Trading Guidelines

[[[CD-Rs]]]
~ I always use disc-at-once*. Please, please use disc-at-once (no gaps between tracks) For the love of everything pure and true, use Disc-at-Once!! If there's one thing I'm really anal about, it's that tracks from a live show must transition seamlessly. That means no gaps (not even little split-second gaps that some programs put in even when supposedly being disc-at-once), no clicks when tracks change, etc.
[* if a cdr on my list says "tao" next to it, my copy has gaps in it (..shit!). you might be able to talk me into editing out the gaps for you, but since it can take a lot of work to seamlessly get rid of gaps, i'd probably rather not.]
Please let me know if something you're offering me has gaps in it or has any other problems I should know about. I try to note any problems in my recordings in the tracklist section.
~ I have a pretty nice cdr burner.. my computer tech buddy who works at a computer store says he never gets complaints or returns on em, which is surprising compared to most others they carry.. so it's pretty trustworthy. But if you think something is wrong with the disc when you get it, let me know. Likewise, please don't send me a badly burned disc (pops, clips, static, etc).. If you have an unreliable burner, give the disc a listen before sending it to make sure there aren't any problems (even if you have a good burner, it's not a bad idea to check out the disc). I do my best to make good quality copies, and appreciate you doing the same.
~ It's a good idea to not copy discs "on the fly". Either rip the tracks first or buffer thru your hard drive (make an "image") when copying a disc (check the box that says, "make a temporary image on the hard disk and copy from there" or something like that). If you don't, you're often prone to getting skips/hiccups. Better yet, a good, free program for extracting from CD is Exact Audio Copy. I really recommend you getting in the habit of using EAC for all your music-copying needs (well, ripping wavs from cds, anyways). Your number of "bad burn" cdrs will drop dramatically. Also, don't be impatient by recording at your burner's top speed, you should play it safe and stick to 4x.. maybe 8x if you have a newer burner.
~ If you are making a cdr from a tape/mp3s/vinyl/video, remember you need to split tracks on precise 2352-byte (588 sample) boundaries. If you don't, you'll get tiny periods of silence or noise between tracks, which can really be annoying. A great shareware program you can use to split tracks nicely for you is CDwav.
~ I can make CDRs from tapes. And mix n' match cd tracks... though I prefer disc-to-disc since it's a lot easier. I most often use 80 minute blank cdrs. I usually combine shows to save space/discs.. for example, if you ask for a 90 minute show and a 50 minute show, I would put the second part of the 90m show on after or before the 50m show. If you want me to do differently, let me know beforehand.
~ A lot of my cdrs have filler on them (related stuff to fill up the disc).. in such cases, please let me know if you want the filler or not. Otherwise, you might get it or you might not. If you want to pick your own filler, that's cool, but please don't go nuts picking a bunch of short stuff.. because that can be a pain for me trying to track it all down (espcially with my Frank Black stuff).

[[[videos]]]
~ I can convert my videos to DVD-R now, so I don't trade in VHS much anymore, since it's more expensive (blanks and postage).. assuming I have the time to transfer to DVD. But if I don't have time or you tell me you prefer VHS, I usually use new Maxell Silver or TDK and record on SP mode. Always use SP mode, and never record over something (always use new video tapes). Send in padded envelope or with bubble wrap. While I prefer receiving videos on DVD now, I will still be happy to accept VHS from you in trade assuming it's a show I really want.
~ I cannot play or record PAL format videos (only NTSC format), so if you are in the UK or Australia (or anywhere else where they use PAL), please let me know when offering a video trade. Additionally, since International shipping can be costly for VHS tapes, it may take some convincing for me to do a VHS trade with someone overseas.

[[[tapes]]]
~ I pretty much no longer trade tapes, but I'll make an exception if you have something I really, really want (like an old show you taped yourself), and are unable to put it on cdr. (I will still give you your wants from me on cdr.. blank discs are much cheaper than tapes these days). In such cases, I'd be happy to convert your tape to cdr for you, assuming you'd trust me and the postal service with it. I'd send you back your tape (if you want it back), a cdr of your tape, plus maybe another disc or two that you wanted from my list.. so just let me know. In those cases, please send your original/master copy for best results. However, if you don't want me to convert your tape to cdr and instead just want to send me a copy, please use new, type II blank tapes (preferably Maxell XLII or TDK-SA) and copy on a dual tape deck, at regular speed, with no nosie reduction.

[[[MP3s/swapping]]]
~ I don't trade in MP3/FLAC very often. But occasionally I can be talked into it.
~ If a cdr you're offering me is on or sourced from MP3, I'd really appreciate it if you let me know when you offer it. That doesn't necessarily mean I won't be interested, but I'd like to know.
~ I do have a few recordings on my list that are from mp3s. If you're concerned about source info, be sure to check the tracklist page.
~ I'm not on any file-sharing networks or anything (not even any instant message things), so when trading mp3s, it probably be easiest for me to use a service such as yousendit or rapidshare.
~ Mp3s are easiest, but if you want to do a lossless online trade, FLAC could possibly be ok, but I don't deal in SHN or mess with torrents.

[[[taping shows]]]
~ Please record live shows! Get yourself a tape recorder, minidisc recorder, DAT recorder, or video camera and tape shows. It's a great way to build up your list, and it's good for the trading community as a whole to have more traders 'giving back', and not just being middlemen. Some tips for taping shows can be found here in my Rilo Kiley section.
~ My audience masters recorded between 3/99-10/99 were recorded with a Sony WM-GX322 tape recorder with external stereo mic. Masters recorded prior to that were recorded with pieces of shit not worth mentioning.
~ My masters recorded after 11/06 were recorded with an M-Audio MicroTrack 24/96.

[[[packaging/shipping]]]
~ I generally do not print out cover/back artwork, nor do I expect you to (but if you want to, cool, go right ahead.) Most of my tracklists are available on my site, you can copy/paste off there. If your tracklists aren't on your list/site, please email them to me if you have them. Please also try to include all the info about the recording that you know (date, venue, source, generation, etc.)
I usually label the discs with a post-it note. I personally don't mind if you write on the disc, but I know that bugs some people.
~ I send CD-Rs without plastic cases. I put each disc in its own paper sleeve, and send in a package firm enough not to worry about the discs bending or getting scratched. This keeps discs unharmed 99.7% of the time, and much cheaper shipping cost that way.. plus hard plastic cases usually get cracked and broken in shipping anyway. In the slim chance a disc gets damaged, I'd re-do it for you (and I hope you'd do the same for me if needed).
~ Please send First Class or Priority. For non-U.S. traders, please send Airmail.
If you contacted me first, and I haven't traded with you before, I might play it safe and wait until I get the stuff from you before I send you anything. Nothing personal, just to be safe. If you want me to give you references or anything, just let me know. I've been trading since the mid 90s and have never flaked on a trade.

[[[other]]]
~ Gradings: [*] is pretty bad, only hardcore fans should bother with one of those. [**+] is average. [*****] is used sparingly, only for really amazing quality soundboards, broadcasts, or studio tracks. My personal feelings towards a recording may be slightly reflected in the gradings. Like if I think it's a really fuckin cool show, I might bump it up a ½ star. Or down ½ if I thought the show was boring or bad crowd or something.
~ If you're a trading beginner, I recommend you check out the bootleg FAQ for the basics (though it's a bit outdated [1998]). And if you don't know much about making CD-Rs, a very helpful CD-R FAQ is http://www.cdrfaq.org/
~ Ok, that's it. Sorry it was so long. These are my basic rules, but it'd probably be cool with me if you want to do something different, just let me know ahead of time. And if I contacted you first, I'll go by the rules on your list.
Any questions, feel free to ask.


SUMMARY
People seem to miss these points sometimes, so once again:
- Please keep in mind that I'm very busy these days and can't trade with everyone who writes me. If you're not offering something from my wants, I probably won't be into it. sorry.
- Make cdrs Disc-at-Once (no gaps) and buffer thru your hard drive. (preferably using Exact Audio Copy)
- I send cdrs well protected, but without hard plastic cases.
- Let me know if something you're offering is from mp3.
- Please try to be specific when you offer me stuff : what do you got? quality? length? tracks?
- Again, my wants.  : )

if all that's cool with you and you want to trade, let me know what you got and what you want.
thanks!
Gavin

e-mail: gavin7 (AT) gmail (DOT) com

back to main trade list