From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npoiv!alice!physics!gill
Newsgroups: net.audio
Title: Digital audio
Article-I.D.: physics.106
Posted: Sun Jul 25 17:49:33 1982
Received: Wed Jul 28 05:56:26 1982



I agree with rabbit!jj, but would like to add another small criticism:

	"... When digital recordings clip, they clip like hell ..."

This is totally bogus. If you think that analog systems are designed to
clip gracefully (perhaps having S shaped transfer curves) you're wrong.
Who would buy an amplifier that reserved 10% of its dynamic range to
nonlinear clip handling?
Though there is without doubt a certain smoothness when a transister
approaches saturation, that region of transition is miniscule compared to
the amplitude of the signal. 

I would venture the opposite argument; with digital recording, any idiot
can tell EXACTLY when he is clipping the signal, instead of relying on
red zoned VU meters or drifting threshold detecters. If anything, digital
recording makes clipping less of a problem since analysis by computers
can be brought into play to decide on an optimum recording level.

	I have had to endure the flames of so called audiophiles stating
how digital recordings do not have "presence," etc ... It is this
sort of ignorance which I feel is holding back the technology. I recall
hearing the same things said of transistor amplifiers a few years back
when audiophiles still clung to tubes since they made the music sound
"warmer." Perhaps if you snuggled up to the amplifier ....

	I am beginning to get the suspicion that digital technology will
at long last divorce us from these sorts of flames. If all digital players
work as they must, there will be no one to advise us of cartridges or record
cleaning products and the like. Music recording will finally become a
science instead of a wizard's art. Unfortunately, the answers aren't
so obvious when it comes to speakers and microphone placement, not to
mention the virtues of concert halls. Alas these problems will probably
remain on the opinionated side of audio for quite some time. Why the
die hards want to fight an advance in the technology which simple
signal theory proves to be best method can only be attributed to the
fact that it is much easier to convince people you're an expert when
there is no way of objectively substanciating your opinions.

	Well, we don't need experts any more. The technology has been
around for the last couple years and I am very tired of being disappointed
by low quality records, wear, and accidental damage. Why are we sticking
with Edison's method when we know better?

	Gill Pratt

	...alice!gill (usenet)

	...gill@mc (arpanet)