Getting Started on This Web Site

Note:  Now up and running at www.RickSonntag.com!

As this web site has evolved, I have relied increasingly on RealAudio technology to provide the numerous music files available for your listening pleasure.  There are many things to read about and pictures to look at, but to fully enjoy this site, you must have a sound card in your computer and the RealPlayer program.  Don't worry though - you can download RealPlayer for free.  It only takes a few minutes, and installation is easy!  Just click below to "get Real" (and then click on the link for the RealPlayer "Basic" version, which is free):

The great thing about RealAudio technology is that you will start to hear the sound clip after only a few seconds - the rest of the download will continue at the same time you are listening to it.  In other words, you hear the file in "real time" (hence the name RealAudio).  This neat feature is also known as "streaming" in "geek speak."

In order for all this magic to work right, your connection must be fast enough to keep up with the music.  A modem connection of 28k or more is plenty fast for this technology to work with compressed files.  The compression does cause some loss of quality - it sounds kind of like AM radio or an old-fashioned 78-rpm record (well, actually a bit better than that).  In some places where I offer you a choice of different qualities, I use the "Victrola" icon to designate the versions that are compressed enough listen to through a modem.

If you are lucky enough to have a high-speed connection (DSL, cable modem, T1, etc.) you can usually get CD-quality sound in real time.  In cases where I offer this higher quality option, I will use a CD icon.

To summarize, when you have a choice of different qualities of the same sound file, you should select the quality that roughly matches your connection speed.  Not sure which one to use?  Try the CD icon first, and if the sound takes more than 30 seconds to start, then your connection is not fast enough.  At this point you can wait for the whole sound clip to download (if you really really want CD quality sound) or you can cancel the download and click on the Victrola icon.

Also, most computer speaker systems do a fairly poor job with music.  I strongly suggest that you use headphones.  Even inexpensive Walkman headphones do a better job than most computer speakers.  Sometimes the speakers have a headphone jack.  Otherwise, most computers have a suitable jack on the back of the machine.