National Countdown Show with Al Gross

[at40petebattistini]

In another thread, JasonWQMA mentioned that his station will begin airing a new Top 40 countdown based on music from the 60s up to 1970. Here's a link that offers a few program details, as well as a show demo:

www.nationalcountdownshow.com/index.htm

Jason, perhaps you can keep us posted to the month, day & year Al will travel to each week. Also, do you know what chart source he's using for the countdown?

Thanks for adding the show to your line-up.

[JasonWQMA]

Hi,

I believe our first week will be 1959. That's the show we already have - sent as a demo - unless they actually send us a current show in time for this weekend.

Al is using the Cashbox chart. He keeps the shows with factual information. No comedy or gossip like Rick Dees or the current AT40. The show sounds pretty good. I think some people will want to record the NCS/Dave the Rave/AT10 combo each Saturday.

[RNH]

Jason:

I have tried using the WQMA stream through WINAMP as suggested on the website. I am having the utmost trouble with it; in fact, I had to delete the WINAMP program from my computer.

Some of the troubles include static noise in the background and the WINAMP program keeps popping back up when I close it!

Any suggestions?

The National Countdown Show looks like fun! Has this show started yet? It looks like this will be the first weekend from everything I have read.

RNH

[JasonWQMA]

Hi,

The Streamer/Winamp or Streamer/JetAudio (what I prefer now) combo takes a little getting used to but its worth it.

I can help with the Winamp popping back up part. What you are doing is receiving an audio stream with the program Streamer, and then actually playing it with Winamp. You can use just one of the two if you really wanted to (Streamer) but you would lose the mp3PRO (which you may or may not have with Winamp anyway since it's an optional plugin - with Jetaudio it comes included...)

Anyway, unless you stop Streamer first and wait a few seconds to stop receiving the stream, when you stop Winamp, the stream continues on your computer so it tries to start/restart your default mp3 player. So make sure you hit the stop button on the program Streamer.

Don't see Streamer running? It's the blue square with tiny yellow lightning bolts near your system clock in the taskbar. You can left or right click on it.

[Scott Lakefield]

I could be mistaken, but it seems like that site Pete posted allows you to download the current show, which it says is from 1963. Anyone try it yet?

[JasonWQMA]

I did ;D

The download link doesn't work for me. It actually seems like he posts the cue type files that a program like Winamp would use to play the CD's.

We did receive CD's today intended for this upcoming weekend so that is what we will play. The year is 1969.

I also see what you see regarding 1963. I am guessing that website is probably a little behind.

[skyseth]

i listen to the stream right now ( American Gold ) :

The sound is very bad , low and in mono !

i have downloaded Jet Audio but it doesn't include MP3 PRO , or maybe i have to pay for it ?

I do not want to pay for a device if i cannot have an idea of the sound i will get , if i get something

Really deceiving , i was enjoying the possibilty to listen to a Top 40 of the 60's , a dream that will not come true.

[JasonWQMA]

Hi,

I appreciate your comments. I've heard a couple really negative things regarding the stream this week which surprises me because I think it's one of the better sounding online radio streams. Rest assured I'm paying attention to comments and listening closely on my end for issues.

mp3PRO should be included with Jetaudio Basic at www.jetaudio.com

Also, make sure you are selecting the 64k broadband stream (when using mp3PRO, that's "like" a 128k mp3 file). It should be a stereo stream. We are aware of a problem in the streaming audio chain that occasionally kicks the sound back to mono on both streams. Right now, as I'm listening, it sounds correct. But it's an occasional problem caused by a faulty wire. This will be corrected by next weekend.

The 18k stream is in mono and a lower quality for dialup listeners (but still sounds kinda good to me). This is "normal".

Both streams are free (but listener donation supported). Jetaudio Basic is free.

Hope this helps!

[skyseth]

Jason ,

The free basic version of Jet Audio does not include MP3 Pro.
The Plus version include MP3 Pro but it cost 29 USD and there is no free trial for it.

So , to listen to WMQA in good condition , we have to pay while many other stations stateside are available free on the net.

Too bad , i regret for the National Countdown show - would have been great for me to listen to it correctly.

[skyseth]

I'm listening to the show : Great , what a pleasure to hear an entire Top 40 of the 60's , i enjoy .
In mono ( smile )...

[JasonWQMA]

I'm not sure about Jetaudio Basic. I thought just the encoder wasn't free. But I'm definitely not sure.

There is another way to do it. You can get a free plugin for Winamp to decode mp3PRO streams here:

www.mp3prozone.com/products.htm

I wish Streamer handled it automatically, or I wish we switched to something like aacPlus which is built into Winamp. Maybe in the future.

[skyseth]

This plug-in for Winamp is not working with the current version of Winamp ( 5.5 ) but only for the old versions 2.75 to 3.00 ( way back in 2001 ) and they seems to be unavailable.

What about Shoutcast ?

[skyseth]

Finaly found an old version of Winamp along with a MP3 PRO from Thomson dedicated for Winamp ;

Nothing happens ...

I give up

Thanks anyway for your time

[easye]

I downloaded the THOMSON mp3PRO Decoder Plugin 1.3 for Winamp. So now Winamp says it is playing a 64k stereo stream, but for such a complicated procedure, there is not much improvement in the sound quality.

[skyseth]

Do you mean the sound quality is the same as the stream in mono or better , compared to the stream of XM online which is also 64 kbps ?