How to Contact the Author:
 
    Bill Buschmeier
    15145 Wetherburn Dr.
    Centreville, VA 20120-3925
    (703) 266-1655
    USA
 
    E-Mail: Bill@SportsSoundsPro.com

Download A Great Version of the National Anthem by Katy Benko here:
 
This is a very talented young singer from the Northern Virginia area. She has made available a version of her singing the National Anthem and you can use it at your local events. All she asks is that you credit her when you use it. Her website is www.katybenko.com.
 
If you have a need for great version of the National Anthem then download Katy's version. To download, right click on the link below and select "Save Target As".
 

Where to Obtain Sounds:
 
There are many places to obtain sounds. Your CD collection is one of them. There is an excellent series of CDs published under the "Jock Jams" title. There are a number of freeware programs that will convert CD audio to digital (.wav or MP3) files. The technique is called "ripping". The program that I use and recommend is called Audiograbber. Audiograbber will convert your CD files to digital files and it can also strip off leading silence and trailing silence. It will also encode your files to .mp3 format if so desired.
 
Another great CD ripper is called CDex and its free.
 
Also there are many web sites with sound files, links to some of those sites are listed below. Use your favorite search engine and look for "wav files", "baseball music", etc.
 
Two excellent sources of material are CDs published by the following:
 

-- Bill Stanley, the live spring training stadium organist and audio engineer of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (MLB), publishes a 9 CD set of almost 900 sounds called Baseball Blips 2007 that contains a complete collection of baseball organ music, and miscellaneous music/sound effects. Click here to go to Baseball Blips 2007 web site.   -- Jonathan Swift Productions publishes a CD of Stadium Sounds that contains baseball and organ sound effects. Click here to go to Stadium Sounds web site.

 
I own both of these sets and they are GREAT! I can't say enough good things about them. I highly recommend them. Between them, you have everything you need to do a complete season. They can also be used for other sports, they're not just for baseball.
 
Stadium Sounds has a special free offer to High Schools and under. They offer 10 free sound effects in a ZIP file. Just go to www.stadiumsounds.com/Sampler/Sampler.zip to download a ZIP file of the ten free sounds in MP3 format.
 
Here are a number of links to sites that I frequently check for sound files.
www.wavcentral.com
http://ultimatesoundarchive.com
www.favewavs.com
www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Park/6843/Sounds/
www.soundamerica.com
www.barbneal.com/wav.asp
 

How to hook up to a Stadium Sound System:
 
I am getting a number of inquiries on how to connect the output from a pc (desktop or laptop) to a stadium sound system. There is no real easy answer, each situation is a little different.
 
The important thing to remember is that your pc's output is a line level output while most stadium sound systems only accept microphone level inputs.
 
Here is what works for me. I use the cables/adapters below to connect my laptop to a small field audio mixer (a Shure model 267, around $100.00 plus on ebay). The shure mixer has switchable inputs between mic and line level. The channel I use for my laptop is set to line level. The mixer's main output is also switchable between line and microphone level. I leave it at the microphone level and use a normal XLR microphone cable to connect to the sound system.
 
The main problem is that the output jack on your pc is a 1/8" mini jack while the input jack on the mixer is an XLR (Female). Here is where the cables come into play.
 
The first step is to use the "Y" cable (which comes with the Radio Shack Ground-Loop Isolator) whch converts the 1/8" stereo output to two RCA jacks. This plugs into the jack on your pc.
 
The next step is to attach the Ground-Loop Isolator, note that is has two cables on it, a long one and a short one. You connect the SHORT one to the "Y" cable you just connected to your pc in the prior step.
 
The third step is to attach the RCA three phone plugs adaptor to the LONG cable from the Ground-Loop Isolator. Remember that the output of your pc is stereo and this adapter converts it back to mono.
 
The fourth speciality cable has an RCA plug (Male) to an XLR plug (Male) that connects to the input XLR Female on the mixer. This cable is more difficult to find but is available on-line from several sources. I have included a link to a firm called Quality Electronics which does carry that cable. If they don't have it, use Google to search the internet for a RCA plug to XLR plug adapter cable.
 
1). Ground-Loop Isolator (Radio Shack part number 270-054. around $15.00), it comes with a 1/8" stereo plug to two RCA jacks "Y" cable.
2). RCA three phone plugs adapter (Radio Shack part number 274-511, around $2.50)
3). RCA phono plug (Male) to XLR (Male) cable (Quality Electronics part number XRM-110 RCA(M) to XLR(M), around $11.00)
 
Click here to view Quality Electronics cables and adapters
 
Why the Ground-Loop Isolator
It is quite common to experience a hum or transformer noise when you connect up various audio systems. The Ground-Loop Isolator eliminates that problem of a ground loop between your pc and the sound system.
 
Please remember that I am not an audio engineer and there may be a better way to accomplish this transition. This seems to work for me.

WMA file support / Missing core DLL file ERROR MESSAGE:
 
Sports Sounds Pro uses a file called basswma.dll, this is an extension to the BASS sound engine, enabling the playback of WMA files. Sports Sounds Pro requires the Windows Media Player modules for version 7.1 or later, these come installed with Windows Media Player, or they can be installed separately. If you are getting an error message telling you that you are missing a core dll file, then you do not have a version of Windows Media Player that will support WMA files. There is no need to download an update to Windows Media Player although it is available free from Microsoft. You can install the required Windows Media Player files which are contained in the self-installing WMFADist.exe file by clicking here. (CLICK HERE to download WMFADist.exe).
 

How to Determine the Version of DirectX on your computer:
 
Sports Sounds Pro requires that DirectX 3.0 or greater be installed. You can use the DirectX Diagnostic Tool to find out what version you have.
 
1. Click Start, point to Find, and then Click Files or Folders..
 
2. In the Named box, type dxdiag.exe, and then click Find Now.
 
3. In the list of found files, double-click the Dxdiag.exe file.
 
4. On the System tab, note the version of DirectX displayed on the DirectX Version line.
 
5. When you are finished checking the file version, click Exit.
 
If the Dxdiag.exe file is not listed in the list of files found, you have a version of DirectX earlier than 3.0. Microsoft recommends that you download and install the current version of DirectX.
 
For information on how to download and install DirectX, please see article "Q179113 - How to Download and Install DirectX" in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.