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Re: The Validity of MD5 Checksums
mkwACT v0.94a 2/6/99 (Use this version to decode MKW files created with versions prior to 0.94)
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Originally Posted by Michael K. Weise
- If you enjoy mkwACT, please register your copy by sending an empty e-mail message to mkwact-announce-subscribexxxxxxxx.xxx. Registration is free, and it ensures that you will be notified whenever a new version of mkwACT is released. In addition, it will allow me to find out how many people are actually using mkwACT.
- I've set up another e-mail list with egroups.com for user-to-user discussion, feature suggestions and so on.
- mkwACT uses Microsoft MFC and may not function properly if your MFC libraries are damaged or out of date. For Windows NT, 95 and 98 it is recommended that you download and run this MFC updater from Microsoft. For Windows 2000 and Windows ME, use the built-in "Windows Update" feature instead.
- Download mkwACT:
Caution: Use of Beta software always involves the risk of potentially serious, as yet undiscovered bugs. Please send any bug reports to mkwxxxx.xxx.
0.97b1 confirmed stable mkwACT 0.97b1 includes support for Shorten seek tables for use with Wayne Stielau's Winamp plug-in.
Version 0.96f released 6/8/00
Version 0.94a 2/6/99 (Use this version to decode MKW files created with versions prior to 0.94)
Please bear in mind that newly released versions could contain as yet undiscovered bugs, as they are tested only by myself until they are put up here. Should you discover any problems, please report them to me and revert to a previous version.
Other great freeware every collector of digital recordings should have:
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mkw's detailed system of rating shows, opinions of lineage, cdr(x), dat(x), mp3, circa 1999
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Originally Posted by Michael K. Weise
Legend and Notes
Sound Rating
The sound rating describes how fully and clearly what came out of the PA at the actual show has been reproduced. It is affected negatively by such factors as a flat or weak low-end, muddy or hollow trebles and foggy stereo scaping.
If this column is blank, it means that I haven't yet gotten around to rating the recording in question for quality. Needless to say, I rate CD-Rs far more stringently than I did cassette tapes back in the days of analogue.
**** Virtually Flawless
This category is reserved for truly exceptional recordings: AUDs that make you think you're there if you close your eyes, vault SBDs that barely sound their age, DSBDs and recordings that have been digitally remastered on professional studio equipment.
*** Excellent
An excellent recording sounds clear, even through headphones, and the entire audible spectrum is well represented.
** Good
A recording of solid quality. Expect to be neither disappointed, nor particularily impressed with the sound.
* Listenable
Though fine for casual listening, the recording is noticably flawed and I recommend thinking twice about whether you really want it, or at least looking around for a better recording elsewhere.
- Bad or worse
This means the recording is severely flawed and meant to serve historical interest, not listening pleasure. Noise Rating
Noise Rating is affected negatively by anything that distracts from the music, such as:
- A - excessive Audience noise (I do like the ambience provided by audience recordings, but if one can make out individual voices close to the mics, that is a definite minus.)
- H - Hiss (from any analog lineage)
- M - Noise Modulation (i.e. the noise level varies with the peak level to some degree)
Note that when mastering CDs myself, I will generally prefer retaining a moderate level of constant noise over getting noise modulation from applying too much noise reduction.
- D - Digital Noise (i.e. clicks, pops, buzzes or dropouts)
Note that I tolerate very little digital noise, as it tends to be far more annoying than a constant level of hiss could ever be. Even a single click will prompt a downgrade, and any CD with more than a handful of audible pops over its length belongs in the trash, as far as I'm concerned.
- F - FM noise (static, distortion) or PCM noise (mild PCM noise often sounds very much like FM static)
- N - Other Noises of analog origin (i.e. hums, thumps, buzzes, etc.)
- L - Occasional recording Level overshoots, resulting in slight distortion of loudest parts.
- C - Inopportune master flips Cut into music.
- S - Splices or fades (e.g. BCDs commonly have the tuning and crowd reaction between songs edited out, which can ruin the atmosphere of a recording)
Each of these symbols may appear once to denote an occasional slight distraction, twice if it creates a nuissance or thrice if the corresponding noise factor is a real pain in the arse.
A ü in this column indicates that the recording exhibits no notable flaws.
Note
Lately I haven't managed to keep up with grading the sound quality of each recording - in those cases, both "rating" columns are left blank.
CDs
The number of CDs it takes to hold the recording. A letter in this column indicates a shared disk; e.g. the two shows listed as "3(a)" share a disk, occupying 5 CDs between them, and so on.
Lineage
I do not count generations for digital clones; i.e. SBD>DAT>DAT>DAT>CD>CD would be listed as SBD>DAT>CD.
For analog media, on the other hand, >CAS> or >REEL> always means exactly one generation. >CAS/1> is short for >CAS>CAS>, and so on. My notation for an unknown number of cassette generations is >CAS/?>. If I make an educated guess based on sound quality, I note that as, for example, >CAS/2?> ("sounds like about two generations") or >CAS/3?4 ("sounds like 3-4 generations").
If I encounter the words "I think" in the process of tracing back a lineage, I mark the lineage as "fairly certain" or "uncertain", as the case may be.
On the controversial subject of mp3 compression in a recording's lineage, I can only say that the difference between a well-made mp3/256 and its source is often indistinguishable to the human ear. Note that mp3/256 (5:1 compression) is quite a different matter than the more widely used mp3/128 (10:1 compression) - I would not want a CD made from mp3/128 in my collection, as such compression does tend to result in a sound akin to the taste of decaffeinated coffee.
Performance
Obviously a very subjective rating - I've simply marked those recordings which I find myself listening to most frequently.
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xp.txt
Code:
Several workarounds have been proposed for MKW-XP trouble. This is
reportedly the simplest and most effective to date.
Mike Wren <[email protected]> wrote:
To run mkwACT in Windows XP, change the compatibility mode for mkwACT to
"Windows 2000" by:
* Right-click on the link to mkwACT in the start menu or desktop
* Click properities
* Click the Compatibility tab
* Click the checkbox for "Run this program in compatibility mode for:
* In the pulldown menu, choose "Windows 2000"
br0thercr0w <[email protected]> added:
That should have it running 99% correctly (i still haven't been able to
get it to let me batch files to it by highlighting a large group of files
and right clicking on them and choosing to "convert to wav" or "encode to
shn", but drag & drop still works in batches fine and it otherwise works as
it always has).
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