OFFICIAL
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
[FAQ]
FOR
alt.music.bootlegs
Version 4.0
June 23rd, 2001
15th Edition
-by-
Toby A Inkster, Esq
James Eades
-thanks to-
Jeff Kuhn
Steven Moffat
Adam Cankaya
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOPIC 0 - PROLOGUE
[0-01] Welcome to the alt.music.bootlegs FAQ
[0-02] Copyrights
[0-03] Do's and Don'ts
[0-04] Credits
[0-05] History
[0-06] Where can I find the latest version of this FAQ?
[0-07] What if something is wrong on this FAQ?
TOPIC 1 - LEGAL AND GENERAL
[1-01] What *IS* bootlegging?
[1-02] What is alt.music.bootlegs?
[1-03] Which laws apply to bootlegging?
[1-04] Where can I find out more about legal issues?
[1-05] Which bands allow taping?
TOPIC 2 - TRADING
[2-01] Where can I find traders that have such-and-such-band?
[2-02] How do I know if a trader is honest?
[2-03] How long should I wait before posting someone as a bad
trader?
[2-04] What information should I include when posting someone as a
bad trader?
[2-05] What information should I NOT include when posting someone
as a bad trader?
[2-06] I've never traded with anyone before. How should I phrase
an email to someone I want to trade with?
TOPIC 3 - BUYING AND SELLING
[3-01] Why will some people not sell bootlegs?
[3-02] Where is a good bootleg store in XXXXXXXX?
[3-03] Where is a good online bootleg store?
[3-04] How do I know if a seller is honest?
[3-05] What is a fair price to pay?
TOPIC 4 - CD-RECORDABLE
[4-01] What is Disc-At-Once (DAO)? Track-At-Once (TAO)?
[4-02] I've heard that burning at high speeds can cause errors.
Why is this?
[4-03] Which CDRs are the best?
[4-04] How long will CDRs last?
TOPIC 4.1 - Standalone CD-Recorders
[4-05] What is the difference between PC CD-recorders and
standalones?
[4-06] What is the best model of standalone CD-recorder?
[4-07] What are the best kind of discs to use?
TOPIC 4.2 - PC CD-Recorders
[4-08] What is "on the fly" recording? Should I use it?
[4-09] What is the best model of CD-recorder?
[4-10] How do I burn the perfect CDR?
TOPIC 5 - MINIDISC
[5-01] Is MiniDisc lossy?
[5-02] How does ATRAC work? Is it the same as MP3?
[5-03] If MiniDisc is lossy, how can I maximise sound quality?
TOPIC 6 - VIDEO TAPE
[6-01] Why haven't you mentioned videos?
TOPIC 7 - OTHER FORMATS
TOPIC 7.1 - DAT
[7-01] Does anyone trade DAT?
[7-02] Where can I find DAT traders?
TOPIC 7.2 - Cassette
[7-03] Does anyone still trade cassettes?
[7-04] Where can I find cassette traders?
[7-05] What is the best way to dub tapes?
TOPIC 7.3 - SHN
[7-06] What's SHN all about then?
[7-07] Where can I find SHN traders?
[7-08] How can I listen to SHN files?
[7-09] How do I convert SHN files to CDs?
[7-10] What are MD5 files?
TOPIC 7.4 - VCD
[7-11] What is a VCD?
TOPIC 8 - MAILING
[8-01] What is the postage rate from XXXX to YYYY?
[8-02] What's the best way to wrap CDs securely?
[8-03] Why do people tell me not to use fibre-mailers?
[8-04] Should I send by priority mail? First class mail? etc?
[8-05] Are there any special considerations when sending things
internationally?
TOPIC 9 - BASIC BOOTLEG MANAGEMENT
[9-01] Why should I keep track of which bootlegs I have?
[9-02] How should I keep track of which bootlegs I have?
[9-03] What information should I include?
[9-04] How should I grade quality?
[9-05] What is a "generation"?
[9-06] What do those letters under Source such as SB, AUD, FM,
etc, mean?
[9-07] Should I include my "rules"?
[9-08] Should I include a list of people I've traded with?
[9-09] What should I do with my list?
[9-10] How often should I post my list?
[9-11] Crossposting?
TOPIC 10 - TAPING
[10-01] What equipment should I use?
[10-02] What are the advantages and disadvantages of DAT and MD?
[10-03] Where are the best venues to tape?
[10-04] How should I sneak it in?
[10-05] Where should I put the microphones while recording?
[10-06] Any other taping tips?
[10-07] Can I get a soundboard patch?
[10-08] What happens if I get caught?
TOPIC 11 - AUDIO EDITING
[11-01] What audio editing tools should I use?
[11-02] How can I get rid of the gaps from CDs burnt in TAO mode?
[11-03] Why is that such a complicated process?
[11-04] How to I transfer a recording from another format (DAT, MD,
Cassette, Vinyl, etc) to CDR?
[11-05] There's a lot of hiss on my recording. How do I fix that?
[11-06] How can I remove small pops and clicks from the recording?
[11-07] What are some general tips and tricks?
[11-08] What does "clipping" mean?
TOPIC 12 - ARTWORK
[12-01] Should I send artwork with my bootlegs?
[12-02] How do I make artwork?
[12-03] Where can I find artwork for XXXX?
TOPIC 13 - THE ALT.MUSIC.BOOTLEGS NEWSGROUP
[13-01] What is a newsgroup?
[13-02] How do I access newsgroups?
[13-03] Are there any special considerations when posting messages
to newsgroups?
[13-04] Are there any special considerations when posting messages
to alt.music.bootlegs in particular?
[13-05] How long has alt.music.bootlegs existed? How long do you
think it will last?
[13-06] What other newsgroups might be of interest to me?
TOPIC 14 - MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS
[14-01] I'm new to this. How do I get started?
[14-02] What's a B+P?
[14-03] What's a 2 to 1 trade?
[14-04] Isn't that piracy?
[14-05] How can I tell if a CD is MP3 sourced?
[14-06] What is the difference between an Outtake and a Demo?
[14-07] What's a filler?
APPENDIX I - FURTHER READING
TOPIC 0 - PROLOGUE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[0-01] Welcome to the alt.music.bootlegs FAQ
Welcome to the FAQ for alt.music.bootlegs. This newsgroup has existed
since mid-August of 1994. It was started by Ben Kierulff because he
felt that people needed a place to trade their tapes. He had gotten
into trading NIN, exclusively on alt.music.nin, because there was no
other place around, and it was a pain to trade for other music groups
on a.m.n. If you wanted a Pink Floyd boot, you would have to hope
someone would post on the Pink Floyd newsgroup about it. There needed
to be a place for tapes of any and all origins to be swapped amongst
netters, so he made one, alt.music.bootlegs. We can all thank him for
it, because no one would be here today without him, and there wouldn't
be a FAQ for a newsgroup that didn't exist. :)
The first FAQ for the newsgroup was created by , it was
read by Jeff Kuhn who liked the idea, and with the agreement of Chewtoy2
developed a new FAQ for the newsgroup which he maintained from 1995
until 1998.
From 1998 until 2001 the FAQ went unmaintained until I posted about
the idea of starting a new one. A few people said they'd help out
and Jeff kindly allowed me to use parts of his original FAQ in this
one. You can find a full list of the parts that are based on Jeff's
original FAQ later on in this topic.
So here is the FAQ. We have done our best to ensure the accuracy of our
answers, although it should be pointed out that this is a work in
progress. If you have any additions or corrections, please contact the
authors of the FAQ.
-Toby
[0-02] Copyrights
This FAQ is the copyright of its respective authors. All rights
reserved.
I. You have the following rights make copies of this in original form,
so long as:
(a) the copies are complete and exact duplicates of the
original;
(b) you do not charge a fee for copying or distribution;
(c) the distributed form is not in an electronic magazine,
within computer software, unless you have gotten specific
permission from me;
(d) the distributed form is the newest version of this FAQ to
the best of your knowledge;
(e) the copies are in electronic form;
(f) under NO circumstances will a monetary fee be given in
exchange for this document.
II. The following disclaimers are in effect:
(a) The author and contributors are not responsible in any way
for their contributions.
(b) The author and contributors are not responsible or liable
for any consequences resulting from the use or misuse of the
information they gave. The contributors, as well as the
author, make no guarantees as whether the information
contained within is correct.
(c) Some documents were reprinted electronically without
permission. In doing so, they may or may not have been been
edited.
Parts of this document are from the alt.music.bootlegs FAQ ver 3.1,
reprinted with the author's permission. The copyrights and disclaimers
of that document apply to the extracts contained within this.
[0-03] Do's and Don'ts
Do: Read this FAQ Don't: Not Read it :)
Do: Give the FAQ to people Don't: Post this to Usenet
yourself
Do: Put this FAQ on Your WWW/FTP Site Don't: Forget to Notify Me First
Do: Agree/Disagree with the info Don't: Change the info yourself
[0-04] Credits
The FAQ is by James Eades (Topics 3, 8 and 12) and Toby A Inkster, Esq.
The following parts of the FAQ are based on Jeff Kuhn's older FAQ:
[0-all], [1-01, 05], [7-05], [9-all]
Jeff himself gives credits to the following people for making his
FAQ possible:
Andy Strote, David Lynch, David J Carlstrom, Michael Burstin,
Jerry Shugars, Ben Kierulff, John R Harper, Rob Gronotte, Scott
Hannon, Phil Satterley, M Cheng, John Swenson, Len Moskowitz,
Chris Trumbore, Dave, Tomi Kause, Michael Burstin and Adam
Stanley.
[0-05] History
Jun. 23 1995 - 1st Release (beta test release)
Jul. 07 1995 - 2nd Release (major additions and changes)
Jul. 21 1995 - 3rd Release (changes, additions, and spelling
corrections)
Aug. 04 1995 - 4th Release (changes regarding store addresses, dolby)
Aug. 18 1995 - 5th Release (last of big changes, including boot dist)
Sep. 01 1995 - 6th Release (FTP info, minor revisions)
Oct. 10 1995 - 7th Release (DAT info, taping bands, minor revisions)
Jan. 15 1996 - 8th Release (DOLBY, mailing list, structure revisions)
Apr. 26 1996 - 9th Release (Laws, sound - minor revisions)
Jun. 24 1996 - 10th Release (minor revisions, FTP info, Happy 1st
Birthday)
Aug. 27 1996 - 11th Release (minor revisions, news articles.)
Dec. 05 1996 - 12th Release (minor revisions)
Jun. 19 1997 - 13th Release (revisions, post after inactivity)
Mar. 20 1998 - 14th Release (revisions, post after inactivity, changes)
Jun. 23 2001 - 15th Release (major changes, Happy 6th Birthday)
[0-06] Where can I find the latest version of this FAQ?
The latest version of this FAQ should always be available from:
http://www.ambfaq.cjb.net
It will also be posted to alt.music.bootlegs, alt.answers and
news.answers on a regular basis.
[0-07] What if something is wrong on this FAQ?
Please contact one of the authors with corrections or additions.
Our email addresses are:
TOPIC 1 - LEGAL AND GENERAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[1-01] What *IS* bootlegging?
Essentially, bootlegs are recordings that have not been released by an
artist's main record label. They could be live recordings, studio
outtakes, rehersals, or just jams. The source for these might be CD's
that are put out by various bootleg labels, tapes made by tapers at
concerts, or tapes that one way or another "escaped" from the recording
studio.
Bootlegging is not, I repeat, not the illegal making and distribution of
alcohol. Well, it is, but that's not what we're talking about here. If
you think that was the definition, you're in the wrong time and place.
Go back about 80 years and go to alt.tv.dukes-of-hazzard. :) [No, that
newsgroup does not exist - please don't e-mail me on that.]
Well, then. What is bootlegging, really? Well, it's something A LOT of
people disagree with. Bootlegging is where people go into concerts,
record the concert, then go and press the music onto a CD and, in turn,
sell this CD for monetary profit.
There is another type of "bootlegging", which is pretty different. There
are people/companies that are making copies of legitimate releases and
selling them as if they were legitimate. This however, is called
pirating, and not really bootlegging. This type of pirating is
what record companies are much most concerned with.
[1-02] What is alt.music.bootlegs?
Alt.music.bootlegs is NOT any of the above mentioned text. No-one here
goes to concerts and records them, and then presses them on CD for a
profit. Alt.music.bootlegs is for the TRADING of VIDEOS/AUDIO TAPES/DATs
for PERSONAL USE ONLY, not for a profit. Many people cringe at the name
alt.music.bootlegs because it implies profiteering.
[1-03] Which laws apply to bootlegging?
Different laws apply to you depending on where you live. In the USA,
US Code, Title 18, Section 2319A applies to you:
Offense. - Whoever, without the consent of the performer or
performers involved, knowingly and for purposes of commercial
advantage or private financial gain -
(1) fixes the sounds or sounds and images of a live musical
performance in a copy or phonorecord, or reproduces copies
or phonorecords of such a performance from an unauthorized
fixation;
(2) transmits or otherwise communicates to the public the
sounds or sounds and images of a live musical performance;
or
(3) distributes or offers to distribute, sells or offers to
sell, rents or offers to rent, or traffics in any copy or
phonorecord fixed as described in paragraph (1), regardless
of whether the fixations occurred in the United States;
shall be imprisoned for not more than 5 years or fined in the
amount set forth in this title, or both, or if the offense is a
second or subsequent offense, shall be imprisoned for not more
than 10 years or fined in the amount set forth in this title,
or both.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/2319A.html
As does US Code, Title 17, Sections 1001-1010, which deals with any
non-profit duplication of copyrighted material:
No action may be brought under this title alleging infringement
of copyright based on the manufacture, importation, or
distribution of a digital audio recording device, a digital
audio recording medium, an analog recording device, or an
analog recording medium, or based on the noncommercial use by a
consumer of such a device or medium for making digital musical
recordings or analog musical recordings.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/ch10.html
People living in the USA should also be aware that various state
laws may also apply.
In the UK, there is a legal precedent that may be of interest. To
summarise, someone was accused of *pirating* (not bootlegging) a
Bob Dylan CD. He claimed that Dylan himself had given him permission.
As Bob Dylan did not have time to go to fly to the UK to appear in
court in Swansea, the defendent was found not guilty. The case is
mentioned in this House of Lords debate:
http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199900/
ldhansrd/vo000317/text/00317-09.htm
As a general guide, authorities tend to turn a blind eye to
bootlegging as a hobby, usually only targeting those who do it as a
business.
It should also be noted that most countries' laws treat non-profit
trading of bootlegs differently from selling.
[1-04] Where can I find out more about legal issues?
Consult a lawyer in your area.
[1-05] Which bands allow taping?
A lot of bands (too many to list here) allow you to tape their shows
(often with certain restrictions). These bands include The Grateful
Dead, Phish, Pearl Jam, U2 and Dave Matthews Band. A constantly
updated list can be found at the Bands That Allow Taping website.
http://btat.wagnerone.com
There are also quite a few bands that are taper-friendly, but don't have
an official taping policy. This is sometimes because they don't have
much of a say over what their record company does, so if their record
company has a no-taping policy, they can't officially do anything about
it.
TOPIC 2 - TRADING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2-01] Where can I find traders that have such-and-such-band?
Your first place to look should be alt.music.bootlegs itself. People
there trade just about every band under the sun. Post a brief message
with a subject line reading something like this:
WTD: Such-And-Such-Band bootlegs.
-or-
ISO: Such-And-Such-Band bootlegs.
"WTD" is short for "Wanted" and "ISO" is short for "In Search Of". It is
probably a good idea to indicate what you have to trade in return -
particularly recordings by the same and/or similar artists.
If you get no responses, try a World Wide Web search on . The
following links might also be of use:
http://www.tapetrader.com
http://www.etree.org
http://www.pauserecord.com
[2-02] How do I know if a trader is honest?
Ask them for references. If a trader has been trading for a while, they
will have amassed a large number of contacts, who will hopefully be more
than willing to recommend them. If they won't supply references, then
you will have to do a little more digging.
Searching on Google () or Google Groups (formerly
Dejanews) () for mentions of the trader's name
might be productive. If you still can't find any information of them,
post a message to alt.music.bootlegs with the subject line:
Trader Check: <<<TRADER'S NAME>>>
and see what responses you get.
[2-03] How long should I wait before posting someone as a bad trader?
Two months is what I recommend. If they send you a nasty email as soon
as they've got your package and tell you not to expect anything in
return, then by all means, post them straight away. But if they offer
you some sort of excuse, please give them the benifit of the doubt for
at least two months before posting them as a bad trader.
[2-04] What information should I include when posting someone as a bad
trader?
You should include enough information for anyone else trading with them
to be able to identify the bad trader with. A name and email address is
generally not enough - services such as Yahoo and Hotmail offer free,
easy email addresses, so a bad trader can easily change email address.
Most people include the bad trader's address, as that is one piece of
information that the bad trader can't easily change. If you feel uneasy
posting someone's address to a public forum, then try obscuring parts of
it. For example:
XXXX Main Street,
Smalltown, IL YYYYY
USA.
You should also include details of why you think this person is a bad
trader. A tiny click might be enough for one person to think of a trader
as bad, but another person might not think of this as a problem at all!
[2-05] What information should I *NOT* include when posting someone as
a bad trader?
Do NOT include death threats, suggestions for people to find them and
lynch them or anything else of that sort. If the trader did get hurt,
the police would be knocking on your door straight away! Try to keep
things in perspective - while the bad trader may have betrayed your
trust, they probably didn't break your bank.
[2-06] I've never traded with anyone before. How should I phrase an
email to someone I want to trade with?
I'm assuming you've already read their list so know what you want from
them - otherwise you wouldn't be sure if you wanted to trade with them,
right?
My advice is to keep it brief, but friendly. Here is a sample email:
Hi Joe,
I was looking at your list and saw a couple of shows that
I'm really interested in:
Counting Crows - 23-Feb-1992 - San Fransisco, CA, USA
Travis - 23-Jun-2000 - Glastonbury Festival, UK
[My list is at http://somesite.com/list | I've attached my
list to this email*]
I'm looking forward to trading,
John.
(*delete as appropriate)
TOPIC 3 - BUYING AND SELLING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[3-01] Why will some people not sell bootlegs?
Some people regard the music as not their property, and so do not feel
comfortable with selling copies of their bootlegs - they are just simply
morally against the whole idea of selling. Others with make a small
charge to cover the cost of the materials and postage.
Other reasons include that the trader does not want to risk being caught
by the authorities for selling music that he/she does not own the rights
to, or the trader has no need to sell - they may be interested more in
building their collection and so prefer to conduct trades only.
[3-02] Where is a good bootleg store in XXXXXXXX?
It would be impossible to list all the stores worldwide that sell
bootlegs in the FAQ. However, the newsgroup is the best place to ask.
Post a message asking if there are any good bootleg stores in
XXXXXXXXX, and hopefully someone who reads the group will being able
to provide the information you require.
[3-03] Where is a good online bootleg store?
It would be unfair and biassed of this FAQ to recommend particular
places to purchase bootlegs online. Not only that, but stores are
appearing and disappearing so regularly that it would not be feasible
to maintain a list of the best places to purchase online, although
eBay can be a good source.
The best place to ask is on the newsgroup itself - post a message
asking for opinions on where to look.
[3-04] How do I know if a seller is honest?
Unfortunately in the faceless world of the Internet it is not always
possible to ensure that a seller is honest. There are certain checks
you can carry out before making a purchase from a new seller.
* Check the seller's website is it well constructed and how long
has it been up?
* When you email the seller, do you receive a prompt reply?
* Ask in alt.music.bootlegs - if the seller is ok, chances are
someone in the group will have bought from or traded with them
before.
* Ask the seller for references a good seller should be able to
provide references upon request.
* Search on and for the trader's
name and see what turns up - a well referenced trader should show
up in searches.
[3-05] What is a fair price to pay?
This is another question that has sparked a lot of debate in the past.
Typically, a 'fair' price would be simply what it costs to make and post
the bootleg the blank cd, the jewel case, the printing of artwork and
postage and packaging (maybe a tiny bit of profit on top depending on
the seller). As a guide, never pay the price for a CD-R copy as you
would for an original CD.
TOPIC 4 - CD-RECORDABLE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[4-01] What is Disc-At-Once (DAO)? Track-At-Once (TAO)?
CD Recorders usually give you two methods of recording a disc - DAO
and TAO. Consult your manual/help system to find out how to switch
between them. Each mode has its advantages and disadvantages.
TAO writes one track at a time. Between each track, the laser in
your CD recorder is switched off briefly. This causes there to be
2 second gaps between each track. On a live recording, these gaps
are undesireable, so DAO is usually preferred.
With DAO the laser is left switched on for the entire disc. This
means you can control how long the gaps are between tracks - you
can have 10 second gaps, 2 second gaps, 0.5 second gaps... even
no gaps! I have not yet found a person that would prefer you to use
gaps than a gapless recording. Consult your manual. Find out how to
make gapless recordings.
A lot of newbies seem to think that if you record something in DAO
mode, a CD player will not be able "seek" tracks. This is plain
wrong.
[4-02] I've heard that burning at high speeds can cause errors. Why is
this?
Whether it makes any difference depends on the recorder, the media and
the player.
Put simply, a CD recorder contains a laser that "burns" tiny parts of
the disc to make them darker - this is how information is stored. If
disc is spinning round faster, the laser has less time to burn each
bit of the disc, so the dark bits aren't quite as dark.
This might mean that the player has trouble telling the difference
between the dark bits and the light bits.
Most CD recorders take this into account and turn up the laser power
when burning at high-speed, but how well yours copes is a matter for
you to decide.
Generally speaking, burning at speeds of up to 4x should not cause
any problems.
While on the subject of burning speeds, it is *not* true that a CD
burnt at 2x can only be read at 2x - burning speed does not effect
reading speed like this. However, if you burn so fast that it causes
errors, this may *slow down* reading the CD back.
[4-03] Which CDRs are the best?
It is widely held that brand-name CDs are the best. Exactly which
brand is best will depend on your exact setup.
Taiyo Yuden are usually touted as the best of the pack. Their
factory is in Japan and they make CDRs for (among others) TDK and
Sony. They also manufacture discs with their own brand on them
and ones with no logo at all.
[4-04] How long will CDRs last?
It is really too early to say - CDRs have not been around for very long.
Experts predict that a well-made CDR if handled correctly could last for
up to 200 years. However long they last, it should be longer than DATs
or Cassette Tapes.
4.1 - Standalone CD-Recorders
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[4-05] What is the difference between PC CD-recorders and standalones?
Standalone recorders are designed to operate as part of a stereo system
rather than a computer. There are several differences between them and
their PC counterparts. Here are some advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages:
* They are easier to learn and use than PC CD-recorders;
* The Analog/Digital converter is usually better than a PC
soundcard;
* They can communicate easily with DAT decks;
* There is a "pause" button; and
* You very rarely end up with a "coaster".
Disadvantages:
* Audio editing is severly limited;
* Standalones require more expensive discs;
* Standalones themselves are usually more expensive than PC
recorders;
* A standalone unit is unable to duplicate a disc created by
another standalone unit - this is a copyright protection "feature";
* There have been reports that standalones deliberately introduce
clicks between tracks when recording at speeds above 2x; and
* Of course - with a standalone, you can *only* record audio - PC
recorders can also record CD-ROMs, PhotoCDs, VCDs and more.
[4-06] What is the best model of standalone CD-recorder?
Recommendations will follow in a later revision of this FAQ.
[4-07] What are the best kind of discs to use?
Standalones require special discs that support a technique called Serial
Copy Management System (SCMS). SCMS is used to stop standalones making
copies of copies.
SCMS discs are usually marketed under phrases such as "For Audio Use
Only" or "For Consumer".
The best brands to use are the same as for PC recorders.
TOPIC 4.2 - PC CD-Recorders
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[4-08] What is "on the fly" recording? Should I use it?
It is possible to create a complete "image" of the CD on your hard disc
and then burn that image onto the CDR. Otherwise, your CD recording
software will assemble the disc as it goes along from various source
files (WAVs on your hard disc, tracks on a source CD, etc). This is
called burning on the fly.
If the source that you are copying from is tracks on a CD, it is usually
best not to burn on the fly. To understand why, I'll need to explain
some basic computer hardware.
Your hard drives and CD drives are normally attached to things called
IDE controllers (unless you have a SCSI system - most people don't).
Systems have 2 IDE controllers. Each IDE controller can have 2 devices
attached. Your setup will probably be something like:
PC ----- Primary IDE -------- Hard Drive
| |
| |
| --- (empty)
|
|
--- Secondary IDE ------ CD-ROM
|
|
--- CD Recorder
Now, an IDE controller is what allows the drives to communicate with
the rest of the PC. However, an IDE controller can only do one thing
at a time. When you burn on the fly from an audio CD, you are asking
your secondary IDE to read from your CD-ROM and write to your CD
recorder at the same time. It does this by reading a little bit of
data and then quickly switching modes and writing a little bit of
data.
This requires a lot of work on the part of your PC, operating system,
IDE controller, CD-ROM, CD Recorder and even the discs themselves.
Often, something will go wrong. Maybe there's a fingerprint on the
CD-ROM and the IDE controller takes just a little bit too long reading
it. Then the CD Recorder will run out of data to burn, so you'll end
up with a shiny new coaster.
It really is too easy for things to go wrong when burning on the fly
from an audio CD. Even if the CD appears to have burnt correctly, the
sound quality may not be as good as you'd get with burning from WAV
files on your hard disc.
See also:
http://pages.cthome.net/homepage/eac/cdtocd.htm
[4-09] What is the best model of CD-recorder?
Generally, Plextor's get the best reviews, but if you're careful, it
really shouldn't make much difference. See also:
http://www.cdrfaq.org/faq05.html#S5-1
[4-10] How do I burn the perfect CDR?
I shall assume you are wanting to *copy* a CD. If you're looking to make
a new compilation or transfer a tape to a CDR or something, go to Topic
11.
Firstly, get a copy of Exact Audio Copy (EAC). It can be downloaded for
free from:
http://www.exactaudiocopy.de
Now set it up properly. A nice guide can be found here:
http://pages.cthome.net/homepage/eac/setup.htm
Now insert your audio CD. A list of tracks should come up. Select all
of them. Press F5. Save them as WAV files somewhere.
Open up your CD burning software. Select all the WAV files you've just
created and put them into a new audio CD. Make sure you set the gaps
between each track at 0 seconds (you may need to put 2 seconds gap
before the first track). Now burn the CDR [4-03] at 4x [4-02] in DAO
mode [4-01].
TOPIC 5 - MINIDISC
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[5-01] Is MiniDisc lossy?
Yes, MiniDisc uses a lossy compression system called Adaptive Transform
Acoustic Coding (ATRAC) to achieve a compression ratio of roughly 1:5.
If no compression was used, a MiniDisc could hold only 15 minutes of
audio.
There have been a number of different versions of ATRAC used in
MiniDiscs over the years - several by Sony and several by Sharp - and
the audio loss with recent versions can only be noticed by die-hard
audiophiles, although of course, loss increases with generations.
[5-02] How does ATRAC work? Is it the same as MP3?
ATRAC is similar to MP3, but most people agree that it sounds better. A
full technical article can be found at minidisc.org's website
http://www.minidisc.org/aes_atrac.html
Because ATRAC is heavily patented, there are currently no computer ATRAC
players/recorders like there are with MP3.
[5-03] If MiniDisc is lossy, how can I maximise sound quality?
A lot of disc manufacturers may claim that their discs sound better, but
like CDRs, all MDs will sound the same - the only difference should be
in reliability.
For other advice, please see minidisc.org
TOPIC 6 - VIDEO TAPE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[6-01] Why haven't you mentioned videos?
Because the person that was supposed to write the answers for this Topic
didn't. If you trade videos and/or film concerts and would like to help
out, please contact Toby at
TOPIC 7 - OTHER FORMATS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7.1 - DAT
~~~~~~~~~
[7-01] Does anyone trade DAT?
There are a small number of very active DAT tapers and traders about.
A lot of people feel that DAT traders are a very "exclusive" group who
don't often "lower themselves" to trade with the rest of us.
Of course, DAT is a higher quality medium than CDR, so it is quite
reasonable for them to refuse to accept CDR recordings.
[7-02] Where can I find DAT traders?
Try joining the DAT-Heads mailing list. On this discussion list, people
with DAT equipment swap hints on how to get the best possible recordings
out of their DATs and set up trades with each other. To find out more,
visit the DAT-Heads website at:
http://www.solorb.com/dat-heads
7.2 - Cassette
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[7-03] Does anyone still trade cassettes?
Not really! Most people are stopping trading tapes and moving onto CDR.
A lot of CDR traders will be willing to dub their CDs onto tapes for
you, but very few people will accept tapes in return, unless it's
something ultra rare!
[7-04] Where can I find cassette traders?
You can try asking in alt.music.bootlegs and you might get one or two
replies.
[7-05] What is the best way to dub tapes?
The previous edition of this FAQ (version 3.1, from 1998) was almost
all concerned with trading cassette tapes. For a detailed explanation,
find a copy of that FAQ. What follows is a short summary.
Most people prefer you to dub *without* using Dolby Noise Reduction.
While Dolby NR suppresses a lot of the hiss generally associated with
cassettes, it also cuts back on some of the "ambience".
Nearly everyone will tell you *not* to use high-speed dubbing. High-
speed dubbing can damage sound quality considerably.
Use "virgin" tapes - in other words, do not record the bootleg over the
top of something else - use a brand new, unused tape to record the
bootleg onto.
Maxell and TDK are generally considered to be the best tapes. You should
always use "Type II" tapes.
7.3 - SHN
~~~~~~~~~
[7-06] What's SHN all about then?
SHN is a compressed audio file format - like MP3 or VQF, but it has a
major difference - it is non-lossy. SHN is an abbreviation for
"Shorten".
When you take a WAV file and compress it into an MP3 file, a vast amount
of audio information is ignored by the encoder - that's how they make
MP3 files so small! The information that is lost is fairly unimportant,
so the finished MP3 sounds nearly the same as the original WAV file.
However, it's not *exactly* the same - which is where the term "lossy"
comes from - audio information is "lost" in the encoding process.
SHN is *non-lossy*, so the sound contained in a SHN file is exactly
the same as the WAV file it was created from.
SHN does have some disadvantages though - SHN encoders and decoders are
slower than the equivalent MP3 tools. Also, SHN files are much bigger
than MP3 files. Here is an example. These are all the same song (an
acoustic version of REM's "Losing My Religion" if you must know!):
MP3 (128kbps, Joint Stereo) ... ... ... 4,209 KB
MP3 (192kbps, True Stereo) ... ... ... 6,314 KB
SHN ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27,870 KB
ZIP (Maximum Compression) ... ... ... 43,400 KB
WAV ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 46,397 KB
As SHN files are very big, they are generally downloaded only by those
with high speed Internet connections. Of course, they can be sent on
CD-ROM instead. Because of the compression, you'll be able to fit more
onto your CD than you would burning a standard audio disc.
[7-07] Where can I find SHN traders?
Currently, the biggest group of SHN traders can be found at etree.org.
You can also try searching the Web for other SHN traders.
[7-08] How can I listen to SHN files?
MP3 files are a lot more popular than SHN files, so while there are
100s of MP3 players around, there are very few SHN players. For Windows
users, there's a SHN plugin for WinAmp (called "ShnAmp") which can be
downloaded from etree.org's servers. For Linux users, there is a plugin
for XMMS, also available from etree.
The other way to listen to SHN files is to convert them to WAV files
and play them. Plenty of SHN software can be found on the Internet
(most of it is available from etree.org). MkwACT is a very easy to use
tool which converts between WAV, MP3, SHN and its own MKW format. It is
currently only available for Windows.
A command-line SHN/WAV conversion tool is also available for Linux and
Windows users.
[7-09] How do I convert SHN files to CDs?
To record SHN files to a CDR so that it can be played by a stereo, you
will first need to convert the SHN files to WAV files (see above). Then
burn them to CDR, just like any other WAV files!
It is also possible to make a CDROM and put the SHN files on that. This
way, you will not need as many discs, but the CDs won't be playable in
stereos.
[7-10] What are MD5 files?
The MD5 algorithm is described in RFC1321 by R. Rivest. Using the MD5
algorithm, it is possible to calculate a "signature" for a file. For
example:
5c63cea472906212bffa149299be0e59
This signature is *essentially* unique to that file. Any changes to the
file (even tiny ones!) will result in a completely different signature.
An MD5 file contains a list of all the signatures of all the SHN files
of a bootleg. You can check the signatures in the MD5 file against the
signatures for each SHN file. If some of them don't match, it means that
those files were damaged during downloading them, so you should try
downloading again.
For MD5 software that automates the checking process, see etree.org.
Also, mkwACT has MD5 checking built in.
For more details about how MD5 works, please see the original RFC at:
http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1321.html
7.4 - VCD
~~~~~~~~~
[7-11] What is a VCD?
VCD stands for "Video Compact Disc". It is a CD that contains video as
well as audio. These CDs can be played on some DVD players and some
CD-ROM drives as well as VCD players (these came out years ago, but
never sold very well!). They can also be played in PlayStations,
Dreamcasts and Sega Saturns if you purchase the appropriate add-on.
VCDs have only recently become common in the bootleg trading scene, but
are catching on fast because they can be made with cheap hardware and
can be duplicated with most CD burning software.
See http://www.vcdhelp.com for more help.
TOPIC 8 - MAILING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[8-01] What is the postage rate from XXXX to YYYY?
Postage rates vary from country to country, state to state, and are
dependant on the destination combined with the package's weight. The
best way to find the postage rate for an item is to visit your local
post office, or the post office's website, which should be able to give
you an indication of prices.
[8-02] What's the best way to wrap CDs securely?
The best way to ensure that cds arrive at their destination in the same
condition as they left you is to use bubble-wrapped padded bags (usually
known as jifffy bags). These protect the cd on all sides and are much
better than the fibre-filled bags - those tend to make a mess if they
get torn.
In addition to this, pieces of cardboard can help to ensure that a
package is not bent. It is especially important to ensure that a package
is not bend if you are sending without the cds in a jewel case.
[8-03] Why do people tell me not to use fibre-mailers?
Not only are fibre mailers harder to reuse, but if they are not opened
carefully they can shower you and your room with dust. Some traders are
also afraid that the fibres will get into their system and cause havoc
with the workings, and while we haven't ever heard of this happening,
it is certainly a possibility.
[8-04] Should I send by priority mail? First class mail? etc?
This is up to you as a trader to discuss with the other party. Priority
costs more, but ensures that the package is delivered much faster. With
inland mailing, you can usually also pay for recorded and next-day
delivery. It is usually good practice to send by first class mail, and
avoid second class, though this is another thing for you to discuss with
the other party.
[8-05] Are there any special considerations when sending things
internationally?
International shipping takes much longer than inland posting, and can
take over 4 weeks when sheeping to certain parts of the world.
There are usually two options when sending packages internationally -
air mail and surface mail. Air Mail is by far the quickest method, and
is preferred by almost all traders. Surface mail is marginally cheaper,
but usually takes 5 to 6 weeks, and so should be avoided at all costs.
When shipping abroad you will sometimes also need to fill out a customs
form. These are usually small green stickers that are attached to the
front of your packages with the weight, description of the contents and
a signature. When filling out a customs slip, it is usually best to mark
the item as a 'gift' rather than 'merchandise', and make the description
'used cds', with a low monetary value. This will help to ensure that the
recipient does not have to pay tax upon receiving the item.
TOPIC 9 - BASIC BOOTLEG MANAGEMENT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[9-01] Why should I keep track of which bootlegs I have?
Anyone who is serious about trading will need to keep a list. Otherwise
people will not know what you have, so will not be able to set up a
trade with you!
[9-02] How should I keep track of which bootlegs I have?
Create a new file on your computer and simply list every bootleg you
have. The two most common formats for bootleg lists are plain text and
HTML. These are good, because they can be read by pretty much anyone on
the Internet.
If you use a more exotic file format (such as MS Word files, Excel
files, Databases, etc), be sure to keep an up-to-date text file or HTML
file as well, because not everyone will have the right tools to view
your list in its native format.
[9-03] What information should I include?
At a minimum, record the name of the band, the date (if known) and
location (if known). It is also a good idea to include the source
of the recording (see later on!) and a quality grade (also see later!).
Other things you might want to consider including are the length of the
recording - for example, 57 minutes; a setlist; a detailed desciption of
the source - type of microphone used, etc; the generation of your
recording (see later).
In my experience, if you are making your list as plain text, it is best
to keep information minimal, so that each bootleg only requires one line
of text. Including setlists will detract from the readability of the
list.
If you are using HTML, you can use different font sizes and other
techniques to make the headings (bands, dates, locations) stand out so
that you can include extra information such as setlists without making
your list unreadable.
If you are using HTML, you might also want to consider keeping setlists
on separate pages and hyperlinking to them from your main list.
I personally keep three copies of my list:
* a database with all the info you could possibly want in it;
* an HTML version (automatically generated from the database); and
* a text file (also automatically generated, but with less
information - no setlists, etc)
but I'm a Computer Science student, so I've got to do things the
complicated way - it's in our nature :)
[9-04] How should I grade quality?
Firstly, you should bear in mind that quality is an indication of the
*sound quality* of the recording. In other words, a high quality show is
very clear, has very little audience noise, etc.
Quality is NOT based on "what good songs were played".
The usual way of grading quality nowadays is by using school grades - A+
is an exceptionally good recording, E- is terrible! This method of
grading is used as it is pretty easy for people to understand. Here are
some other ways of grading that you may come across:
Older Standard
EX+ - Perfect recording.
EX - Excellent recording.
EX- - Mainly excellent recording, maybe with some minor flaws.
VG+ - Very, very good recording.
VG - Very good recording. Very listenable.
VG- - Not quite as good as very good.
G - Good recording. Listenable.
P - Poor recording. Only for true collectors!
VP - Very poor. Difficult to tell what's going on at the show!
Number Grading (mainly used by DAT traders)
10 - Perfect recording.
:
:
1 - Awful recording.
Fractions are occasionally used, for example 9.5
Older Number Grading (never used today!)
1 - Excellent
2 - Good
3 - Fair
4 - Poor
5 - True collector only
Whichever system you choose to use, try to be consistant. You may want
to explain your grading system somewhere on your list.
[9-05] What is a "generation"?
A generation is kinda exactly what it sounds like. Did you ever tape a
movie from someone on a VHS video-cassette tape? We probably all have.
Say that person who you copied it from, taped it from someone else, and
that person taped it from someone else, and that person taped it from
someone else. Your copy of the tape will most likely be pretty shitty,
because as you continue to make copies of copies of copies, the quality
continues to deteriorate. Simply, the generation is a number that tells
the person how many times your copy has been copied down from the
original.
For example, if I had a 1st generation tape, that means that the person
that I got it from had the master. That means that if you wanted that
tape from me, your tape would be 2nd generation, and so on.
In the age of digital recording, generations have become less important
as a copy is almost exactly the same as its source. Generations are
still important in video trading though. A lot of MiniDisc and DAT
traders also care a lot about generations.
[9-06] What do those letters under Source such as SB, AUD, FM, etc,
mean?
These abbreviations stand for the source of the live recording.
ALD = Taped from an assisted listening device (some venues have
this system for people with hearing problems to listen to)
AUD = Audience (These can be real good, or real bad)
FM = A show broadcast on FM radio
#PRO = Where # represents the number of cameras used in a pro-shot,
but unreleased video
PRO = Pro-shot video (unspecified number of cameras)
SB = Soundboard (Generally, the best type of live recording)
SBD = Soundboard
SDBD = Soundboard
STU = Studio tracks (Demos, Out-takes, B-sides, etc)
ST = Studio tracks
TRI = TRIpod shot (video)
TV = A show broadcast on television
VHS = Audio was taken off a VHS video-cassette
WEB = Webcast
The term "soundboard" should not be used lightly. For a recording to be
truly soundboard-sourced, it must come directly from the venue's mixing
deck. TV/FM broadcasts (and webcasts!) to not count as soundboard.
You may also see these abbreviations (particularly AUD and SBD) prefixed
with a D - i.e. DAUD or DSBD. This just means that they are digitally
sourced - no MP3 generation, no cassette generation.
[9-07] Should I include my "rules"?
It is useful to include a list of rules/guidelines for trading with you.
If you put them at the top of your list, try to keep them as concise as
possible, as no-one wants to read through pages of rules before trading
with you! If you put them at the bottom of the list, or on a seperate
page (on a website), then feel free to write on and on and on and on
and...
[9-08] Should I include a list of people I've traded with?
It might be a good idea to add such a list to the end of your main
bootleg list. Not only will it give people a nice list of traders that
they can trust (because they didn't rip you off!), but it will also act
as a set of references for you.
[9-09] What should I do with my list?
When you have the list made, you should post it to alt.music.bootlegs in
an attempt to have people respond to you, interested in some of your
bootlegs. That's how trades start.
Make sure you only post a *text* version to the newsgroup. People don't
like HTML posts to newsgroups. If your list is in HTML, put it on a
website somewhere and post a link to it on the newsgroup.
[9-10] How often should I post my list?
This depends on how busy you like to be! Every two weeks would be
sensible. Every two days would not.
[9-11] Crossposting?
Crossposting is posting your article to several newsgroups at once. This
is commonly done, but I think people would advise you to post only to
groups relevant to your list and what you generally collect. Don't go
posting to rec.music.rem if you don't like them.
TOPIC 10 - TAPING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[10-01] What equipment should I use?
What equipment you use to record live concerts will greatly determine
the quality of your recordings. Nowadays, the most commonly used
equipment is either a DAT or MiniDisc recorder hooked up to some good
microphones, although some people still record to analogue cassette
tapes.
Cassettes are by far the cheapest option, but of course do not offer
the same sound quality that DATs or MDs do.
MiniDisc is an ideal setup for beginners. A good MiniDisc recorder
should be reasonably priced, and they are very small. MiniDiscs can hold
up to 80 minutes of stereo music (or 160 minutes of mono) with very
little quality loss.
DATs are the preferred taping medium, although they are much more
expensive than MiniDiscs. They record at 48000 samples per second
(better than CD quality) and can last for up to 3 hours non-stop.
Possibly more important is your choice of microphone. There are two main
types of microphone - unidirectional and omnidirectional.
Unidirectional microphones are "focussed". If you aim them at the sound
source, they should pick that sound source up very well without picking
up much surrounding audience noise. They also can help filter out echos,
if they acoustics of the venue aren't that great. A popular type of
unidirectional microphone is the Cardioid.
Omnidirectional microphones on the other hand pick up sound from all
directions and are thus preferred for stereo recordings. These are best
used in concerts where there is only a little audience noise.
It is a good idea to have a good set of both type of microphone for
different occasions, but if you have to settle on one, unidirectional
microphones are more flexible.
Either way, you should check your microphone's sound pressure levels
(SPL). If you are going to be recording loud concerts, make sure you get
microphones with a SPL of at least 120 decibels.
It is also important to have a "battery box". This will amplify the
signal from the microphone, allowing you to plug directly into your
recording unit's line in. The line in is preferable to the microphone
socket, because most taping units have fairly poor preamps in their
microphone sockets.
A bass roll-off is also useful for concerts with a lot of bass, because
bass tends to cause distortion on a lot of recordings.
[10-02] What are the advantages and disadvantages of DAT and MD?
____________________________________________________________
| DAT | MiniDisc |
|----------------------------|-------------------------------|
| Holds 180 minutes of music | Holds 80 minutes of music (or |
| | 160 minutes in mono) |
| | |
| You'll never need to | It takes about 30 seconds to |
| switch DATs half way | switch from one MD to the |
| through a show | next one |
| | |
| Better than CD quality | Lossy compression |
| | |
| The actual tape used in | MiniDisc is much more stable |
| DAT degrades with time | |
| | |
| DAT can randomly fail | MiniDisc is usually OK, |
| during recording | unless you bump it hard |
| | |
| Very expensive | Reasonably priced |
|____________________________|_______________________________|
[10-03] Where are the best venues to tape?
It is often good to start taping in smaller venues as you will be able
to get closer to the source of the sound (speaker stacks, stage, etc).
You may also be able to build a friendship with the sound guy this way
(see [10-07])
Another advantage of taping in smaller venues is that you will be able
to speak to the band before and ask them if they would like you to
record them, which brings me to my next point...
A good place to tape is anywhere a taper-friendly band is playing! When
getting started it is useful to be able to openly tape without worrying
about your shiny new equipment being confiscated, so taper-friendly
bands are ideal practice. See [1-05].
[10-04] How should I sneak it in?
Assuming the band does not allow taping (otherwise you wouldn't be
sneaking your gear in, right?), you may need to be a little cunning.
Various methods include "crotching" (wearing two pairs of under-wear
and putting your equipment between them) to creating a false bottom in
a girlfriend's handbag. And of course, BIG jackets!
Ask fellow tapers for ideas and be creative!
[10-05] Where should I put the microphones while recording?
A usual technique is clipping them to your collar or the rim of your
hat. Hats are especially good if you're fairly tall and using Cardioids,
because it will get the microphones above the level of the audience and
hopefully you'll pick up less audience noise. More importantly... where
should you stand?
In every venue, there is a so called "sweet spot" - the point with the
best sound in the whole building (other than the stage, that is!). This
is often just in front of the soundboard. Another consideration is
audience noise. If there's a balcony, a spot right at the front of that
(combined with unidirectional microphones) will give you very little
audience noise.
Oh - another thing which will be of very little use to anyone.
Apparently, the best distance to keep your microphones apart for a great
stereo recording is three times the distance you are from the sound
source. For example, if you are 50 feet back from the stage, your left
and right microphones should be about 150 feet apart from each other!
This is of course pretty much impossible, unless there are two of you.
[10-06] Any other taping tips?
If the guy next to you is being noisy, it might be useful to offer him
a copy of the tape if he shuts up.
Use the support band to test how good your sound is. Set up your gear
how you think will be best, then tape the full set of the support band.
Between sets (often over half an hour!), listen to your recording and
make the necessary adjustments to your gear to get an even better
recording of the evening's main event! It's cool to keep the support
band's recording too. One day they may make it big, and you'll have a
very rare early recording of them.
DATs have higher error rates at the beginning of the tape.
Don't bring along blank MiniDiscs - bring along discs with about 3
seconds already recorded onto them. This means there is already a table
of contents (TOC) on the disc, so when you need to eject the disc to put
in a new one, your recorder will be much faster when writing the new
TOC.
[10-07] Can I get a soundboard patch?
If a band is taper-friendly, they may allow you to plug directly into
the soundboard ("betty board"). If they do:
* be polite to the sound guy;
* ask him to do stuff - never order him;
* be polite to other everyone else, for that matter;
* don't touch the sound guy's equipment; and
* YOU will be required to supply the connecting leads - make sure
you bring lots of different types because you don't know what
their sockets will be like.
If the band is not taper-friendly, the sound guy will *not* let you
connect to the soundboard - it's more that his job is worth (unless
maybe you're a friend ;)
[10-08] What happens if I get caught?
This depends on the venue. Check the small print on the back of your
ticket. They will probably just send you back to your car and tell you
to put the gear away and come back in when you've dumped it. In most
juristictions, staff should not be able to keep your gear (at least not
once the show is over) if they find it, although they may have the right
to confiscate any media found on you indefinately.
TOPIC 11 - AUDIO EDITING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[11-01] What audio editing tools should I use?
Links to all the software mentioned follow at the end of this answer.
First, you will need a good audio editor. The best free one I have found
for Windows is ASIA 2.1. If you want anything better than that, you are
going to have to get your wallet out. Goldwave comes in at about $50 and
is great. CoolEdit costs a little more - about $80. CoolEdit Pro weighs
in at about $300 and Soundforge, the mother of all audio editors will
set you back about $500!
Luckily, trial versions are available for CoolEdit and Goldwave. I have
been informed that there are various cracks and patches to unlock the
trial versions, but use these at your own risk. I will not give you any
advice on how to find such things.
A few other tools that may come in handy are Exact Audio Copy (EAC), CD
Wave and WAVtrim.
At this stage I am unable to give advice for non-Windows operating
systems, as my soundcard won't work on Linux or BeOS and I don't have
AtheOS/MacOS/etc...
ASIA 2.1
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Platform/9182
CD Wave
http://www.cdwave.com
CoolEdit [Pro]
http://www.syntrillium.com/cep
Exact Audio Copy
http://www.exactaudiocopy.de
Goldwave
http://www.goldwave.com
Soundforge
http://www.sonicfoundry.com/products/NewShowProduct.asp?PID=426
WAVtrim
http://www.logiccell.com/~mp3trim/
[11-02] How can I get rid of the gaps from CDs burnt in TAO mode?
Firstly, extract all the tracks to WAV files using EAC or another good
digital audio extractor.
Now open the first track in your audio editor. Zoom in to the beginning
of the file and delete any silence you find there. Zoom into the end of
the file and do the same. Repeat this process for every WAV file. You
may be able to use WAVtrim to do all this for you, but I find it
unreliable.
The easy method is now to burn the WAV files in Disc At Once mode and
you're done. This will sometimes result in a flawless copy, although
there are often tiny clicks between tracks. If you want to do the
conversion perfectly, continue reading!
Now use your audio editor to join all the edited WAV files up into one
long WAV file. CoolEdit Pro has an "Open Append" item on the "File"
menu, which is very handy for doing this. I have also been told there
is a utility called "WavMerge" that can do this, but I haven't been
able to find a copy to test it.
Listen to the transitions between tracks. Do they sound good? Do they
need a bit of editing? If so, do it. Now is also the time to do any
other editing you might need to do - normalising, equalisation,
cleaning up hisses and pops, etc...
Save the long WAV file and delete the short WAV files you made it from
- you'll probably be running out of disc space by now :)
Use CD Wave to break the WAV file up into tracks again. Burn these
tracks in Disc At Once mode with 0 second gaps.
[11-03] Why is that such a complicated process?
You probably mean, "why join all the tracks together into one WAV file
and then split them up again", don't you?
Well, the answer is fairly complicated. Tracks on a CD must be an exact
multiple of 588 samples (1/75 second) long. If they're not, then you'll
end up with a click between tracks.
After editing the WAV files (removing silence from the beginning and
ends), the lengths of the files will be fairly random and certainly
won't all be multiples of 588 samples.
CD Wave splits files at exactly 588 sample boundaries, so if you join
all your WAVs up and resplit them, you will get a flawless CD.
[11-04] How to I transfer a recording from another format (DAT, MD,
Cassette, Vinyl, etc) to CDR?
Assuming you are using a PC to record CDRs (it's trivially easy with a
standalone, although your results will not usually be as good!), first
you'll need to connect a device (DAT/MD/Cassette/Vinyl deck, etc...) to
your computer's soundcard.
Most DAT and MD decks have a digital output. If your soundcard has a
digital input, you're sorted! Follow the instructions in your manuals
and you should have a decent recording in no time.
Assuming a digital connection is not an option, you will need an audio
cable to connect your device to your soundcard. You should be able to
find such a thing at your local electrical retailer. Check what types
of output sockets your device has (often a "headphone" socket and maybe
another socket as well) and what input sockets your soundcard has
(usually the "headphone" type).
Once you have the cable, attach one end to the output of your device and
the other to either the line in (recommended) or the microphone socket
of your soundcard.
Now, play around with the volume control in your audio editor and also
on the device you are recording from to get the right volume levels.
You want the signal to be as loud as possible without the risk of
clipping (see [11-08]).
Once you have this level, reduce the volume a little bit more just in
case - reducing by about 15% should do.
Now, rewind to the beginning. Set up your audio editor to record in
16-bit stereo at 44.1KHz. Press "record" on your audio editor and press
play on your device. This first step gets easier with practice!
You should now have a long WAV file of what you want to record to CDR.
Use your audio editor to edit out problems such as when you flipped the
tape.
If you were recording from a tape, vinyl or some other analog medium,
there is probably a small amount of "hiss" in your WAV file. Most audio
editors have an anti-hiss tool that you can use to reduce this.
Also, listen to your recording. Does it sound to bassy? Lower the bass
in your editor's EQ. Too tinny? Then lower the treble.
Once you have the recording just how you like it, find the "normalise"
function of your audio editor. Normalise the WAV to 99%. This will raise
the volume to the highest level possible without the dreaded clipping.
Now save your WAV file and close your audio editor. Open up your WAV
file in CD Wave and use that to add in track splits. It is generally
best practice to put the split at the beginning of a song, rather than
at the end of the previous song. A good rule is that if banter lasts for
more than 30 seconds, it should be given its own track - otherwise leave
it at the *end* of the song before it (not at the beginning of the song
after it!)
Now save the tracks and use your CD burning software to burn them in
Disc-At-Once mode with no gaps.
[11-05] There's a lot of hiss on my recording. How do I fix that?
Most audio editors have an anti-hiss function.
[11-06] How can I remove small pops and clicks from the recording?
Zoom in on the pop and you'll see something like this:
x
xxxx xxxx
xx xx xx xx
x x x x x
-x----------x----------x----------x----------x-
x x x x x
xx xx x xx
xxxx xxxx
it is pretty obvious which part of the waveform is causing the
pop. Use your best resources to put the rogue samples back where
they are supoosed to go to get a smoother waveform. In this case,
I'd reduce the rogue sample's volume to about 30% of its original
level and then invert it, to get something like this:
xxxx xxxx
xx xx xx xx
x x x x x
-x----------x----------x----------x----------x-
x x xx x x
xx xx x xx
xxxx xxxx
[11-07] What are some general tips and tricks?
If you have to do some work on a show, do it on the full show in
one WAV file instead of each track individually - this will result
in smoother transitions between tracks. This is particularly
important in normalising. If you can spare the disc space and
memory, you might want to do all your working in 32 bits (instead
of the standard 16) and convert back to 16 at the end.
Always do track splits at 588 sample boundaries - CD Wave makes
this easy!
[11-08] What does "clipping" mean?
A signal that results from an amplifier that is either overloaded or
underpowered relative to the signal amplitude (volume) it being asked
to generate.
A clipped waveform is one in which the gently rounded peaks and
valleys of the AC audio wave are instead sliced off or clipped, to
yield what looks a lot like a square or alternating DC wave.
TOPIC 12 - ARTWORK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[12-01] Should I send artwork with my bootlegs?
This is entirely up to you as a trader, and something that you need to
discuss with the other party during trades. However, most traders prefer
to have artwork with their shows if possible, so it is good practice to
always include artwork, if only by email, if possible.
[12-02] How do I make artwork?
There are many programs that can be used for making artwork, from MS
Word to specialist labelling programs.
The most popular is Neato's MediaFace II, which can be downloaded for
free from http://www.neato.com. This has ready-made templates for
Casettes, CDs, DVDs, Videos and much more.
What you put on the artwork is entirely up to you - some people simply
put a tracklist on the back cover, some prefer making full colour
artwork for the front and back.
[12-03] Where can I find artwork for XXXX?
The best place to find artwork is to ask on the newsgroup, as it is
likely that someone will have it ready to send you. Failing that, search
around the internet for artwork - sites come and go.
TOPIC 13 - THE ALT.MUSIC.BOOTLEGS NEWSGROUP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[13-01] What is a newsgroup?
A newsgroup is a forum for the discussion of a particular topic.
Newsgroups belong to a vast network called Usenet (short for "User's
Network") which grew up alongside the Internet and they are now
inextricably linked.
At the time Usenet was developed, the World-Wide Web did not exist and
very few people had an Internet presence. Usenet allowed people to
establish such a presence, by posting articles to its groups.
Usenet is heirachically organised. For example, there is a comp.*
heirachy that contains newsgroups about computers. This has a sub-
heirachy called comp.os.* which contains newsgroups about computer
operating systems. This contains a newsgroup called comp.os.research
containing various articles about operating systems research.
[13-02] How do I access newsgroups?
There are two main ways - through a newsreader or through a website.
A newsreader is a program that allows you to communicate with a
newsserver (usually provided by your ISP or University) and lets you
read articles posted to newsgroups and post your own articles.
Here are *some* newsreaders that you may like to try.
* Netscape (Win/Mac/Unix): Netscape makes a whole integrated
Internet suite - including a WWW browser, email software and a
newsreader. Netscape will run on nearly any computer. Free.
http://www.netscape.com/download
* Outlook/Outlook Express (Win/Mac): Outlook is part email, part
Usenet. The trimmed-down version is free with Internet Explorer.
http://www.microsoft.com/ie
* Forte [Free] Agent (Win): Agent is a powerful newsreader with a
few email capabilities. Includes great facilities for filtering
out articles that you don't want to read and is very customisable.
Free Agent is free. You can upgrade to Agent for a small price.
http://www.forteinc.com/agent
* TIN (Unix/Others): TIN is a basic command-line newsreader.
Versions exist for most Unix-like OSs, including Linux.
http://www.tin.org
As mentioned earlier, Usenet may also be accessed via the WWW (although
most "hardcore" Usenet users would not recommend this, as it is slower
and less flexible). A popular "Web-to-News gateway" can be found at
[13-03] Are there any special considerations when posting messages to
newsgroups?
Definately! What follows is a short summary of Usenet Etiquette. For
a fuller guide please refer to
http://www.csam.montclair.edu/Docs/Users_guide/news.html
* Read news.announce.newusers before you start posting messages.
This newsgroup will fill you in on the history of the usenet, some
of the newsgroups that are available, and the rules of etiquette.
* Is your post really necessary? If all you are saying is "I agree"
or "Me too", it probably isn't.
* Try to keep messages as brief as possible.
* Do not type in ALL CAPITALS - it is considered shouting and some
people take offence. It is also ugly and difficult to read.
* Do not reply to someone to correct a spelling or grammar mistake
in their post. Remember, it is easy for your finger to slip and
hit the wrong key and English is not everyone's first language.
* Read this FAQ before asking a question. We might have the answer
here!
[13-04] Are there any special considerations when posting messages to
alt.music.bootlegs in particular?
Definately! If someone posts asking for a Backstreet Boys bootleg, it
may be tempting to reply with a "flame", telling them that BSB are crap
and they should get a life and listen to some real music for a change.
But don't. We are a mixed bunch in alt.music.bootlegs. We all have
different tastes in music - chances are that someone feels exactly
the same way about your favourite band.
Think about how to reply. You have two options - you can reply to the
newsgroup, or reply by email to the original sender. Only reply to the
newsgroup if you feel that other people there will be interested in
your reply.
It is very important to choose an appropriate subject for your posts.
Alt.music.bootlegs is a high-volume newsgroup which usually receives
between 50 and 100 posts per day, so most people skim the subject lines,
and only read the posts if the subject looks interesting. Good subject
lines are:
WTD: band, venue (date)
ISO: band, venue (date)
"WTD" is short for "Wanted" and "ISO" is short for "In Search Of". It
is probably a good idea to indicate what you have to trade in return in
the body of the message - particularly recordings by the same and/or
similar artists. If you're just after *any* recording by a particular
artist (not a specific show), leave out the venue and date.
F/T: band, venue (date)
F/S: band, venue (date)
"F/T" is short for "For Trade". "F/T" is short for "For Sale". Use these
when you want to let people know you've just recieved a show and want to
trade/sell it.
Taped: band, venue (date)
Filmed: band, venue (date)
Post these messages to let people know that you've taped/filmed a
particular show. It is a good idea to include information in the body of
the message indicating when you'll be ready to trade it (MD -> CD
transfers can take a while)
[13-05] How long has alt.music.bootlegs existed? How long do you think
it will last?
Alt.music.bootlegs was "newgrouped" (created) with this message:
<<<<
From Sat Aug 13 00:08:33 1994
Control: newgroup alt.music.bootlegs
Newsgroups: alt.music.bootlegs.ctl
Path: uunet!meaddata!swiss.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!
newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!news.cic.net!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!csn!
csus.edu!netcom.com!mach3
From: (Ben Kierulff)
Subject: cmsg newgroup alt.music.bootlegs
Message-ID: <>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 1994 00:15:54 GMT
Approved:
Lines: 3
Xref: uunet control:1122418
--
-=-Mach3-=-
>>>>
There then followed a lot of "rmgrouping" (deleting) and recreating of
the group because people couldn't agree on whether it had been created
properly (you are supposed to provide a tagline, description and
optionally a charter when you create a group - none of this had been
done), but eventually people gave up and it now exists and is widely
propogated (it is carried on most news servers) and widely used.
Alt.music.bootlegs will exist in some shape or form for as long as
Usenet continues to exist. Once a newsgroup exists, it's pretty hard
to kill!
[13-06] What other newsgroups might be of interest to me?
Alt.music.*, alt.fan.* and rec.music.* probably hold newsgroups about
some of your favourite bands. These might also be of some interest:
* alt.binaries.sounds.mp3.bootlegs
* alt.videos.bootlegs
* alt.binaries.sounds.misc
* alt.music.bootlegs.lists (not widely propogated)
* alt.binaries.music.shn (not widely propogated)
If you want to look outside Usenet, there are a lot of mailing lists
around that may be of interest. Yahoo Groups (yahoogroups.com)
is a good starting place.
TOPIC 14 - MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[14-01] I'm new to this. How do I get started?
First, read [14-02 & 03] to find out what a 2:1 and a B+P are.
Once you know this, look around for traders who have CDs by the bands
you are interested in. If there's a lot, maybe ask around to see which
CDs are the best - usually demos and TV/radio broadcasts are pretty
cool.
Contact a few traders and ask for B+Ps and 2:1s. Ask politely. Don't be
disappointed if they turn you down. Maybe if they're too busy they might
be able to point you in the direction of someone who isn't. If you've
looked around a bit and haven't had many offers, you may have to resort
to buying a few bootlegs to start off (see Topic 3).
Now (hopefully) you'll have a few bootlegs of your own. Listen to them,
enjoy them. See which shows you like the best. You might want to try to
find some more like that. Again, ask for recommendations - now you have
a better idea of what you like so you'll be able to get more out of
them.
You'll probably want to start keeping a list of your bootlegs now (see
Topic 9).
Look for traders who have medium-sized lists (around 40 bootlegs). Find
some traders who have some shows that you want *and* want some shows
that you have! Write to them, asking for a trade. You'll probably want
to read Topic 2 for information on how to trade.
[14-02] What's a B+P?
A B+P is a type of trade which is usually to help newbies. The newbie
will send a trader enough blank media to record what they want onto,
plus enough money or stamps for return postage. The B stands for
"blanks" and the P stands for "postage", hence B+P.
For a description of the B+P in gruesome detail, see:
http://www.mcnichol.com/bnp/
[14-03] What's a 2 to 1 trade?
A 2 to 1 is similar to a B+P, but the newbie sends twice as many blanks
as would be needed to record what they want onto. The trader keeps the
spare blanks as "payment". This kind of deal is often discouraged by
fans of taper-friendly bands, in preference for B+Ps.
[14-04] Isn't that piracy?
Bootlegging and piracy are different! As stated earlier (see [1-01]),
piracy is the unauthorised copying of legitimately-released material -
for example, the albums and singles of a band. Bootlegging on the other
hand is the (re-)production of other recordings by a band - demos,
radio station sessions, live performances, studio out-takes, etc.
[14-05] How can I tell if a CD is MP3 sourced?
First of all, listen to it. If you can't tell the difference, does it
matter? Well, if you still think it matters, here's a way of
checking.
Rip a random track from the CD into a WAV file using EAC. Open it in a
good audio editor. Run a "frequency analysis" on the WAV file and take
a look at the treble frequencies. Most MP3 encoders savage frequencies
above about 16KHz or 18KHz, so if there's little to no sound in that
region, the CD is *probably* MP3-sourced.
However, newer better MP3 encoders are always being developed. LAME at
bitrates of above 192Kbps is virtually indistinguisable from the
original WAV file.
Also, there can be other reasons for the loss of high frequencies -
older MiniDiscs for example have a similar effect, as can a cassette
tape generation followed by hiss reduction.
So in short, there's no way to be 100% sure.
[14-06] What is the difference between an Outtake and a Demo?
For example, band X is looking for a record contract, so they get their
drummer's cousin (who has a MiniDisc) to help them record a few tracks.
They master it onto CDR and maybe sell a few copies at shows. But the
real reason they did it is to send copies to record companies.
Record Company Z listens to X's recording and thinks, "these guys are
really good," so he gives them a contract.
They go off to record an album. While in the studio, they record 16
brilliant songs. The record company says that 3 of the songs don't
really fit with the mood of the rest of the album, so those 3 songs
are cut. Also, they don't like the way song Y has been recorded, and
ask for it to be recorded in a more upbeat style.
The album is released and X are an instant worldwide hit.
Now, their original recording which they made on a MiniDisc is a
*demo*. If the 3 songs which were cut from the album, and the
original version of song Y somehow get leaked from the studio (maybe
a recording technician is a bootlegger), those are *out takes*.
[14-07] What's a filler?
If a bootleg is for example 50 minutes long, you may want to add some
extra tracks on at the end to fill up the disc. This is called a
"filler".
In the days of tape trading, most people used fillers. Otherwise,
you would have to sit through a lot of silence before getting back
to the beginning of the tape again.
Now fillers are less common. Some people will put them on, some
won't. If you get a filler, it's a nice bonus. It's also a good idea
to pass that filler along to anyone who you make a copy of the
bootleg for, because it doesn't take much extra effort.
APPENDIX I - FURTHER READING
PauseRecord Resources
http://www.pauserecord.com/resources/
Andy McFadden's CD-Recordable FAQ
http://www.cdrfaq.org/
How to Find and Trade Bootlegs on the Internet
http://www.rootnode.org/article.php?sid=36
EOF