Topics

Is it just me or are there issues with downloading today?

I've never experienced any issues before with this site. After initial problems I left it for an hour or so and tried again - nothing seems to be downloading (tried it on British, Irish & Dutch download sections before giving up!

I thought those of you who are digitalising quiet old recordings and are using the 'amplify' parameter in (say) Audacity to increase the percieved volume might like to know that it is safer to use the 'normalize' function. Amplifying the signal is more hit and miss because you need to monitor the resultant volume peak to check whether the signal has distorted in peak areas - normalisation saves the need to do this as it calculates the peak and raises it to 0dbfs, which is the loudest level allowed in a digital system.

Normalisation is traditionally used when finalising CD's in music production because it calculates the peak levels of all recordings on a CD and raises the ceiling of the recordings to 0db, which enables more consistency between tracks in an album.

Normalisation is always the final process in 'additive' audio renovation because, any other adjustments to the audio - such as using equalisation - will raise the levels of individual frequencies which are likely to result in distortion of signal.

This all sounds more complicated than it needs to be as basically all you need to remember is that if a track needs to be amplified, just choose Normalisation after all other 'additive' audio adjustments have been made. (With the exception of processes like fade in's and outs, which are 'reductive' audio processes).

Whether you Amplify or Normalize both will raise the ground level of noise and you can either 'silence' or 'cut' and length of audio before the music begins (often safer to fade the endings).

I write this as someone who has had over 25 yrs in the Audio Production field - hope this helps......... !

I've had Schurmann's 'George and the Bicycle' for years from a Chandos tape and have always wanted to hear more of his works.

I am really pleased to get to hear his Piano Concerto - may thanks to the uploader! 

Hi - I've been avidly reading about the unsung composers and have been delighted to hear all the Havergal-Brian Symphonies care of this great site (this was one of my missions in life!), however, I am surprised that no one has mentioned George Lloyd (to my knowledge), as I have his 2nd, 7th, 9th & 11th Symphonies (CD's) and I think they are worth bringing to the notice of others in the unsung composers category - I would be delighted to hear the other symphonies if any of you specialist listeners have any old recordings in stock - would be great if they found their way into one of the files online!.....

Well, would be great if this matter is given consideration - I look forward to responses on this overlooked matter!