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- Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead
- Path: sparky!uunet!spool.mu.edu!darwin.sura.net!uvaarpa!mmdf
- From: ross the tree guy <tree@tony.grdl.noaa.gov>
- Subject: What's a tree?
- Message-ID: <1992Nov20.120145.17433@uvaarpa.Virginia.EDU>
- Sender: mmdf@uvaarpa.Virginia.EDU (Mail System)
- Reply-To: tree@tony.grdl.noaa.gov
- Organization: The Internet
- Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 12:01:45 GMT
- Lines: 82
-
- From the FAQ:
-
- 6) What is a Tape Tree and how does it work?
- -----------------------------------------
- Somebody offers a tape. The first person who gets it (maybe the
- offerer, maybe not) makes up to 5 copies, each of those people make
- up to 5 copies, etc. until everybody who signed up gets a copy. The
- person structuring the tree ("administrator") may or may not be the
- person who provides the original tape ("seed") or the person who makes
- the initial 5 copies ("root"). To get on, you send mail to the
- administrator following a posting. When on, you make up to 5 tapes
- for people below you (if you're a "branch"), or none (if you're a
- "leaf"). You send the person above you either other tapes in trade,
- or blanks if you can't trade. IMHO, if trading, each person pays
- postage one way. If sending blanks, you pay postage both ways.
-
- There is no payment for this service, ever. Don't do business with
- anyone who wants payment for taping. Most heads are only too happy
- to make copies for anyone who asks.
-
- Q: I don't have two decks (or a dual deck). Can I still be on the
- tape tree without making copies for other people?
-
- A: If you cannot make copies for others you are considered a "leaf" on
- the tree, and will be assigned to a "branch" of the tree, that is,
- someone who can make copies.
-
- Q: Does it matter if I have a dubbing cassette deck instead of two
- separate decks for making copies?
-
- A: Many dubbing decks are cheap and do not do a good job on quality
- when making a copy of a tape, partly because the consumer companies
- don't think people will notice the difference...NOT. Deadheads are
- audiophiles. The reason you are on a tree is: 1) You REALLY want
- the shows and, 2) You want the best possible quality tape you can
- get for a free recording. There ARE dubbing decks out there that
- do a good job, but cost more and are usually worth it (both Sony
- and Denon make good high-end dubbing decks). If you have a dubbing
- deck, NEVER, repeat, NEVER use the high speed dub when you are
- making a copy for someone. Why? You will reduce the quality of
- the tape, for the person you are making it for and any copies they
- will make. Always make the best quality tapes you can with the
- equipment you have on hand.
- When a tree is started the root will want to know what equipment
- you have (brand, type, number of heads, etc...). This information
- is needed so that when root sets up the tree everyone gets the best
- possible recording they can get, no matter what type of equipment you
- may have.
-
- Q: What should I set my recording levels at?
-
- A: Recording levels are really a function of the deck and the
- type of tape being used. For instance, you can probably
- set the peaks at +5 dB for metal tapes, but at +3 dB for
- high bias tapes. The key here is to KNOW YOUR DECK. The
- suggestion is to try different tapes and choose the one that
- works best with your deck. My preference for recording tapes
- (depending on the source) are the new Maxell XLIIS tapes.
-
- Q: If you miss the request cuttoff date for the tree, is there
- any way to get on the tree?
-
- A: In general, no. You can try sending mail to somebody who's
- making fewer than 5 copies, and ask if he'll make you one.
- Often, the tree administrator will indicate people who've
- offered to make more copies than they've been assigned.
- You'll probably have better luck doing this if you offer to
- trade.
-
- Q: When everybody trades tapes on the net, what is the customary
- way everybody does this?
-
- A: Generally, by trade. You offer a tape to somebody and ask
- for a list of what you can get in return, and choose something.
- If you are going to be doing a lot of trading, you should get
- on the tapehead mailing list (send mail to
- tape-heads-request@fuggles.acc.virginia.edu and ask to be added
- to that list).
-
- --
- Internet: tree@tony.grdl.noaa.gov
- Your 11/20/70 Tree Connection - ross
-