DAT-heads Digest #193, Volume #7 Sun, 1 Aug 04 01:50:01 EDT Contents: Re: Anyone tape the Delays? (Dave Chapman) Re: Sirius Radio (Keith Bode) Please identify these capsules and windscreens (JH) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Dave Chapman Subject: Re: Anyone tape the Delays? Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 16:27:53 +0100 KindTaper@aol.com wrote: > Would love to get a show from their recent U.S. tour. I was supposed to see > them in Philadelphia but they cancelled. Any FM's from overseas would be fine, > too. I know they played Glastonbury. > > Also, if you like in the UK, I would love to know: When Glastonbury festival > happens, do they broadcast every appearance? Is it a pay-per-view special or > freely broadcast? > > Do they simulcast on the radio? > > Do they only show big name acts (like Radiohead) on TV and only broadcast the > smaller names on the radio? Glastonbury is covered by the BBC, which is freely broadcast, but financed by a compulsory TV license fee. This year, about 7 or 8 acts got the full treatment, where all or nearly all of their set was broadcast (from memory: Oasis, Muse, Franz Ferdinand, Ian McNabb, Zero 7, Spiritualised, Tim Booth and Stellastarr). About 50% of Paul McCartney's 2-hour set was shown. For the other artists, it ranges between about 1 and 5 tracks. Some artists were not shown at all. Apart from the main headliners (this year they were Oasis, Paul McCartney and Muse), it's mainly the newer bands that get the majority of the coverage. Presumably because the rights are cheaper. Nothing is simulcast on the radio, but there were similar highlights and full (or nearly-full) sets broadcast, both over the weekend and during the following weeks. As for the Delays, 3 tracks were shown on TV, I don't know what was broadcast on the radio. I taped the TV broadcasts. > How about Reading or Carling Weekends? Do they broadcast those? I'm not 100% sure, but I think most UK festivals get short highlights show on TV - normally no more than a couple of tracks from each artist, and normally broadcast at around 1am. Dave. ------------------------------ From: Keith Bode Subject: Re: Sirius Radio Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 08:36:59 -0700 > > >Just out of curiousity, what type of digital audio compression was used >>>by the Sirius satellite broadcasts of Crossroads? >>> >>>In Europe, digital radio (on various platforms, including satellite) >>>uses MPEG-1, Layer II compression, at bitrates varying from as low as >>>64kbps mono up to about 256kbps stereo. The most common bitrates used >>>for music-based stations is 192kbps Stereo or Joint-Stereo. > > >> >> >> I've done a bit of research and they're actually quite coy about what actual >> bitrates are used. Having compared them Sirius does seem to be higher >> quality than XM. > > > >The difference in Europe is that almost every radio station is broadcast >free - i.e. no encryption is used. > >Digital radio also uses the very open "DVB" (digital video broadcasting >- also used for "audio-only" services, i.e. radio) and "DAB" (digital >audio broadcasting standards). These both use MPEG-1, Layer II audio >compression, and PC-based receiver cards are cheaply available that let >you record the original compressed bitstreams. > >Therefore it's very easy to see the bitrates used (and make bit-perfect >digital recordings). > > > >>> My interest now - and I am thinking perhaps a list member will have some >>> pointers on where to look up this kind of research - is in wondering if the >>> other 99% of people who don't seem to mind lossy audio either (1) can't hear >>> it or (2) don't care. My curiosity is sparked by recent discoveries that a >>> certain percentage of people are "super tasters" and really can tell the >>> difference for example in different vintages of wine, and the majority of >>> people really aren't stupid or uncaring, it's that they simply don't have >>> the biological tools to be able to tell the difference. Now I'm wondering >>> if the same is true of audio. Every hearing test I've ever taken has dealt >>> only with the actual range of hearing, but not with any qualitative >>> analysis - perhaps most people have the same frequency range of hearing but >>> simply can't hear any detail? With the direction most music is taking, I'd >>> say they are the lucky ones ... >> >> > >The Forums at http://www.hydrogenaudio.org is one place to go for that. > Read about their "ABX" listening tests - basically, it's a methodology >for testing if the listener can tell the difference between the original >and a "distorted" version of the same recording. > >You can download software to help you perform these tests yourself - >follow the FAQ link at the top of the page. > IMO, I don't think the vast majority of people use radio for fine audio. I rarely use it at home, and when I do, it's just background. If I have the radio on while driving, I usually am listening to an AM station with frequent traffic reports, since I live in the Los Angles area. The percentage of listners who are recording broadcasts to create high quality archives, is probably miniscule, when compared to the total number of subscribers. Bottom line, is the Broadcasters Bottom line, it seems the broadcaters have a fixed amount of Bandwidth. Bandwidth used to increase quality of sound in one arena, reduces bandwidth available for other broadcasts. Since most listeners never even heard bettter audio equipment than what can be bought in a box at Best Buy, that is the market Sirius is going to focus on pleasing, and use the least bandwith possible, to make the most listeners happy. ------------------------------ From: JH Subject: Please identify these capsules and windscreens Date: Sun, 01 Aug 2004 11:59:45 +0900 Hello, I found these the other day in a worn-out old hotel that I was doing some work in--in Chiba, Japan. Any idea what bodies these capsules might fit? What maker they are? Drop me a line if you have any idea how they could be used. http://houseofmercy.org/~jonathan/Unidentified_Caps_Windscreens/ Jonathan ------------------------------ ** FOR YOUR REFERENCE ** To unsubscribe from this digest, please send email to dat-heads-unsubscribe@datheads.phish.net If your email address has changed, you may (optionally) send the message to dat-heads-unsubscribe-oldaddress=olddomain@datheads.phish.net and the old address will be removed. Problems or questions about a subscription should be addressed via these avenues and then if needed to dat-heads-owner@datheads.phish.net or postmaster@datheads.phish.net never the list itself You can submit a message for inclusion in the next digest via this address: Internet: dat-heads@datheads.phish.net Archives of DAT-Heads digests and related files are available on the DAT-Heads home page: http://www.solorb.com/dat-heads/ End of DAT-Heads Digest ******************************