SHN Trading - Info
I'm now trading U2 shows in SHN format. I will still trade in standard audio format, but SHN has become my format of choice due to several advantages. When a show is frozen to SHN along with a checksum file, and passed from trader to trader in SHN format, each person can test their copy using the included checksum file and be assured that their copy is a bit-perfect copy of the original frozen SHN recording. In this way, no data loss will be transferred with each digital generation (as can and does occur with standard audio format). Each copy made will essentially be the same digital generation as the original SHN recording. I encourage everyone with digital master recordings to freeze them into SHN for future trades! By executing the checksum file on a newly burned SHN cd, you can immediately check that the disc you have just made is a perfect copy of your original disc. No other format allows you to check your newly burned discs in this way before mailing them out to your trading friend. No more bad copies shipped out in the mail. The SHN format uses lossless compression, so many of your 80's U2 shows (~95 minutes or less) can now be burned onto a single cd-r, saving you material cost and possibly shipping costs in a large trade.
Please let me know if you want to trade in SHN or standard audio format when you email me for a trade. I now prefer SHN format, with checksum and info files included on each disc (Don't forget to include these two files please!). For conversion of your wav files into SHN, and generation of the Checksum files for your SHN discs, I recommend the "MKW Audio Compression Tools" available at http://home.att.net/~mkw/mkwact.html. It's freeware too!
SHN FAQ & Software Links (Frequently Asked Questions)
U2SHN.com - for the serious SHN collector