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Tips For Bootleggers/Collectors
Why Are Bootlegs and Imports Popular?
Many people agree that in an ideal world music would be traded, not sold. Bootlegs and Imports are popular mainly because they allow fans to hear rare performances of their favorite artists. These performances may include different versions of studio songs or completely unreleased songs. These recordings capture the spontaneous, live sound of a band. Bands are free to say whatever they like in their shows, so there is no censorship of bootlegs and imports. Bootleg collections are a great hobby anyone can get into.
What Is The Difference Between Bootlegs and Imports?
Bootlegs are recordings of live performances done at the shows by a bootlegger. These recordings are unreleased music. They are legal for trade, but absolutely NOT FOR SALE. Many bootlegs become imports. An import (when speaking of music NOT PROTECTED by the Copyright laws of ANY country) is a recording done by an underground "record company," which is NOT under contract with the artist. The people responsible for imports basically manufacture CD's of rare performances in a country where U.S. Copyright laws do not apply (such as Italy). Because the CD's are not manufactured in the U.S., they get away with making them. However, imports ARE illegal to SELL in the U.S. and are often confiscated from music stores at the discretion of the U.S. record company (which is enforcing it's copyright of a particular artist). But imports CAN BE TRADED. I highly suggest trading imports rather than buying them, otherwise you are supporting a "company" which is profiting WITHOUT SUPPORTING YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST financially. Import manufacturers commonly steal pictures they are not under license to use, alter them slightly, and use it for cover or booklet art. This is why you may see the same pictures in many different imports, just slightly changed. Import manufacturers also may obtain pictures from paparazzi type photographers.How Can I Get The Highest Quality Recordings, and Keep Them Sounding Good?
Avoid generation loss. Generation loss is when a performance is recorded over and over. With each new copy (generation), quality lessens. Often, high generation copies have a "hiss" sound. Always try to obtain recordings which are as close to the source (original copy) as possible. Also, try to get a copy from the highest quality source possible (soundboard vs. handheld tape machine). A cassette should be played or fast forwarded all the way to the end once a year or bleedthrough (heard as an echo) may occur (Yes! Dubbing bootlegs can actually help maintain them. Don't overplay/overdub though). Cassettes have a tendency to deteriorate over time. The tape itself will flake away when this is happening. Routinely remove the slack from the tape to prevent a "fade-in" and "fade-out" sound when the tape is next played, but be careful not to stretch it. Anyone who claims to be a bootlegger ALWAYS uses High Bias tape, usually Maxell XLII. Be sure to set any tape recording device or playback unit to the proper setting for the tape type (normal, CRO2, metal). Dolby Noise Reduction (NR) puts an inaudible tone on your tape to help prevent tape hiss. The problem with Dolby is if something is RECORDED in Dolby mode, it must be PLAYED back in Dolby mode also. Otherwise, it may not sound quite right. Not all cassette units have Dolby. Most bootleggers DON'T USE DOLBY both because of this problem and because it weakens the signal strength of the tape. An often- used tape deck should have it's heads cleaned regularly to continue to sound good/record good. Always remove the tabs at the top of the tape to "write protect" or prevent from accidentally recording over it. Consider using digital (DAT or Minidisc) media for your recordings rather than analog (cassette). Sound is digitally recorded in the computer language of 0's and 1's. Digital sources not only enable you to cut tracks for convenience in flipping through songs, but are NOT subject to generation loss. Also, Minidiscs do not deteriorate over time.
How Do I Record A Bootleg Live?
Always try to patch into the soundboard. Many bands allow patches if you purchase a soundboard patch ticket to the show. If this is not possible, you may need a small concealed recorder and mic. If concealment and size is not a problem, I highly suggest a Marantz field recorder. Many Marantz recorders will have VU meters for each channel and tone, pitch, bass, etc. adjustments. All have a record level adjustment. Using this in conjunction with a high quality microphone (pointed at the artists) should produce a pretty good recording. Another option is portable Minidisc recorders: small, compact, and high quality. But some don't have mic inputs and you'll need several Minidiscs because they only hold 74 min. each whereas a cassette has 90 or 100 min. Breaks (stops) in the recording, of course, are not good! Always try to schedule these breaks between songs. Always try to record from the area of the venue that sounds best and has the least background noise. Headphones, if possible, can help you determine what you're picking up with your recorder, and what you're not.
Any tips you have to add to this section should be e-mailed to Eric at: ericunderground@hotmail.com