░
▄▄▄▄▄▄ ░░
█░░░░█ ░ ░░
█░░░░█ ░ ░░░
▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄█░░░░█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ░░ ░░░░
█░░░░█ █░░░░██░░░░░░░░░░░░█ ▄▄█░░░░░░░░░█▄▄▄ ░░░ ░░░░░
█░░░░█ █░░░░██░░░░░░░░░░░░█ ▄█░░░░░░░░░░░░░░█▄ ░░░ ░░░░
█░░░░█▄▄▄▄▄▄█░░░░██░░░░░████████ █░░░░░██████░░░░░█ ░░░░ ░░░░
█░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░██░░░░██ █░░░░██ ██░░░░█ ░░▒░░ ░░░░
███░░░░░░░░░░░░████░░░░█ ▄▄▄▄▄▄█░░░░█ █░░░░█ ░░░░░░ ░░░░
▄█░░░░░░░░░░░░░░█▄█░░░░█ █░░░░██░░░░█ ██████ ░░░▒░░░ ░░░░
█░░░░░██████░░░░░██░░░░█▄▄ ▄▄█░░░░██░░░░█▄▄ ░░░▒░░░ ░░░
█░░░░██ ██░░░░██░░░░░░█▄▄█░░░░░░██░░░░░░█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ░░░▒▒░░░ ░░░
█░░░░█ █░░░░███░░░░░░░░░░░░░█████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░█ ░░░▒░░░░ ░░
█░░░░█ █░░░░█ ███░░░░░░░░░░██ ███░░░░░░░░░░░░░█ ░░▒▒░░░ ░░
██████ ██████ ████████████ ███████████████ ░░▒▒░░░ ░░
░░▒▒░░ ░░
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ░▒▒░░ ░░░
▄▄█░░░░░░░░░█▄█░░░░░░░░░░█▄▄ ▄█░░░░░░░░░░█▄▄▄ █░░░░░░░░░░░░░█▄▄ ░▒▒░░░░░░░
▄█░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░█▄▄█░░░░░░░░░░░░░░█▄█░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░█▄ ░▒░░░▒░░
█░░░░░█████░░░░░░░██████░░░░░██░░░░░█████░░░░░░████████████░░░░░░█ ░░▒▒▒░░
█░░░░██ ███░░░░██ ██░░░░██░░░░██ ██░░░░██▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄██░░░░█ ░░▒▒░░
█░▒▒▒█ █▒░░░█ █░▒▒▒██▒░░░█ █░▒▒▒██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░█ ░░▒░░
█▒▒▒▒█ █▒▒░░█ █▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒░█ █▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░▒▒▒▒█ ░▒░░░ ░
█▒▒▒▒█ █▒▒▒▒█ █▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒█▄▄ ▄▄█▒▒▒▒██████████████▒▒▒▒█ ░▒▒░░░░░
█▒▒▒▒█ █▒▒▒▒█ █▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒█▄▄█▒▒▒▒▒▒██▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█▒▒▒▒▒▒█ ░▒▒░░░░░
█▒▒▒▒█ █▒▒▒▒█ █▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒████▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██ ░▒▒░░░░
█▒▒▒▒█ █▒▒▒▒█ █▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒███ █▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██ ░▒▒▒▒░░
██████ ██████ ███████▒▒▒▒█████████ ████████████████ ░░▒▒▒░░
█▒▒▒▒█ ░░▒▒▒░░
Drum N Bass and Hard Dance █▒▒▒▒█ MP3 Release Crew. 2004 ░░░▒▒▓▒░
██████ ░░░░░▒▓▒▒
▒▒░▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒ ░▒░▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▓▒▒
▒░░░▒░░▒▒▒░▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒ ░░▒░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░▒░▒░▒░░▒▒▒▒▓▒▒▓▒▒▒▓▓▓
▒▒▒░░ ░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░▒░▒░░░░░
░▒▒░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░
░░▒
░▒ X T C A r e P r o u d T o P r e s e n t . . . ░
░░░ ░
░░ Bailey - Intabeats on 1Xtra-09-12-DAB ░░
░░ ░░
░▒ ░
░▒ Ripped By ═ XTC Crew ░░
▓ Scene Release Date ═ Sep-13-2004 ░
░ Street Release Date ═ Sep-12-2004 ░░
░ ░░░
▓░ Artist ═ Bailey ░░░
░ Album Title ═ Intabeats on 1Xtra-09-12-DAB ░░░░
▒░░ Records Label ═ BBC 1Xtra ░░░░
░▒░ Genre ═ Drum & Bass ░░░░
░░░ ░ ░░
░░░ Encoder With = LAME 3.92 MMX ░ ░░░
░░░░ Total Tracks = 01 ░ ░░░░
░░░░ Source = Radio ░░░░░░
░░ Grabber = XTC ░░ ░░
░░ Bitrate = 192.kbps/44.1kHz ░░░ ░░░░
░░░ Mode = Stereo ░░░░░░░░░
░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░ ░ ░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░
░░░ ░ ░░░ ░ ░ ░ ░░░░ ░░░ ░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░
░░░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░░ ░ ░░░░ ░░░ ░░░ ░░░ ░░░░░░░░▒░░░░
░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░░░░ ░▒▒░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░ ░▒░░░░
░░░ ░░▒▒░░
# ░░ Track Title Time ░░░▒▒▒░
░ ░ ░░░░░░░░░▒▒░
░ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░
01 ░ Intabeats on 1Xtra-09-12-DAB-PROPER 116:21 ▒░░
░ ▒▒░
▒▒░
116:21.Mins ▒▒░
▒ Release Notes: ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ Another cool show from Bailey, and check ▒▒░
▒ out the wicked outro :D Hands up who ▒▒░
▒ recognised it. ;) ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ Notes (brace yourself): ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ Let me elucidate the reason for this ▒▒░
▒ proper. ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ BOSS put out a VBR copy of tonight's ▒▒░
▒ Intabeats, explaining that they did so ▒▒░
▒ because the source is 128k CBR and ▒▒░
▒ therefore (and I quote) "lame doesn't need ▒▒░
▒ to use high bit rates [sic] to make the mp3 ▒▒░
▒ sound like the original, 128k is good ▒▒░
▒ enough and wont sound any different from ▒▒░
▒ the same show recorded at 192k CBR, which ▒▒░
▒ to me is just overkill and makes the file ▒▒░
▒ bigger". ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ Ok, fair enough, now let me now make my ▒▒░
▒ point. ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ Digital Audio Broadcasting employs the use ▒▒░
▒ of the MPEG-2 layer codec, which is ▒▒░
▒ basically what all ISO-MPEG videos use as ▒▒░
▒ their audio. If you watch Sky Digital or ▒▒░
▒ Freeview, the audio is MPEG-2 format ▒▒░
▒ (unless you got Sky+, in which case films ▒▒░
▒ are broadcast with AAC soundtracks for ▒▒░
▒ 5.1). MPEG-2 was chosen for DAB because ▒▒░
▒ it's license-free, unlike MP3, which ▒▒░
▒ requires commercial users to pay a (hefty) ▒▒░
▒ license fee. ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ That aside, while the MPEG-2 DAB broadcast ▒▒░
▒ is only at 128kbps (and 48KHz), because MP2 ▒▒░
▒ compresses the stream less, and also ▒▒░
▒ (sometimes, depending on source material) ▒▒░
▒ because of the higher samplerate, you can ▒▒░
▒ actually receive better quality audio than ▒▒░
▒ an MP3 (at the same bitrate and samplerate) ▒▒░
▒ of the same audio. 128kbps MP3s sound ▒▒░
▒ absolutely mank, whereas 128kbps MP2 files ▒▒░
▒ sound a bit better. ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ I use 192kbps CBR to encode all of my DAB ▒▒░
▒ material because it's the ideal tradeoff ▒▒░
▒ between filesize and quality preservation. ▒▒░
▒ It's well known that MP3 bitrates below ▒▒░
▒ 192kbps (i.e. 160, 128, 96 and so on) do ▒▒░
▒ more "topping and tailing" than from ▒▒░
▒ 192kbps and above, so immediately the ▒▒░
▒ moment you start to get audio at 128kbps - ▒▒░
▒ even if it's only bunches of frames every ▒▒░
▒ so often within a VBR file - you'll be ▒▒░
▒ getting a file with sub-par preservation of ▒▒░
▒ frequencies. ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ Now then, let's examine HOW the DAB feeds ▒▒░
▒ are broadcast... The broadcaster compresses ▒▒░
▒ and limits the signal before it's digitally ▒▒░
▒ encoded at their end, to optimise the ▒▒░
▒ signal to noise ratio. This is why ▒▒░
▒ high-ends can sometimes sound like they're ▒▒░
▒ about to clip - it's brutal compression. ▒▒░
▒ The only DAB stations not to compress their ▒▒░
▒ audio are BBC Radios 2, 3 and 4 (In fact, ▒▒░
▒ BBC Radio 3 broadcasts at 192kbps MP2 - a ▒▒░
▒ monstrous bitrate). So, your source audio ▒▒░
▒ is pre-compressed, so it doesn't have ▒▒░
▒ _that_ much of a dynamic range of ▒▒░
▒ frequencies, plus it's Drum & Bass, which ▒▒░
▒ is always compressed and limited anyways on ▒▒░
▒ the vinyl - so using VBR to (re)encode a ▒▒░
▒ CBR source is just a pointless waste of ▒▒░
▒ time, and a pointless waste of filesize and ▒▒░
▒ quality. If the source audio was of much ▒▒░
▒ higher quality, say 224kbps or above, then ▒▒░
▒ yes, VBR might be acceptable. However, VBR ▒▒░
▒ is best for HIGH quality CD or vinyl rips, ▒▒░
▒ where there's a generally-larger range of ▒▒░
▒ frequencies available to the compressor, ▒▒░
▒ which is the whole point of VBR - you set ▒▒░
▒ your audio encoding at an average bitrate ▒▒░
▒ and any large amounts of frequencies are ▒▒░
▒ dealt with by the encoder "splurging" some ▒▒░
▒ extra bitrate out to try and preserve as ▒▒░
▒ much quality as possible. ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ But if you're encoding something with a ▒▒░
▒ limited range of frequencies and dynamic ▒▒░
▒ range (volume) in the first place, what's ▒▒░
▒ the damn point of using VBR? It's good for ▒▒░
▒ classical music, it's good for vinyl rips ▒▒░
▒ (to a lesser extent), but It's like walking ▒▒░
▒ round the block 3 times to get to the ▒▒░
▒ corner shop at the end of your road for no ▒▒░
▒ reason. ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ Two important things to note: my encoding ▒▒░
▒ to MP3 is done internally (with the Lame ▒▒░
▒ codec) actually inside the programme I use ▒▒░
▒ to record from DAB, so while there is some ▒▒░
▒ transcoding going on it's only done one ▒▒░
▒ time. BOSS, to encode to VBR using the ▒▒░
▒ standalone LAME encoder, will most likely ▒▒░
▒ be: ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ 1) recording the source audio, most likely ▒▒░
▒ digitally (though quite possibly analogue, ▒▒░
▒ if it's a standalone DAB receiver), then ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ 2) taking the recorded audio - be it in ▒▒░
▒ .mp2 and RE-ENCODING it, or .wav format, ▒▒░
▒ for which it'll be decoded and THEN ▒▒░
▒ re-encoded - pointless as source audio is ▒▒░
▒ compressed, and adding a third level of ▒▒░
▒ decompression and recompression - so the ▒▒░
▒ frequency range will suffer every time they ▒▒░
▒ do this. ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ This is bad, as you're effectively ▒▒░
▒ recording the MPEG stream, decoding the ▒▒░
▒ MPEG stream, then reencoding the ▒▒░
▒ already-compressed audio to VBR MP3 - and ▒▒░
▒ it's going to make the level of quality ▒▒░
▒ suffer as a result. If you're going to ▒▒░
▒ transcode audio, then at least try to do it ▒▒░
▒ as little as possible. ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ 192kbps CBR is (at least in my books) the ▒▒░
▒ best choice for preserving the original ▒▒░
▒ quality of DAB streams, leave VBR for what ▒▒░
▒ it's intended for - source audio with a ▒▒░
▒ much larger frequency and dynamic range - ▒▒░
▒ and that's how (and why) I'll continue to ▒▒░
▒ record and release my DAB audio as I do. ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ And, (as an added bonus) that's why VBRing ▒▒░
▒ DAB (and DSAT) is a bad idea. If you wanna ▒▒░
▒ hear DAB how I hear DAB (direct from ▒▒░
▒ source), then you should listen to the CBR ▒▒░
▒ recordings. VBR might appear to be a good ▒▒░
▒ choice on the surface, but when a two hour ▒▒░
▒ show in MP2 format is actually larger than ▒▒░
▒ the 192kbps CBR MP3 recording of the same ▒▒░
▒ thing, you have to think "what's been lost ▒▒░
▒ in the 50 or 60 megabytes that isn't in ▒▒░
▒ this VBR file?" ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ That's lost fidelity, kiddos. ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒░
▒ Oh, and to add insult to injury, I don't think ▒▒░
▒ the BOSS ripper realised that some people have ▒▒░
▒ soundcards that can't playback audio which has ▒▒░
▒ a 48KHz samplerate - so they won't even be able ▒▒░
▒ to listen to the BOSS rip at all. Oops. ▒▒░
▒ ▒▒
▒▒▒ ▒▒
░ ▒░ ▒░░
░▒░░░ ░▒
░░░░░░░░ ▒▒░
░▒░ ░▒▒ ░░░░ ░░▒░░
▒▒▒░░░▒▒▒░░░░░░░ ░ ░░░░░░ ▒▒░░░▒
▒▒░▒░░░ ░░░ ░░ ░ ░ ░░░ ░░ ░░ ░ ░ ░░░ ▒▒▒▒▒░░
▒▒░░░░ ░░░░ ░░░░░▒▒▒
▒▒▒░░░░ ░░░
▒▒▒░░░░░░░░
▒▒░░░ ░░░ Shouts to:
▒▒▒░░ ░░░░
▒▒░░▒ ░░ iPZ (RiP) - SOUR - BOSS - uF - kHz - OSM - RFL - SQ
▒▒░░░ ░ ░░
░ ░▒ ░ ░░
░░▒ ░ ░░ What We're About:
░ ▒░▒░░░░
░▒░▒░▒ ░ Team extacy has been formed from a select few members who
░▒▒▒░▒░░░ have been in the scene for a while and are fustrated by the
▒▒▒░▒▒░░ way there current groups are going and want to do things a
░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░ little differently to how they have been done before.
░░▒▒▒▒▒░░░░
░▒▒░▒▒░ ░░ Our goal is to supply the music that we love to the people
░▒▒▒▒▒ ░ ░ who love it.. you the Hardcore / Drum & Bass public across
░▒▒▒▒▒░ ░ the world who might otherwise have no access to the material
░░░▒░▒ ░░░ we release.
░░░▒▒▒▒░░░
░░░▒▒▒ ░ We are not looking to make enemys on the scene just to put
░▒▒░▒░░░ out the music we all love. we are going to spread the music
▒▒▒▒░░░ we love be it from 2004 or 1994 as long as we love it and
░▒▒▒▒░░░ we hope you will love it too.
░▒▒▒░ ░░
▒▒▒▒░░ Contact:
▒▒░▒░
▒▒▒▒░░ Mail: XTC-Crew@hushmail.com
░▒▒▒▒░ IRC: N0
▒▒▒▒░ WWW: N0
░░▒░░
░░░░
░░░░
░
▒▓▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
▒▒▒▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
▒▒▒▒▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▓▓
▓▓▒▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▒▓▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓