[luckiest1]

OK, here is the final list. We figured we'd start a bit early this tour, so we could start gathering our audio clack and ranking our choices as we went along. No deadline at this point, just a place to discuss the audio clack and what makes each one special.

O Come O Come Emmanuel - atinal
Jesus Medley - luckiest1
Mary Did You Know - Ansa
Merry Christmas With Love - cha cha
Jazzy Medley - Gibby
Christmas Waltz - liney23
Who Would Imagine a King (Angela) - ialreadyam
Welcome To Our World - jmh123
O Holy Night - keepingfaith
Hark the Herald Angels Sing/Oh Come All Ye Faithful - ldyjocelyn
Sentimental Medley - duckyvee
Where Are You Christmas (Quiana) - PuddinsJoy
My Grown Up Christmas List - FearOfH2O
Don't Save It All For Christmas Day - couchie
All Is Well - KAndre

[Gibby]

For audio quality, it's going to be hard to beat mime_fan's audio at DC, particularly her WAV files. They're excellent! Clay sang really purty that night, too, and the orchestra and acoustics were great. I've been listening to clack as it comes in, and haven't decided what my final recommendation will be yet, but mime_fan's audio is going to be right up there on my list, as will Scarlett's.

[luckiest1]

Yeah, I'm expecting to see a lot of mime_fan recommendations, just based on her previous files I've listened to. Too bad she wasn't able to capture one of the concerts this past summer, too.

[Gibby]

Now that the tour is over, is there a deadline for our recommendations? Some venues had a LOT of clack, so there's a lot to listen to this time! Fortunately, I already have a few front runners, but will listen to more to see if there are any better files.

[duckyvee]

For audio quality, it's going to be hard to beat mime_fan's audio at DC, particularly her WAV files. They're excellent!

I don't know a WAV file from an mp3, so I'm not sure I'm the best one to be making recommendations. What's the difference and how does it affect quality?

Has anyone found any Wilkes-Barre clack? I agree that DC was great, but I thought that Wilkes-Barre was even better. The venue was very strict, though, and I don't know if we have anything other than audio captured by the cellstreams, which is fine for that purpose, but not for keeping.

[luckiest1]

wav files are much larger than mp3 files. I download them to burn to audio cd's if they are available, but I download the mp3s for my iPod, because there is no way the wav's would fit! Don't worry about how much or how little you know to rate the files, just queue them all up and listen to them, and pick your faves.

I base my recommendations on completeness (no use recommending an incomplete version of a song or medley), audience noise (or lack thereof), clarity of clip, and any vocal change ups or goofs (hee) that Clay or the girls make. I spent some time getting all the audio versions of the Jesus medley last night (my song to rate). Most I was able to download from the vault. A few I had to rip from video because no audio version was provided (especially jojoct's clack, I wonder why that is?). So far there are 45. I am hoping that Scarlett gets hers up soon, because I usually find that they are in my top recommendations, too.

[Ansamcw]

I can take MDYK...

I am waiting on scarlett clack too...I just wonder if she has some estimate on when she can put them up...no pressure...hee

[TimetravelerPax]

I just want to say "thanks" in advance for the CITH lists, because your audio lists' rock!

The SRHP/DCAT Tour recommendations were fantastic, and often you picked songs different from the other fan lists with many great ones missed by others-- Also, the fact that you give 3 or 4 choices with reasons-- allows for off beat tastes, like mine-- but the lists are always THE BEST of choices anywhere....

ThankYou ThankYou. I especially love when someone lists a song version that is a favorite just because it has some xtra special something
[emotion-delivery-changeup-unknown?factor] that cannot be fully explained.
They are always the best. The perfect sound/perfect words are great, but sometimes there are just so many choices......

Carry on, I anticipate with eagerness.. no pressure.. gracias.

eta- No, Thank YOU [tmCHA to Paula] jmh123+CT

[jmh123]

I just want to say "thanks" in advance for the CITH lists, because your audio lists' rock!

The SRHP/DCAT Tour recommendations were fantastic, and often you picked songs different from the other fan lists with many great ones missed by others-- Also, the fact that you give 3 or 4 choices with reasons-- allows for off beat tastes, like mine-- but the lists are always THE BEST of choices anywhere....

ThankYou ThankYou. I especially love when someone lists a song version that is a favorite just because it has some xtra special something
[emotion-delivery-changeup-unknown?factor] that cannot be fully explained.
They are always the best. The perfect sound/perfect words are great, but sometimes there are just so many choices......

Carry on, I anticipate with eagerness.. no pressure.. gracias.

Thank you so much! This makes me all schmoopie.

[Couch Tomato]

me too! Thanks...I'm always reluctant to work on song recommendations but I really have come to enjoy it.

[luckiest1]

Well, I gotta say, this is gonna be tough. I've narrowed mine down to one per venue for the venues that have a full version available, and I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to get further than this......the quality is outstanding already, and we haven't even got Scarlett's yet! Plus, there is little variance in the performances of this medley from night to night....it will really be nitpicking to get this down to top 5. I also have discovered that it makes a vast difference if I listen to these on my noise-cancelling headphones as opposed to my iPod earbuds. Day and night, actually.

[Gibby]

I agree with the comment about the noise canceling headpones, lucky. It makes a huge difference.

[luckiest1]

Yeah, what is strange is that the ones that sounded bad on the iPod earbuds actually are the best! I think they must overwhelm the earbuds or something. Which leaves me with the dilemma of how to choose, because of course I will load them all to my iPod when the recommendations are done. I think maybe it's time for a new set of iPod headphones.

[jmh123]

I use noise-cancelling headphones with my iPod. I've never used the ear buds at all. It's interesting that there is such a contrast in the sound, that what sounds great on one sounds lousy on the other.

[Gibby]

I don't use my ipod earbuds at all. In fact, I wonder where they are?? Heeee. I have noice-cancelling earbuds that I use with my ipod, treo, laptop, and whatever portable listening device I might use!

I have the jazzy medley to rate, and wow, is it ever fun to listen to! Clay sang it so well at all of the venues that it will be difficult to choose just five. And the quality of the clack is darn good, too!

[luckiest1]

Sooooooo....is everyone just biding their time until more clack gets vaulted? I've got mine narrowed down to 8, and I"m hoping to make my recommendations this week.

[luckiest1]

Okay, let's get this party started!

Recommendations for the "Jesus" medley (does not include OCOCE, which will be reviewed separately):

1. Albany by canfly172 - Great sound quality overall, no audience distractions at all, except for applause for as Angela and Quiana come out for their parts, and of course at the end. Clay's vocal is stellar, including singing full out on the high note "tonight" in Silent Night.

2. DC by mime_fan - Superb sound quality with no audience distractions, except applause. Some mechanical noises at the very beginning (probably from adjusting the recording device) but they do not take too much away from the quality of this audio. Clay does a lovely, falsetto "tonight" in Silent Night.

3. New Brunswick by jojoct - clear and full sound, with only a little audience noise at the beginning (one person says a quiet "woo" and applauds). Otherwise completely silent audience until the end of the medley, which differs from other venues where there was usually applause for each of the girls entrances. Falsetto "tonight" in Silent Night.

[TimetravelerPax]

Thank You Luckiest1!!
Do you think you can post an mp3{HQ} of Jesus Medley--NB JojoCt?
I believe it's not in any CH/CV vault,.
In fact, most of Jojo's clack is not converted to audio, although I wish it were.
Pax used to do it sometimes--I miss her site.

Thanks again. I love what you guys recommend--Keep em' comming-- I love this kind of clack!



ETA: Thanks!!

[luckiest1]

Yes, I will make mp3's of all of these and start a new CITH page on the Finding Clay Aiken media site tonight.

[ldyjocelyn]

luckiest, you'd better give us all a set deadline to finish this. I've got my songs downloaded, but haven't had time to listen to them yet. If I know they have to be done by, say, February 15, I'll make time somewhere down the line.

And of course, if you set a deadline, you'd better threaten with sporking if we don't get done in time. *g*