Future Odyssey collections to be released on CD only
A quality experience for listeners is top priority for the Adventures in Odyssey team
1/4/06 -- Families know they can trust Adventures in Odyssey for lessons that shine a new light on situations they face every day. The writing and production team goes the extra mile to make stories special, with new twists and valuable lessons at every turn.
The extended Adventures in Odyssey team – those who work on the packaging, distribution and marketing – also shares in this desire for families to be happy with the quality of their experience. That’s why we’re pleased to announce that, as of January 2006, many Adventures in Odyssey titles will be available solely in CD format. Cassettes of the albums will no longer be produced.
We know many families like the cassette format for certain reasons, so we’d like to address some questions listeners might have.
Does the CD format really offer higher quality?
Yes. CD has a wider dynamic range than cassette. Compact discs can achieve a range of 96 decibels, compared with about 50 decibels for cassettes. Essentially, that means you can hear a much wider variety of sound levels with CDs--louder and softer sounds. All cassettes also experience a level of “tape hiss.” This is the sound created by the process of the moving tape and the noise from the components themselves. CDs don’t suffer from tape hiss.
Cassettes also wear out over time. If you've had Odyssey cassettes for a number of years, you may have noticed this unfortunate reality of tape technology. Since the audio portion of CDs are not actually touching anything when they're played back, they last longer without losing sound quality.
CDs also offer an easy way to make a backup personal copy of your Odyssey albums—by burning them to the computer’s hard drive.
Why not keep producing cassettes so families can have a choice?
For every additional format, there is an increased cost to Focus on the Family. It takes extra time and expense to produce different art for cassette albums, different “masters” to reproduce cassette, packaging costs, etc. For years, it made sense to produce two formats because listeners were evenly split between cassettes and CDs. However, the number of families purchasing cassettes has dramatically decreased. With our final cassette release (#45: Lost and Found), less than 10% of the sales were of cassette copies.
I like that I can stop a cassette tape, then start it back at the same place. Can CDs do that?
Most CD players today, especially those in vehicles, will start a CD right where it was stopped – even if the car has been turned off and re-started. For other kinds of CD players, the team has tried to help solve this problem.
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Back on the Air |
At Home and Abroad Click for a larger image. |
At right, compare the CD label for the album Back on the Air with the CD label for the new Gold Audio album At Home and Abroad (coming in March 2006). Notice how “Welcome Home, Mr. Blackgaard” and the other shows on that CD have only one track. But, the episodes on the new Gold Audio CD have 3 tracks per episode. So, if you heard the first part of “East Winds Raining” (track 7) and want to finish it up, you could start the CD at Track 8 or 9, depending on where you left off in the show. Also, the behind-the-scenes features have separate tracks – so you can go right to the bonus material if that’s what you want to hear.
Will the latest Adventures in Odyssey collection be available in cassette?
Lost & Found was the final album released in cassette format. A Date with Dad (and Other Calamities), Volume 46 in the Audio Series, features the first-ever audio commentary with the writers and producers of Adventures in Odyssey -- a bonus that was only possible on the CD format.
What about all the past volumes in the Audio Series?
Nearly all of the Audio Series has some cassettes available (from Focus on the Family and bookstores). However, as of January 2006, there will be no further cassette versions printed of past releases.
The Gold Audio Series says “Classic Episodes Digitally Remastered” on the front. What does that mean?
Because volumes 1-15 in the Audio Series were never released on CD, the Adventures in Odyssey team decided to create special releases of these classic episodes. The sound designers went back to the source material recorded 10-15 years ago and converted the tapes in a digital process that restored the sound and fixed any quality issues. So the episodes sound better now than they did when they were first released. Gold Audio Series sets also include a booklet with stories from the studio as well as audio features like bloopers, actor interviews and more!
I’m a bit overwhelmed by all the different releases. Help!
With nearly 600 episodes produced and over 18 years of history, Adventures in Odyssey isn’t like many other shows. The Adventures in Odyssey Resource List provides a complete overview of what’s available: special collections, books, musical albums – even a Checklist for Fans!
How can I get copies of just one episode, instead of a complete collection?
Nearly every episode of Adventures in Odyssey is available directly from Focus on the Family. Each CD includes 2-3 episodes, and is available for $7 suggested donation by calling (800) A-FAMILY. You can search for episodes using the Adventures in Odyssey Resource List.
What’s the deal with Volume 44a, 44b and 44: The Complete Collection?
In July 2005, the team decided to start offering a variety of formats for the latest Adventures in Odyssey. Check out the article What is Volume 44a? Fans should note that behind-the-scenes material is only on The Complete Collection. This concept was not popular with families and it was abandoned. Beginning with A Date with Dad (and Other Calamities), all releases will be "Complete."
What will the Adventures in Odyssey audio series look like in the future?
Over the years, Focus on the Family and our retail partners have found that there's a lot of confusion about what Adventures in Odyssey is and why families should be interested in it. These messages are especially important for drawing new listeners to the show. After much research, the team has come up with a 4-CD package that shows clearly the exciting audio entertainment and valuable lessons that Adventures in Odyssey offers. Look for the new design on Into the Light, a new release coming in March 2007.
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