Scott, have you heard that the Dead are now letting people share downloaded MP3s of old shows on the Internet now, as long as no money changes hands? If the MP3s have been done right, I don't think they'd sound any better or worse than the many-generations-from-the-master cassettes that we both know and love from years past. :)
Odd how the Dead's business model - open source live recordings, money made from touringto a loyal fanbase - looks like the only viable one in the future.
An interesting model, and a fascinating business story...but *whispers*...never really liked their music... Even when I used to smoke a little, the Dead, and reggae, never did it for me.
I have to admit I have no clue about mp3, so I can't make a informed response. I did check out a link that had files...some were excellent, but some of the shows , I had much better recordings, from the master audience source tapes. It will take time to accumulate a really comprehensive database, but ,yeah, its excellent that such an endeavor is underway...as it should be, : )
GB...I'm transfering Dead tape now...Long Beach 8-28-81...holy cow. soundboard 3rd gen A+...my mind is melting... : ) on cd, not mp3..give me a shout..s-dog