I actually got some email asking why I have not posted her for so long. Just busy I guess.
Saturday, 7,7,07 was Live Earth Day, Concerts all over the planet took place. Some of it was fantastic, and some was, well not to my liking. I watched on my computer and must say that I have found that I liked some that I was not familiar with and in fact enjoyed the day watching and listening to musicians do their thing.
Keith Urban and Alicia Keys jamming to Gimme Shelter was one of the high points, I also enjoyed Damien Rice and David Gray. I dont know how others feel about it, but Roger Waters rocked to some Pink Floyd classics. I bet that many musicians pray that they could have a few songs that they do so well that they never go out of style. Waters has just that with Us and Them and The Wall and Money.
John Meyer is one talent that is going to be around for a long time, he is a great guitarist and to be honest not too many know that he can handle a Strat just as well if not better than his Martin.
Dave Matthews performed as well.
KT Tunstall was good too, I was surprised to see the number of Acoustic guitars.
In Germany, Cat Stevens, Yusuf Islam, performed and I have to say that he is as good as he ever was. He performed Wild World, but not Morning Has Broken, I always like dhis music.
There were many other acts that were more than impressive. I have to admit that it was great to spend the day listening to Live Music.
I do not know how well the Earth message got received, I agree with Mr Gore, something has to be done before it gets much worse, but for some reason concern for the planet has been politicized and it is a shame as the problem is bigger than partisan politics. Hopefully we all can get together before it is too late.
If you get a chance go to liveearth.msn.com and watch the concerts as they are available to watch.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
What Audio Software do I use?
What Audio Software do I use? I will list a few of my favorites here.
For Audio files one needs to have a few important utilities, Flac is a must have
One should get The Flac Codecs and a program called Flac Frontend. Freeware by the way.
Flac Frontend
Flac
I like to listen to CDs on my computer, and I preder to use a CD Player called VUPlayer, it has capabilities of playing CDs and of playing music files on your hard drive. It will play Flac Files without your needing to decode them, and in fact will convert your CDs or files on your hard drive into Flac files if you wish. Freeware also.
VUPlayer
Here I will sound a little hyocritical, but I also like to use another program when I do play files on my hard drive, it is called Foobar 2000, Foobar 2000 will play CDs also but I am just used to using VU Player, so I use both programs. One can download and instal SHN Codecs for Foobar 2000 too. Guess what, FREEWARE!
Foobar 2000
Another very useful program is Traders Little Helper. It is useful for encoding and decoding both Flac and Shn files. If one has a problem file, TLH seems to be a great program to turn to. I have some SHN files that were sent to me on CDs in trades that flat out would not decode without errors. TLH seems to have been able to decode and then re-encode to an error free file. Freeware also folks.
Traders Little Helper
If one has a long file that needs to be edited, or of you wish to record a file, Audacity is a great program, it is free to boot. I used to use a program called Cool Edit but in fact I prefer Audacity. Need I say, its free.
Audacity
To burn CDs and DVDs I use Nero, I think that the burning feature built into XP is not the greatest, Nero does the job right. Sorry, you have to buy Nero, it is commercial software.
Nero
Once you have those programs on your computer, you are going to be able to listen with ease.
Another program that I think is a must have is JTrade Explorer, it is a wonderful Java based program that helps one keep track of Live concert recordings and bootlegs that one has traded and or downloaded through the years. Oh yes, its free too!
JTradeExplorer
Good luck, and enjoy listening to good music.
For Audio files one needs to have a few important utilities, Flac is a must have
One should get The Flac Codecs and a program called Flac Frontend. Freeware by the way.
Flac Frontend
Flac
I like to listen to CDs on my computer, and I preder to use a CD Player called VUPlayer, it has capabilities of playing CDs and of playing music files on your hard drive. It will play Flac Files without your needing to decode them, and in fact will convert your CDs or files on your hard drive into Flac files if you wish. Freeware also.
VUPlayer
Here I will sound a little hyocritical, but I also like to use another program when I do play files on my hard drive, it is called Foobar 2000, Foobar 2000 will play CDs also but I am just used to using VU Player, so I use both programs. One can download and instal SHN Codecs for Foobar 2000 too. Guess what, FREEWARE!
Foobar 2000
Another very useful program is Traders Little Helper. It is useful for encoding and decoding both Flac and Shn files. If one has a problem file, TLH seems to be a great program to turn to. I have some SHN files that were sent to me on CDs in trades that flat out would not decode without errors. TLH seems to have been able to decode and then re-encode to an error free file. Freeware also folks.
Traders Little Helper
If one has a long file that needs to be edited, or of you wish to record a file, Audacity is a great program, it is free to boot. I used to use a program called Cool Edit but in fact I prefer Audacity. Need I say, its free.
Audacity
To burn CDs and DVDs I use Nero, I think that the burning feature built into XP is not the greatest, Nero does the job right. Sorry, you have to buy Nero, it is commercial software.
Nero
Once you have those programs on your computer, you are going to be able to listen with ease.
Another program that I think is a must have is JTrade Explorer, it is a wonderful Java based program that helps one keep track of Live concert recordings and bootlegs that one has traded and or downloaded through the years. Oh yes, its free too!
JTradeExplorer
Good luck, and enjoy listening to good music.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
IVE BEEN JOOSTED
Well, I finally got an invitation to JOOST, I understand it is in the Beta stages and so one must give it a better chance.
So far I have been staring at a Black Screen, I am on DSL and am probably on the lower limit as to bandwidth so I am giving it a chance to load up a program, I did not choose a program to watch, I just let whatever came up happen.
I noticed that there are music channels, but it appears to be mostly MTV, which I will assume means Pop and Hip Hop, thanks but no thanks. Again I have to give it a chance as it is new and in development stages.
I live rurally and to be honest TV reception sucks. There is no Cable available and I do not want to subscribe to satellite TV for the time being. So Internet TV sounds like one of those too good to be true things (if its too good to be true, it probably isnt comes to mind).
After a half an hour, I changed the channel, not really something I wanted to watch in particular, but what the heck I want to see if it works.
I have been reading the news articles about Joost and understand that new channels are going to be added soon, so if oner is a fan of CSI, he might be able to watch Grissom and Willows at work.
Well back to staring at the black screen. I will report back once and if it works.
A few moments later:
It seems that some channels just have no viewers or something and the peer to peer doesnt work. I changed channels again and came up with programming. So far I am not really impressed with what is offered for viewing, but if the promises are true, I bet it gets better, soon.
I am going to take the wait and see attitude for the time being, I hope it turns into a substitute for the boob tube, till then I will check back frequently to see if anything changes. I am sure it will and the sooner the better.
Technically I really have few if any complaints, when a show is on, there are rare moments of freeze frame but in fact not near as bad as YouTube. Remember though I am on a DSL line that averages 1250 Mbps which is towards the minimum and in fact upload is far less than the minimum. I also see that if bandwidth usage is an issue one needs to right click on the Joost Icon in the toolbar and Exit the program that way or it will still be using band width.
I am interested in the future of this, and I do agree that it just might be the next hot item for the Internet, Move Over YouTube, Joost will be the next most often talked about item on the Internet, that I can say for sure.
So far I have been staring at a Black Screen, I am on DSL and am probably on the lower limit as to bandwidth so I am giving it a chance to load up a program, I did not choose a program to watch, I just let whatever came up happen.
I noticed that there are music channels, but it appears to be mostly MTV, which I will assume means Pop and Hip Hop, thanks but no thanks. Again I have to give it a chance as it is new and in development stages.
I live rurally and to be honest TV reception sucks. There is no Cable available and I do not want to subscribe to satellite TV for the time being. So Internet TV sounds like one of those too good to be true things (if its too good to be true, it probably isnt comes to mind).
After a half an hour, I changed the channel, not really something I wanted to watch in particular, but what the heck I want to see if it works.
I have been reading the news articles about Joost and understand that new channels are going to be added soon, so if oner is a fan of CSI, he might be able to watch Grissom and Willows at work.
Well back to staring at the black screen. I will report back once and if it works.
A few moments later:
It seems that some channels just have no viewers or something and the peer to peer doesnt work. I changed channels again and came up with programming. So far I am not really impressed with what is offered for viewing, but if the promises are true, I bet it gets better, soon.
I am going to take the wait and see attitude for the time being, I hope it turns into a substitute for the boob tube, till then I will check back frequently to see if anything changes. I am sure it will and the sooner the better.
Technically I really have few if any complaints, when a show is on, there are rare moments of freeze frame but in fact not near as bad as YouTube. Remember though I am on a DSL line that averages 1250 Mbps which is towards the minimum and in fact upload is far less than the minimum. I also see that if bandwidth usage is an issue one needs to right click on the Joost Icon in the toolbar and Exit the program that way or it will still be using band width.
I am interested in the future of this, and I do agree that it just might be the next hot item for the Internet, Move Over YouTube, Joost will be the next most often talked about item on the Internet, that I can say for sure.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
CD QUALITY DOWNLOADS? I DONT THINK SO
Recently I got in a bit of an argument with an avid Apple fan. His argument was that at 256 Kbps ITunes has come out with actual CD quality downloads. I disagreed.
I use various Audio players, but one of my favorites is Foobar, Foobar shows the bit rate in the lower left hand corner of the Foobar window. This is what I observed:
I chose 12 commercial CDs from my collection and played them using Foobar. The bit rate for these ranged anywhere from 798 to 1411.
AAC is in my opinion an Apple equivalent to MP3, these are lossy formats, there is a place for them but they are NOT CD quality. An audio format I like is Flac, Free Lossless Audio Compression. Flac enables audio files to be downloaded and stored using less bandwidth, agreed more than MP3 but the quality is still there. I ripped one those CDs to Flac format, decoded back to wave and burned a sample track back to a CD. The resulting bit rate was identical to the original. Flac seems to be truly lossless.
WMA is the Microsoft file format and from what I can tell a WMA file can be lossless or it can be lossy so just because a file is WMA does not mean it is lossless.
Now, lets do the math. I will agree that some of the audio spectrum is not discernible to many/most people, but still using the lowest bit rate from a commercial CD that I checked, 798 Kbps, and looking at the AAC file at 256 Kbps doesnt something stand out and hit you in the face? 798-256=533! Heck, the lost data would make a better bit rate than the "lossless" file. The 1411 Kbps file is even a bigger difference 1411-256=1155! 1155 IS CD quality, a whole CD quality file is lost when reduced to 256 Kbps.
I admit I am an old fart, I am in my 50s, but I remember listening to music on a good quality Audio system and enjoying listening to music as an activity all its own. I agree that when one listens to music over crappy speakers, ear buds, cell phones, etc the quality is not as noticeable. A poor quality recording sounds just as good as a high quality recording under those circumstances. However it does make a difference when played over a decent audio system.
This is where the consumer is being sold a bill of goods, lossy music formats are lossy. No if ands or buts about it. However, if one is told that something is just as good by a major corporation they are going to believe it. 256 Kbps is NOT equal to CD quality in fact a 256 Kbps file is not even close to CD quality. A 256 Kbps file takes up less space on a server, it uses less bandwidth, and involves no packaging, Inventory, transportation, and in fact has a much higher profit margin. Why not sell less for about the same price as the original?
If you like a song or performer, buy the CD, many artists sell CDs on their Websites or link to a preferred retailer and the Artist gets more of the money, or at least has an accurate accounting of how many units have actually sold. Even better attend concerts and buy CDs there, the Artist makes a better living that way.
Instead of fighting the consumer, the Record Companies should get on the bandwagon and actually promote the sale of CDs again, this might even mean that the price needs to come down a bit. The consumer should realize that they are being taken advantage of when they pay for lossy music files. Record companies are good at selling CDs as they are similar to LPs and the record companies have years of experience selling and distrbuting them. Why not do what they are good at? If the consumer is educated, the consumer would not want to settle for less at the same price as the original, and illegal downloads would be a lot less of a problem.
I use various Audio players, but one of my favorites is Foobar, Foobar shows the bit rate in the lower left hand corner of the Foobar window. This is what I observed:
I chose 12 commercial CDs from my collection and played them using Foobar. The bit rate for these ranged anywhere from 798 to 1411.
AAC is in my opinion an Apple equivalent to MP3, these are lossy formats, there is a place for them but they are NOT CD quality. An audio format I like is Flac, Free Lossless Audio Compression. Flac enables audio files to be downloaded and stored using less bandwidth, agreed more than MP3 but the quality is still there. I ripped one those CDs to Flac format, decoded back to wave and burned a sample track back to a CD. The resulting bit rate was identical to the original. Flac seems to be truly lossless.
WMA is the Microsoft file format and from what I can tell a WMA file can be lossless or it can be lossy so just because a file is WMA does not mean it is lossless.
Now, lets do the math. I will agree that some of the audio spectrum is not discernible to many/most people, but still using the lowest bit rate from a commercial CD that I checked, 798 Kbps, and looking at the AAC file at 256 Kbps doesnt something stand out and hit you in the face? 798-256=533! Heck, the lost data would make a better bit rate than the "lossless" file. The 1411 Kbps file is even a bigger difference 1411-256=1155! 1155 IS CD quality, a whole CD quality file is lost when reduced to 256 Kbps.
I admit I am an old fart, I am in my 50s, but I remember listening to music on a good quality Audio system and enjoying listening to music as an activity all its own. I agree that when one listens to music over crappy speakers, ear buds, cell phones, etc the quality is not as noticeable. A poor quality recording sounds just as good as a high quality recording under those circumstances. However it does make a difference when played over a decent audio system.
This is where the consumer is being sold a bill of goods, lossy music formats are lossy. No if ands or buts about it. However, if one is told that something is just as good by a major corporation they are going to believe it. 256 Kbps is NOT equal to CD quality in fact a 256 Kbps file is not even close to CD quality. A 256 Kbps file takes up less space on a server, it uses less bandwidth, and involves no packaging, Inventory, transportation, and in fact has a much higher profit margin. Why not sell less for about the same price as the original?
If you like a song or performer, buy the CD, many artists sell CDs on their Websites or link to a preferred retailer and the Artist gets more of the money, or at least has an accurate accounting of how many units have actually sold. Even better attend concerts and buy CDs there, the Artist makes a better living that way.
Instead of fighting the consumer, the Record Companies should get on the bandwagon and actually promote the sale of CDs again, this might even mean that the price needs to come down a bit. The consumer should realize that they are being taken advantage of when they pay for lossy music files. Record companies are good at selling CDs as they are similar to LPs and the record companies have years of experience selling and distrbuting them. Why not do what they are good at? If the consumer is educated, the consumer would not want to settle for less at the same price as the original, and illegal downloads would be a lot less of a problem.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
The Waybacks
What can I say, I had never heard these guys before this weekend, but the Waybacks are definitely worth listening to. This band plays a kind of music that doesnt really fit into any single genre, I think it can be best described as a fusion of Bluegrass, Western Swing, Celtic, Cajun, and Jazz with a little Jam band mixed in for good measure.
There is a lot of real good Flatpicking and the Fiddle playing is amongst the best. I can definately say that I like them, this is a style of music that one does not tire of quickly, in fact I find it refreshing.
Mandolin Fiddle Bass Guitar amd Drums, the drums moves them out of the Bluegrass genre as does some electric guitar. But there again there is enough of a Bluegrass influence that one picks up on it right away. This is music that a Hardcore Dyed in the Wool Grasser would say "That aint Bluegrass", but for the rest of us (those who enjoy Nickel Creek, David Grisman, and Sam Bush) they are definitely worth listening to.
Go to their site to read more about them, there are MP3 samples of some of their songs that you can listen to also.
http://www.waybacks.com/
There is a lot of real good Flatpicking and the Fiddle playing is amongst the best. I can definately say that I like them, this is a style of music that one does not tire of quickly, in fact I find it refreshing.
Mandolin Fiddle Bass Guitar amd Drums, the drums moves them out of the Bluegrass genre as does some electric guitar. But there again there is enough of a Bluegrass influence that one picks up on it right away. This is music that a Hardcore Dyed in the Wool Grasser would say "That aint Bluegrass", but for the rest of us (those who enjoy Nickel Creek, David Grisman, and Sam Bush) they are definitely worth listening to.
Go to their site to read more about them, there are MP3 samples of some of their songs that you can listen to also.
http://www.waybacks.com/
Monday, April 30, 2007
MERLEFEST
Once a year every April in Wilkesboro NC there is a huge super Music Festival. Merlefest is named and held in honor of Doc Watsons son who died in a farming accident, Merle was a talented musician too.
The artists that perform there are mostly of a Bluegrass flavor, but not all.
I have always wanted to attend, but there are some things that one just cant do. However I think the next best thing happened this last weekend, Merlefest was broadcast live via streaming Internet radio!
The downside and the upside is that I did not get to choose which acts that I got to hear, multiple venues happen at the same time, this way I got to discover some artists that I had never heard before. Also mixed in were some familiar artists that were a real treat to listen to.
I have heard of these artists but had never heard them, the Duhks, The Circuit Riders, The Stringdusters, The Waybacks, The Louvell Sisters (teenagers that are going to be something big I bet, they have real talent), plus others that am not listing. I was really impressed and now know that I am going to try to hear more of these people.
Familiar acts also were there, my favorites, Peter Rowan and Tony Rice, Bela Flek, Sam Bush, Doyle Lawson, Del McCroury, Doc Watson, and others.
Now for the big disappointment, through Friday and all day Saturday the big event in my eyes was the Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas and Tony Rice tribute to Tony Rice and his 35 years in music. This was going to be something else, all day Saturday I was anticipating hearing it. Come around 9:35 the show starts, the audio is real bad, but Tonys D-28 was ripping off notes like none other. However, due to the technical difficulties, the cut off the live broadcast and started playing CDs in the studio, not AKUS or Rice. Needless to say I was really disappointed, but I am still very thankful that I got to hear what I did hear.
Friday, all day Saturday (up till 9:35) and Sunday were all filled with excellent music. I was spoiled. I spent the whole weekend with in earshot of the computer and did not get a whole lot else done.
I hope that they decide to do this next year, and come to think of it there are other big festivals that they might do this to also, lets keep our fingers crossed.
The artists that perform there are mostly of a Bluegrass flavor, but not all.
I have always wanted to attend, but there are some things that one just cant do. However I think the next best thing happened this last weekend, Merlefest was broadcast live via streaming Internet radio!
The downside and the upside is that I did not get to choose which acts that I got to hear, multiple venues happen at the same time, this way I got to discover some artists that I had never heard before. Also mixed in were some familiar artists that were a real treat to listen to.
I have heard of these artists but had never heard them, the Duhks, The Circuit Riders, The Stringdusters, The Waybacks, The Louvell Sisters (teenagers that are going to be something big I bet, they have real talent), plus others that am not listing. I was really impressed and now know that I am going to try to hear more of these people.
Familiar acts also were there, my favorites, Peter Rowan and Tony Rice, Bela Flek, Sam Bush, Doyle Lawson, Del McCroury, Doc Watson, and others.
Now for the big disappointment, through Friday and all day Saturday the big event in my eyes was the Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas and Tony Rice tribute to Tony Rice and his 35 years in music. This was going to be something else, all day Saturday I was anticipating hearing it. Come around 9:35 the show starts, the audio is real bad, but Tonys D-28 was ripping off notes like none other. However, due to the technical difficulties, the cut off the live broadcast and started playing CDs in the studio, not AKUS or Rice. Needless to say I was really disappointed, but I am still very thankful that I got to hear what I did hear.
Friday, all day Saturday (up till 9:35) and Sunday were all filled with excellent music. I was spoiled. I spent the whole weekend with in earshot of the computer and did not get a whole lot else done.
I hope that they decide to do this next year, and come to think of it there are other big festivals that they might do this to also, lets keep our fingers crossed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)