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Do people really care if airchecks are from internet streams?

I

icycool7227

Been trying to trade with a guy for airchecks and he said he's not interested in internet streams. Are most aircheck collectors that way? If so, then would it be important to note which ones are internet stream recorded and which aren't? For me, it doesn't matter because I don't get to travel very often so recording the station via the internet is fine with me. But it may matter to some other people when trying to do trades. Would like some suggestions.
 
I traded with a guy a few years back and sent him some high quality recordings only to receive low quality internet airchecks in return which I was pissed about. If you ARE going to collect these, as far as I'm concerned they should be marked on your list as internet streams.

Personally I don't collect them as I feel its not a 'real' aircheck. Airchecking online kinda takes the fun out of the hobby and it makes it all too easy.
 
Audio quality is one concern. Another is that, because of licensing, many radio stations block out commercial breaks from their internet stream...filling in either with PSAs and promos or online-only spots sold to other sponsors at a much lower rate. It's not representative of the sound of the radio station. And the cutaways from and rejoins to what's actually airing isn't always smooth.

If it were the only available copy of a significant broadcast (first or last day of a format or personality, a major news day that the station was dealing with), then I'd consider it. Otherwise, I'd look for a high quality over-the-air example of the same station or show.
 
To me, an aircheck should be what it is- an over-the-AIR recording of a radio station. I too have received 'airchecks' in trades only to find out they were internet recordings. I prefer good old pure AM sound!

On a side note, a few years ago I made an internet stream recording of Keith Bilbrey on WSM. I had always wanted to hear Keith and I'm glad I saved it because, unfortunately, he was let go several months later. Of course that internet recording now is a 'keeper' and in trades I make note it was recorded online.
 
Well I thought about it and maybe I will rename it to internet checks but for one I'm happy with the big collection I recorded so far. After all, my grandpa (and he knows a lot) told me that no one goes around everywhere and gets radio station airchecks. The expense would be too much and you'd be spending your whole life getting them. So over the internet is fine for me. And when those stations change they will be even more worthy. I will continue to record stations that don't stream when I travel, however ones that do stream I will record from the internet and that will be that.
 
You dont hafta spend thousands of dollars on airfare. Just record the local stations to you AND when you do go on vacation, record stations there too. And also look out for tropo or E-skip's in your area that bring in stations from very very far away.....crystal clear......an record those. Then trade w/ others your airchecks an slowly build up your collection just like everyone else.

ps. lots of folks have even posted their own airchecks online somewhere, giving you more content to add to your collection.
 
Well I've had it with airchecks and aircheck collectors. All I get is rudeness and no trades. So I am starting my own web checks group for internet streams recorded. And by golly I would take a web check of Kelly 95.3 if anybody has one.
 
You know what? If it's a format change, I'd just be glad to hear how the switch was made no matter where it's recorded from!
 
I'll throw in my 2 cents.

Streams most of the time do not have the audio chain processing. So what you're getting is a signal off the "board" with no compression or processing at all.

Thanks not an aircheck. That's just not radio either.
 
bnesound said:
Thanks not an aircheck. That's just not radio either.
Click to expand...

Again, it's just great to hear how a station went with the flip period.
But yeah, anything else should come from the radio itself, if that's where the quality sound is coming from.

I do like the Youtube airchecks where someone simply pointed a camera at his or her radio while leaving a casette tape running.

If that's all they have to work with, that's all they have to work with!

Here's an example. It's not a format flip, but it is an example of an aircheck: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g7waQQyWss
 
I am new to this board, but for what it's wirth, I'll tell yyou what I think.
Half the fun of getting this stuff is DXing. Now with the internet, the world is getting smaller and smaller. I remember when I was young, I was born in 1952, I used to enjoy seeing how far away I could go. I remember I got Monrovia Lyberia.
 
bnesound said:
Thanks not an aircheck. That's just not radio either.
Click to expand...
I do like the Youtube airchecks where someone simply pointed a camera at his or her radio while leaving a casette tape running.

If that's all they have to work with, that's all they have to work with!

Here's an example. It's not a format flip, but it is an example of an aircheck: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g7waQQyWss
[/quote]
 
As a few others mentioned in this thread, airchecks that are from Internet Streams, just don't have the compression and the sound that you would get, if you were recording an FM Broadcast or AM Broadcast signal. Some Internet Streams are as low as 96K or even lower. 96K is lower than CD Quality sound (which is equivalent to 128K) if you are talking about MP3. I've even seen some internet streams for stations online as low as 32K; which basically is the equivalent of a muddle mess of garbleness.

I can see why some people would not want to trade these, as the sound quality is subpar when you are comparing it to CD quality, etc.
 
2ndsout said:
I can see why some people would not want to trade these, as the sound quality is subpar when you are comparing it to CD quality, etc.
Click to expand...

Yes, but often a format flip is so sudden. The best bet is to settle for what's there and request something better if and when you can.

I'm still recording stuff off the radio with casette tapes. 8)
 
Radio airchecks are made to be recorded off the radio, not the internet. I'm just in the middle a huuuuuge trade with somebody, i didn't see web on the XL sheet. I think there was only one that i got t from the internet. Everything i've ever gotten from anybody else has been on cassette, CD or via Mp3. recorded right off the radio itself. This way you get the local processing and camersials.
John
 
Again, for the format changes, I'm just glad to hear how a station went about making the switch from one format to the next. I don't really care if it's a cassette tape recording the actual radio station, or a computer recording it directly from the internet.
(or a cd or whatever...I'm trying to include all forms of recording in my point)
It's just nice to be able to visit a website and hear what a radio station sounded like going from one format to the next.
 
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