Read it, learn it, love it, and most importantly--LIVE IT.

Version 2.0 revision by Xavi, Molotov and Scot Tunes.

Based on previous work by: Farley, EV|iDEnCe,
Ragamffn, Scot Tunes, HR.money, Drambuee, CRC, B1SCU1T and many others.

Akai miniFAQ by Depeche.

General Questions about the Group

Q: WTF is this newsgroup for anywayz?

A: It's for sample enthusiasts to trade samples and original compositions.

Q: WTF is a sample?

A: A sample is a sound byte from a recorded source, oreven an original sound someone has recorded. Samples are used in musical compositions. Examples of a sample would be: a bass drum sound, a bass guitar phrase, a drum kit, etc etc etc.

Q: What kinds of files/formats are used in the group?

A: Any valid format used to encode sound. That said, you won't easily find aiff or au files here.
The most common formats are:
wav (PCM encoded as 16 [email protected] KHz)
gig (Gigasampler native format)
sf2 (soundfonts usually to be used with Creative SoundBlaster soundcards)
Akai (posted as a nrg or bin/cue image, see the Akai miniFAQ for more info)

Note that even if you don't have an Akai sampler or a Creative soundcard you shouldn't dismiss Akai images or sf2 files right away. There are a lot of conversion utilities that can convert these formats to wav.

Q: Sound files are very large. Do you compress them before posting?

A: Absolutely. The compression utility of choice is Winrar since WinZip doesn't compress multimedia files well enough.

Q: What about MP3s!?

A: This horse has been beaten to a pulp by the pioneers of this NG and to be candid, we're sick and fuckin' tired of debating it. There are enough legitimate concerns about fidelity degradation associated with MP3>Wav conversion to warrant use of another compression method - which we have agreed will be Winrar for the time being. MP3 should only be when posting original compositions to the group.

Q: So what if I use MP3 anyways?

A: You're free to post samples using any compression method you wish. But if you insist in using a lossy scheme that is not welcome by the majority here at least make sure you put the words "mp3 format" in the header of your posts.

Q: What is the desired format for wavs?

A: Sampled/recorded in 44.1 kHz, stereo, 16 bit ... compressed using Winrar. Lower sampling rates cause problems for some of us. If the samples sound good dirty let US make them dirty by editing. If you post in 44.1 KHz all of us, regardless of genre pref., will get to use them.

Q: What's a nfo file?

A: A good poster will always include a small text file at the beginning of the post so as everybody knows what the heck he's uploading. The nfo file should include a brief description of the sounds, their format, number of parts and posting schedule if possible.

YOU SHOULD ALWAYS READ THE NFO FILE!!!!

Q: I downloaded some samples that suck. Should I tell everyone they suck?

A: You're entitled to your opinion obviously. On the other hand, it's downright rude and immature to flame someone for samples they posted if the post included a lead message with content. If you ended up NOT liking them, keep you opinions to yourself--no one said you HAD to download anything. If, on the other hand, you DL'd something with no lead message...uhmmm that's on you.. but feel free to flame the shit out of the guy who posted without a lead message.

Q: Is there any other way to give a preview of the sounds before they're posted?

A: Sure.. simply do a quick MP3 with some sound bytes and put it in the beginning of your post.

Q: Hey I have a tune I want everyone to hear that I composed. Can I post it?

A: If YOU composed it, by all means post it. We're here to share and we all dig hearing each other's stuff -- in fact that was the original purpose of the group. Feel free to post your composition in any format (i.e. VST, Cakewalk, Acid, MP3, whatever) but make sure you tell us what format it is in.

Q: Is there any kind of sample I SHOULDN'T post?

A:We prefer instrument and music-related samples; samples from media sources like television shows, movies, and radio are better placed in a more appropriate group. For example, we don't need shit like Dirty Harry samples saying, "Do you feel lucky, punk? Well DO YA??" Rare or esoteric samples are occasionally posted, such as the original Apollo 13 clips, sound effects, or someone's girlfriend having a furious orgasm, but usually on request. If in doubt, it never hurts to ask.

Q: I'd like to post an entire CD to the NG. Is that cool?

A: On request: if you wish to post an entire CD to this NG, you must FIRST (and ALWAYS) ask the group if anyone is interested in it. If the answer is yes, go crazy!! :)If it's a sampling CD (i.e. sounds that OTHER musicians can utilize in their own music without having to buy rights to a song) post it! This is a sample group; we understand sounds will be huge in size at times. Knock yourself out.

Q: Any special rules to be observed when posting?

A: Yes.

First: ALWAYS include a nfo file like previously explained.

Second: ALWAYS post a sfv file so as people can check for crc errors as they download your posts. QuickSFV can be found here:

http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Mouse/4668/index.html

Third: Be sure to set the number of lines per part option in your posting app to something between 5000 and 7000 lines. Some newsservers have trouble coping with parts larger than that. (Most prefer 50000)

Fourth: DO NOT FLOOD the group. Post no more than 75 MB a day so as people on dial-up connections have a chance to download previous posts. Remember that each file you post pushes another one out of the newsservers’disks. You flood the group, recently posted files expire, people get angry, and you are flamed to death. Simple as that.

Q: How can I use a sample?

A:If this is a question you must ask, we recommend you read up on sampling and audio recording.

http://www.harmony-central.com/ has TONS of links to various sites, which can educate you on this stuff.

Q: Where do you guys get samples?

A: Many places. Here are a few:
-From a record
-From a CD
-From a tape
-From a synth
-From a website (do a search in Excite or similar for "wavs")
-From our own "vaults" ;)
-From a drum machine

And the list goes on. A sample can also be recorded by the musician that posts it here. The sky's the limit.

Q: A CD? A record? That's illegal isn't it?

A: We don't give a flying fuck. Matthew Moronic WilkinDaddy will testify in a court of law that the subscribers to this newsgroup couldn't care less about the legalities associated with trading sounds. This is a non-profit, enthusiasts sample trading club so relax or get to steppin'. If the trading of copyrighted material in a public forum gets you a bit froggy we suggest you leap your ass out of here. We don't give a shit about your "thoughts" or "philosophy" or "ideology" regarding sample trading. Get the fuck out of our newsgroup if you want to preach about morality. We will fuckin' bury you alive - as we have others before you - should you elect to battle.

Q: Wow, isn't that approach a bit rough?

A: No. We're here to vibe and chill out. Most of us our musicians and producers. We don't have time to play games with you... but we will oblige if necessary.

Q: I need audiowarez. Should I do a request here?

A: Unequivocally FUCK NO!!! There are MANY places to get audiowarez...and this ain't one of them.

Q: Why do some posts show up incomplete on my server?

A1: Your server sucks. Get a better news server (not to be confused with your ISP. Your ISP links you to the Net and likely rents service from the cheapest local news server). There are several good specialty news servers out there for a small monthly fee; ask the group for recommendations if you have a crappy news server.

A2: You need to give it some time (before requesting a repost). It can take several hours to a day for full posts to show up complete on some servers. Also, you can delete all headers and then try the option "get ALL headers" in Agent, instead of "get NEW headers". You can also try deleting the DAT and IDX files for ABSSM in your Agent/Data folder (make sure you have saved all downloaded attachments first), then "get ALL headers".

A3: The poster had a timeout error or some other problem while posting.

Q: How do I ask for reposts?

A: First of all, check the nfo file to find out about the reposting policy of the original poster. Lots of times it's requested that no one asks for reposts before the first posting itself (which can spawn several days) is over. Should you choose not to observe this rule you will likely be ignored/flamed for behaving like the selfish, impatient, greedy idiot you are.

If there's no nfo file you should still give it a day or so before requesting a repost, sometimes it takes files a lot of time to propagate from one server to another.

There are also some good free news servers around and it doesn't hurt to check some for any partial files you may have missed before requesting a repost.

Q: Can I repost a part for someone, if I'm not the original poster?

A: Please do. This takes pressure off the regular posters, allowing them to concentrate their efforts on new posts.

General Procedures (bitten from Warez FAQ)

Q: What is Rule #1?

A: Lurk, watch, read the FAQ and learn before jumping in. If you are new here, this will require a certain amount of restraint. Just relax, sit back, and pay attention.

Q: What is rule #2?

A: Get a well-connected server. Not only will this benefit you (because you will be able to get complete posts), but it will also benefit the group as a whole (since you will have fewer repost requests). How good is your present server? If you are missing more than 10% or so of the parts of multi-part messages, not good. Local ISPs have notoriously bad servers. You have two upgrade paths:

1.Get a new ISP with a well-connected news server.
2.Get an additional stand-alone subscription to another news server.

Whatever you have to do or spend will be well worth it in the end. But still, be patient.

Mindspring
AT&T
WorldNet
MediaOne 
Altopia
Newscene
Usenetserver
Giganews
Supernews

Q: What is rule #3?

A: BE PATIENT! The point is that, if you don't follow the FAQ, no one has to be patient with you.

Q: What is rule #4?

In ABSSM you will NEED to use Forte's Agent 1.5 (or free agent) or Anawave's Gravity 2.0 to receive and decode messages. NutScrape Navigator and Outlook Express WILL NOT WORK RELIABLY.

Q: What is rule #5?

A: Follow all these rules

Q: Where can I get a good newsreader?
Two of the most popular ones are:
AGENT newsreader: http://www.forteinc.com
GRAVITY news client: http://www.microplanet.com

Q: Is there a FAQ for the Usenet in general?

USENET FAQ:
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/faq/part1/

THE GROUP:

While I'm not sure of the group's "official" history, alt.binaries.sounds.samples.music (ABSSM) exists currently to provide its users with music-making sounds and a forum to showcase their musical talents. It operates in conjnction with its sister group, alt.binaries.sounds.utilities, which provides the software in which to use these sounds.
There is also alt.binaries.sounds.samples (ABSS) where some users post and retrieve sounds but currently there is no charter on file with the Alt. heriarchy. Because of this, some News Admins refuse to carry ABSS. We're working to retify this situation.

THE FILES:

The main intent of ABSSM is currently to provide samples; either loops, multisampled instruments or construction kits in wav, sf2, gig or Akai format. These samples can be commercial, public domain or homemade. As in most newsgroups that distribute commercial software, users are encouraged to purchase any software or sounds that they determine useful, or want to use in a commercial venture.

As files are usually rather large, compression is encouraged. A good way to compress multimedia files in general is to use WinRar - a popular program in the Warez community. With WinRar set to "multimedia compression," an acceptable level of compression is achieved, and a large file or group of files can be split into several equal-sized parts. Posting loops and samples in MP3 format is discouraged, because of the "lossy" method of compression.

Other formats, such as mcp file (WaveZip) have been used, but after answering, "What is an mcp file?" for the thousandth time we chose to try and stick with WinRar. In most cases WinRar used as stated above provides as good or better compression than any other lossless compressor for audio.

SoundFonts are best compressed using MelodyMachine's sfArk program, although some may argue this.

User-created (not commercial) musical compositions are also encouraged and enjoyed. These songs and musical pieces should be posted in MP3 format, with a clear indication of who composed the piece.

DOWNLOADING:

An essential tool for newsgroup activity is Forte's Agent newsreader. Again, its setup and use are beyond the scope of this FAQ, but get it and learn how to use it. The most frequently used method of posting is to RAR a group (or CD-full) of samples/loops. This will result in a file or series of files, the first of which will probably have the extension RAR.

MIXDOWNS:

You might occasionally hear this mentioned. This is a group activity where a set of samples/loops is posted to the group, and users are encouraged to use them (and ONLY them) to create a masterpiece, which will be uploaded for the group's perusal on a specified date. The first Mixdown was Mixdown Spring 99, and was a great success. Look for more to come.

FINAL NOTE:

Additions/corrections to this FAQ are encouraged. Please post them to abssm and eventually they will all be compiled into a useable document.

AKAI MINIFAQ:

Akai FAQ v1.0

For alt.binaries.sounds.samples.music
By Depeche

-GENERAL QUESTIONS-

What is an Akai?

--Akai is a manufacturer of professional audio gear. Specifically to this group, it's a manufacturer of professional samplers.

2. What is an Akai CD?

--An Akai CD is a CD-ROM for use with an Akai or Akai-compatible sampler. It does not contain *.wav data, nor is it usable by your PC or Mac without special software.

3. I don't have an Akai or Akai-compatible sampler.
Is an Akai CD-ROM useless to me?

--No, it's not useless to you. There are two programs on the market (at the time of this FAQ) that can allow your PC to read the CD:

     1) CDXtract - http://www.cdxtract.com/cdxd.htm

     2) SConvert for Gigasampler - http://www.nemesystech.com/

     ## There's nothing for the Mac at this time :( ##

-AKAI SAMPLERS AND THEIR FORMATS-

1. Which Akai format are these samples in?

--Most of the Akai CDs on the market (and in this group) are in the S1000 format.

2. The Akai S1000 is old. Why is that format used more than others?

--The S1000 is the industry standard sampler for a couple of reasons:

a.) Akai sold thousands of this model because it was powerful and relatively inexpensive.

b.) Because so many people owned them, other sampler manufacturers created their samplers to be compatible with the sample libraries that Akai S1000 owners had accumulated. You would have to look hard to find a new sampler today that isn't compatible with Akai samples.

3. Can you tell me more about how an Akai CD-ROM is made?

--An Akai CD-ROM is an "image" (a bit-for-bit duplicate of a hard disk, CD, etc.) of an Akai sampler's hard drive. All of the "samples" and "programs" are compiled on the Akai's hard drive using an actual Akai sampler (this can't be done with a PC or Mac). Once the user has put all of the samples and programs he/she wants on the hard drive, the drive is hooked up to a computer via SCSI and an image is created on the computer's hard drive using special software. From there the image is burned to a CD and, in the case of sample developers, shipped off to a CD pressing plant for mass duplication.

4. What are "programs" and "samples"e;?

--A sample is the actual sound data. This can be *any* sound you can think of---and some you've never thought of :)

--A program tells the sampler how to play the sound back.
   Midi channel, filters, volume envelopes, pitch, keymaps, looping, etc. are all controlled by programs.

5. What's the size and layout of an Akai CD-ROM?

--Technically an Akai S1000 CD should be no larger than 512MB. Akai samplers prior to the S5000 and S6000 cannot access anything larger than that and any space left over on the CD-ROM or hard disk is wasted space. Depending on how the image was extracted, it can be larger, but the extra bytes contain nothing. Akai CDs can be smaller though.

--Akai-formatted hard disks usually contain nine partitions, labeled "A:" through "I:". The first eight are usually 60MB each and the last one is smaller.

--Within each partition, there are "volumes". Volumes can be named as the creator wishes and contain the samples and programs.

-UPLOADING AKAI CD-ROM IMAGES-

Programs to use:

It is suggested that Nero http://www.nero.com/ be used to create the image.
Coming in close second is CDR-Win. http://www.goldenhawk.com/

1. Please take into consideration that people will spend days downloading your post. Once you've created your image and RAR’ed it, check it by UNRARing it and burning your image.

2. Scans or other info from the insert are *always* highly appreciated--for Akai or any format.

3. If there are any special settings that should be used, take note of them and post that information in your *.nfo file.

4. Create an *.nfo file. You can do this by just using a standard text editor like Notepad in Windows. Just name the ".txt" to ".nfo". The *.nfo file is the standard file that people will look for when wanting information about the post.

5. Create an sfv file with QuickSFV and include it in the post.

6. Remember to set the maximum number of lines option in your posting app to something between 5000 and 7000. (Currently accepted standard is 5000)

Here is a form that you can use to make your *.nfo file:

---------------------------------------------------------------

Title...................... (PLACE CD-ROM TITLE HERE)

Type....................... AKAI

Publisher.................. (PLACE PUBLISHER/DISTRIBUTOR HERE)

Web Site................... http://www.(PLACE ADDRESS FOR SITE HERE...IF AVAILABLE)

Image creation application......... (CDRwin, Nero, etc.)

Archive format..................... rar

# of archive parts................. (# OF FILES) (.rar -> ???)

Part size.......................... (SIZE OF EACH PART ex:1.38 MB)

Archive size ...................... (SIZE OF ALL THE PARTS, COMPRESSED   ex: 256MB)

Image size ........................ (SIZE OF THE IMAGE, UNCOMPRESSED   ex: 512MB)

Image format....................... (nrg [Nero], bin/cue [CDR-Win])

Overburn/80 min CDR required........ no

Support files included.............. NFO + SFV (other files like covers, etc)

Hype:  (COPY AND PASTE THE DESCRIPTION FROM THE CD/WEBSITE HERE IF YOU HAVE IT)

Notes:  (ANY OTHER INFORMATION LIKE SPECIAL SETTINGS, ETC.)

-------------------------------------------------------------------

-DOWNLOADING AKAI CD-ROM IMAGES-

1. Read the poster's *.nfo file to determine which program should be used to burn the image.