to 125 participants!
posted by carsonb at 6:23 AM on July 5, 2010

Hey guys! Was in on this the last time and it was awesome! Got 5 really great mixes, all different and fun, and really enjoyed being part of it. Unfortunately, I am just changing jobs and am going to be on a wicked learning curve, so I'm out for this session. Maybe next time. Enjoy!!
posted by garnetgirl at 8:07 PM on July 5, 2010

Hey, if there are any slots left, count me in!
posted by usonian at 1:00 PM on July 7, 2010

There's no limit on the number of participants. All are welcome. except leeches.
posted by carsonb at 6:51 PM on July 8, 2010

Oh, also, if you've emailed me in the past few days about signing up and haven't heard back, I'm really sorry. My time management and tasking skills are totally fucked up, and this time NOT from disuse. Apologies in general to everyone for starting this at a bad time for me. That was dumb.

Promise I'll look at my inbox tomorrow. Pinky swear.
posted by carsonb at 6:54 PM on July 8, 2010

Sign-ups are closed.
posted by carsonb at 9:06 PM on July 13, 2010

Oh yeah, I've got swapset assignments scheduled for Thursday—keep an eye out.
posted by carsonb at 9:06 PM on July 13, 2010

Whew, making mix tapes (yes, I really must mentally refer to it as a mix tape) was a hell of a lot easier when my entire music library was maybe 50 albums at the outside. These days it would be easy to spend waaaay to much time agonizing over this track or that. 74 minutes? That's barely enough for one artist in some cases.

I think I've got a pretty good mix together, divided into two "sides" about 34 minutes each. Side 1: The electric stuff. Side 2: The acoustic stuff. It actually clocks in at exactly 74 minutes and 0 seconds, so you're going to get your CD-R's worth, swapees.

I will probably resort to the random Wikipedia Article / Random Flickr Photo game for my title & cover.
posted by usonian at 7:37 PM on July 14, 2010

I am working on a dung beetle linocut for my cover.

It does not indicate the presence of dung on the mix. Only beetles.
posted by Sallyfur at 4:47 PM on July 15, 2010

If I didn't get an swapset assignment email yet, should I be worried?
posted by soelo at 10:31 AM on July 16, 2010

No.
posted by carsonb at 10:39 AM on July 16, 2010

Swapset names!


The Again Agains
The Alejandros
The Bad Romances
The Beautiful, Dirty, Richs
The Boys Boys Boys
The Brown Eyes
The Christmas Trees
The Dance in the Darks
The Eh Ehs
The Fames
The I Like It Roughs
The Just Dances
The Love Games
The Money Honeys
The Monsters
The My Loves
The Paparazzis
The Poker Faces
The So Happy I Could Dies
The Speechlesses
The Summerboys
The Teeths
The Telephones


I'm finishing putting together the swapset emails. Somehow I always forget how silly and convoluted this part is—Apologies for the delay everyone.
posted by carsonb at 3:54 AM on July 20, 2010

I secretly hope I'm in The Teeths as that's my favorite of Ms. GaGa's songs.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:18 AM on July 20, 2010

Oh yeah, one other thing:

I pushed back the mailing deadline to Saturday, August 21 2010 since I've been such a slouch getting swapsets out.
posted by carsonb at 11:12 AM on July 20, 2010

Sent!
posted by carsonb at 11:48 AM on July 20, 2010

I didn't realize that Gaga had a song called "Money Honey" and I'm a little uncomfortable with her being even that close to the Bay City Rollers in my head. Hmm.
posted by mintcake! at 2:09 PM on July 20, 2010

Does sent me we should've received the e-mail?
posted by biochemist at 2:39 AM on July 21, 2010

mean^
posted by biochemist at 3:33 AM on July 21, 2010

Yes, biochemist, you should have received an email with the subject line, "MeFiSwap: Hello The Paparazzis!" I just double-checked my out-box and one definitely went your way.
posted by carsonb at 5:46 AM on July 21, 2010

Ohh, I see it now.
posted by biochemist at 9:29 AM on July 21, 2010

grapefruitmoon, I was secretly hoping the same thing about The I Like It Roughs! But I'm pretty excited about my grouping, as I have spied on some people's last.fms and discovered that we are supercompatible in music likes. :)
posted by so_gracefully at 11:20 PM on July 21, 2010

I sent mine down to the post room this morning- it's nothing super edgy, just stuff I like. Hopefully I didn't screw up the whole cda/mp3 thing, sorry if I did. Is it okay to post a download link here for the mp3s?
posted by shinybaum at 1:15 AM on July 22, 2010

Oh gourd, if anyone's looking at my Last.fm... I promise, that's not what my mix is like. Though you can probably suss out a lot of what's on there by "frequently played" since I did, indeed, play things pretty frequently while making the mix. And then I got smart enough to turn scrobbling off during mix making, so at least some of it will be a surprise.

And I do promise, there is no actual GaGa on my mix. It was hard to do (actually, no, it wasn't), but I restrained myself.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:12 AM on July 22, 2010

Is it okay to post a download link here for the mp3s?

I for one would love to be able to check out the mixes that were sent to the other groups, and people have posted that type of link before, so it is certainly okay. This is my first time participating in the swap, but I think in looking over the previous threads, people waited for the "follow up" thread to post dl links. Maybe they wanted to preserve the surprise for the 5 people who were getting CDs but had not yet received them.
posted by soelo at 9:43 AM on July 22, 2010

This thread's only open for a few more days. When the mailing deadline looms a little closer I'll post a reminder MeTa and then eventually a link to download mine inside it (after I'm sure my swapset's got a chance to hear it =).
posted by carsonb at 11:57 AM on July 22, 2010

I actually just finished my mixes and did up the cases last night. Anyone in the Fames have any food or pet allergies?
posted by Kirk Grim at 11:10 AM on July 23, 2010