Mega.co.nz, web-based file streaming & Copy.com users

The following is an open letter to Mega.co.nz about implementing web-based audio file streaming (and attracting Copy.com users):

March 31, 2016
To the management (and developers) of Mega.co.nz:

In two months, on May 1, 2016 (as you may know), Barracuda Networks will close its (reportedly) "highly rated" Copy.com service.

They are directing "millions of users" to convert to Microsoft's similar service.

Instead, to attract some of those users, it might be in Mega.co.nz's best interest to implement certain Copy.com features. I'm thinking of one in particular:

Copy.com's web-based file manager directly automatically streams audio files (particularly Ogg-Vorbis files: those with extension OGG; and MP3 files).

Thus, whenever users shared (with other people) a web link to a directory tree on Copy.com, then the recipients, simply by navigating there, could stream that audio immediately and directly.

In other words, the recipients of the link could find and stream (in a web browser) any audio file: this without any additional (bothersome or worrisome) steps required; i.e., to:

1. Download the audio file;
2. Choose an audio player program; or even
3. Install a special audio player for Ogg-Vorbis files.

In many cases—for many recipients—these additional steps can be show-stoppers.

This is particularly true in the case of public links.

Many Copy.com users would find this direct-streaming feature highly useful, IMO.

Mega.co.nz could attract more Copy.com users to their service by duplicating this feature.

Does Mega.co.nz plan to add this functionality—of direct-streaming Ogg-Vorbis (extension .ogg) or MP3 files—to their web-based file manager? Would Mega.co.nz's management consider it?

Already, Mega.co.nz's phone apps stream audio. In the web-based file manager, a need for this exists also, for the easiest possible access when sharing web links.

With warm regards,

Copyright (c) 2016 Mark D. Blackwell.

Robin Hodson compositions

A acquaintance of mine, Mr. Robin Hodson, has composed quite a number of choral and chamber works worthy of note. Not 'modern' music, these are quite listenable.

One can hear them free of charge on ScoreExchange. Just click the tab labeled 'Scorch plug-in', and install it if necessary. (BTW, Sibelius recently has made their plugin work better):

Truly quite excellent (especially harmonically) are:

• 1993   Wind Quintet (1: Martial Fugue & Western Wind)
• 2002   Verbum Caro Factum Est
• 2003   English Missa Brevis
• 2004   Ave Maria (SB duet)

Here's a chronological list (attempting to be complete) of his compositions (which are available on ScoreExchange):

• 1986   This Is The Day
• 1988   Missa Sancti Pauli
• 1989   There Is No Rose
• 1990   Death, Be Not Proud
• 1993   Diaphonic Mass (organum)
• 1993   Wind Quintet
• 1997   Ave Verum
• 2000   Funeral Sentences
• 2001   Magnificat (Maryland Service)
• 2002   Elegy for Strings
• 2002   Nunc Dimittis (Maryland Service)
• 2002   Verbum Caro Factum Est
• 2003   English Missa Brevis
• 2004   Ave Maria (SB duet)
• 2004   Ave Regina Caelorum
• 2004   Regina Caeli Laetare (Soprano, Piano, Cello)
• 2008   Psalm 111: I Will Give Thanks Unto The Lord

Also I should mention the several CD releases (of steadily increasing quality) of his own popular music compositions. The 2008 album is uniformly excellent. Particularly excellent from his 2003 album are:

• Hold Your Candle Over Me
• Never Coming Home Again

Copyright (c) 2013 Mark D. Blackwell.

Thomas Young mass setting open letter

Subject: Thomas Young mass setting by Mark D. Blackwell

TYC Administrator
Thomas Young Centre
The London Centre For Theory And Simulation Of Materials

Dear madam:

Since your website:

http://www.thomasyoungcentre.org/about-tyc/contacts/

indicates you as the first point of contact, I write to announce with pleasure that I have composed a mass setting in honor of your own Thomas Young, the famous polymath.

This entire mass setting was inspired by Thomas Young's list of major thirds in his own Young Temperament (a well-temperament for keyboards). He arranged these thirds in order of increasing size (thus increasing distance from purity). In his design, this order matches the key signatures with increasing numbers of sharps and flats. His temperament (I assume you know) is described here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Young_temperament&oldid=505261244

To be more explicit, the chord roots in this mass setting exactly follow Thomas Young's ordered sequence (or otherwise relate to it): C, G, F, D, Bb, A, Eb, E, Ab, B, Db, Gb.

You might find it amusing to inform your membership of this connection to your namesake, perhaps in a note in a publication. At least, I hope so!

The "Thomas Young" mass setting can be heard here (click the icons which depict two notes on a staff):

http://www.bakerartistawards.org/nominations/view/MarkDBlackwell/#project_10581_detail

Copyright (c) 2013 Mark D. Blackwell.

Compositions self-nominated to Baker Artist Awards

I nominated my musical compositions for consideration for the various local Baker artist awards and grants (of Baltimore) by adding a page on their site just now.

Please consider looking! As you know, comments are love (there, as ever).   :-)

Copyright (c) 2013 Mark D. Blackwell.

Q2 radio

I discovered an all new-music classical radio station, Q2, from New York City! To listen, click.

It just came online October, 2009 (Internet only) and streams a nice 128Kbps. A playlist is available. It has New York Philharmonic commissions from 12 to 4 o'clock.

Copyright (c) 2010 Mark D. Blackwell.

MP3 bit rates for various occasions

After carefully listening for a couple of days to MP3's made from a WAV file recording of a brass, choir and organ rehearsal, I developed some rules of thumb about bit rates. I concluded the following minimums are indistinguishable from WAV files in capturing the music of their various types. They are expressed in the usual thousands of bits per second, Kbps:

Speech (without too many resulting artifacts) needs 56.
(Hymns with) descant need 64.
Brass instruments reduce the needed rate for choirs to 64.
Choir a capella (they are rather pure tones, or maybe it is the harmony) needs 80.
A single cantor (alto) needs 128.
Propers (increased because the choir response pitches are slightly clustered) need 160.
Hymns (depending on the organ stops) need 64 to 192.
Organ (because of reed and string stops) needs 192.

(The tests were done using Audacity v. 1.2.6 and MP3 LAME v. 3.98.)

BTW, Apple's iTunes Store uses 128-Kbps AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) format, claiming equivalence to 160-Kbps MP3.

Edited April, 2012 to include AAC.

Copyright (c) 2009 Mark D. Blackwell.