-=> CHARLES ANGELICH wrote to WAYNE CHIRNSIDE <=-

 CA> 12358dd39ad7
 CA> tech



 CA> Hello Wayne -

 WC>> BTW on you .mp3 web site "Dust in the Wind" downloads as a
 WC>> 64 or thereabouts file with a .mpu file name extention.

 CA>> All done in order to 'stream' the music file.

 WC> OK, with my inability to play HiFi MP3's here

 CA> Not clear on the "inability to play HiFi" part? Hardware
 CA> problem or software problem? WinPlay3 for W31 works on my '486
 CA> if I configure it down to 22mhz. It sounds OK and doesn't
 CA> stutter at 22mhz speeds.

I mean "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" coming in at near
7 meg. It seemed to stutter to the tune of 10 - 20 percent
after loading a memory utility for a freeware DOS C compiler.

 CA> If hardware I may be able to recommend something there too.

I'm sure i'll play at the rate you mention.
Down to 16 meg drive here so I'm not downloading MP3's just now.

 WC> and the lack of the plugin in NS 4.08 I've no experience.

 CA> I _think_ I found an old version of Winamp on a website
 CA> somewhere. If I did it's linked at my website. If not, I can
 CA> look around. I do know that a 16 bit version of RealPlayer was
 CA> installed with my IEx v3.0f browser that is version RA 2.1.1.0
 CA> (1996). Probably only played RealAudio in those days but
 CA> RealAudio does stream (I have RA/WMA/MP3 files for streaming at
 CA> the Christmas music webpage). 
 
I HAD real audio loaded but did not reload after the worm
infected my system left it out for space, 
the install still sits on my damaged drive so is
accessable should I slave in that drive.

 CA> Many music webpages offer both
 CA> MP3 and RealAudio. Crescendo is another possible - can't
 CA> remember all the formats it will handle but there is a W31
 CA> version of it available I think?

 I'm not bloating up Windows now that I've slimmed it down.
 I did load the Adobie Acrobat Reader but you _need_ that from 
 time to time.

 WC> Used to be sites refered you to the plugin but back then I
 WC> had a messed up drive and they wouldn't load for the munged
 WC> boot sector. Now I've got a good drive and 4.08 isn't
 WC> supported anymore or the sites don't foward you to the
 WC> plugin.

 CA> If none of the above is useful I can look around for others.

 Don't bother, to little magnetic real estate and focusing
 on Linux rather than the toys just now but thanks.
 
 WC> Took an hour to DL a 7 meg file I couldn't use with a 28.800

 CA> My streaming MP3s being at 32k-40k bps are generally under 2
 CA> meg for the full length music file (3-5 minutes long).

I guess Gordo didn't want his music sounding anything but the best.

It's a legal download but freaking huge and not whittled
down to something that will play here.

 WC> but I believe the server was loaded too as it was only
 WC> 2/3rds optimal transfer for most of the connect.

 CA> Yes, they think they're being 'cute' when they do that. Average
 CA> users are begining to realize it's not that the Internet is
 CA> slow it's throttled servers who oversell their capacity.

I prefer the Linux Apache mirror sites, they don't slow down
they blow you off saying max users and you just go to another mirror.
 
 CA>> get on FM radio. We are accustom to this limitation and
 CA>> most people have no problem with the sound. A few referred
 CA>> to as 'golden ears' do not like this at all and will just
 CA>> refuse to access the files. Many hate FM radio for the
 CA>> same reason.

 WC> I have those golden ears having some really top notch audio
 WC> equipment when I was young. F.M. is tolerable but sounds a
 WC> bit muddy to me and lacks dynamic range.

 CA> Exactly. They pump the midrange (which can be good for some
 CA> music but usually sounds 'muffled' to me) and they clip
 CA> (remove) above 16khz. For stringed instruments and a few others
 CA> this loss is obvious. They also drop anything under 140hz which
 CA> can really step on some music hard.

 CA> FM is tuned for cheap table radios and small automobile
 CA> speakers basically and it sounds like that to me often enough
 CA> to be annoying.

 CA> I record and edit my music using headphones then I turn the
 CA> volume midway and walk away from it into other rooms. If it
 CA> begins to detriorate as I move away I know it's not right and I
 CA> adjust the frequencies until it sounds the same as I move away
 CA> from the source, just quieter not different. 
 
Interesting low tech approach and yes I've noticed
that effect but never gave it a second thought.

 CA> The speakers are
 CA> the BOSE type with the 'thumper' on the floor for bass. No home
 CA> stereos have matched it for reproduction yet regardless of
 CA> price.

 BOSE huh, no slumming for you I see.
 Used to be a high end shop in Cambridge Mass. called
 "Tech HiFi" that carried alot of BOSE, AR, ect. as well
 as some affordable "Rectilinear"  speakers I found to
 be quite good being neither muddy, too bright or
 having detectable distortion. Kenwood IMO makes a good
 amp. that's not overly pricey too.

CA> Maybe more than you wanted to know? ;-)

Not at all, more like perhaps you've other things to do?
I'm always interested in stuff I'll use down the road.
 
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