List notation info
Here's a short description of things which may help you understanding my list better.
Type
| AUD | audio, video | audience |
| PRO | video | professional, usually a TV broadcast (pro-shot) |
| DEMO | audio | demo recording |
| STUDIO | audio | studio recording (a DEMO may also be a studio recording) |
| FM | audio | radio broadcast |
| TV | audio | ripped from a TV broadcast (pro-shot) |
| SBD | audio | soundboard |
| ALD | audio | assisted listening device |
| IEM | audio | in-ear monitor |
Source
For audience recordings, it tells what equipment was used to record. For (semi-)professional recordings, like TV / FM broadcasts, webcasts or soundboard recordings, the source info usually tells you the source type, not the specific equipment since it is unknown in almost all cases. For bootleg releases like Silver CDs/DVDs or CDRs/DVDRs I usually list the bootleg title if known. If I know the original source, it is listed too.
Generation
If I don't know the exact generation of an analog recording or source, I might denote it by estimation values which are usually related to the picture and/or sound quality:
| low | 1st - 3rd generation |
| mid | 4th - 5th generation |
| high | 6th generation and higher |
Recordings that I got directly from their tapers aren't explicitely labeled but you can identify them by their generation - usually they're MASTER > 1ST or 2ND GEN. In some cases (like the taper's master was destroyed and he used a backup copy or the like) it might also be 1ST GEN > 1ST or 2ND GEN.
Some other terms that might help understanding my notations:
| Video | |
|---|---|
| DV | digital video - MiniDV, Digital8; but also MicroMV, DVD (DVD Camcorder) or HDD (HDD Camcorder) |
| HDV, HD, AVCHD | high definition digital video |
| 8MM / HI8 | analog video |
| VID | unspecified/unknown video source |
| DVB (-S/-C/-T) | digital video broadcast (sattelite / cable / terrestrial) / DAB / ATSC |
| Audio | |
| MD / HIMD | MiniDisc |
| DAT | digital audio tape |
| WAV | digital audio file |
| CS | analog cassette |
| ANA | unspecified/unknown analog audio source |
| Processing | |
| SC | standalone copy (DAC > ADC) |
| EQ | equalizing |
| RA | reauthoring |
| RM | remastering |
A detailed explanation of recording generations can be read in this partially out of date article on livenirvana.com: notation on recording generations