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 Chewtoy2@aol.com, 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: tobyink@goddamn.co.uk james@jeades.freeserve.co.uk 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. 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. 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. 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 google.com. 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: <<>> 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 www.google.com and groups.google.com 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 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 tobyink@goddamn.co.uk 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 http://groups.google.com [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 mach3@netcom.com 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: mach3@netcom.com (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: mach3@netcom.com Lines: 3 Xref: uunet control:1122418 -- -=-Mach3-=- mach3@netcom.com >>>> 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 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