How Can I Tell If A Show Is AUD Or SBD Sourced?

How Can I Tell If A Show Is AUD Or SBD Sourced?

What Shows Can Be Considered Soundboard?

Other than the obvious, some shows can be considered soundboards because of the source. For instance if you were to tape a show from the radio and it’s an FM Broadcast, many trader’s indicate this as a SBD show. If the show was taken from a webcast video and made into audio it would also be considered a soundboard. Any show that was taken from a professional source is usually considered soundboard.

How Do I Detect A Soundboard Show?

This can sometimes be a little tricky as some soundboards sound like shit. This is usually the case with older soundboards for various reasons. The older a show gets the more it has been traded, copied and generated. This will typically make older soundboards sound shitty. There is also the factor of the equipment used then versus what we use now. The advancements in technology have made sound better through the years.

Here’s a list of things to look for in a soundboard recording:

  • No crowd noise: Sometimes some soundboards eliminate the crowd noise all together. You will not find many bootleg tapers that do that on purpose. You find this especially on older soundboards.
  • No close talking/screaming: In a soundboard recording the sound man usually dials back the crowd sounds like people who talk non-stop through the show, screaming, whistling and so on. You may still hear these things, but they will not sound like they are right next to you.
  • No fading in and out: On a good soundboard the sound is usually pretty steady and does not fade in or out.
  • No microphone fluctuations: Microphone fluctuations usually come from a taper bumping into someone or possibly moving the device to a different location. On a soundboard the sound is clear & crisp without many changes.
  • Volume: Typically the volume on a soundboard is better than an audience taped show. A taper in the crowd may have volume that goes up or down for whatever reason. Although in older soundboards the volume may seem really low.

How Can I Tell If A Show Was Taped From The Audience?

Sometimes its almost impossible to tell the difference because some “soundboards” sound like absolute shit where as there are some audience shows that are stellar. Typically if you hear a lot of crowd noise, the sound is really low, the microphone fluctuates, people talking/screaming right next to the taper or static its probably an audience recording. There is no true tried method to figure out if a show is AUD or SBD sourced, you just have to listen as carefully as you can and try and figure it out.

What If I Can’t Tell If It’s Audience Sourced Or Not?

If you cannot tell if a show is audience or soundboard, your best bet is to do some research on other trader’s pages to see how they have it listed. I always keep a certain amount of trade pages in my bookmarks for reference if I need it. I would suggest looking at a few sites to see how its listed. One trader may have it incorrect, so its best to check a few sites to see. Sometimes you just may have to take your best guess or leave the source of the show off of your list entirely.

Got more information to share on this topic? Feel free to jump in with a comment!

Len Kaiser
HerzeleidMeister is a metal bootleg trader from Little Rock, Arkansas who has traded off and on for over 20 years. He enjoys sharing his knowledge & insights with other traders to help them with any trading hurdles they may have.

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