DAT-heads Digest #834
Contents:
Fw: FLAC Help (Brian Dowling)
No Dolby plug-in ("Gary Davis")
ISO: Taper for Andy Summers upcoming shows ("Kenneth Dudzik")
recent jeff beck (mike hooker)
security at The Edge (Palo Alto) (GaoBest@aol.com)
FS: Stock SBM-1 (Dano)
for sale Radiohead tickets Cleveland, need Red Rocks ticket ("Jeff Parkin")
Re: Analog Tape Transfer & Dolby Removal (Tom McCreadie)
Re: DAT-heads Digest #833 (Mikkel Breiler)
From: Brian Dowling <panther@hereintown.net>
Subject: Fw: FLAC Help
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 01:21:29 -0400
How does one make a MD5 Signature from a FLAC16 or FLAC 24 file?
From: "Gary Davis" <g@hoxnet.com>
Subject: No Dolby plug-in
Reply-to: g@hoxnet.com
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 04:16:09 -0700
One reason you won't find Dolby software decoding is that the
process is very level-dependent. In fact, precise matching of the
record level to the playback level is essential to proper decoding,
but unfortunately, few (or no) cassette decks have a facility to
record a Dolby test tone and callibrate the level on playback (My
Revox A77s all have this feature, as do all professional Dolby
A,SR, etc systems, and most 1980's stand-alone home Dolby
processors).
One offbeat note: I often found that stealth tapes recorded with
Dolby C sounded quite good when played back with no Dolby; the
treble increase especially in the higher frequencies was just the
thing to bring out a muddy recording. In comparison, Dolby B
boosts the mid-highs more, which can leave the tape sounding
harsh.
Also, It is all but impossible to tell if a tape has no Dolby, B, or C
simply by listening. (DBX, on the other hand, is notable for the
extreme compression and likely pumping of hiss, if played back
with no decoder). So, a little late to mention this now, but all
analog tapes should have been labeled with the type of noise
reduction used in recording.
--Gary
From: "Kenneth Dudzik" <kdudzik@dietrichdesigngroup.com>
Subject: ISO: Taper for Andy Summers upcoming shows
Reply-To: <kdudzik@dietrichdesigngroup.com>
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 09:19:05 -0500
Any tapers who can catch these shows?
Andy Summers LIVE!
09/13/03 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY, Murphy Recital Hall, Los Angeles, CA -
8PM
09/27/03 ADAMS AVENUE STREET FAIR, Adams Avenue, Normal Heights, San Diego -
8pm
10/8 Through 10/11 Birdland, New York, N.Y.
Check out http://www.andysummers.com/tour.html
Please contact me @ Samegawa@hotmail.com if you can. I can pay for tickets
if you can tape him. Many thanks,
Ken
http://thekenster7600.tripod.com/audios.html
From: mike hooker <mhooker@optonline.net>
Subject: recent jeff beck
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 11:15:54 -0400
hi,
i saw jeff back at joes beach in NY last nite, but didnt tape it. i
hadnt been there in over 10 yrs, and my friend said security is so tight i
would never get any type of recorder in. well guess what, there was zero
security. no wands, no pats, no opening of bags, no nothing. i couldnt
believe it. jeff was amazing. did any one tape it , or have a recent tape of
this tour? i 'd love to re hear it. one good thing about jones beach was the
big screens on the stage, i could watch jeff's hands in detail. WOW!
have fun,
Mike Hooker
please see my music trading list at:
http://hometown.aol.com/mhooker216/myhomepage/index.html
being AOL, its doesnt always work. try later, or ask for a list
From: GaoBest@aol.com
Subject: security at The Edge (Palo Alto)
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 14:28:40 EDT
Hey everyone,
Human League are playing The Edge on Tuesday. How is security at that venue?
I was last there in 1998, where they did not search/etc. Any idea what it
would be like now? I know they've rebirthed themselves, so I don't know what it
means as a venue. I still can't decide if I'm going to see them even though I
just should go.
Thanks!
Mike
From: Dano <dan@thejamzone.com>
Subject: FS: Stock SBM-1
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 12:14:50 -0700 (PDT)
I have a stock sbm-1 for sale in excellent condition. It comes with the
original box, manuals, wall wart and the leather case that holds the sbm
and a d8/m1. I'm asking $400 OBO.
I would also work out a trade for a pair of AKG 393's.
Peace
Dan
From: "Jeff Parkin" <jhparkin@go-concepts.com>
Subject: for sale Radiohead tickets Cleveland, need Red Rocks ticket
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 15:38:27 -0700
I now am the proud owner of 4 tickets for the radiohead show in Cleveland
this coming Thursday August 21, 2003. I have two Lawn tickets for $98.40
(with service charge) and I will pay the shipping.
I have two Pavilion seats for $112.00 (with service charge I paid) I won't
pay the shipping on this, so it would be an extra $5.00 to ship the
tickets. They are Section 37, Row L, Seats 7 and 8. Or I can give you my
cell phone and we can meet before the show (best option).
I will be around Cleveland all day since I am going to the Rock and Roll
Hall of fame to check out the U2 exhibit. Email me privately and we can
work something out if you are interested.
Later,
Jeff
jhparkin@go-concepts.com
Also does anyone have an extra ticket for the Radiohead show at Red Rocks,
the following Tuesday. I will be out in Denver and really want to see a
show there. How is security at the venue?
From: Tom McCreadie <mccreadi@xs4all.nl>
Subject: Re: Analog Tape Transfer & Dolby Removal
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 21:35:47 +0200
Adding my 0.0185 Euro to remarks by Mikkel, Dennis and Rich in #833:
Mikkel:
>...Dolby does have a characteristic curve but Dolby C is the one not to mess
> with, you will want to engange a proper Dolby C (or Dolby B and turn the
>high down slightly like above) to have a good recording......
By 'characteristic curve' are you talking about transfer function or just a
frequency response playback equalization curve? There is no single, magic
bullet, playback curve, but rather a whole family of equalization curves
whose frequency response depends on how far the music signal departs from
the absolute reference Dolby level. For this reason, the above equalization
advice for playback of Dolby C recordings on Dolby B decks is too simplistic.
As illustration of the complexity, nearer the mark is:
- For Tape signal level in the range 0 to -10dB (relative to Dolby level at
0dB = 200 nWb/m), Dolby B playback will give a fall-off of ca 0 -> 4dB from
2kHz -> 15kHz. Thus a high boost, not a cut, is needed here!
- For signal levels of -20 to -30dB, Dolby B playback actually shows a bump
of ca. +5 to +8dB between 0.15kHz and 2.5kHz, followed by a droop of ca.
2dB from 2.5 -> 15kHz.
Dennis:
>>I've looked around the web and found no
>>plugin based software available to remove it
>
>You're not alone. I asked around for this and the response was pretty much
>the same: 'have your tape recorder brought up to spec before transferring
>the tapes with the Dolby on'. Same for dbx (I and II).
>
>That's what I've done, but I'm still bothered by the idea that I couldn't
>find plug-ins. It would seem much more reliable than having both sides of
>the process tape-dependent....
As Rick emphasized, the Dolby process is a complementary, level- and
frequency-dependent compansion system which has to take its bearings from a
fixed Dolby reference level. Even if, say, a Cool Edit plugin did exist
with Dolby decode algorithms, it is not a mind reader and it can't do a
thing until it knows what the actual Dolby level was for that tape - by now
a wav file on the HD. Suppose your plugin encounters a low-level wav
file...is that due to an under-recorded cassette or from gain loss in
transferring a well-recorded cassette from deck to HD? And suppose you try
to help this plugin out of its quandary by transferring - after the event,
but under identical conditions - a sine test tone of say OdB on the meters
of your cassette deck (which has now been brought back up to spec), you'll
still require to know the relationship between that tone and the Dolby
level pertaining to your tapes. And - shudder - some tapes may have been
made on other decks.
The best chance of a satisfactory outcome was to always have included a
Dolby level calibration tone on every recording. There seemed to be 3 or 4
slightly different interpretations of Dolby OdB level in the recording
industry. In my Nakamichi decks, a 400 Hz test tone is used to set a Dolby
level of 200 nWb/m tape magnetization to correspond to OdB on the meters.
Before each recording, the machine is adjusted that all tape types played
the recorded test tone back at exactly 0dB. [Incidentally, having a snatch
of reference level tone on each tape had other advantages: For example,
cassette-cassette copying - now there's making silk purses out of sows'
ears <g> - was cleaner when you bypass the Dolby on both decks and just
align the tones. Avoiding a decode-encode cycle is akin to our DAT practice
of cloning via s/pdif rather than going DA-AD]
Perhaps the original poster shouldn't sweat it if he has high level rock
stuff, since the Dolby's are hardly doing anything under those conditions,
but classical music might need more rigour. To my mind, working accurately
without using Dolby reference tones is like the apocryphal story of how the
south sea islanders used to weigh their captured wild pigs: strap the pig
to a see-saw...select a large boulder to counterbalance the pig...then
guess the weight of the boulder <g>
Tom
Live at The London Palindrome...ABBA
From: Mikkel Breiler <mibm@tiscali.dk>
Subject: Re: DAT-heads Digest #833
Reply-To: mibm@tiscali.dk
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 23:15:39 +0200
>From: Dennis Bathory-Kitsz <bathory@maltedmedia.com>
>Subject: Re: Analog Tape Transfer & Dolby Removal Question
>Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2003 07:50:57 -0400
>
>You're not alone. I asked around for this and the response was pretty =
much
>the same: 'have your tape recorder brought up to spec before =
transferring
>the tapes with the Dolby on'. Same for dbx (I and II).
It is said often because it makes sense. If the deck is not available or =
doesn't work
beyond many $$ in repair, lend a good working one from a pal.
>That's what I've done, but I'm still bothered by the idea that I =
couldn't
>find plug-ins. It would seem much more reliable than having both sides =
of
>the process tape-dependent. Even if there was a charge for the plug-in =
(if
>it weren't as much as those $900 surround encoders!), I would buy one.
Plug-ins have to be sellable, and the intended buyer is scarse when the =
price is
high, and believe me it will be. A Dolby A, Dolby B, Dolby C, HX Pro, =
DNL, DBX I, DBX
II and probably many other techonologies are expensive patentprotected =
schemes for
doubleended noise reduction.
One could take an older tape deck, and stip it, take the input and =
outputs of the
Dolby circuits and lead them to connectors on the back of a box. Make =
permanent power
supply, and a switch on the front for encoding and decoding, and you are =
all set to
tinker.=20
Or you can pick up an old external unit on eBay, like a Teac AN-180. Be =
sure to get
the cassette (and open reel) alignment tapes with it, and the manual!)
-breiler
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