It Seems to Me - Forum for Audio Clips - What Say You Big G and the Group?`

[W1UJR]

Many of you know that I have been collecting, nay, hoarding, audio clips of various AM QSOs, events, and things of interest for the last few years. Many of these are deeply meaningful, as from Silent Keys, others are iconic, from past AM Special Events.

My intent was to put these all together on a CD for a release at HossTraders, called "AM's Greatest Hits" or something to that effect. Well, seeing that HossTraders is no more, and that my own time with personal and biz commitments is increasingly limited, I want to offer a solution and see what folks think.

Given how wonderfully the AM Fone system has grown over the last few years, I'd like to suggest the creation of a "AM Audio Hall of Fame", or "Lost and Found Sounds", or something to that end.
Simply put, a place where one could go to sample, even download, the various sounds, voices, and memories we have all gathered over the years.

This would take some effort on Gary and staff's part, and I am more than willing to do what I can do to help in the process.

I ask this for two reasons, first, many of you have entrusted me with various audio clips and I feel an obligation to get your opinion on this, and second to make certain that Gary and Co. are willing to take on the project.

The AM Fone site has become such a rich knowledge-base of ideas, technical theory, radio history and photos, that it seems only natural to extend that into the auditory field.

What say ye?

73 de Old Buzzard Bruce 1UJR

[W1DAN]

Hi Bruce:

I agree that some web place should exist for recorded ham audio. I have a fair amount of it as well that should get into the public domain.

Some issues to solve here are upload method, storage space, audio format, whether someone should "log in" to download (i.e should we be keeping a log of who is downloading the stuff) and archiving.

Worth doing. So far I have about 8 gigs of 22.050khz, 16bit mono wav audio cassettes transferred. It is going slowly.

Or it could be in CD/DVD MP3 form for handouts at disappearing fleas.

Any ideas from anyone?

73,
Dan
W1DAN

[WA3VJB]

I'm not sure of the use statistics, but we've had for many years an audio archive of what could be called the Best of AM.

http://amfone.net/audio/

East Coast Sound started as a sort of Tall Ship compilation of the biggest signals and cleanest audio, but expanded into files of various pillows of the AM community.

Even earlier, Steve's AM Window website started getting a good tally of AM sounds.

http://www.amwindow.org/audio/htm/audio.htm

And while that site hasn't gotten too much attention recently, both that and EC Sound serve as some food for thought.

[W2INR]

Bruce

I accept your idea and feel it is time to improve upon the audio archives we have had in place for years.

There is some great open source software out today that would faciltate these needs.

I have some ideas and would like to talk to you Bruce.

Bruce if you are willing to join the team here and take this project on I will install the software and get the infrastructure in place. We have plenty of space and bandwidth on the server.

I think this would be a great addition the site.

What Say ??

G

[N3DRB The Derb]

make it public domain and distribute on here as well as on itunes as a independent production.

[W1UJR]

Bruce

I accept your idea and feel it is time to improve upon the audio archives we have had in place for years.

There is some great open source software out today that would faciltate these needs.

I have some ideas and would like to talk to you Bruce.

Bruce if you are willing to join the team here and take this project on I will install the software and get the infrastructure in place. We have plenty of space and bandwidth on the server.

I think this woudl be a great addition the site.

What Say ??

G

I'd be delighted to help there G, just let me know what I can do.

-Bruce

[N3WWL]

I really like the idea.  I often wondered what happened to the clips I sent you, Bruce.  I am willing to assist in any way.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

It seems to me not to long ago on the e-mail reflector that Brian and Paul moderate, amradio@mailman.qth.net, that there was also several other people collecting AM sound bites. Maybe it time for everyone to get on the same page and try to get it all together and put it all in one place.

[W1DAN]

Pete:

Yup, that is the idea!

Dan

[W2INR]

Excellent,

Consider it done Bruce.

I will start uploading the software required this evening and hopefully you can get you started this weekend.!!!

G

[WA1LGQ]

       Cool stuff. I'm sure that besides myself there are others with  much to contribute. I  hope someone will upload some of the classics such as "UAN In Space". Here is one that I just put up for your amusement. It will take some of you back and you might think: "wow, haven't heard that sound in ages" and some of you won't have any idea what it is. Who out there remembers what this is??? HMMMM?

http://home.comcast.net/~gerboid/mystery_sound.mp3

..........Larry

[WA3VJB]

Yeah that does go back.



http://www.jproc.ca/hyperbolic/loran_a.htmlhttp://

[W1DAN]

Gary and Bruce:

So what format should the audio be in...MP3/AAC/WMA/WAV? What sample rates.

Will the areas be divided by donator, date, subject, etc?

I will eventually wanna donate many gigs of "Lost and Found Sounds" to the audio group. Can I mail DVD's to one of you whenever they are ready?

Thanks, Dan

73,
Dan
W1DAN

[N3DRB The Derb]

I know Irb's gone but I'd split my gut hearing "Irb's Greatests Hit's again. or when I threatened Irb with treason because he wasn't having a Merry Christmas.....

oh...and if it was fair game while he was alive, I still think it's fair game. Modifying the truth for "poor taste" is dishonest. I'd rather remember things the way they really were. This is history. Needs to be kept that way. And yes, no one asked me.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

As a sort of side issue and in line with the LORAN, I asked a while back if someone out there had or knew of a source for the other old sounds we remember (put up with) from our radio past, like the Russian Woodpecker etc. Would sure be cool to have an assortment of these available in the future to show others what once was commonplace on the bands. Sky King, The Birds, CHU, WWV, maybe a VOLMET with a human voice before Igor came along (Shannon comes to mind).

T'would go nicely with Bruce's idea for AM's Greatest Hits.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

That was "Irb's Greatest Whistling Hits" and "Irb's Greatest CQs". I'd pay money to hear those again! Too funny. And the mailing address, Basketcase, NJ. LOL

[W9GT]

Who was the famous W2 that called CQ like this:  "CQ CQ...No Kids, No Lids, No K-calls, No Space Cadets".....etc.   etc?  I would love to hear that again....its hilarious now...even though I found it very upsetting when I was a 14 yr old youngster with a "K" call.  Anyone have any really old recordings of AM activity from 50's-60's or even earlier?  I remember some real icons of the airwaves from that era that are long gone, but not forgotten.

73,  Jack, W9GT

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

That was W2OY, Herb is very familiar with his history. Bruce actually sent me a clip which I'll attach.

Sometime later in the 80s there was a clown who called himself 'the dog' WA4D who amended it from 'space cadets' to 'retirees' and used it profusely. We've discussed him here before as well. Think they were both named Mike, oddly enough.

[W9GT]

  Thanks so much Todd!....Brings back memories.....of course that was quite an abreviated version of his diatribe, but still fun to hear again.  I had forgotten his strong aversion to phonetics.  My strongest memory was also his exclusion of young ops and "K" calls.  That was in 1959-60 time frame and I was K9UBF at the time.  I was running a screen-modulated Knight T-50 and a Heathkit AR-3 receiver.  I might have been in the extreme PW category, but I still had a lot of fun.  Sure wish somebody would have recorded me then...probably no chance, but sure would be neat to hear myself.

I wonder if anybody remembers W3EBM?  He ran a Johnson Desk KW and used the phonetics "Three Empty Beer Mugs"  He had a killer signal into Indiana.

73,  Jack, W9GT

[WA3VJB]

Lost AMers I'd like to hear tape of agn incl:

Al, WA3JKB and the profane arguments with his sister and the television

Russ, WA2RII

Doug N3NFU

Mike, WA3WDO

Chip, WB4ZVR

[W1RKW]

Does it really matter what format is used?  Just about any modern day 'puter will play whatever format.  I'd opt for best audio quality whatever format provides that.

On a side note:
I don't know if Irb has any living relatives but it might be a nice gesture to put some of his audio into an album of sorts and pass it on to his relatives.  Just a thought.

[kc2ifr]

I wonder if anybody remembers W3EBM?  He ran a Johnson Desk KW and used the phonetics "Three Empty Beer Mugs"  He had a killer signal into Indiana.

I used to listen to him on 40 Sunday mornings on my S38 before I was licensed. This was in upstate NY and he was LOUD. This was in the late 50's.
Man......that brings back memories......

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Does it really matter what format is used?

Yes. Use one that is publicly documented, compatible across platforms and for which players are easily accessible and likely to be around for a long time. This points to formats from the MPEG series. IMO, the newer the better (faster streaming and better audio quality), like AAC and MP4.

Yes, you are right, most any newer computer, with the right software will play most any format. But ease of use, longevity, archival issues and audio quality come into play.

[kc2ifr]

Ah yes...the format question.
I opt for MP3. Audio quality is fine for our purposes. Dont need DC to light for ham radio and the files are a lot smaller than wave files.......BUT thats just MHO.

[WA3VJB]

Regarding formats there are two functions to consider:

The format used from the original recording.

The format used for the audience here.

I know of at least two people who are rolling a digital copy of material done on open reel and other tape formats that have begun to deteriorate.This copy will serve as an archival library that could become the source for future digital formats.

The more you save (quality), the more you can use the next time. That's different criteria than spooling out an adequate sample here on the page.

The labor comes with going from analog to digital, Cataloging, indexing, physical and electrical quality control (splices and levels) in particular. So why not grab the best format for that first duplication, and then figure out whether to boil it down to MP3 or whatever.