From: jek@liii.com (Kramer)
Subject: ***ALT.MUSIC.BOOTLEGS FAQ** v2.5 December 5, 1996 [1/1]
Newsgroups: alt.music.bootlegs
Date: 5 Dec 1996 20:23:48 GMT
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One part post of new edition (12/5/96) of alt.music.bootlegs FAQ
FAQ, in a 3-part post, coming in an hour or two.
OFFICIAL
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
FOR
alt.music.bootlegs
Version v2.5
December 5th, 1996
12th Edition
By: Jeff Kuhn
"Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you
don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. They teach you there's
a boundary line to music. But man, there's no boundary line to art."
-Charlie Parker, U.S. Jazz musician
"Nothing seperates the generations more than music. By the time a child
is 8 or 9, he has developed a passion for his own music that is even
stronger than his passions for procrastination and wierd clothes."
-Bill Cosby, U.S. comedian & actor
They said "You have a blue guitar,
You do not play things as they are."
The man replied, "Things as they are
Are changed upon a blue guitar."
-Wallace Stevens, U.S. Poet
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I N T R O D U C T I O N
This is a collection of information of interest to people that
are interested in the collecting, trading, taping, and the exchanging
of rare or live music. The information contained within has been
contributed to me by many of the on-line community. The infomation
within is in no way deemed to be 100% accurate.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
N O T I C E
Copyright 1995, 1996 J. Kuhn
This article is Copyright 1995, 1996 by J. Kuhn. All rights reserved.
The following is acceptable:
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) the copies include the introduction, the copyright notice,
and the following paragraphs;
(c) you do not charge a fee for copying or distribution;
(d) the distributed form is not in an electronic magazine,
within computer software, unless you have gotten specific
permission from me;
(e) the distributed form is the newest version of this FAQ to
the best of your knowledge;
(f) the copies are in electronic form;
(g) under NO circumstances will a monetary fee be given in
exchange for this document.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
D I S C L A I M E R S
I. 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) Vendors names and prices included in here are for reference,
educational, and inforamtional usage only. This is done
both with and without the vendors permission in different
circumstances. Prices (if any) are approximate.
(d) Some documents were reprinted electronically without
permission. In doing so, they may or may not have been been
changed or edited.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOPIC X. PROLOGUE - IMPORTANT INFO
[0-01] Welcome to the alt.music.bootlegs FAQ
[0-02] Who Am I?
[0-03] Why did I make this FAQ?
[0-04] My responsibility's
[0-05] Copyrights
[0-06] Do's and Don'ts
[0-07] Begin the Begin
TOPIC 1 - GENERAL / BASIC QUESTIONS
[1-01] What IS a bootleg?
% [1-02] If bootlegging is illegal, how come some stores sell them?
[1-03] List of laws (alpha. by state) regarding bootlegs.
[1-04] General press statements about bootlegs
[1-05] What IS alt.music.bootlegs?
[1-06] Why is it called "alt.music.bootlegs" instead of
"alt.music.tape-trading"?
[1-07] The final answer on PIRATE vs. BOOTLEG
[1-08] The "grey-area" on trading bootlegs
TOPIC 2 - BASIC TAPE MANAGEMENT / POSTING
[2-01] How do I keep a record of all my tapes?
[2-02] How do I begin to make a list?
[2-03] What should I do with it?
[2-04] Crossposting
[2-05] UUEncode or ASCII?
[2-06] How often can I post my list?
[2-07] If I post often, won't it be a waste and improper use of
bandwidth?
[2-08] Use PRIVATE e-mail
TOPIC 3 - DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE A LIST
[3-01] What information goes in a list?
[3-02] What is a setlist?
[3-03] Should I include the setlists of each of my shows in my list?
[3-04] How does one determine quality?
[3-05] How is quality commonly shown?
[3-06] What is a "generation"?
[3-07] What are those letters under Source' such as SB, AUD, FM, 7
etc., mean?
[3-08] Estimating time
[3-09] Your own rules
[3-10] List of traders you've traded with
[3-11] "I've seen people that do something so that when I send them
e-mail with "SEND LIST" or "SEND BOOT LIST" or something like
that in the subject line, their machine automatically sends me
this person's tape list. How the hell did they do that?
TOPIC 4 - TAPES
[4-01] What brand of tape should I use?
[4-02] What's the difference between the "Types" of tapes?
[4-03] What's generally the longest (in minutes) tape used in trading?
[4-04] Why can't I use 110 or 120 minute tapes?
[4-05] What are MaxPoints?
N [4-06] What's the deal with MaxPoints...are they still good???
[4-07] I've seen some good deals on tapes. What is a fair price for
a Type II Tape?
[4-08] Consumer Reports tape rating chart
[4-09] Mail order companies
TOPIC 5. MAKING / PREPARING THE TAPES
[5-01] I've bought my tapes, what do I do?
[5-02] What does "dubbing" mean?
[5-03] What is Dolby NR?
[5-04] Should I use Dolby NR?
[5-05] What is 'High Speed Dubbing', and why not always use it?
[5-06] What does "filler" mean?
[5-07] What is the "normal" amount of blank space that is usually
considered to be the "cut-off" line between using and not
using fillers?
[5-08] "I'll write all of the songs on the J-Card given in the tape
and I'll write on the sticker labels and paste them onto the
tape, ok?"
[5-09] Should I print out J-cards?
[5-10] International Trades
[5-11] Other helpful hints.
TOPIC 6 - MAILING
[6-01] Should we trade with or without cases, and why?
[6-02] Padded envelope vs. box?
[6-03] What class mail should I send the tapes?
[6-04] What's the difference between Priority and First Class mail?
[6-05] Describe the package
[6-06] Addressing
[6-07] Sealing the envelope or box.
[6-08] Completing the trade - staying in E-mail contact
TOPIC 7 - COMPLETING THE TRADE
[7-01] Staying in e-mail contact
[7-02] Trade with confidence
U [7-03] "I haven't received my tapes in 2 weeks, what should I do?"
[7-04] "I haven't received my tapes in 1 month, what should I do?"
[7-05] "I haven't received my tapes in nearly 2 months, what should
I do?"
[7-06] What should you do if you believe someone is a bad trader?
[7-07] How do you know if someone is a bad trader
[7-08] Giving people the benefit of the doubt
[7-09] Why do a lot of people look down upon those who use AOL?
U [7-10] The Official Bad Traders List
TOPIC 8 - MISCELLANEOUS / MERCHANTS
[8-01] What if I have nothing to trade?
[8-02] How does a 2 for 1 trade work?
[8-03] Where can I find bootlegs near me?
* [8-04] Places to buy bootlegs in these cities:
[8-05] What is a fair price for a bootleg?
[8-06] What are some online bootleg companies/catalogs?
[8-07] What is a DAT and how much do they cost?
[8-08] What is a discography?
U [8-09] What is "CD rot" and what causes it?
TOPIC 9 - VIDEO BOOTLEGS (COMMON PRACTICES)
[9-01] Video bootlegs - general info
[9-02] Why collect video boots?
[9-03] Generations and quality of recording
[9-04] What tapes to use
[9-05] Common trading practices
[9-06] Tape recording speed; SP, LP, EP.
TOPIC 10 - TAPING CONCERTS
[10-01] General information
[10-02] Easiest places to tape at
[10-03] How to sneak the equipment in
[10-04] "Where do I put the mic?"
U [10-05] "Where should I stand for best quality?"
[10-06] "Can I plug into the soundboard?"
[10-07] "What happens if I get caught?"
[10-08] What are the bands that allow some form of taping?
TOPIC 11 - INTERNET RESOURCES / MERCHANTS OTHER / THANKS
[11-01] Where can I find this FAQ?
[11-02] What are some other "tape related" FTP and WWW sites?
[11-03] What are some books, magazines or other publications
relating to bootlegs?
[11-04] What are some online sources for buying bootlegs?
[11-05] What is the DAT-HEADS list, and how do I subscribe?
[11-06] Is their a bootleg mailing list?
[11-07] Some Comic Relief...
[11-08] Thanks goes out to those that contributed information for
this list...
[11-09] Special thanks to...
[11-10] How to contact me
U [11-11] History of alt.music.bootlegs FAQ
KEY:
N = New since last version of FAQ
U = Updated/Changed since last version of FAQ
% = Ever-changing information
* = Removed until further notice from the FAQ
Prologue - Important Info
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[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 without a FAQ devoted to it. 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 amount 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. :)
So, I began thinking about it a while ago, and recently, Chewtoy2@aol.com
made a FAQ for this group. I read it, and I thought it was outstanding.
I also had some of my own ideas. So, I e-mailed Chewtoy2 and proposed
to him that I make a FAQ, using some of his info and some of my info to
make a new FAQ. Since I'd be using a good amount of his info, I told him
that his name would obviously be on it. So, he agreed, and thus, here
is the FAQ for alt.music.bootlegs.
I've tried to organize this FAQ into topics, and then smaller subjects
and questions within those topics. By doing it in this way, it should
be somewhat easy to find the answer you want somewhat quickly, either by
looking at the titles, or using your word-processor to do a search.
So, here is the FAQ. I've done my best to organize it well, and only have
correct answers to questions in here. If you see a mistake, please e-mail
me and tell me what is wrong. Also, if you have something to add, please
e-mail me and tell me. This will be discussed later, though. Enjoy.
[0-02] Who Am I?
Here is a little background of myself before I start to go into the FAQ.
My Name is Jeff Kuhn, and I'm currently 20 years old. I go to the
University of Delaware, in Newark, Delaware. I've been trading tapes
for about a year and a half; a little longer than a.m.bootlegs has
existed. After a long time of reading, posting and trading, I
realized that this newsgroup needed the FAQ. Therefore, I debated
with myself a little bit, and I decided to make a FAQ for this newsgroup
(with help from several other important people.) Anyway, I knew I'd
have a lot of work ahead of me, and I know I'd get a lot of e-mail
most likely, and I was ready for that. So, here I am. If you want to
know anything else about me, feel free to ask.
[0-03] Why did I make this FAQ?
Simply because alt.music.bootlegs needed a FAQ, and two other people had
started their own versions of the FAQ, and we sort of compiled everything
into one FAQ, since mine had the easiest "structure" to it.
[0-04] My responsibilities
I'm not responsible for any information that you read in here. To the best
of my knowledge, it's correct. If I didn't think it was correct, I would
not have put it in here. This FAQ is quite subjective, not complete, and
open to personal interpretation.
[0-05] Copyrights
This FAQ is operated and maintained by myself, Jeff Kuhn. When taking
any information from this FAQ to put in other publications, please
NOTIFY ME FIRST. Do not change, manipulate, rearrange or modify this
document in any way. I will post it every so often to a.m.b.,
Feel free to spread to other people via e-mail. Also, it is OK to link
my page on your homepage. But don't take the actual document and put it
on any of your pages. If you wish to link the FAQ to your site, the
URL is:
[0-06] 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.
[0-07] Begin the Begin
We're almost ready to start the alt.music.bootlegs FAQ. Before we begin,
I want to say and emphasize one point. There is only one firm and absolute
rule when it comes to boot tape trading, and that is be honest. That's it.
Sure, it might be easy to rip people off, but it's cowardly, sleazy, and it
increases the weight of bad karma on your shoulders. People will post your
name, address, and other information about you all over the place for the
whole internet community to see, hoping to destroy any credibility you
might have. You don't want this to happen to you. So, BE HONEST.
Topic I. General/Basic Questions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[1-01] What *is* a bootleg?
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] If bootlegging is illegal, then how come some stores sell them?
This used to be an easy question to answer. Yes. From the record
comapany's point of view, boots are illegal. By having that recording,
you are in *theory* depriving the artist and recording company of
their rightful earnings.
But, in the real world, like everything else in life, it gets complicated.
The word "theory" seems to not to have any meaning in every day life.
Many bands allow the taping of their shows. The most famous of bands
to allow taping is the Greatful Dead. Other bands "look the other way"
when it comes to bootlegs. However, most of these bands that allow taping
distinguish between taping for personal use and trading, and taping to
press onto CDs and sell them. In the most famous case, the Greatful Dead
had a store busted for selling boot Dead CDs.
In reality, if you are simply trading tapes, no matter what artist or where
the original material came from, you are not likely to be bothered. (Hell,
I even sent a message to a radio station local to me (Z-100 (WHTZ 100.3 FM,
New York), and I had "Interested in any bootlegs" or something to that effect
in my .signature file, and they didn't even comment on it.) However, if you
make it a business...well, who knows. There's plenty of places to buy boot
CDs, so it's your perogative I guess.
If you still have moral problems with bootlegs, there is a very simple answer.
DON'T DO IT.
Also, you won't find any bootlegs in Tower Records or any stores like that.
You'll have to go to smaller stores. They carry them. But, I didn't
answer the question yet. To my knowledge, it's not illegal to produce
them in some countries currently; Italy, Germany, and Luxemburgh. Thus,
they produce the music there, and then export it to the United States
somehow, where you can buy them. Boots are no longer legal to produce
in Australia. However, recently these laws are changing in some of the
above mentioned countries, such as Italy.
Lastly. One point that I never really thought was important until a person
e-mailed me not too long ago, who had suggestions for this FAQ. Pirate
recordings are copies of legitimately released recordings. Trying to trade
tapes of the latest officially released U2 album will get you nothing but
flames. That's not what all of this is about.
[1-03] List of laws (alpha. by state) regarding bootlegs:
* NEW YORK *
1995 - 1996
SENATE ASSEMBLY
March 7 , 1995
An Act to amend the penal law, in relation to offenses regarding
unauthorized recordings.
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate & Assembly, do
enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 275.00 of the penal law, as added by
chapter 460 of the laws of 1990 is amended as follows:
2. "Owner" means (a) the person who owns or has exclusive license in the
United States to reproduce or the exclusive license in the United States
to distribute to the public copies of the sounds fixed in a master
phonograph record, master disc, master tape master film or any other
device used for reproducing sounds on phonogrpah records, discs, tapes,
films, videocassettes, or any other articles upon which sound is recorded,
and from which the transferred recorded sounds are directly derived; or
(b) the person who owns the rights to record or authorize the recording of
a live performance.
2. Subdivision 2 of section 275.05 of the penal law, as added by chapter
460 of the laws of 1990 is amended to read as follows:
2. transports within this state, for commercial advantage or private
financial gain, a recording knowing that the sounds have been reproduced
or transferred without the consent of the owner; provided however, that
this section only apply to sound recordings initially fixed prior to
February 15, 1972.
3. Subdivision 2 of section 275.10 of the penal law, as added by Chapter
460 of the laws of 1990, is amended as follows;
2. commits that crime by manufacture of one thousand unauthorized sound
recordings; provided however, that this section shall only apply to sound
recordings initially fixed to prior to February 15, 1972.
4. Section 275.15 of the penal law, as added by chapter 460 of the laws
of 1990 is amended as follows;
275.15 (Unauthorized) manufacture or sale of an unauthorized recording of
a performance in the second degree. A person who commits the crime of
manufacture or sale of an unauthorized recording of a performance in the
second degree when he knowingly, and without the consent of the performer
records or fixes or causes to be recorded or fixed on a recording
performance. With the intent to sell or rent or cause to be sold or rented
such recording or with the intent to use such recording to promote the
sale of any product; or when he knowingly possesses, transports, or
advertises, for the purpose of sale, resale, or rental or sells, resells,
rents or offers for rental sale, or resale any recording that the person
knows has been produced in violation of this section. (Unauthorized)
manufacture or sale of an unauthorized recording of a performance in the
second degree is a Class A misdemeanor.
5. Section 275.20 of the penal law , as added by chapter 460 of the laws
of 1990, is amended as follows;
(Unauthorized) manufacture or sale of an unauthorized recording of a
performance in the first degree.
A person who commits the crime of unauthorized recording of a performance
in the first degree when he commits the crime of manufacture or sale of an
unauthorized recording of a performance in the second degree as defined in
section 275.15 of this article and either:
1. such person has been previously been convicted of that crime within the
past 5 years or:
2. commission of that crime involves at least one thousand unauthorized
sound recordings or at least one hundred unauthorized audiovisual
recordings.
(Unauthorized) Manufacture or sale of an unauthorized recording of a
performance in the first degree is a Class E felony.
6. The opening paragraph of section 275.25 of the penal law, as added by
chapter 460 of the laws of 1990, is amended to read as follows:
A person guilty of advertisement or sale of unauthorized recordings
recordings in the second degree when a person knowingly advertises, offers
for sale,resale or rental, or sells, resells,rents distributes or
possesses for any such purposes, any recording that has been produced,
transferred without the consent of the owner. provided however, that this
section shall only apply to to sound recordings initially fixed prior to
February 15, 1972.
7. The opening paragraph of section 275.35 of the penal law, as added by
chapter 460 of the laws of 1990, is amended to read as follows:
A person guilty of failure to disclose the origin of a recording in the
second degree when, for commercial advantage or private financial gain, he
knowingly advertises or offers for sale, resale, or rental or sells,
resells, or rents or possess for such purposes, a recording the (outside)
cover, box, or jacket of which or label does not clearly and conspicuosly
disclose the actual name/address of the performer or principal artist.
The omission of the actual name/address of the manufacturer, or the
omission of the name of the performer or principal artist, or the omission
of both, shall constitute the failure to disclose the origin of a
recording.
NEW YORK STATE SENATE
INTRODUCER'S MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT
submitted in accordance with Senate Rule VI, Section 1
SENATE BILL #
TITLE: AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to piracy of sound
recordings and live performances, the transfer of sound without permission
of the lawful owner, and providing penalties for violation thereof.
PURPOSE: This bill would provide additional protections to consumers,
musicians, and recording companies by clarifying current law governing
unauthorized or (Bootlegged) recordings.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: The definition of "owner" under section 275 of the
penal law is amended to add "the person who owns the rights to record or
authorize the recording of a live performance." This provision will make
illegal the bootlegging of a recording made before an audience, or
transmitted by wire, radio, or television. such as in concert simulcast.
Section 275.15 of the penal law is amended to clarify that the crime of
manufacture or sale of an unauthorized recording occurs when one knowingly
possesses, transports or advertises for the purpose of selling, or in fact
sells, a recording which the person knows was produced without the owner's
consent. this change clarifies the persons entitled to the protection of
the statute.
Section 275.20 of the penal law is amended to include within the crime of
unauthorized recording in the first degree a person who has within five
previous years committed the crime of manufacture or sale of an
unauthorized recording of a performance in the second degree.
Section 275.05, 275.10, 275.25 and 275.30 are all amended to limit the
reach of state law to sound recordings initially fixed prior to February
15, 1972. Passge of the federal Sound Recording Act (P.L. 92-140, 17 U.S.
Code section 301 pre-empts state laws which second protection to sound
recordings that is equivalent to federal copyright protection.
Section 275.35 of the penal law is amended to clarify that the crime of
failure to disclose the origin of a recording occurs when the name and
address of the performer, manufacturer, or both are omitted from cover,
jacket or label., Previous court decisions necessitated change by
interpreting prior statutory language in such a way that (1) counterfiet
recordings NOT contained in a case were not subject to law, and (B)
conterfiet recrdings which had the name of the performer, but lacked the
name and address of the manufacturer, were not violative of the section.
JUSTIFICATION: This bill necessitated by changes in federal copyright law
and recentr New York caselaw interpreting the current statute. Amendments
to sections 275.05,275.10, 275.25 and 275.30 indicate sections applicable
to recordings prior to and subsequent to February 15, 1972. This change
will keep the New York State statute current with federal copyright law,
and will assist prosecutors in bringing charges that will not be
pre-empted by federal law.
The changes to sections 275.35 and 275.40 were necessiated by a recent
case. People v. Stephen Burke (NYC Criminal Court, March 1994) that
eviscerated the current law. The court in Burke interpreted the
language requiring the outside package of a sound recording to contain
the true name/address of the manfacturer and the name of the principal
performer or artist in the conjunctive, requiring that both be lacking
in order for violation to occur. Thus a pirated or bootlegged recording
that has the correct name of the performer but is missing or has an
incorrect name of the manufacturer does not under, the Burke coourt's
contruction, violate the statute. Obviously the more reasoned reading
of the law would be to construe the disclosure requirments such that
the omission of either, or both, constitute a violation.
The clarification of the statute comports with the Legislature's original
intent. That is, consumers should be provided with the name/address of
the manufacturer, in the event they have some complaint in respect to the
recording. Also, the consumers should be provided the name of the
principal artist, to avoid the misrepresentation that otherwise might
occur if, for example, the recording failed to reveal
"BARBARA STREISAND'S GREATEST HITS" were being sung by Jane Doe. The
failure to do either should be a violation this section.
Further, amendements to the definitional section, 275.00 are needed to
recognize as an owner any person who owns rights to record or authorize
the recording of a live performance. The ownership rights of such
individuals are violated by those who would make unauthorized
reproductions of liver performances, including those transmitted by wire
(such as a cablecast) or over the airwaves (such as radio). The amendment
of this definitional section protects performers from unauthorized
bootlegging.
In additioncurrent law subjects to criminal prosecution only the person
who illicitly manufactures the unauthorized sound recording. The
amendments, which add the language "for sale" are necessary to capture all
those who distribute, sell, offer for sale or possess for purposes of
selling, recordings made without the consent of the performer or owner of
the rights to a live performance. There are numerous instances where such
unauthorized recordings are sold, to the detriment of the artists and
performers, and those who knowingly sell such illicit goods should not be
immune from prosecution.
Also, in the last four (4) years of experience with this felony statute
have indicated to us that the persons who illicitly and illegally
manufacture sound recordings without the permission of the copyright
owners do so in an organized enterprise. It is our experience that small
cartels of record pirates organize themselves to manufacture and
distribute and sell illicit recordings throughout New York State. It is
our experience that these well organized groups of individuals posess the
economic wherewithal to withstand the seizure and forfeiture of their
equipment and write such losses off as a business expense.
Since most of the sound recordings priated by such illicit cartels in the
State of New York are recordings of current music, sections 275.35 and
275.40 are sought to be included in the definitional section of the penal
law section 460.10 as one of the many predicate crimes for which a charge
of enterprise corruption may be brought.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATES:
November 1st the next succeeding the date on which it becomes law.
[1-04] General press releases about bootlegs.
ANTI-BOOTLEG LAW ADDED TO COPYRIGHT ACT
TORONTO, Jan. 8 /CNW/ - Recent amendments to the Copyright Act
will for the first time protect Canadian performers and recording
artists exploited by the sale of bootleg recordings. ``Bootleg'' is a
term used to describe a type of record piracy that involves
unlawfully recording a performer's performance at a concert or in a
live broadcast without the authorization or consent of the performer.
These amendments to the Copyright Act will bring Canadian copyright
law into conformity with the laws of one hundred and twenty other
countries that are members of the World Trade Organization. The new
copyright in a performer's performance has a life of fifty years and
will retroactively apply to any performances that have been recorded
and copied without authorization of the performer.
On January 1, 1996, the ``Anti-Bootleg'' amendments to the
Copyright Act became law. It is now an infringement of copyright and
unlawful for any person to make an unauthorized recording of a
performer's performance and to distribute or sell copies of bootleg
recordings, imported into or manufactured in Canada after January 1,
1996. Any person who makes an unauthorized recording of a performer's
performance and any person who commercially deals in bootleg
recordings imported into or manufactured in Canada after January 1,
1996, can be sued by the owner of copyright in the performance and/or
criminally prosecuted for the offence of copyright infringement.
Maximum penalties for a conviction of the offence of copyright
infringement are $1,000,000 or imprisonment for up to five years, or
both.
Brian Robertson, president of the Canadian Recording Industry
Association, said that ``the anti-bootleg amendments that now bring
recording artists within the protection of copyright law, are another
positive step that will assist the music industry's efforts to battle
piracy of sound recordings. Manufacturers and importers of bootleg
recordings do not pay royalties to the recording artist and do not
invest in the development their careers.'' In 1994, the sales of
pirated sound recordings in Canada were $30 million dollars and
world-wide were estimated at $2.9 billion dollars.
---
The following article appeared in the Law section of the Wall Street
Journal of March 15, 1996:
"Bootleg-CD Seizures Surge In Wake of Tougher Law"
WASHINGTON - Seizures of bootlegs compact-disk recordings grew more
than 20-fold last year, thanks in part to strengthened federal law,
says a report by an industrial trade group.
The Recording Industry Association of America here said it
seized in 1995 nearly 85,000 bootlegged CDs- made from illegal taping
of live concerts or stolen studio outtakes - compared with 3000 in
1994. The group said this number doesn't include "hundreds of
thousands" of alleged bootleg CDs taken by the U.S. Customs at
borders.
Meanwhile, the number of bootleg cassette recordings seized declined
55% and the number of counterfeit or pirate cassetts fell slightly
10 1.2 million. Most of the alleged pirate-cassette factories raided
last year were located in Texas or California and produced Latin music,
the association said. One seizure included more than 60,000 alleged
counterfeit tapes of deceased Latin music artist Selena.
----
MUSIC STORES RAIDED IN BOOTLEG INQUIRY
(Associated Press)
Raids on two Greenwich Village record stores [Second Coming and
Revolver and a Queens warehouse resulted in the seizure of thousands of
counterfeit compact disks, cassettes and videotapes, and the arrest of
two people, officials said yesterday.
Andre Grabowicz and Gladys Caporali were charged with
manufacturing, selling, and distributing the bootleg products, a felony.
"Illegal recordings rob not only the artists of their royalties but
ultimately pass along increased costs to fans," the State Attorney
General Dennis C. Vacco, said, announcing the arrests and seizures.
The raids were the result of an eight-month investigation into
bootleegging in the music industry, conducted by the Attorney General's
office and the Recording Industry Association of America.
Mr. Grabowicz and Ms. Caporali were arrested inside the Second
Coming Records store, at 235 Sullivan Street.
---
New York Newsday
July 2, 1996
Two Record Stores Raided
Investigators raided two Greenwich Village record stores and one
Jackson Heights warehouse yesterday and seized thousands of counterfeit
and bootlegged compact discs, cassettes and videotapes.
The value of tems seized at Second Coming and Revolver Records
was still being tallied last night.
Raids were also conducted at the Jackson Heights warehouse of
Second Coming Records owner, Andre Grabowicz, who was arrested along
with Gladys Carpoli, a mail-order business associate, officials said.
The raid, a result of an eight-month investigation, is the first
undertaken by any state law enforcement official under the new state law
that makes it illegal to bootleg recordings of live music performances.
Investigators said Carpoli and Grabowicz may be charged in the
manufacturing, sale and distribution of bootleged cassette tapes, CDs,
and videotapes and could face a maximum of up to 4 years in jail if
convicted.
---
Newsday
(Long Island Edition)
Wednesday June 26, 1996
[reprinted without permission]
RECORD SEIZURE OF CDs
Feds: Long Island suspect one of nation's biggest music pirates
By Robert E. Kessler
Staff Writer
In the largest seizure of pirated compact discs ever, federal
agents confiscated more than 425,000 CDs worth $8 million in two
Queens warehouses and arrested a Valley Stream man sources said
was one of the largest music bootlegers in the nation,
authorities said.
Charles LaRocco, 39, of 139 Brookside Dr., was arrested Monday
at his home by federal agents, assisted by Nassau County Police,
who then confiscated the CDs at warehouses LaRocco used at 34-02
Rearview Ave, and 4121 28th St., both in Long Island City,
according to the office of U.S. Attorney Zachary Carter. Agents
also seized $371,000 in cash from the operation stashed around
LaRocco's home, including money found crammed in a microwave and
cookie jars, authorities said.
The confiscated CDs of live performances or session outtakes
included ones titled, "Bob Dylan, Hammersmith Apollo, Aug. 2,
1993"; "Smashing Pumpkins, Live in England, 1993", and "Pearl
Jam, Live, Nov. 16, 1993" authorities said.
LaRocco's attorney, Lawrence Carra, said his client is "a
reputable dealer in CDs who has worked in the music industry for
many years." Carra said LaRocco, who has also worked as a
musician in a rock band and as a studio mixer, was not aware
that any of his merchandise was illegal and said he planned to
plead not guilty.
The bootleg recording industry is fueled by fans willing to pay
for unreleased songs performed by stars, according to record
industry officials, who say that to reproduce unreleased
concerts and studio sessions without paying the artists is
theft.
"Bootlegers think of themselves as Robin Hoods stealing from the
rich record companies and giving to the public," said one
federal official, who did not wish to be quoted by name. "The
reasoning is: Why should the public only hear a handful of
albums by Bruce Springsteen when he performed thousands of
songs?"
But Katherine Timon, an attorney for the Record Industry
Association of America, said that bootlegging is a large illegal
business that is depriving musicians of pay for their work.
Timon said Customs agents began to crack down on the practice
last year after passage of a federal law that made dealing in
bootleg recordings a felony.
According to record industry and federal sources, LaRocco, who
has never been convicted of a crime, started his bootlegging
with a group of friends who worked together in record stores in
Greenwich Village over a decade ago and saw a small-scale
activity mushroom into one of the nation's leading illegal
recording operations.
A typical compact disc seized by agents was mass produced in
Europe or Asia from tapes illegally recorded at a concert and
then shipped to New York, where LaRocco had the CDs boxed and
packaged, according to Peter Killie, an agent with the U.S.
Customs Service, which is heading the inquiry into bootlegging
in the recording industry. The sources of LaRocco"s tapes
included Belgium, China, and Italy, Killie said, and they sold
in various places for $30 to $50. Killie said LaRocco uses a
dozen aliases, including Charles Rosen and Charles Roselli, and
apparently was aware he was under surveillance because he had
begun moving his stock from one Long Island City warehouse to
the other.
LaRocco was arraigned Monday [June 24 1996] before Magistrate
Steven Gold at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn in connection
with trafficking in illegal CDs and was released on $100,000
bail, according to assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Hinton, who is
prosecuting the case. If convicted, LaRocco faces up to five
years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
{Al Baker and Anthony M. DeStefano contributed to this story.}
--------
[1-05] 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. Something totally legal. Many
people cringe at the name alt.music.bootlegs because that's not what goes
on in the newsgroup.
[1-06] Why is it called "alt.music.bootlegs" and not
"alt.music.tape-trading"?
Good question. That's what it should have been called, but it's really
too late to do much about it right now.
[1-07] The final answer on PIRATE vs. BOOTLEG
Chris Trumbore recently posted a message to
the newsgroup regarding the differences between pirate and bootleg CDs.
I thought it was well written and accurate, so here is what Chris said:
A pirated recording is a recording that is LEGITIMATELY available
elsewhere. In China, there is a huge industry which creates pirated
recordings and sells them at extremely low prices, for instance,
you could probably get a pirated copy of the new Hootie and the
Blowfish for around the equivalent of $4-$6. This robs the artist(s)
of their royalties. The pirated CD industry in China became a
rather explosive political issue recently because one of the provisions
of accepting China into the GATT treaty last year was that they had
to crack down on the sale and manufacture of pirated recordings.
However, the recording industry is now trying to blur the line between
pirated recordings and live recordings. A recent article on the big
AOL/ABC/Maxell controversy (if you didn't hear, those 2 groups were
sponsoring a tape trading forum on AOL, and once the recording
industry caught wind of this the forum was quickly dropped) made it
sound like there are people trading both bootlegged recordings AND
pirated recordings. In about a year and a half of reading Usenet,
I've never seen anyone offer pirated CDs for sale, and the few times
I've seen people offer cassette dubs of legitimate issues, they
got flamed big time.
Basically this crap about "robbing of royalties" is just propoganda
being spewed forth by the recording industry because many labels
and artists don't want to be represented at less that their absolute
best. There are very few people who would not buy a legitimate
release by an artist because they have a bootleg tape, most people
(like myself) start trading for live tapes when they've exhausted
all the legitimate releases. If the artist wants royalties on a
given release, then they should release it for sale to the general
public.
[1-08] The "grey-area" in trading bootlegs
Recently, discussion has come up in alt.music.bootlegs regarding the
trading of legitimatly produced CDs or videos, that boarder on the
definition of the word "bootleg" but I don't think fit. (Keep in mind
this is a grey area, so USE YOUR BEST JUDGEMENT, ALTHOUGH THW FOLLOWING
BEHAVIOR IS DISCOURAGED).
There are some videos and CDs out there that may be live recordings of
some kind, studio outtakes, or something else. Some of these are
produced by the record company involved, and it is NOT considered a
bootleg. Yes, it may be expensive, say $20 and up, but a price tag on
something doesn't justify if it's a bootleg or not.
Similarly, Japanese imports (as well as imports from other countries)
and B-sides, is the main grey area I'm talking about. Use your best
judgement when listing stuff like this on your list. I'm not sure if
it's legal or illegal to trade this. If in doubt, don't list it. I
don't list any CDs or Videos that I can buy in regular nation-wide chain
music stores. I just play it safe.
I also will say that this FAQ is not the last and final word on bootlegs
and the trading/taping of boots. So again, use your best judgement.
Topic II. Managing Your Tapes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2-01] How do I keep a record of all my tapes?
Exactly that. Make a record. Make a list of all of your tapes. That's
the only way you can keep track.
[2-02] How do I begin to make a list?
See TOPIC III.
[2-03] What should I do with it?
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 tapes. That's how trades start.
[2-04] Crossposting
Crossposting is posting your article to several newsgroups at once.
Say you crosspost your list to the following groups:
alt.music.bootlegs, alt.music.alternative, alt.music.pearl-jam,
alt.music.nin, alt.music.u2. Your list gets to my site, but there
is only 1 copy of your list on my site, not 5 copies. It just gets
shown as an article in each newsgroup that you specified.
This is commonly done. I do it. I don't know the correct netiquite
for it, 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 when you don't like them.
[2-05] UUEncode or ASCII?
It's highly suggestible that you post your list to the newsgroups you
want in ASCII format. By this, I mean when I go to read your list I
can read what shows you have and I can see what I want. UUEncoding is
the process of turning your file into a standard which can be sent via
e-mail and the newsgroups. However, you don't need to use it with text
files. Uuencoding is designed for binary and image files. (Those of
you that frequent certain binary newsgroups know what I'm talking about.)
So, there is no need at all for you to UUEncode your list, as it is
already text (ASCII), not binary.
[2-06] How often can I post my list?
Well, that's a personal judgement. If you have more free time than you
can deal with, once every 2 weeks is usually good. I do it less
frequently because I don't have the time, some might post more frequently.
Whatever the reason, people post their lists whenever the hell they want.
Do keep in mind though, that for about a week after you post your list,
you will continue to get mail from some people. I guess their connection
is slow, and/or they don't login daily. So, sometimes you will get e-mail
regarding something on your list, and you posted it over a week ago. Don't
be alarmed, it happens to all of us. :)
[2-07] If I post often, won't it be a waste and improper use of bandwidth?
Ah, bandwidth shmandwith. All of us pay for our internet access one way
or another for the most part. If you're at school, a little itty-bitty
part of your tuition goes toward your schools internet resources. If you
belong to a commercial service such as AOL, Compuserve, Genie, or Prodigy
you pay a monthly, hourly, and probably a connect fee of some sort. If
you pay a monthly fee to a local provider (like me) you're paying for your
use. If you work at a business, then well, I guess you may not pay for
your internet access. But then again, that's supposed to be for work only,
and you shouldn't be using that account for your personal tape
collection. :)
Alt.music.bootlegs commonly receives about 100 messages per 24 hr. period,
give or take a few. Some newsgroups in the alt.binaries.pictures areas
receive about 600 messages per 24 hr. period, and those files are huge.
Alt.music.bootlegs takes up virtually nothing on the internet bandwidth
scale.
Incidentley, I got e-mail from a person who was saying that bandwidth
really did matter, and that I should change my wording. I'm not going to
change what I wrote, but I'll state his opinion here, which is a valid
opinion. He said that bandwidth does really matter, because when you
post a message, every provider in the world who gets messages for that
newsgroup, has to allocate space for that post, not to mention the data
transfer throughout the world which costs a lot. Originally, my point
was that a.m.b. has hardly any bandwidth compared to
alt.binaries.pictures.. But, people be smart. Don't go crazy posting
your list. Once every 2 weeks or so is efficient. Don't get the wrong
idea about bandwidth. Use it, don't abuse it.
INSERTING MY PERSONAL OPINION HERE: Please, if you are on a commercial
service, think about going to a local provider. As time goes on, more and
more providers are popping up all over the country. Check your local paper.
(Those of you who live in the Long Island area, check every Tuesday's
edition of the Science and Technology' section of Newsday, and you'll see
3 or 4 adds for local internet providers in the area.) There should be at
least one local internet provider in your area. The advantages of these
local providers heavily exceed the disadvantages of them.
Among your advantages are:
o monthly fee only; No connect fee. No hourly fee
o e-mail address
o ftp access
o telnet access
o WWW, gopher, etc...
Among your disadvantages:
o Roughly a $20 monthly fee which could be more than you're willing
to spend.
o You'd most likely have to learn some basic Unix. (Not hard!)
[2-08] Use PRIVATE e-mail
Simply, try not to respond publically to the person's list. It just
makes it slightly more confusing for everyone else. Just reply privately
and everyone will be a lot happier.
Topic III. Detailed Descriptions On How To Make A List
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[3-01] What information goes in a list?
When you compile your list of live/rare tapes, make sure you have the
following as part of your list:
o Date of show
o Venue (Title/Place/City - Where?)
o Source (AUD, SB, FM, TV, VHS)
o Time (minutes)
o Grade of quality of SOUND
o *Generation
'*' = Some people choose not to include generations, others insist on
having them. Generations is the most debated part of making lists;
whether to include them or not. See the section on generations for
more info. (Topic III, 06).
Here is a sample portion of my list so you can get a rough idea:
DATE
(MM/DD/YY) VENUE/TITLE TIME SOURCE GRD. GEN
------------------ -------------------- ---- ----- ---- ---
AEROSMITH
---------
1O/O4/93 Jones Beach - Long Island, NY ~135m AUD B
BLACK CROWES
------------
O3/15/95 Shea's - Buffalo, New York ~90m SB B+ (1)
Keep in mind, that's a very small portion of my list. It's just to kind
get the idea of how a list could look.
[3-02] What is a setlist?
A setlist is the listing of the songs a particular group played at that
show.
[3-03] Should I include the setlists of each of my shows in my list?
This, like many other questions, is a personal judgement. However, I can
tell you that the great majority of people (including myself) DO NOT list
the setlists for each tape. People feel that it takes away from your list,
and makes it less attractive to read. It also takes up a lot more space.
I've talked to some people and they say when they see lists like that, they
don't even bother to read them because they hate them so much. Others
simply don't even look at them because they are a waste of space, especially
if mailing the list out privately to people with limited incoming mail space,
and/or those that pay for (k)bytes of data they receive and send out.
If people request setlists, I'd suggest you type the setlists for all of
your shows and save them someplace on your computer. That way, when
someone wants a setlist for a specific show, you don't have to type it out.
Just find the file, and send it to them.
[3-04] How does one determine quality?
Each trader determines and assigns values of quality differently. There
are also different methods of grading quality. (See next question.) A
relatively common misconception to new traders, is that quality of a tape
is based on "what good songs were played" as opposed to the actual sound
quality of the tape. This is a misconception. When you grade a tape, you
are making a grade that depends upon the SOUND AND OVERALL MUSIC QUALITY.
[3-05] How is quality commonly shown?
There are different ways of grading live tapes. Some ways of grading
tapes include, from most common to least common, (though all are
accepted methods of grading):
o Common Standard
o EX+ ---> (Excellent) EXcellent quality. Minimal tape hiss.
Crystal Clear.
o EX ---> Nearly as good as Excellent, but not quite perfect.
o EX- ---> Minimal hiss and some minor flaws.
o VG+ ---> (Very Good). Some hiss, people singing, show hard
to hear.
o VG ---> Considerable hiss and/or people talking/singing.
o VG- ---> Only for the true collector. It's hard to hear and
pretty bad overall.
o "School Grading" Method
o A+ ---> (Equivalent to EX+)
o A ---> (Equivalent to EX)
o A- ---> (Equivalent to EX-)
o B+ ---> (Equivalent to VG+)
o B ---> (Equivalent to VG)
o B- ---> (Equivalent to VG-)
o C+ ---> (See Below)
o C ---> (See Below)
For all intensive purposes, the grades of "C+" and "C" represent
"F's" - they are really pretty crappy overall, and you should
avoid it unless your objective is to have every concert performed
by a specific artist. However, some people do grade on the
entire grade scale, from A+ <-> F.
o Number Grading System
o "1" ---> Excellent
o "2" ---> Good
o "3" ---> Fair
o "4" ---> Poor
o "5" ---> True collector only
For the most part, you are only going to see the first two methods of
grading in peoples' lists. I use the "School Grading" method mainly
because that's how I started doing it over a year ago, and I don't feel
like changing. You'll hardly ever see the Number Grading System anymore.
[3-06] 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.
Generally, it's a good idea not to trade for anything that is higher than
5th generation or so.
One of the main debated points of making lists is the listing of
generations. Some people list them if they know, other people must know
the generation of what they're getting. Personally, I think listing the
generation (even though I do list it when I know it) is somewhat irrelevant
when you are grading the sound quality of the tape in the first place.
The generation shouldn't matter. Anyway, if you choose to list the
generation, you list it as number.
[3-07] What do those letters under 'Source' mean, such as SB, AUD, FM,
etc mean?
These abbreviations stand for the source of the live recording.
o SBD = Soundboard (Generally, the best type of live recording)
o AUD = Audience (These can be real good, or real bad)
o FM = A show broadcast on FM radio
o STU = Studio tracks
o TV = A show broadcast on television
o VHS = Audio was taken off a VHS video-cassette
o TRI = TRIpod shot (video)
o #PRO = Where # represents the # of cameras used in a pro-shot,
but unreleased video.
[3-08] Estimating time
When estimating the time of your boots (not everything is exactly 90
minutes long) make sure you overguess, rather than underguess.
[3-09] Your Own Rules
Feel free to put all of your rules on your list. By "your own rules" I
mean detailed information regarding:
o Tapes
o General Trades
o International Trades
o Mailing
o General Rules
o etc...
The only thing about rules is this. Either
(A) Try and make them short and to the point.
Or
(B) Put them all at the end of your list so people don't have to read
through 5 pages of rules before they see your list.
I've chosen option B [kicking your ass, and collecting $200
(My Cousin Vinny reference :))]. This is because I tend to be
wordy and try and explain myself clearly. Others, I've seen
compile all of my rules into half a page.
[3-10] List of people you've traded with
I was one of only a few people that I've seen do this, and I've received
some positive feedback from it. Since people complain about "bad traders",
I decided to make a list at the very bottom of my tape list of people who
I have traded with SUCCESSFULLY in the past. I include their name, e-mail
address, what was traded, and when I traded with them last. By doing this,
you can recognize names and see a nice list of people that won't rip
you off.
[3-11] "I've seen people that do something so that when I send them
e-mail with "SEND LIST" or "SEND BOOT LIST" in the subject line,
their machine automatically sends me this person's tape list.
How the hell did they do that?
This is how you it. I was given this information recently, but I have
not had a chance to fully test it out on my account as of yet due to
my schedule. I have done a little with it, and I haven't gotten it to
work for me yet. Keep in mind, that the directory's listed in this
file could be different on your access provider. Also, this file will
work only if you have an account on a Unix machine.
Q: How do I have my mailbox 'automatically' respond to messages with an
_EXACT_ match in the 'Subject:' line?
A: It's simple, really. It requires you create a filed named '.procmailrc'
in your home directory. When a message with a text like 'get boot list'
is matched, it will automatically send back your list. The file below,
exactly as mine is, will also save a copy of the message that was replied
to in a mailbox 'responded'.
Why do I do this? Simple: sometimes people will include there list or
a message with their request for my list.
--start--
PATH=/u/users/bin:/usr/local/bin/:/bin:/usr/bin:$HOME/bin
SENDMAIL=/usr/lib/sendmail
SHELL=/bin/csh
MAILDIR=$HOME/Mail
:0 whc
* ^Subject:
| (formail -r; cat ~[your dir]/) | $SENDMAIL -oi -t
:0 A
$HOME/mail/responded
::
^From: .*
| formail -a "Status: O" >>[path to your mailbox]/newmail
--end--
[your dir] = ~
= whatever the file is called
[path to your mailbox] = the path from the ROOT of the hard drive
through all dirs or ~
= your login id. Generally also your directory on the hard drive.
----
There you go. Again, some of this could vary depending upon the
directory structure your provider has, so it may or may not work for
you. If you did get it to work, I would like to know how if you have
the time.
Topic IV. TAPES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[4-01] What brand of tape should I use?
Well, it doesn't really matter for the most part. Among the most common
brands are Maxell and TDK. Make sure you buy and use Type II tapes
though. Some brands, such as Sony, Denon, and Fuji claim to be the same
quality as the TDK and Maxell, but it really hasn't caught on in the
"bootleg community". One thing to keep in mind though. Some people are
VERY particular in what kind of tapes they will expect to receive.
If you use those two brands use the following:
o Maxell XL II
o Maxell XL II S
o TDK SA
o TDK SA-X
[4-02] What's the difference between Type I and Type II tapes?
First, let me explain the differences between the XL II / XL IIS, and
SA / SA-X. The "S" (Maxell) and the "X" (TDK) represent the newer,
and more advanced versions of their predecessors, with better high
frequency performance, which means more highs unless you adjust
the record deck for it.
Here are the differences between the various "types" of tapes (i.e.
Type I, Type II, Type III, and Type IV):
o Type O = The original Phillips cassette tape, like Scotch 150.
o Type I = Improved Fe203 tape, something like Scotch 203. To
be played with 120 usec play eq. Ferric Oxide,
(i.e. rust), the worst quality tapes. It's also
known as the "Normal Bias" tape. Most of the tape
of this type is just rust on a mylar backing
with binders and lubricant.
o Type II = CR02 Chrome tape or Fe203 and Co doped tape that
performs like chrome tape. To be played with 70
usec play eq as are Type III and Type IV. It's
a cobalt enriched ferric-oxide, known as the
"High Bias", or chrome tape. The advantage of
Type II over Type I is that Type II will hold
considerably more high frequency material.
o Type III = A dual layer "ferri-chrome". A Sony idea that
died. It existed only briefly, and was phased
out with the development of Type IV tapes.
o Type IV = Type IV "Metal Bias" tapes use pure metal
particles rather than oxides as their magnetic
material. Type IV tape can produce at all
frequencies a much higher output than Type I or
Type II. Type IV tapes require about twice as
much bias current than Type I or Type II, so you
must have a tape deck built to record on a Type
IV tape, but they may be played back on any tape
deck. The sound quality of metal tapes is a
dramatic improvement over previous tape
formulations.
Type I requires more bias than type 0; II more than I; IV more than II.
Forget about Type III. Likewise, Type IV has the most high frequency
level capability; II less, type I less than type II, and Type 0 least.
(Thanks goes to David J. Carlstrom and Jerry
Shugars for providing
the information for this section.)
[4-03] What's generally the longest (in minutes) tapes used in trading?
Generally, 100 minute tapes are the longest tapes used in trading.
[4-04] Why can't I use 110 or 120 minute tapes?
People don't like to use 110 or 120 minute tapes because as they make
longer and longer tapes, the physical tape is getting thinner. When the
tape gets thinner, it doesn't retain the same quality and it is liable
to break much more easily than a 90 or 100 minute tape would.
[4-05] What are MaxPoints?
MaxPoints is a type of promotion that Maxell has had for a few years now.
With every single Maxell tape you buy, you get this little sticker that
says "25 MaxPoints" on it. You peel that off, and stick it onto a sheet.
Then, when you feel like it, you mail your sheet(s) to Maxell, and
depending upon how many points you have, you can get certain prizes ranging
from a blank tape to a t-shirt, to a pre-recorded movie, to a camcorder,
to a trip. The trip is slightly on the rediculous side. (Incidentley,
anyone who has exchanged their MaxPoints for a camcorder or trip, I'd be
interested in hearing from you). Anyway, it's nice getting a free blank
tape every now and then.
[4-06]
** IMPORTANT NOTICE **
Through confirmed reports, Maxell has indeed *stopped* the MaxPoints
Awards Promotion. All of those unclaimed MaxPoints are now worth even
less than the 1/10th of a penny the were worth before they stopped the
program.
The following is straight from Maxell's WWW page. The URL is:
http://www.maxell.com/pages/max_pts.htm
QUESTION:
I have a box overflowing with Max Points, are they still good?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
ANSWER:
The Max Awards Program officially concluded on December 31, 1995.
Over two million Maxell consumers participated in the program and
were fulfilled satisfactorily.
Although Maxell's current audio and video cassettes contain Max
Points, the points do not hold any value, and should be
considered only as a form of "proof of purchase". Given that the
Max Awards Program ended as of December 31, 1995, we are unable
to accept any further requests for fulfillment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you
Maxell Corporation of America
Incidently, December 31 1995 was the last possible day that you had to
get your points to the address. Hope you all did what you could do to
at least try and recieve the prizes you deserve.
[4-07] I've seen some good deals on tapes. What's a fair price for a
Type II Tape?
Well, stores vary. If you're looking not to spend too much, go to a
store like Tower Records, The Wiz, and stores like that. There, you can
pick up 4 or 5 tape packs (90 min Type II's) for about $8 or $9 on average.
If you go to your local store that is not a big chain like Tower Records,
you'll spend more money. A store near me at school charges $6.98 for 2
Maxell XL II's, which is a ripoff.
Also try Sam's Club, Price Club, or other types of wholesale stores like
that where you can find great deals on just about anything.
[4-08] Consumer Reports tape rating chart
Date: 4 Feb 1995 04:25:50 -0500
The following is a summary of Consumer Reports most recent audio
tape ratings. Just a little something to think about for those of
us who go through bunches of tapes...
=============================
AUDIO TAPE RATINGS
-----------------------------
BRAND PRICE SCORE
TDK SA-X $3.75 87
FUJI DR-II $2.00 84 Prices are based on US$ and are
MAXELL XLIIS $3.25 83 representative of what one would
SONY ES II $2.25 83 normally pay. Could be a lot more
SONY UX TURBO $2.50 82 or a lot less at certain locations.
SONY UX-PRO $4.00 81
BASF CHROME $2.25 79 Scores based on frequency response,
MAXELL XLII $2.75 79 distortion, dropout resistance and
FUJI FR-IIX $2.00 78 bias shift. Differences of less
TDK SD $2.50 78 than TEN on the total score are
FUJI FR-IIXPRO $1.75 76 judged to be insignificant.
TDK SA $2.75 76
DENON HD6 $2.25 75 What can be seen from this list:
REALISTIC M-II $4.75 75
DENON S-PORT $2.25 74 FUJI DR-II is the best buy being
REALISTIC HD $1.75 74 near cheapest and near best.
SONY ES II(100) $3.25 74
TDK SA (100) $2.75 74 MAXELL XLII are near the top but
3M BLACK WATCH $3.50 73 by far not the best for the money.
DENON HD8 $3.25 72
SONY CDit $2.00 72
SONY UX $2.75 71
DENON HD7 $3.00 69
MEMOREX HBS II $2.25 68
-----------------------------
[4-09] Mail order companies:
**NOTICE**
I take no responsibility for these companies, nor endorse them in any way.
Anything described here is from what I've heard reading alt.music.bootlegs
the last few months.
Also, I am in no way associated, work for, or a family member of anyone
who works for these companies.
TERRAPIN TAPES
For a price list, send e-mail to with a subject line
that reads [send price list]. Or give them a call at 1-800-225-8650.
The XLIIs go for about $1.60/tape. Plus, there is a discount if you
have an internet e-mail address. From what I've heard, they guarantee
the lowest price in the country.
Topic V. MAKING/PREPARING THE TAPES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[5-01] I've bought my tapes, what do I do?
Well, based on the arrangements of the trade, you start to copy the shows
the other person wanted.
[5-02] What does "dubbing" mean?
Dubbing is the process of simultaneously playing your tape in the play
back deck, and recording onto a blank tape on your play/record deck.
This is how you copy shows for people that need to be copied from a tape
to a tape.
Playing a CD in your CD player and copying it to a tape at the same time
is NOT dubbing.
[5-03] What is DOLBY NR?
DOLBY NR stands for DOLBY NOISE REDUCTION. It is a feature available on
most stereo's, most of the time located near the dubbing button. The
function of noise reduction is simply exactly what it says. When copying
a tape and DOLBY NR is ON, it will supress a good amount of the hiss onto
the copy. That sounds good, right? Well, there are disadvantages. One
of them being that it takes away from the overall quality of the tape.
Also, did you ever try and play a tape real loud that was recorded with
DOLBY NR? It doesn't work too well, does it.
Here is a much better definition of dolby:
How It Works:
------------
There are 4 main types of double-ended Noise Reduction systems that appear
on consumer cassette decks. By far the most common of these are Dolby B
and C; less common are dbx and Dolby S, which tend to only appear on high
end decks. Dolby S is the newest and "best" system, while dbx has largely
disappeared from new decks. These 4 noise reduction systems are
incompatible, but they all operate on a variation of the same idea.
All tape recordings suffer from noise; its inherent to the tape (and to
the tape recording process) and is unavoidable. However, this noise, while
random, is more noticable in some frequency regions than in others. In
particular, "tape hiss" (the main noise) is mostly in the higher
frequency range.
The method employed by the noise reduction systems is to boost certain
frequency regions when recording, and then apply the inverse reduction on
playback. That is, they are "double-ended" systems and require the system
be switched "on" during both recording and playback. On playback, the
signal consists of the boosted music plus the tape noise; the noise
reduction system then applies the inverse reduction to restores the music
to its original level. But since the tape noise was not subject to the
boost during recording but was subject to the reduction on playback, it's
level is reduced. This is the basic trick employed by all 4 systems,
which differ in the particulars of the boost/reduction applied.
Note that these noise reduction systems only reduce the noise associated
with the act of making a tape copy; they doing *nothing* to reduce any
noise present in the source.
Try the folowing experiment. Put a blank cassette in your deck and hit
play. Turn up the volume until you can easily hear the tape hiss/noise.
A similar level of noise/hiss will be present even after the tape is
recorded upon. Now turn on the noise reduction; you should hear a
dramatic drop in the volume of the hiss. This is the (only) noise
that these noise reduction systems reduce.
Things To Consider When Deciding What Noise Reduction (if any) To Use:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Dolby B is the oldest, cheapest, and least effective. But it's also
the least objectionable when played back without Dolby B on.
Dobly C is quite effective, but unpleasant when played without Dolby C.
dbx is a bit more effective than Dolby C, but similarly unpleasant when
played without dbx.
Dolby S is about as effective as dbx, but isn't too bad when played back
without Dolby S, and sounds almost OK played back with Dolby B.
Many tape traders do not like these types of noise reduction. They may be
unhappy (to the point of being unwilling to trade) if your master tape
has it.
Car and portable cassette decks often lack noise reduction circuitry.
Tapes recorded with Dolby B can usually be played on such equipment with
reasonable sound quality by turning the "treble" or "tone" knob down a
bit. But this trick won't work for the other 3 systems.
Most consumer hi-fi cassette decks have Dolby B and C. However, the
licensing agreement that allows cassette deck manufacturers to use this
Dolby circuitry is a bit lax...there is no guarantee the deck was
designed and built well enough to be able to use Dolby C effectively.
In particular, there may be some compatibility problems with tapes
recorded with Dolby C on different deck. It may sound fine on the deck
it was recorded on, but on another deck it may sound too bright or not
bright enough.
Dolby Labs has tighter licensing requirements with Dolby S (this is
apparently a large part of the reason it's not standard on most consumer
cassette decks...they fail to met the requirements) and thus should not
have the quality/compatibility problems of Dolby C. But most tape
traders don't have it.
Many people do not seem to know how to properly use noise reduction
systems. Politely explaining to them what to do might be helpful but is
no guarantee they'll get it right.
Setting the Noise Reduction Switchs When Recording:
--------------------------------------------------
Here "X" and "Y" are any one of the 4 types of noise reduction (ie
dbx, Dolby B, C, or S), and "none" means no noise reduction.
When making a copy of a tape, you need to consider the settings of the
noise reduction on both decks. In the case of copies made on dual-well
decks, the controls vary too much between models to allow detailed
instruction; often there is only one Dolby circuit for both decks so
what you want to do may well be impossible.
Master | Desired || Master | Copy
Tape | Tape Copy || Play Deck | Record Deck
------ | -------- || --------- | -----------
none | none || off | off
none | X || off | X on
X | none || X on | off
X | X || off | off (yes, both off)
X | Y || X on | Y on (not recommended)
When making a copy from a non-tape source, the only deck you need to
consider is the copy record deck.
Desired || Copy
Tape Copy || Record Deck
--------- || -----------
none || off
X || X on
Other Noise Reduction Systems You Might Come Across:
---------------------------------------------------
Dolby HX is a single ended system that works on an entirely different
principle. It occurs only during record, not playback, and a deck either
has it or doesn't; there is no "on/off" (or "in/out") switch to worry
about. It works by reducing the bias signal level during loud passages
so that the maximum signal level applied to the tape does not go above
the optimum level. This allows the whole recording to be made a bit
"hotter" (louder), thus lowering the noise floor relative to the maximum
signal level. I'll resist the temptation to explain the bias signal;
all you realy need to know is Dolby HX is generally regarded as good.
Dynamic Noise Reduction (DNR) and similar systems are also single ended
systems, and also work (sort of) on a different principle. Basically
they listen (electronically) to the music and turn down the treble
when the music is quiet. It doesn't work too well, and not surprisingly
is fairly rare these days. However, much more sophisticated systems
using related processing principles have been developed for professional
use (and work much better).
[5-04] Should I use DOLBY NR?
Again, it's your personal opinion. I don't like it. Many don't. It's
your call. Here is some info on DOLBY from a fellow user who seemed to
know quite a bit about DOLBY:
o One of the recommened setups when copying dolby-dolby is alwasy to
decode and then re-code NR when dubbing. (The exception is dubbing
decks, in which supposedly the two sides are level-matched.)
NOTE: This info might cotradict info in [5-03], but this info here
in [5-04] was almost insisted upon by a user who seemed to know
his stuff about Dolby. So, I'm including this as well as leaving
the info above.
[5-05] What is 'High Speed Dubbing', and why not always use it?
High Speed Dubbing is the process of dubbing a tape, but at a higher
speed. It takes about 45 minutes to copy side A of a 90 minute tape;
with high speed dubbing OFF. duh. :) With it ON, it cuts that 45mins
down to about 20-25 minutes or so.
Sounds great, right? Well, again it has it's disadvantages. There is
only one advantage of high speed dubbing, and that is that you get the
tape copied quicker. However, the person receiving the tapes won't be
too happy. When you use high speed dubbing, then you lose a good amount
of quality.
All traders insist on high speed dubbing OFF. Make sure you follow
that guideline, as it is an important one.
[5-06] What does "filler" mean?
When there is extra space on a side of a tape or perhaps a whole side
blank, people will fill that extra space with miscellaneous songs or
parts of shows, hence, the name "filler". It's custom if there is more
than half of a side blank, then you should include some kind of filler.
If possible, give the person some type of choice, or fill it to the best
of your ability. Don't worry about 10 minutes of blank space, we can't
be perfect.
[5-07] What is the "normal" amount of blank space that is usually
considered to be the "cut-off" line between using and not using
fillers?
As I've said, it varies. Generaly if there is anything more than 20 minutes
of blank space anywhere, you should try and attempt to fill it with
something. If you really don't want to be bothered with fillers, make
sure you mention that someplace in your rules on your list.
[5-08] "I'll write all of the songs on the J-card given in the tape and
I'll write on the sticker labels and paste them onto the tape, OK?"
That is a usually a no-no. Please, do not print the song names on the
Maxell/TDK J-card that comes with the tape. Also, do not write on
those stickers and place them on the tape itself. There is nothing more
annoying than looking at a J-card with horrible handwriting that is
anything but legible.
The best thing you can do, is send the J-card and the stickers to the
person blank, as they will do the same for you. Then, include a printed
out setlist from a program specifically designed for making J-cards
for tapes, such as CaseLinr. CaseLinr can be found on SimTel as well as
many other shareware distribution sites.
[5-09] Should I print out J-cards
A definite YES if you have the ability to do so. Make sure you have
a printer before you begin. :)
[5-10] International Trades
International traders are good to trade with. Both of you can trade for
shows that might be hard to find because you might live on opposite
sides of the world. There are a couple of things to remember when
doing international trades.
o When you trade internationally, make sure you make it a
relatively big trade, i.e. about 5 tapes or more because
initial shipping is rather expensive, so I doubt you want
to pay a rather large postage fee for only a few tapes.
Make it worth your while.
o Send tapes WITHOUT the cases, as adding cases only adds
weight, which increases postage.
o Make sure you are receiving a Type II or equivalent tape.
o When mailing overseas, mail via AIRMAIL or it will take weeks.
o Make sure you have the person's address down EXACTLY how it
should be.
o Try to keep in close contact with the person during the trade
via e-mail.
o Don't send cocaine, heroin, marijuana, fireworks, beer, or
any other contraband over international boarders, as you will
have the FBI, CIA, NSA, and ATF paying you a visit or two. :)
o Make sure that when you go the post office that you put that
little sheet on there describing what is in the package. Make
sure it's attached firmly and that it is complete in describing
what is inside. The post office will supply those sheets for you.
Here's a little story...I recently mailed something to Canada
and marked "audio tapes" on that sheet. Apparently, that
wasn't descriptive enough, as the trader that received my
package said that the Canadian government or the Canadian post
office or whatever had opened it.
o Seriously here, does the United States Postal Service have the
right to open international packages. They did so to me when I
traded with someone from Canada. They opened up my package to
make sure I really did have tapes in there, as I had marked
on the little sheet they give you.
Some of do live in the United States, right? The land of the
free? What happened to my freedom at the Post Office that
morning.....
[5-11] Other helpful hints
o "Personalize" the printed J-card you're sending:
o Include your name and e-mail address somewhere
o Include group, place, date, quality, time (minutes),
source, and setlist on the J-card.
o Try to make all of your J-cards follow some form.
o I capitalize the group on all my J-cards.
o Search around for good tape deals. If possible, look for
a mail order company where you can get Maxell/TDK quality
Type II tapes.
o Recording audio on HiFi video tape is sometimes recommended
because it is a good way to avoid large generation loss and
side changes.
TOPIC VI. MAILING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[6-01] Should we trade with or without cases, and why?
This is up to the both of you. Some people want to trade with cases
because there is less chance of the tape breaking during transit.
Others feel that the cases increases the postage, and doesn't really
increase the chances of breaking during shipping due to the fact that
the envelopes are padded in the first place.
[6-02] Padded envelope vs. box?
For trades of about 6 tapes or less, I would use a padded envelope.
Anything more than that, get a box.
[6-03] What class mail should I send the tapes?
For domestic trades, send either first class or priority. For
international trades, send Airmail, or priority at least.
[6-04] What's the difference between Priority and First Class mail?
From what I've seen, Priority is, on average about a day quicker than
first class mail. I usually mail first class, but if you want, mail
Priority. It will make the other trader happy.
Incidentley, if your package is over a certain weight, (I think 2 pounds),
it automatically goes via Priority mail.
[6-05] Describe the Package
When mailing, it might be a good idea to mark your package with something
like "Magnetic Material Inside" or "Do Not Expose to Magnetic Fields". It
also couldn't hurt to mark it fragile. Though, they'll still throw it
over their shoulder, and you wince as you envision all of the tapes
cracking into a pieces. :)
[6-06] Addressing
Make sure your return address and the TO: address is clearly written.
While the computers are excellent at reading zip codes, they sometimes
can't read certain types of numbers. Write clearly. Make your numbers
as you see them on the keyboard. Don't make any fancy "2's" or "7"'s,
as the computer sometimes can't read it, and then a human will actually
look at it and then you could run into human error.
Your best option is to get a program that prints out your address onto
a sheet of paper. Then, affix your address and the other person's
address to the package with some tape.
[6-07] Sealing the envelope or box
If you are using an envelope, then most likely there is a thing you peel
off and there is glue on the back. In addition to that glue, put a
few staples in the envelope to ensure that it will stay closed.
If you are using a box, seal the box good with mailing tape. Scotch and
masking tape are not good things to use with boxes. Also, staples won't
work too well. You can pick up mailing tape almost anywhere. That
"Priority Mail Tape" that they have at the post office is real good.
It's really sticky and it's hard to rip.
TOPIC VII. COMPLETING THE TRADE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[7-01] Staying in e-mail contact
It is important to stay in e-mail contact through the trade, from
beginning to end. Type out what each person is getting clearly, and
agree on it. Then, confirm to each other when you mailed the package.
Then, when you get the package, e-mail the person letting them know
that you got it. E-mail is essentially free and virtually instentaneous,
so don't be afraid to use it.
[7-02] Trade with confidence
If you're skeptical about trading because you have been ripped off, don't
"retire" from the trading hobby. Continue. It's not all too often that
people get screwed. Simply, if you are skeptical, and still want to trade
with people you have never traded with in the past, just trade 2 tapes
the first time and see how that works.
[7-03] "I haven't received my tapes in 2 weeks, what should I do?"
The answer to this is wait. Even if you are not in e-mail contact with
the person, give the person at least two weeks. If you can e-mail the
person, e-mail him/her to see what's going on. If you get no response,
continue mailing every two(2) days or so until you get a response.
Please, people. Some people have life, work, and school and can't sit
by their tape deck and dub tapes. I know some people may have a lot of
time, but others don't. I'm in school right now, and working at the
same time, and at best I can only do a tape or two a day. So it takes
me a good 1-2 weeks to get tapes out. I've been trading for over 2
years now, and sometimes things happen which delay the copying. So, the
point is: GIVE PEOPLE TIME. If you haven't received your tapes in a
month, ASK IN THE NEWSGROUP if anyone has traded with the person you're
trading with. DON'T VERBALLY ABUSE THE PERSON. I'm stressing this
point, because in the last 2 months, reputable traders have been bashed
in alt.music.bootlegs.
[7-04] "I haven't received my tapes in 1 month, what should I do?"
E-mail the person and hopefully get a response. Now is also the time
to post a message to alt.music.bootlegs ASKING IF ANYONE HAS TRADED
WITH HIM/HER BEFORE, **NOT** TO VERBALLY ABUSE THE PERSON. Hopefully,
you'll get a few responses and then you can get an idea of what kind
of problem you may or may not have in your hand.
[7-05] "I haven't received my tapes in nearly 2 months, what should I do?"
Now you definatly have a legitimate argument. If you have done all that
you can...
o e-mail the person continuously
o possibly call/snail mail the person
o talk to others regarding your trader
...and you still have no luck, post a message to alt.music.bootlegs
describing what has happened. People will be reluctant to trade with
him/her, and if he has ripped people off before, he/she will no longer.
If you got ripped off, and there is nothing left that you can do, you
just might have to bite the bullet this time. Hopefully, it wasn't for
too many tapes.
[7-06] What should you do if you believe someone is a bad trader?
See [7-05].
[7-07] How do you know if someone is a bad trader?
You really don't. We're all trusting each other to a certain extent.
Common sense would tell you if people have traded with someone before
and had problems, you would tend not to trade with this person.
Every so often, there is a file that gets posted to alt.music.bootlegs
and it lists traders that people have had problems with in the past. I
have not seen it recently, though. Michael Burstin keeps two files
relating to this on his web server. One of the files is a list from
which he collected from other people. It includes a lot of details,
such as who sent the complaint, the date, and sometimes a paragraph
or two of what exactly happened. There is also another list there
that a different person sent to him. It's not as detailed, but still
good none the less. So, check out his web page:
http://www.cs.brandeis.edu/~mikeb/home.html
[7-08] Giving people the benefit of the doubt
You should give people the benefit of the doubt most times on small
trades; less than 4 or 5 tapes or so. DO NOT make big trades with
someone you have never traded with before. I did this once, and it
worked out in the end, but it wasn't worth the grief. This person
is a good trader, just the mail got screwed up and I changed addresses
and it was just a mess. So, trade small with new people remember.
[7-09] Why do some people look down upon those who use AOL?
If you real alt.music.bootlegs for a while, and you'll probably see
people saying nasty things about AOL'ers (America On-Line). This is
unfortunate, but in some cases, it is justified.
The main part of the problem is that AOL allows people to assume up
to five(5) identities (for game playing apparently) which can be
changed at will. It's a perfect situation for rip-off artists and
some of them do it. Furthermore, complaints to AOL don't seem to
bring any worthwhile results. That's why some people refuse to
trade with AOL'ers. (I have personally traded with some AOL'ers,
and I found them to be as good as the next person, as far as being
reliable goes.)
It is unfortunate that the 99% of honest AOL'ers are getting tagged
with this, but until AOL does something about this, the bad feelings
will persist.
[7-10] The Official Bad Traders List
There is also an "official" bad-traders list that is posted every two
(2) weeks to alt.music.bootlegs. This list is also available at:
http://www.ifi.uio.no/~janmi/bad_trader.html
I'm a little hesitent to mention anything dealing with bad traders
lists, because I have seen good traders listed in there as "bad traders"
when they were indeed good traders. But, the purpose of this FAQ is to
provide information, regardless of my personal opinions.
Plus, this bad traders is set up nicely - well organized with a nice
"description" of the bad trader.
Nov 6, 1996
NOTE: I think the maintainer of the Bad Traders List has stepped down,
and given the responsibilities on to someone else. Thus, this means
that the Bad Traders List is no longer kept at www.ifi.uio.no/~janmi.
There may be a link to the new site, but I don't know. If anyone has
any new info, let me know.
TOPIC VIII. MISCELLANEOUS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[8-01] What if I have nothing to trade?
If you have nothing to trade you can:
o Do a 2 for 1 [2-1] trade (See #02)
o Buy a bootleg (See #03, #04, #05)
[8-02] How does a 2 for 1 trade work?
A 2 for 1 trade is simple, effective and beneficial to both people. If
you have nothing to trade, but you see something you like on another
person's list then this is what you do. For every 1 tape of his/hers
that you want, you send 2 blank tapes. You will get 1 tape back with
music on it, and the person will keep the other tape. So, if you wanted
5 tapes from me, you would send me 10 blank tapes, and I'd keep 5 of them
and you would get back 5 of them with the shows you wanted.
This helps everyone. It helps the new person to start his/her collection
and it gives the person with the music the incentive to spread the music
out to anyone who wants it.
When you do a 2 for 1 trade, make sure you discuss and agree on the
following before you send the blank tapes:
o Who is paying for return postage? (Normally, the person who
sends the blanks pays for return postage.)
o Who is paying for the envelope/box to send the package back?
(Normally, the person sending the blanks sends an additional
bag or box.)
In short, the person who is sending the blanks usually pays for
EVERYTHING.
[8-03] Where can I find bootlegs near me?
You will have to go to smalled CD stores. Tower Records, The Wall,
The Wiz, Record World, Coconuts, or anything like that won't carry
bootlegs. You will have to go to smaller, non-chain music stores.
They may or may not have a section called IMPORTS. Check there.
You can also post a message to alt.music.bootlegs asking if there are
any bootleg stores near where you live (make sure you tell them the
general area where you live.)
Generally, people are against bootlegs because these companies are
taping the performers and then selling it for money which is really
wrong.
[8-04] Places to buy bootlegs in the following cities:
In alphabetic order by STATE:
Due to the ever-changing laws regarding bootlegs, and the
confusion by the media between 'pirate' and 'bootleg' CDs, as
well as recent busts of stores selling bootleg CDs, this section
of the alt.music.bootlegs FAQ has been removed indefinatly.
This means that you will not find any mention of any actual
stores in cities around the United States or elsewhere listed in
this FAQ, due to the fact that we don't want these stores out of
business.
From now on, I will *ONLY* list bootleg CD distributers that
have contacted *me* stating in one form or another that they
WANT to be listed in the FAQ. Also, due to similar laws just
enstated in the EEC, I will no longer list European boot
distributers as well as United States distributers. I think I
can still list any boot distributers from Australia, but I don't
know of any. Plus, it might be illegal in Australia any day
now. So, bascially there won't be too much information in this
FAQ regarding where to buy bootlegs, either in the U.S. (by
city) or from any organization in EEC.
[8-05] What is a fair price for a bootleg?
A fair price for a bootleg is anywhere between $15 and $25 dollars.
(That's for singles.) Doubles can be anywhere from about $35 to $50.
[8-06] What are some online bootleg companies/catalogs?
See Topic XI, #04
[8-07] What is a DAT, and how much do they cost?
DAT stands for Digital Audio Tape. It is an outstanding way of recording
music. Music is recorded digitally on it, so music quality is
generally outstanding on DATs. DATs are somewhat smaller than analog
tapes, and only record on one side. When a DAT is copied to another DAT
there is no generation quality loss.
A portable DAT will cost about $475 - $550
A rack mount DAT will cost about $500 - $1400
For a whole bunch of great information about DATs, check the DAT-HEADS
Homepage at:
http://www.atd.ucar.edu/rdp/dat-heads
[8-08] What is a discography?
A discography is a listing of all of a groups released music, including
imports, import singles, and legitimate releases. Much of this is
available on the internet. I've personally seen them for Pearl Jam, U2,
and R.E.M. They can be extremely helpful with bootlegs because the
people that put them together have rated the available bootlegs in the
store in terms of quality, and they usually list the setlist. Keep this
in mind before you go out and buy a bootleg for $20. (Some stores let
you listen to the disc before buying it, but not all.)
[8-09] What is "CD rot" and what causes it?
Great Dane was one of the first CD only bootleg labels out of Italy. They
started up in about 1989. They just folded (supposedly) last year due to
the changes in the laws.
Laser rot is a problem that a bunch of CDs have that were pressed in the
late 80s in Europe. The CDs begin to oxidize and the sound gets ruined.
(Thanks to Adam Stanley for giving me this
information, and to Rich Breton for typing this
CD rot text.)
I posted a message to the Springsteen list concerning CD rot on my copy
of Great Dane's "Piece De Resistance" and asked for others that have had
CD rot problems, particularly with Great Dane's CDs, to write to me.
What I got was an outpouring of e-mails from folks who have had similar
problems with a few of Great Dane's Bruce Springsteen titles, and as many
folks who have not but were concerned that their prized possessions may
someday suffer a similar fate. I asked most a series of questions
concerning the CDs that they owned (mostly on Bruce titles and some
non-Bruce titles put out by Great Dane for those who mentioned having some)
in an effort to ferret out how to tell if a Great Dane CD may or may not be
proned to rot.
For those who don't know how to spot if their CD is "rotting", here's a
quick list of symptoms:
(1) The silver color on the "label" side of the CD has started to change to
a color variously described as bronze, copper, golden-brown or rusty-orange
color. On the "black label" CDs, such as "You Mean So Much To Me", all
that can be checked is the 2mm area of aluminum just beyond the black area
on the outer portion of the disc. The discoloration doesn't necessarily
show up on the "playing" side of the CDs (I've yet to see or hear of one),
so don't check on that side. This symptom happens on 100% of "rotting"
discs, the worse the "rot" - the more pronounced the discoloration will be.
(2) The ink used from the "label" side appears to be "bleeding" through to
the playing side. This symptom only happens sporadically.
(3) On playing the disc, there seems to be an inordinate amount of
"static-like" background noise. The level of noise that can be heard rises
and falls with the the volume (ie. soft passages vs. loud passages) of the
music on the disc (not your volume knob). The louder the actual music, the
more apparent the background noise will be. This symptom is not apparent
at the outset, but eventually creeps in and gets worse and worse over time.
(4) Your CD player exhibits tracking problems while playing the discs.
This symptom is not apparent at the outset - or it could be due to other
factors like the CD player itself. All that is known is that the affected
discs will exhibit this problem at some point.
Note: If your CD is suffering from 2 or more of the above symptoms,
especially (1), then your CD is probably suffering from CD rot. There
seems to be no correlation between how many times you've played a CD and
when CD rot sets in.
The first method used was to determine of the numbers/letters found
inscribed on the inner "mirror-like" silver ring on the playing side of the
CDs themselves could be used as an indicator. This method proved
inconclusive, especially in the case of "Piece De Resistance". In one
persons case, the new discs they received from Great Dane had the same
numbers/letters as my "rotted" copy. Even in my case, the 3rd CD in my new
copy had the same series of numbers/letters as the 3rd disc on my old copy.
Some had 2 discs out of the 3 with the same numbers/letters. This method
was abandoned rather quickly.
The only other difference I could detect was the proximity of the aluminum
layer to the center hole on the CDs themselves. In comparing an old CD
suffering from CD rot to a new copy by placing the CDs on a flat surface, I
noticed a difference between how close the aluminum layer came to the
center hole. On the old (rotted) CDs, the aluminum layer comes closer to
the hole than the new CDs. Between the aluminum layer and the center hole
is a portion of clear plastic. The "old" CDs only have about 5-6mm of
clear plastic between the aluminum layer and the center hole, while the
"new" copies have approximately 10-12mm of clear plastic. After conferring
with those who had written to me, and after personally checking a few Bruce
titles that have rotted and many that have not, I can say that in every
case reported the CDs that have rotted have only 5-6mm of clear plastic
between the aluminum layer and the center hole.
While I wanted to be conclusive, there are some inconsistencies. Not every
Great Dane title that only has 5-6mm of clear plastic between the aluminum
and the center hole has suffered from CD rot. So while I cannot definitely
say that all Great Dane titles that have 5-6mm of clear plastic will suffer
from CD rot, I can only report that all Great Dane CDs that I know of to
have rotted have only had 5-6mm of clear plastic. I can also say that so
far no Great Dane CDs that have the 10-12mm amount of clear plastic have
been reported to have rotted.
The other inconsistency is time. Different titles seem to go at different
times, even though they were all pressed within the same 6-12 month period
between '89-'90. "Piece De Resistance" has only been reported as a problem
this past year, but other titles have been known for years now.
The following is a list of Great Dane's Bruce Springsteen titles that have
been reported to have rotted:
"The Saint, The Incident, And The Main Point Shuffle" (Note: The original
version only - no "Masters Plus" (M+) versions have been reported.)
Nov 6, 1996
NOTE: Terry R. Bailey bought a copy of "The Saint,
The Incidient, and the Main Point Shuffle". He has the Masters Plus
edition. He says: "...On 'For You' there are pops at times and a light
buzzing sound, but I don't know if this is an early sign of bronzing or
defects from the source code. When the Boos talks before 'Back in the
USA', this sound can also be heard.". If anyone has encountered this
on the Masters Plus edition, contact Terry at and
carbon-copy the message to me at , as I'll include it in
the FAQ.
"Live In The Promised Land" (Note: The original version only - no "Masters
Plus" (M+) versions have been reported.)
"Piece De Resistance"
"We Gotta Get Out Of This Place"
"Good Rockin' Tonight" EP (Note: Found in Great Dane's "Follow That Dream"
issue #10/11.)
"Point Blank" AKA "The Live Experience" EP (Note: Found in Great Dane's
"Follow That Dream" issue #13.)
"You Mean So Much To Me" (Note: All copies have the "black" label, but the
proximity of the "black" portion to the center hole and the amount of clear
plastic mimics the findings using the aluminum layer described above. This
hasn't been reported, but the aluminum I can see on the label side of my
copy appears to have started to "bronze" with no other symptoms.)
There are other Great Dane Springsteen titles that were released around the
same time as the above, but none of them have ever been reported to have
suffered from CD rot. They appear to have been manufactured correctly and
are so far immune. As far as I know, all of the following have the 10-12mm
of clear plastic: "Live In The Bottom Line", "Forced To Confess",
"Thundercrack" (original version - not M+) and "Steel Mill - Live At The
Matrix".
I'm not trying to start a panic here, I just want to inform those who have
Great Dane's discs what to look for to replace or to avoid. Many expressed
an interest in whatever I could dig up, more for peace of mind than
anything else. And as the number of new Brucelegs has dwindled
considerably and existing titles seem to be drying up, I've actually seen
or heard about "used" Brucelegs being traded and/or sold in some stores. I
hope I was able to clear up something here.
I still need to know more about some other artists titles released on Great
Dane around the same time. I know that there are a few Pink Floyd titles
that have suffered from CD rot, but I have not attempted to find out if the
findings expressed above apply to these discs as well, but I assume they
do. If you have any Great Dane discs, check 'em out and send me a note
(especially if they appear to be suffereing from CD rot). I'm interested
if the "bad" discs have the 5-6mm of clear space.
I addition, a few reports of some Seagull Records titles pressed around the
same time have come to light. So far the same finding as used to
distinguish "bad" Great Dane discs (5-6mm of clear space) applies here as
well. If you have any Seagull Records discs, check 'em out and send me a
note (especially if they appear to be suffereing from CD rot).
TOPIC IX. VIDEO BOOTLEGS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[9-01] Video bootlegs - general info
Well, it came to my attention by someone who e-mailed me that this FAQ
only concerned AUDIO bootlegs, and not VIDEO bootlegs. He asked me
why, and I told him simply I forgot. So, here is some general info on
video bootlegs.
Trading video bootlegs is quite similar to trading audio bootlegs. If
you are trading video for video, then the trading works the same way as
in audio boot trading. However, if you are exchanging video for audio,
then the common practices are for every one VHS video tape, that equals
two audio tapes.
[9-02] Why collect video boots?
I'm not a huge fan of video bootlegs, but a lot of people are. The
advantage of collecting video boots is that you not only have the audio,
but you also have video. And, if you are smart enough to hook your VCR
through your stereo, you can grab the sound off the video tape and copy
it onto an analog tape, for those people that just want the audio.
[9-03] Generations and quality of recording.
This is a very important aspect of video bootleg trading, perhaps the
most important. When dubbing video tapes, you increase the generation
by 1 each copy you make. However, unlike audio boots where you can't
tell the differences in the quality of the tape until after a few
generations, video tapes will lose quality a lot faster as the
generations get higher. So, mainly use your judgement. I wouldn't
go any lower than 3rd generation, personally.
[9-04] What tapes to use
This info supplied by Phil Satterley , maintainer of the
ALT.MUSIC.TAPE-TRADING FAQ.
Another well argued question. Again, each trader has their own
preference. Whatever tape you decide to use be sure it is VHS certified.
You can tell this if it has the [VHS] logo on cover (this is the same
logo that's on your VCR.) That means this tape was approved by JVC (who
invented VHS) some tapes just have VHS in regular letters (NOT in the
proper logo font) AVIOD THEM! I have decided to review the different
brands I have used and the results I have experienced.
NORMAL GRADE
TDK HS
My personal favorite regular grade blank. The picture
and sound quality are really good, even in SLP recording.
Panasonic has just come out with the STD which in my
experience is not as good as HS.
MAXELL EX
My same feelings as the TDK normal grade. In the past
they started bulk loading cheap tape from Korea into their shells
and charging the same price as they were before (when they were
using the better quality tape)
As I understand it now, they stopped doing it but check the
"Made In..." label on the back of the package to be sure.
SCOTCH HS
With my experience, for audio and video scotch tape is
ALRIGHT and nothing more. They have a few dropouts, but the biggest
problem I have has is the leader snaps of the spool sometimes when
I rewind the tape. As you can imagine a MAJOR pain in the ass!
FUJI HQ
A good tape, not as good as Maxell or Scotch but a good
tape.
KODAK HS
For a tape coming from a leader in photography and picture
quality I would expect more from them! I've never been happy with
the picture quality of Kodak.
POLAROID (regular grade)
I think less of Polaroid than I do Kodak. They started using
REALLY cheap tape stock recently.
RCA (regular grade)
Crap, I've never seen a good picture from RCA (like Kodak, I'd
expect more from them) Dropout is horrible. An RCA almost
trashed a deck of mine last year, so I don't think too highly of
them.
JVC (regular grade)
To tell you the truth, I've never tried their normal grade.
GEMINI (regular grade)
To put it this way, I'D NEVER let anything like that go in my
VCR.
TARGET (regular grade)
Target is owned by 3M who makes Scotch, but I don't think
they use the same tape.
HIGH GRADES
TDK E-HG
My personal fave of all brands and grades! To date I have had no
problems with these, I'm VERY happy with the sound and picture
quality. My only gripe is TDK likes changing their labels about
every 6 months!
MAXELL HGX-GOLD
My second choice only because I get TDK cheaper. But their
free stuff "Frequent Buyer" Max points are an extra incentive
if they are the same price as TDK.
SUPER VHS
MAXELL XR-S
I haven't been to happy with this one in the past. The
picture quality is not great and I have experienced several
dropouts.
JVC XG
I've been quite happy with this one! The picture quality is
Excellent and I've experienced no dropouts. (price on this one is
generally cheaper than the Maxell)
[9-05] Common trading practices
Basically, I described that above. It's a lot easier to trade video for
video, than video for audio because then adding up the equivalents of
everything can get complicated.
[9-06] Tape recording speed; SP, LP, EP.
Always use SP. Since the quality of video tape copies increases pretty
fast, use SP all the time, which is the best quality. It will hold 2
hours (120 mins) worth of material on the standard tapes, and on the
160min tapes, it will hold 2 hours and 40 minutes.
TOPIC X. TAPING CONCERTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*NOTE*: Some of this info may well be incorrect. Please feel free to
e-mail me and correct or suggest.
[10-01] General information
It is illegal to tape most bands. Only a handfull of bands actually let
you tape. So, a word to the wise - be careful. :)
[10-02] Easiest places to tape at
It would make sense that the easiest place to record things is at a big
concert, where there are a lot of people. However, they can pat you
down there for equipment. However, at most small clubs or bars, they
don't check for that stuff, so it might be easier there.
[10-03] How to sneak equipment in:
The following are the common places to hide your equipment.
o Taped under your hat
o Big jackets
o Down your pants (seriously, no joke)
o Shoes
Also, this is going to sound funny, but someone told me once that one
of their friends went to a concert and he somehow put on a fake cast on
his leg, and he hid all of his shit in there. No one even patted the
guy down since he looked like he was in enough pain and discomfort as it
was, so they just let him in. Well, to make a long story short, he went
into the bathroom and took the cast off and put everything he needed
exactly where he wanted it.
There is another story I read on alt.music.bootlegs where a person
described how at a concert once, he saw someone video taping a concert
with the video camera hidden in his pants, and taping through his open
zipper. That's some wild whacky stuff.
Once you've got everything set and you've started taping, don't think
you're home free. Keep an eye out for security. Try to ditch them if
you can.
[10-04] "Where do I put the mic?"
From what I've been told, when you are making an audience recording,
you tape the mic to the inside-top of your hat, and then let it stick
out a little.
If you are going to use binaural mics, you can clip them to ear parts of
your glasses. It fits well, and it's well-hidden.
For a better explanation, see the MIC FAQ:
http://www.ultranet.com/pub/jgm/public_html/micfaq.txt
For even more information about mics, contact:
Len Moskowitz (moskowit@panix.com)
Core Sound
574 Wyndham Road
Teaneck, NJ 07666 USA
(201) 801-0812
http://www.panix.com/~moskowit
[10-05] "Where should I stand for best quality?"
for this info.)
Some people like going high into the "nose bleed" seats. However this
can draw attention to yourself. Security in many places don't like
people sitting alone far away, although this depends on the arena. If
you are too close to the roof of the arena you are in, you will get a
massive echo. Too close to the crowd and you get too much of the crowd
noise.
Don't ever get too close to the speakers. Sometimes, that can be too
overpowering to the analog tape or DAT you are using.
Ken Segal adds:
"In small clubs that pump a mono mix of the band through
the house system, I find that a close-to-the-speaker
position can come off as a great, almost board-sounding,
quality. Some people don't like this quality, but to me,
it eliminates most audience noise and you won't suffer
from losing low vocals and stager patter that can be
drowned out inb the audience. Remember that this
perspective is only as good as the house system."
"In larger, louder venues, however, I agree about
overloading the unit or mic. A lot of recorders (and
mics) do come with 20-50 db pads. If your next to a
speaker and your recording level dial is near the bottom
to keep a proper level, it's time to kick in a pad.
Practice and learn about your mic and recorder at a
no-risk club show. Tape a band you don't care about.
Try different room positions and levels, and remember to
voice what you're doing on the tape as you do it."
Also, don't stand next to people that talk during the whole show. This
can be annoying during the show, as well as annoying when you listen to
the tape later on at home, and find that for all your efforts in trying
to tape the show, all you hear is "hey man can I get a copy of that",
"isn't that illegal?...cool", "want a hit?", etc...
Ideally, the taper wants to be like a third party, sort of like an
impartial observer. Enjoy the concert and the crowd, but don't get too
involved.
Clubs, unline big forums, are different. The echo won't be as bad as in
an arena. However, there are some places you should try and stay away
from. Stay away from high traffic areas, walkways, bathrooms, etc. Sit
alone or with people (friends) who know what you are doing and know the
proper way to act, which is not screaming and basically just not
drowning out the sound.
If it is a club you go to a lot, make it a routine to sit in one spot
normally. By doing this, you don't look out of the ordinary or
suspicious.
Lots of people cli mics to their shirts and collars. That's fine, but
don't wear any noisy clothes. No buckles on the jackets as well, and no
rough fabrics. All of that can be picked up on the tape. Sometimes,
clipping the mic to your belt is the best place due to the fact that
there, movement is minimized.
If your taping equipment has any lights on it, cover those lights up.
Keep a mini flashlight on your keychain or go into the bathroom to
change tapes.
Also, don't talk to much to the people around you that you're taping.
They will start to tell everyone, especially in a small club. Also,
every once in a while the guy standing next to you may be someone from
the band, so that would not be too good. In a large arena, if the guy
next to you is being real noisy, ask him if he could quiet down, and
you'll give him a copy of the show. It seems to work pretty well. If
he starts to tell other people, leave that area for another location.
Before you know it, you'll be mailing 15 people a copy of the show,
which would mean a lot of money on your part.
Since it seems that peoples' opinions, practices, and experiences vary
when it comes to recording concerts, here is another tapers hints on the
best way to tape a show:
Some last reminders:
o Do a crowd noise check before you start taping so you know that
everything is working properly.
Ken also says:
You just have to know your recorder (recording level-wise) and have
common sense when it comes to the crowd. Use your eyes, are there
people, talking or not, in front of your mic? Whats important is
a clean shot at your target. I find that asking people to quiet
down is not always a good idea. Wasted people tend to fuck with
tapers. Anyone else ever had some toasted shmuck go out of their
way just to yell into your mic or am I the only lucky person?
o DAT tapes have higher error rates at the beginning of the
tape. (Ken recommends HHBis, 3M and TDK).
[10-06] "Can I plug into the soundboard?"
If you are at a band that allows taping, they usually have entire taping
sections set up. Or, try and make your way to the soundboard guy. You
might have a shot. There could be someone taping there and exchange
addresses or something.
[10-07] "What happens if I get caught?"
From what I've heard, they either:
a) take your equipment, let you stay for the rest of the concert, and
then give you back your stuff on the way out.
b) kick you and your equipment out.
There have been instances where they have taken peoples' equipment and
when the people got their stuff back, the decks or DAT's were ruined.
So, the moral of the story is this: Be polite and calm, and always
offer to leave rather than give up your equipment. You have a better
shot of sneaking back in, or buying another ticket than getting your
equipment back in working order. So, the moral of the story is never
surrender your equipment - give the tape, but not your gear.
[10-08] What are bands that allow some form of taping?
Here is a list of some bands that allow one form or another of taping:
(This was taken from the DAT homepage):
http://www.atd.ucar.edu/rdp/dat-heads
From: Kurt Kemp
Subject: Updated list of bands that allow taping
Date: Mon, 07 Aug 95 15:14:51 PDT
Note that (a) = audio taping allowed, (v) means video taping allowed
and BA = (sound)board access allowed. <> represents the location of a local
band. BTW, if you see after a band, please help me locate their hometown.
Also, if you don't see "BA" after the band, you can assume that their
official policy is to not allow it, even if they occasionally do. Enough pre-
amble, let's get down to the business at hand.
======================================================================
*BANDS THAT ALLOW TAPING*
Acoustic Junction (a), BA but you need to talk to the
soundman before the concert if you want DAT BA
Allgood (a), BA but no DAT BA
Allman Brothers Band (a)
Aquarium Rescue Unit (a), BA Note: if you write to their manager
and ask him if they allow it, he'll tell you "no", but in
practice they often let folks tape and even have BA.
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones "no see, no enforce" policy
Better Than Ever (a), BA
Better Than Ezra (a)
Big Head Todd & The Monsters (a) no see, no enforce policy
Black Crowes (a)
Blindman's Holiday (a)
Blues Traveler (a), no BA at present due to upcoming live album.
Next BA will be New Years Eve '95. Rick Vink is the soundman.
Bob Mould (& Sugar) (a)
Bo Diddley (a)? Note: Someone emailed me that they let him tape,
but it doesn't seem to be an official policy.
Box Set (a), BA?
Brown (a), BA if soundman is in a good mood
Bruce Hornsby (a)
Catfish Jenkins (a), encourages BA
Colobo (a), BA and DAT BA too!
Dave Matthews Band--DAT (a) with stand OK, but no BA, no taping section.
Note: their shows tend to run about 2:20:00 with no break.
David Grisman Band (a), BA is soundman is in a good mood
Deloris Telescope (a)
Dream Theater (a) but no see, no enforce policy.
Duke Rollibard (a)
Echolyn (a) if you ask before the show
Edwin McCain (a) BA but should ask permission at soundcheck
Ekoostic Hookah (a), BA if and only if Sean Murray, the
the soundman, is in the right mood
Electric Woodshed (a), DAT BA
FFudd (a), BA encouraged
Everything (a), BA
Fighting Gravity (a)
Freddy Jones Band (a), BA?
From Good Homes (a)
Fugazi (a)
Fungus (a,v)
G. Love and Special Sauce (a), BA?
God Street Wine (a), BA but no DAT BA
Grateful Dead (a), taping section
Groove Thang (a)
Guided by Voices (a)
Headstone Circus (a), DAT BA
H.O.R.D.E. tours (a)
Hot Tuna, no official taping, but sometimes allowed
Jack O'Pierce (a), BA varies, ask at soundcheck
Jambay (a), BA
Jawbox (a)
Jesus Lizard (a), BA They allow full board access but ask you to call
the venue during the day of the show to get permission. They want
you to send a copy to their record company, "Touch & Go Records"
P.O. Box 25520, Chicago, IL 60625 (312) 463-4446
Kai Kln (a), BA encouraged Call (916) 326-8341 ahead of time to get
permission. They also want you to send a copy to their record Co.
c/o Kai Kln Homegrown Records, P.O. Box 566, Carmichael, CA 95609
Kilmo & The Killers (a)
Leftover Salmon (a), BA
Max Creek (a)
Meat Puppets (a), BA if Dave, the soundman is in the right mood
Merle Saunders & The Rainforest Band (a), but no DATs
Metallica (a,v)
Michael Hedges (a), no see, no enforce
Moe (a), DAT BA encouraged
Mother Hips (a)
Ominous Seapods (a), BA
Oteil (a), BA if soundman is in the right mood
Other Half (a), BA
Ozric Tentacles (a), taping encouraged
Page/Plant (a)
Phish (a), taping section
Plato's Cave (a), DAT BA encouraged, be there before show.
Email to for more info.
Queensryche (a) w/taping section, BA
Radiators (a), encourage DAT BA and have patch bay for you
Reverend Billy C. Wurtz (a), BA but you must talk with
the soundman before the show.
Richard Kirks Band (a)
Robert Earl Keen Jr. (a) but ask soundman ahead of time
Robyn Hitchcock (a), as long as it's discreet. No BA
Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings (a), but ask 1st. Expect
them to ask you for a copy.
Rusted Root (a), but no DAT (a), no BA
Sandoz (a,v)
Shack Daddys (a)
Shannon Worrell (a), BA?
Sheryl Crow (a) but it depends a lot on the venue
Shudder To Think (a)
Solar Circus (a)
Soulhat (a)
Spin Doctors (a)
The Freddy Jones Band (a)
The Grapes (a)
The Hatters (a), BA taping strongly encouraged
The Samples (a), BA, but no more DAT BA b/c of a CD pressing
Tiny Lights (a), BA if soundman is in the right mood
Toad The Wet Sprocket (a)
Urban Blight (a)
Vertical Horizon (a), BA
Verve Pipe no longer allow taping of any kind
Widespread Panic (a), No BA
Xanax 25 (a), BA
Zero (a)
*end of list on 8/07/95*
====================================================================
I have made so many additions/changes from last time that it's time
prohibitive to try to list them all here, but if you have any questions
or suggestions to improve this list, please let me know. As always, if
you know of any other groups allowing taping that I haven't listed here,
please let me know so I can share it with all the others out there who
might benefit from it. As I mentioned above, I'm currently trying to
complete the info on where each band is from, i.e., where they play the
most concerts, thus where one is most likely to be able to catch them and
tape them. Please help if you can. Finally, you are encouraged to share
this list with any and all forums/newsgroups/lists that stand to benefit
from it.
In music there is peace,
Kurt
TOPIC XI. INTERNET RESOURCES / OTHER / THANKS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[11-01] Where can I find this FAQ?
Right now, as of October 1995, you can find this FAQ posted to
alt.music.bootlegs once per month or so. You will also be able to get
the FAQ automatically sent to you. To do this, send a blank message to:
. (Without the "< >" marks.) Shortly after, you
should get the current version of the FAQ in your mailbox.
Many thanks to Adam Stanley for this setup.
You can also find this FAQ at the following WWW pages:
http://www.liii.com/~jek
http://www.cs.brandeis.edu/~mikeb/home.html
http://www.visi.com/~astanley
http://www.liii.com/~royt180
Razor's Edge BBS (301) 498-8729 (Music orientated BBS in Maryland)
http://www.nvg.unit.no/~steel
NOTE: I can only guarantee that the latest version of the FAQ will be
at my homepage, www.liii.com/~jek and at ambfaq@echoes.com. As for the
other WWW pages and that BBS, I don't contact the author/maintainer/sysop
of those systems to let him/her know that there is a new version of the
FAQ out. Therefore, the most current version of the FAQ may or may not
be there. It's up to them to put it up themselves.
[11-02] What are some other "tape related" FTP and WWW sites?
(Sorry about the long WWW addresses - they run off the side of
the screen which is 80 columns so that's why it wraps around.)
WWW
---
http://www.liii.com/~jek/ (My WWW Page)
http://www.iglou.com/members/eraserhead.html (WWW Page)
http://www.liii.com/~royt180 (Nice WWW page for bootlegs)
http://www.halcyon.com/rem/other/discog.boots (R.E.M. Discography)
http://www.tecc.co.uk/public/purple/BootDiscog.html (Deep Purple
Discog.)
http://http.bsd.uchicago.edu/~d-hillman/46one/clapton/bootstart.html
(Eric Clapton Discography)
http://www.uta.fi/~trkisa/ny/nyboots.html (Neil Young Discography)
http://www.uta.fi/~trkisa/ny/rustdata.html#Bootlegs (Neil Young Discography)
http://www.catalog.com/mrm/zappa/html/faq8.html (Frank Zappa Discography)
gopher://wiretap.spies.com/00/Library/Music/Disc/nirvana.dis
(Nirvana Discography)
http://www.usmcs.maine.edu/~laferrie/music/pj/pjboot.html
(Pearl Jam Discography)
http://cip2.e-technik.uni-erlangen.de:8080/hyplan/gernhard/beatles/boots/
boots.html
(Beatles Discography - German Site)
http://sun1.bham.ac.uk/cca93054/beatles/boots/index.html
(Beatles - England Site)
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/music/rollingstones-faq/
p/art2/faq.html
(Rolling Stones Discography)
http://www.cs.brandeis.edu/~mikeb/home.html
http://www.cs.brandeis.edu/~mikeb/boots.html
http://www.cs.brandeis.edu/~mikeb/sources.html
http://www-scf.usc.edu/~jrush/music/index.html (Music site; good jump point)
http://bit.csc.lsu.edu/~vercello/rstores.html (Search stores around
the nation by city)
http://www.atd.ucar.edu/rdp/dat-heads (DAT Heads Homepage)
http://www.ultranet.com/pub/jgm/public_html/micfaq.txt (Mic FAQ)
http://www.tecc.co.uk/public/purple/BootDiscog.html (Deep Purple Discog)
http://www.kts.it (KTS Homepage)
[11-03] What are some books, magazines, or other publications relating
to bootlegs?
o 'Bootleg: The Secret History of the Other Recording Industry'
By: Clinton Heylin
o 'Hot Wacks Vol. 15 & Suppliments 1-3" avaiable from Hot Wacjs
Press.
o 'Live Music Review'
o 'Ice Magazine'
o 'Tapers Quarterly'
o 'Goldmine'
[11-04] What are some online sources or mail order companies for buying
bootlegs?
** This is is no way endorsing the sale, manufacture, or purchase of
** bootleg recordings. This is merely information compiled from
** various ads in national publications. I am also not affiliated
** with any of these companies.
As stated earlier, only those who have requested to be listed in the
FAQ will remain here. All others will be removed.
If you wish to be added or removed from this list, just e-mail me.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
THE CD CELLAR:
P.O. Box 340324
Dayton, Ohio 45434
USA
All live CD's $19
Specializing in alternative and rock
(There is a second catalog available at the same address
specializing in Death Metal, US and International Heavy Metal, and
Black Metal.)
------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail: PARKENING@mbian.utmb.edu
He can get some rare titles if needed. E-mail for info - he can
help you with a particular artist.
------------------------------------------------------------------
WE ARE: ROXBOROUGH MUSIC EXCHANGE
6141 RIDGE AVE PHILA PA 19128
1-800-437-1369 RME007@aol.com
http://home.navisoft.com/musicexchange/rme007.htm/index.htm
WANT LISTS WELCOME
cd's rare vinyl and rock memorabilia
Roxborough Music Exchange (ph) 1-800-437-1369(e-mail) rme007@aol.com
CHECK OUT OUR WEB PAGE
http://home.navisoft.com/musicexchange/rme007.htm/index.htm
records, cd's, memorbilia beatles elvis soundtracks and imports
want lists welcome - books, photos, tour programs, rolling stone and
other vintage mags.
----
[11-05] What is the DAT-HEADS list, and how do I subscribe?
The DAT-HEADS list is a mailing list for the disucssion of DATs and DAT
related items and a like. To subscribe, send e-mail to:
DAT-heads-request@fedney.near.net
type "subscribe" in the body (without the quotes)
type "unsubscribe" in the body (w/o the quotes) to unsubscribe.
To POST: DAT-heads@fedney.near.net
or
DAT-heads@virginia.edu
This is the alt.music.bootlegs FAQ. I'm not going to cover much about
DAT taping and DAT machines in general, since I won't do it justice.
You are much better off getting all of the DAT-related information
files, such as the DAT FAQ, the DAT Microphone FAQ, etc.
The information below should get you well on your way.
DAT important info:
o DAT Homepage: http://www.atd.ucar.edu/rdp/dat-heads
o To get the DAT FAQ, ftp to: ftp.atd.ucar.edu:pub/dat-heads
o To get the DAT FAQ, also try: ftp.funet.fi pub/culture/music/DAT
[11-06] Is there a bootleg mailing list?
Good question. Yes, sort of. It's not your "traditional" mailing list
that you subscribe to to read posts from people in digest or message
form. It's a set of files that gets mailed out to those that want them.
In those files contain many peoples boot lists as well as their wants.
This is a decent way to send your list around to a large volume of
people. So, here is the necessary info you need to join and recieve the
messages from the mailing list:
THE TRADE
Here is some information regarding the THE TRADE
NEWSLETTER and THE TRADE WEBSITE for 1996. Please note the
instructions included with each section. They are pretty
simple to follow; helping THE TRADE run more effectively and
smoothly. And hopefully this information will answer some of
the questions you may have.
*******************THE TRADE NEWSLETTER*******************
**NEW BOOTLISTS**
If you haven't submitted your bootlist yet, and would like
to for an upcoming issue, please list your bands in
ALPHABETICAL order (solo artist by last name) This will make
it much easier and less time consuming for us when we send
out the BAND BOOTLISTS for the REQUEST section. However, you
may include whatever information you would like others to
know about each boot/rarities. (*except for setlists.
Setlists will be deleted due to space limitations in our
newsletter.)
TO NEW SUBSCRIBERS: WE NEED YOUR BOOTLIST!
SEND BOOTLISTS TO: JEN (JKKY79B@PRODIGY.COM)
**UPDATES**
If you already submitted your bootlist to us, but have new
additions you'd like to submit as an UPDATED LIST, please
PUT AN ASTERICK by the new additions. This is to help us in
the BAND BOOTLISTS for the REQUEST section. It gets a little
bit confusing at times trying to figure out the new
additions to your list. (esp. if your bootlist is
extensive!) It would be greatly appreciated if you could
take the time to do this for us! THANK YOU!
SEND UPDATES TO: SEAN (YFJM97B@PRODIGY.COM)
**REQUESTS**
Here is your opportunity to let other people know what
specific boots or bands you are looking for. The "want ads"
section of THE TRADE. All you need to do is write a note to
Gia and she will include your REQUEST in our next issue and
get the BAND BOOTLISTS out to you as soon as possible.
Please understand that working on this part of THE TRADE is
a very time consuming task. Each bootlist has to be
dissected into separate BAND BOOTLISTS; and then we combine
all the appropriate BAND BOOTLISTS together to send out for
each request.
SEND REQUESTS TO: GIA (LFHA91B@PRODIGY.COM)
**SUBSCRIPTIONS/CANCELLATIONS**
Subscriptions to THE TRADE may be canceled at any time.
Write me a quick email saying you want off our mailing list.
And just like any other publication; if you have a change of
email address and still wish to be a SUBSCRIBER, let me
know.
**TOUR DATES/MISC INFORMATION**
Have information on upcoming tour dates? Send them in! This
will be one of our new features included in future issues of
THE TRADE.
**URL ADDRESSES OR PERSONAL WEB PAGE**
If you have your own personal music web page, send the url
address in and we will advertise it for you in our
newsletter. Include some info you want others to know about
it if you want.
************************************************************
ANY SUGGESTIONS/COMMENTS/IDEAS FOR THE TRADE NEWSLETTER?
WRITE US!
JEN: JKKY79B@PRODIGY.COM
GIA: LFHA91B@PRODIGY.COM
SEAN: YFJM97B@PRODIGY.COM
************************************************************
*****************THE TRADE WEBSITE**************************
You can visit THE TRADE Web Site (which is managed by Pete Whipple) at:
http://www.preferred.com/~pete/trade.htm
Any questions regarding the web site, write to Pete
at: EUJX29A@prodigy.com
AND/OR
You can subscribe to THE TRADE newsletter by writing to : me (Jen) at
JKKY79B@prodigy.com
THE TRADE monthly newsletter is an online circulation of [Formatted]
bootlists and trader's web page URL'S. And yes... its FREE of course!
Just state you want to subscribe and I'll add you to the mailing list.
This is how the [Formatted] lists should be submitted:
Name :
E-mail :
Address : (optional: but it might be a good idea to state the country
since some prefer to keep trades within their own due to
postage costs).
Web Page: (if applies)
*Bands Listed*
List the Bands you have to trade with & the number of boots per band:
Beastie Boys [4]; Jane's Addiction [7].
If you only have one boot, then just list the band name:
Aerosmith; Bob Dylan.
If you know you have over 30 boots on a band but don't want to count them
all:
Toad the Wet Sprocket [*];
You can list:
(Audio)
and/or
(Video)
*Bands Wanted*
(self explanatory..)
*Announcements/Other Info*
(sample ideas on what you can place here)
- "$" = Indicates you will sell your copies. Do NOT list prices, please.
- 2:1's or 3:1's welcome
- Coming Soon List: (list the bands and number of shows expected)
- Guidelines: (list any brief guidelines if you wish)
- Taping/looking for tapers: (if you're taping a show or looking for
someone to tape a specific show)
- Bad Trader Alert: (follow the standard 2mos. period before listing
names or list only if extreme circumstances)
- Looking to buy CD's of:
- Web Page ad:
And anything else you want to share with the rest of Trade Subscribers..
Just keep it somewhat limited in length.
Ok.. so that looks like a lot of work? If you don't have the time to
submit your list in to me in that format, just send your complete list
and I will do the necessary editing for you.
(This format has been adopted for use in our Summer Issues anyways..Our
regular format is the circulation of complete lists.)
IMPORTANT: If you do end up submitting a complete (non-formatted) list to
me, PLEASE write THE TRADE in the subject heading. Otherwise, I will
assume its for a personal trade and might try to set up a trade w/ you!
Also, if you're subscribing and sending a list at the same time, be sure
to state you are a NEW subscriber so I can add your name onto the mailing
list.
Or, if you just have announcements you wish to submit instead of a
listing, feel free to send it in. Just be sure you include a correct e-
mail address for others to respond to.
Sooo, become a part of THE TRADE, and sample an issue or two. If you feel
it sucks, just cancel anytime.. Simple as that..
---
There also is the following available from Marv Bryant
:
Audio Underground is the Bootleg traders magazine. It has a
list of people who are considered good traders (no bad traders list because
I don't want to wrongly acuse somebody) and bootlists of the people who
would like them in the magazine. To recieve your copy of Audio Underground
or to add your bootlist or good traders list to the magazine contact
mbryant@ismi.net. If you are interested in the cost, it will cost you $10
for 4 issues (1 year). Or one bootleg of my choice off of your list.
[11-07] Some Commic Relief...
WHAT A TRADER SAYS/WHAT IT REALLY MEANS
1. WHAT A TRADER SAYS:
"This show is 100 minutes long"
WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
"It's 110 minutes but I've cut out the last two songs
because I'm sure as hell not sending you another tape"
2.WHAT A TRADER SAYS:
"References available upon request"
WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
"I don't have any references, but If I say that I do, you
are too stupid to actually ask for them."
3.WHAT A TRADER SAYS:
"It's a A- grade show"
"It's a B+ grade show"
"It's a B- grade show"
WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
"It's a B- grade show"
"It's a C+ grade show"
"It's a C- grade show"
4. WHAT A TRADER SAYS:
"It's a 1st generation tape"
WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
"Generation? I don't think I can count that high"
5. WHAT A TRADER SAYS:
"Your tapes are in the mail"
WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
"I won't send out your stuff until I receive mine."
6. WHAT A TRADER SAYS:
"Great Pearl Jam Show! Perfect for an audience
recording"
7. WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
"You'll be lucky if you can distinguish Evenflow from
Corduroy."
8. WHAT A TRADER SAYS:
"The band sounds great although Eddie(Vedder) sounds
just a little distant"
WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
"Eddie sounds as if he's singing from the Sahara"
9. WHAT A TRADER SAYS:
"I'm an experienced longtime trader"
WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
"I don't know what the hell I'm doing" Anybody got
any Beatle DAT's?"
10. WHAT A TRADER SAYS:
"These are all rare tracks"
WHAT HE REALLY MEANS
"These suckers have been circulating for years"
11. WHAT A TRADER SAYS:
"I'm running a little low on cash right now. As soon
as I get paid I'll get your tapes out to you"
WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
So long, sucker!"
12. WHAT A TRADER SAYS:
"I'm looking to trade for any cool bands"
WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
"I'm a complete imbecile."
13. WHAT A TRADER SAYS:
"This show is dated 2/14/83."
WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
"I don't have a clue when this show was recorded. I
just used my birthday."
14. WHAT A TRADER SAYS:
"I'm going to be changing my e-mail address.
Contact me there about the status of your tapes"
WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
You're never going to hear from me again."
15. WHAT A TRADER SAYS:
"I'll send your stuff out within the week."
WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
"Don't hold your breath."
16. WHAT A TRADER SAYS:
"Send my tapes to my P.O. Box."
WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
"I can't give you my home address because I don't
want you to kick my ass when I never send you
your stuff."
17. WHEN A TRADER SAYS:
"I'll be away for a few weeks, but I'll send you your
stuff when I get back."
WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
"I've got a bridge I'd like to sell you too"
18. WHAT A TRADER SAYS:
"I've got the master!"
WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
"So do 947 other people."
19. WHAT A TRADER SAYS
"All my dubbing is done on a high quality system"
WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
"It's a 1972 Sherwood I got for twenty bucks at a
garage sale."
20. WHAT A TRADER SAYS:
"Mike Jones, I haven't heard from you in 9 months.
I'd like to find out the status of the tapes you owe
me."
20. WHAT HE REALLY MEANS:
"I believe in Santa Claus too."
[11-08] Thanks goes out to those that contributed information for this
FAQ.
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
[11-09] Special thanks to...
Chewtoy2@aol.com who had made a FAQ for alt.music.bootlegs and agreed to
let me use some of his information to make my own FAQ for the newsgroup.
Without seeing his FAQ, I surely wouldn't have done this FAQ. It was
only until I saw his, that I decided that this newsgroup really needed
a FAQ, and I proposed to him the whole spiel, and the rest his history.
So, what I'm trying to say is, without Chewtoy2, (geez, I've gotta get
your real name :)), you wouldn't be reading this right now.
Andy Strote , who was in the process of making his
own FAQ for alt.music.bootlegs when I had finished mine. He then showed
me his FAQ that wasn't completed, and told me I could use whatever I want.
So, I'm giving him where credit is due. He provided (and continues to
provide), WWW sites and other info related to tape trading that improved
this FAQ greatly since it's first release. Everyone should appreciate
what he's done.
Michael Burstin for helping me with several parts
of the FAQ for additions and corrections. Also, for incorporating some
of the information on his WWW pages into this FAQ.
Adam Stanley for making a special e-mail address
that you could send a blank message to and get the a.m.b FAQ. I had
been trying to do that with my account (via filter) for a long time,
and now he has setup something really good. As well as supplying me
with the information on CD rot for this FAQ. Much appreciated.
[11-10] How to contact me
Contact me at:
E-Mail:
If you want my list of tapes, just e-mail me.
[11-11] History of alt.music.bootlegs FAQ
June 23 1995 - 1st Release (áeta test release)
July 07 1995 - 2nd Release (major additions and changes)
July 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.)
Sept 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, more)
Apr. 26 1996 - 9th Release (Laws, sound - minor revisions)
June 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, )
(
geocities.com/~tkause/ftp-directory-maiden) (
geocities.com/~tkause)