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Home , Audiophile, LP record, Madman Muntz, Rdio, Subwoofer

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Sound Systems, Digital , Gadgets, Downloading and Streaming audio September 14th from 2-3pm live

and 4-5 online at: http://bit.ly/16fCjHN Or you can watch it later at: http://bit.ly/1al6sWW

With special guest teacher KC Easterwood from Mindfire Academy

http://cdn4.openculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/bigstock_Audio_book_14340599-e1330386218724.jpg What is an Audiophile ? • An audiophile is a person enthusiastic about high-fidelity reproduction. • Audiophile values may be applied at all stages of music reproduction: the initial audio recording, the production process, and the playback, which is usually in a home setting.

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/audiophile-main.jpg High End Audio • High-end audio is a class of consumer home audio equipment marketed to audio enthusiasts on the basis of high price or quality, and esoteric or novel sound reproduction technologies. • High-end audio can refer simply to the price, to the build quality of the components, or to the subjective or objective quality of sound reproduction. • The high-end audio movement started in 1962 with the launch of J. Gordon Holt's Stereophile magazine, which departed from advertising-driven commercial publications like Stereo Review and and instead promoted a philosophy of reviewing and comparing audio components solely on the basis of sound quality. http://www.mediander.com/connects/145372/audiophile/#!/1569276/high-end-audio What is Hi-Fi • High fidelity—or hi-fi or hifi —reproduction is a term used by home stereo listeners and home audio enthusiasts () to refer to high-quality reproduction of sound to distinguish it from the poorer quality sound produced by inexpensive audio equipment, or the inferior quality of sound reproduction characteristic of recordings made until the late 1940s. • Ideally, high-fidelity equipment has minimal amounts of noise and distortion and an accurate response

http://www.mediander.com/connects/145372/audiophile/#!/13624/high-fidelity Frequency Response • Frequency response is the quantitative measure of the output spectrum of a system or device in response to a stimulus, and is used to characterize the dynamics of the system. It is a measure of magnitude and phase of the output as a function of frequency, in comparison to the input. In simplest terms, if a sine wave is injected into a system at a given frequency, a linear system will respond at that same frequency with a certain magnitude and a certain phase angle relative to the input. Also for a linear system, doubling the amplitude of the input will double the amplitude of the output. In addition, if the system is time-invariant, then the frequency response also will not vary with time. http://www.mediander.com/connects/145372/audiophile/#!/302033/frequency-response

• Dynamic range, abbreviated DR or DNR, is the ratio between the largest and smallest possible values of a changeable quantity, such as in signals like sound and light. It is measured as a ratio, or as a base-10 (decibel) or base-2 (doublings, bits or stops) logarithmic value.

http://www.mediander.com/connects/145372/audiophile/#!/ Loud Speaker • A (or "speaker") is an electro-acoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by made loudspeakers more generally useful. • The most common form of loudspeaker uses a paper cone supporting a voice coil electromagnet acting on a permanent magnet, but many other types exist. Where high fidelity reproduction of sound is required, multiple loudspeakers may be used, each reproducing a part of the audible frequency range. • Miniature loudspeakers are found in devices such as radio and TV receivers, and many forms of music players. Larger loudspeaker systems are used for music, sound reinforcement in theatres and , and in public address systems.

http://www.mediander.com/connects/145372/audiophile/#!/45871/loudspeaker • A subwoofer (or "sub") is a , or a complete loudspeaker, which is dedicated to the reproduction of low-pitched audio known as . The typical frequency range for a subwoofer is about 20– 200 Hz for consumer products, below 100 Hz for professional live sound, and below 80 Hz in THX-approved systems. are intended to augment the low frequency range of loudspeakers covering higher frequency bands. http://www.mediander.com/connects/145372/audiophile/#!/ • A is a loudspeaker designed to produce high audio frequencies, typically from around 2,000 Hz to 20,000 Hz (generally considered to be the upper limit of human hearing). Specialty tweeters can deliver high frequencies up to 100 kHz. The name is derived from the high pitched made by some birds, especially in contrast to the low woofs made by many dogs, after which low-frequency drivers are named () http://www.mediander.com/connects/145372/audiophile/#!/191606/tweeter

• Digital audio refers to technology that records, stores, and reproduces sound by encoding an audio signal in digital form instead of analog form. Sound is passed through an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and pulse-code modulation is typically used to encode it as a digital signal. • A digital-to-analog converter performs the reverse process, and converts the digital signal back into an audible sound. Digital audio systems may include compression, storage, processing and transmission components. Conversion to a digital format allows convenient manipulation, storage, transmission and retrieval of an audio signal.

http://www.mediander.com/connects/145372/audiophile/#!/53712/digital-audio • An electronic amplifier, amplifier, or (informally) amp is an electronic device that increases the power of a signal. It does this by taking energy from a power supply and controlling the output to match the input signal shape but with a larger amplitude. In this sense, an amplifier modulates the output of the power supply.

Audio Formats: Gramophone record http://www.in.all.biz/img/in/catalog/481689.png?rrr=1 • A gramophone record, commonly known as ahttp://www.in.all.biz/img/in/catalog/481689.png?rrr=1 record (in American English), vinyl record (manufactured from polyvinyl chloride, the material which eventually replaced Shellac from around 1950), or colloquially, "a record", is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. • The groove usually starts near the periphery and ends near the center of the disc. • Phonograph records are generally described by their diameter in inches (12-inch, 10-inch, 7-inch, etc.), the 1 rotational speed at which they are played ("33 ⁄3 rpm", "78", "45", etc.), their time capacity ("long playing" or "single"), their reproductive accuracy, or "fidelity" ("high fidelity", "orthophonic", "full-range", etc.), and the number of channels of audio provided ("mono", "stereo", "quadraphonic", etc.). http://www.mediander.com/connects/172121/gramophone-record/#!/ Audio Formats: LP Record

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Vynil_vinil_92837841.png • The LP (Long Play), or 33⅓ rpm microgroove vinyl record, is a format for phonograph (gramophone) records, an analog sound storage medium. • Introduced by in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry. • Apart from relatively minor refinements and the important later addition of capability, it has remained the standard format for vinyl ""

http://www.mediander.com/connects/172121/gramophone-record/#!/8975473/lp-record http://www.soundexchangetampabay.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/turntable-parts-record-player-technics-sl1200-sl-1200.jpeg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d7/LearJetStereo8Logo.jpg Audio Formats: Eight Track • Stereo 8, commonly known as the eight-track cartridge, eight-track tape, or simply eight-track, is a sound recording technology. • It was popular in the United States from the mid- 1960s through to the early , but was relatively unknown in many European countries. • Stereo 8 was created in 1964 by a consortium led by of Lear Jet Corporation, along with Ampex, , General Motors, Motorola, and RCA Victor Records (RCA). April 11th

It was a further development of the similar Stereo-Pak four-track cartridge created by Earl "Madman" Muntz. A later quadraphonic version of the format was announced by RCA in April 1970 and first known as Quad-8, then later changed to just Q8.

http://living4bliss.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/slide12.png Audio Formats: Compact Cassette

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/40/Compact_Cassette_Logo.svg • The Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called , audio cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape for audio recording and playback. Compact cassettes come in two forms, either already containing content as a pre-recorded cassette, or as fully recordable "blank" cassette. • It was designed originally for dictation machines, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel tape recording in most non-professional applications. • Its uses ranged from portable audio to home recording to data storage for early microcomputers. • Between the early 1970s and the late 1990s, the cassette was one of the two most common formats for prerecorded music, first alongside the LP record and later the Audio Formats: Compact Cassette

http://www.joeydevilla.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/compact_cassette_internals_diagram.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Memorex_Compact_Cassette_opened.jpg Audio Formats: CD • The compact disc, or CD for short, is an optical disc used to store digital data. • The format was originally developed to store and play back sound recordings only (CD-DA), but was later adapted for storage of data (CD-ROM). • Several other formats were further derived from these, including write-once audio and data storage (CD-R), rewritable media (CD-RW), Video Compact Disc (VCD), Super Video Compact Disc (SVCD), Photo CD, PictureCD, CD-i, and Enhanced Music CD. • Audio CDs and audio CD players have been commercially available since October 1982.

http://techpubs.sgi.com/library/dynaweb_docs/hdwr/SGI_Admin/books/Onyx2_Rack_OG/sgi_html/figures/B-1.handling.compact.disk.gif http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/32/CDlogo.svg http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mXrmpBbtsF0/UGa4DDPD3FI/AAAAAAAAAqI/9UJ95J9kcn4/s320/198769_293601744078830_1881034684_n.jpg Audio Formats: CD

http://www.pa.msu.edu/sciencet/images/CD.jpg http://atmega32-avr.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/CD-R-discs.jpg Car Audio Setup

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4V85qFhMXOE/T-1QIfv98gI/AAAAAAAABuI/ht9BV_DMuiA/s72-c/Car+Audio+AMplifier+Instalation+Guide.jpg Home Audio Setup

http://s2.hubimg.com/u/1944633_f520.jpg Are MP3 players still worth having? • IPod’s hold 78% of the market place… 350 million have been sold http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/infographic-11-years-of-the-ipod/ • Why are MP3 Players still useful ? – They are smaller, lighter, cheaper, tougher than their smart phone competitors – Longer battery life, more frequently waterproof, some have FM Radio, Easy to use Physical Buttons are common, some offer SD ports which allow for larger, cheaper and exchangeable music storage • Why are they losing market space to “smart phones”? – “Over half of Americans own smart phones” http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2013/06/more-than-half-of-americans-own-smartphones/ – It may be a cumbersome, difficult to use battery hog but you probably already walk around with it in your pocket all day anyway – Smart Phones have ready access to online • , RDIO, Pandora Radio, GrooveShark, youtube, netflix, hulu, audible • “People could also use tablets as MP3 players — a mini-tablet like the Nexus 7 could even fit in a pocket — but this is a bit crazy. An MP3 player should offer portability. That’s why MP3 players were a big deal when they launched — we could already play on our computers. “

Referfence: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/should-you-still-buy-mp3-players/ Choose thehttp://lifehacker.com/5920349/top Right -10Bit-ways-to-upgrade Rate-your-music-listening -experiencefor Your Music • Some people think bit rate doesn't matter, and others will only listen to lossless files. • There's definitely a difference between a 128kbps MP3 and a FLAC-encoded tune, but that difference starts to disappear when you up the bit rate of your highly- compressed music files. • In fact,most people can't tell the difference between a 320kbps MP3 and a lossless file (or even less), especially with most consumer-grade and speakers. • You should figure out if the bit rate really makes a difference to you and your best bet for encoding your music. You want your music to sound its best, but "best" tends to average at about 192kbps. Music Online Options, Options, Options. • You can fit a lot of music onto a portable media player, but you don't have to limit yourself. • Online you have access to Personalized Music Stations, Online Music Directories, or playing stored at home wherever you go. • Not only will you have access to a ton of music but that access also provides you with a great resource for finding new music you don't know you like yet. Listening to online Music: Personalized Music Stations http://manuals.makeuseof.com.s3.amazonaws.com/for-mobile/the-internet-manual-audiophile2.pdf , http://readwrite.com/2013/04/23/streaming-music-services-how-to-choose-guide#awesm=~oh31WVmj5JBfbN www.pandora.com Number of Songs: 900,000 Price (monthly): Free with limited skips, ads, reduced quality PandoraOne: $36/year or $3.99/month Mobile Platforms: iOS (iPhone & iPad), Android, , Blackberry Offline Syncing: No Sound Quality (bit rate): Varies Web App: Yes Killer Features: a pure music discovery service Users: 56.6 Million www.rdio.com Number of Songs: 20 million Price (monthly): Free for desktop (limited) / $5 - $10 for premium Geographic Availability: 24 countries (mostly western Europe & The Americas) Mobile Platforms: iOS (iPhone & iPad), Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry Offline Syncing: Yes Web App: Yes Sound Quality (bit rate): 192 kbps Killer Features: Vastly superior UI design www.slacker.com Number of Songs: 13 million Price (monthly): Free Primarily radio only, but $9.99 package offers on-demand tools Mobile Platforms: iOS (iPhone & iPad), Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry Offline Syncing: Yes Web App: Yes Sound Quality (bit rate): 192 kbps Killer Features: Vastly superior UI design Listening to online Music: Music Directories www.grooveshark.com http://manuals.makeuseof.com.s3.amazonaws.com/for-mobile/the-internet-manual-audiophile2.pdf Number of Songs: 13.2 million Price (monthly): Free (unlimited) / $9 per month for premium Geographic Availability: Everywhere but Germany and Denmark Mobile Platforms: HTML5 Web app, plus Android and an unofficial Windows Phone app Offline Syncing: No Sound Quality (bit rate): Varies Web App: Yes Killer Features: More fluid catalog with rare (and sometimes unauthorized) material Users: 20 million monthly uniques (not the same as registered users) www.spotify.com Number of Songs: 20 million Price (monthly): Free for desktop (limited) / $5 - $10 for premium Geographic Availability: 23 countries (mostly western Europe & U.S.) Mobile Platforms: iOS (iPhone & iPad), Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone 8, Symbian Offline Syncing: Yes, Web App: Yes Sound Quality (bit rate): 160 kbps on desktop & "low bandwidth" mobile; 320 kbps option on mobile Killer Features: Ability to import local MP3s; 3rd party add-on apps are excellent Users: 24 million www..com Deezer's music services are not yet available in the USA. Number of Songs: 20 million, Users: 26 million , Offline Syncing: Yes, Price (monthly): Free for desktop (limited) / $5 - $10 for premium Online data storage sites allow you to store your music but most are not well designed to best organize and play it. http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57420341-285/how-to-get-the-most-free-online-storage/

Online data storage sites I like include

• Dropbox, 2-18GB free • Sugarsync, 5Gb free • Drive, 15Gb free • Skydrive, 7Gb free • Cubby, 5Gb free • iCloud, 5Gb free Playing your own music online from a distance • Manager • MediaMaster • BlueTunes • MP3Tunes • LaLa Audiolizer, Mecanto and Nutsie. to put your music directory on the web, or take a look at Simplify Media, which allows you to stream the music directly from your computer, without need to process and upload it first.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-3-sites-for-streaming-your-music-anywhere/ Playing your own music from your computer • Favorite Software programs for listening to music from a computer. VLC Winamp Windows Media Player Itunes GOM Media Monkey

My Admission: I used to use WinAmp like crazy back in the days (aging my self) but not much since then. I don't even think I have WinAmp installed on anything anymore. I really don't listen to music from my desktop very often anymore. I do have everything backed up there though. As of recently I have primarily used VLC for the “hard to play files” and my wife used Windows Media Player for her playlists. Love your Headphones? Unleash Your Headphones' Full Potential with a USB DAC and Amplifier http://lifehacker.com/5920349/top-10-ways-to-upgrade-your-music-listening-experience • When you plug your headphones into your computer—or, especially, your portable music player—you're probably not getting the best possible audio quality. A Digital-Analog Converter (DAC) and Amplifier can correct that problem. The downside is that you have to have an additional gadget attached to your headphones, but this is mostly irrelevant if you're using a desktop computer. Smaller versions are available for portable devices, too, so they're not as obtrusive. They're not that expensive. 7.How streaming media works

• The movies/music/content you want is stored online and you can only access it when you connect to the internet “Cloud” services. http://kaiserthesage.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/trust-on-the-web2.gif What are File Formats? A file format defines the structure and type of data stored in a file. The structure of a typical file may include a header, metadata, saved content, and an end-of-file (EOF) marker. A file format also defines whether the data is stored in a plain text or binary format. Plain text files can be opened and viewed in a standard text editor. While text-based files are easy to create

http://www.techterms.com/definition/file_format Audio File Types and Formats .aif Audio Interchange File Format .iff Interchange File Format .m3u Media Playlist File .m4a MPEG-4 Audio File .mid MIDI File . MP3 Audio File .mpa MPEG-2 Audio File .ra Real Audio File .wav WAVE Audio File

.wma Windows Media Audiohttp://hypertechie.blogspot.com/p/common File -file-extensions.html Video Files Types and Formats

.3g2 3GPP2 Multimedia File

.3gp 3GPP Multimedia File .asf Advanced Systems Format File .asx Microsoft ASF Redirector File .avi Audio Video Interleave File .flv Flash Video File .mov Apple QuickTime Movie .mp4 MPEG-4 Video File .mpg MPEG Video File .rm Real Media File .swf Shockwave Flash Movie .vob DVD Video Object File .wmv Windows Media Video File http://hypertechie.blogspot.com/p/common-file-extensions.html The Different forms of Media with Audio that are available at Newton Public Library.

Audio Book Media Online Media Games CD Audio Books E-Music Wii MP3 Audio Books E-Audio Book Wii u Playaway Audio Books E-Movies Xbox 360 Audio-Cassette Books PS3 PS2

We also have music on CD, Cassette tape and Online. Sorry no LP’s

Listening to Audio Books

http://cdn4.openculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/bigstock_Audio_book_14340599-e1330386218724.jpg http://cdn4.openculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/bigstock_Audio_book_14340599-e1330386218724.jpg •An is a recording of a text being read. A reading of the complete text is noted as "unabridged," while readings of a reduced version, or abridgement of the text are labeled as "abridged. • do not usually require high end audio systems to enjoy the full depth of the performance.

•Audiobooks should be recorded in 16 bit / 44.1 kHz wav file format, which is considered CD quality and is best for archiving. Once you have fully produced your audio file you will most likely prefer it to be saved as a 192kbps mp3.

•For Audio book quality listen for things like distortion, movement, plositives, contuinity, pacing, room tone, breaths, spacing, clicks and background noises

For best practices on how to produce your own audio books please check out https://www.acx.com/help/rules-for-audiobook-production/200485520

Sound Editing Programs

• This software allows you to record from and edit audio already stored on the computer. • Popular Sound Editing Programs include: Adobe Soundbooth, Roxio, Sound Forge, Steinberg Wave Lab, audacity Communications software you can play music through • This software allows two computers with modems to communicate through audio, video, and/or chat- based means. – These Programs are part Application software and part Cloud Services • Skype, MS NetMeeting, AOL Instant Messenger, IRC, ICQ, CU-SeeMe, ...

~~~*~~~Almost There~~~*~~~ • Before we end this presentation I have two last items I need to hit on before we go. • I call them my “Frying Pan Statements” because I beat every class I have over the head with them because I know they are valuable items to do.

http://images4.fanpop.com/image/quiz/593000/593314_1304884221178_375_300.jpg Frying Pan Statement #1 • A computer should always have the most recent updates installed for spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a secure firewall.

http://cdn.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/frying-pan-kolbotek-neoflam-560x475.jpg Frying Pan Statement #2: Don’t forget to save, Save, SAVE ! ! !

A computer can crash at ANY time. Save it online, offline, disc, drive or whatever. Save it frequently, Save it in many places, Save it where you have access, JUST SAVE IT. And please remember to “like” Newton Public Library on !

http://www.facebook.com/NewtonPublicLibraryKansas or http://www.newtonplks.org

Do you have any Questions? http://rhizomenetwork.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/thats-all-folks.jpg Thank you for your Participation