On Mon, 01 Jan 2007 18:32:28 +0000, Chris Isbell wrote:

...
In addition, this stream uses a very high level of compression (32kbps
according to Real Player against 1411.2kbps for a CD). I have taken a
brief listen and the compression artifacts are high audible, even to
my ageing ears. Would it not be simpler and better to buy one of the
band's CDs?

If there is a version for highbandwidth users then it might sound better if played
onto a tape and sampled back to make a CD.

That said, a Google search reveals programs able to perform the
necessary conversion. Whether you wish to run the risk of installing
such 'underground' software onto your machine and the possibility of
being taken to court for breach of copyright after raising the issue
in a public forum, is up to you.

I seriously doubt that people using the downloaded files for their own private
purposes are goign to be targetted by authorities when selling such would command
greater reason to go after perpetrators. No sense in trying to get money from somen
making cds for his hours spent in transport to and from work, while someone else
makes 500 UKP selling the same on the web. The copyrightholder would get
significantly more money in a court settlement from a rogue seller than a home user
of the same recording.

All he is actually doing is making the recording available on a media that he can
use.

I'd go with making a cassette or search usenet for people who swap concerttapings,
there you would get better quality, and typically such do not charge any money or
accept media in return. Thre is still a huge difference between a comunity
surrounding an artist and that of those trying to profit from them.

-Mikkel