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From: dsj@rabbit.UUCP (David S. Johnson @ )
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: re: West of Oz CD
Message-ID: <3208@rabbit.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 2-Oct-84 11:14:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: rabbit.3208
Posted: Tue Oct  2 11:14:40 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 3-Oct-84 19:27:21 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 43


Here are some comments on Tony Lauck's CD versus LP
test on the Sheffield "West of Oz" recording:

(1) First note that the LP is a direct-to-disc recording, so there was
no analog master tape to degrade the sound.  In the September AUDIO,
Bert Whyte (himself the recording engineer on some direct-to-disc
sessions) performed the same comparison, both for this recording,
and for the previous McBroom recording ("Growing up in Hollywood Town").
The "West" CD was made from a digital mastertape (recorded from the
same feed that made the direct-to-disc master), whereas the "Growing up"
CD was made from an analog mastertape.  Whyte thought the "Growing up"
CD was deficient compared to the LP, whereas the "West" CD was
indistinguishable.  He was listening to the LP using high-end equipment.
One might be able to conclude from this that digital CD's are at least
CLOSER to the "realism" of direct-to-disc than are analog mastertapes.

(2) I wonder if Tony took care in matching volumes when doing his test.
This is especially difficult when the test is performed, as he says,
by first listening to the CD all the way through and then putting on
the LP.  Making the problem more difficult is the fact that the CD is
recorded at an exceedingly low volume level (presumable to leave room
for the transients, but I think Sheffield was far to conservative).
In order to play it at a reasonable level, I must set my volume control
at a level FAR above that at which my other CD's blow me out of the room.
(Indeed, at this level the REVOX player's calibration tone representing its
maximum output would require 1000's of watts to reproduce, although there
is no evidence of clipping on the CD and the transients sound great.)
The CD sounds "strikingly better" when played at this volume (room ambience
suddenly becomes audible, etc.), and this could account for the difference
Tony heard.  I would ask Tony to repeat the test, carefully matching volumes
and switching back and forth between the two sources (a double-blind
experiment would be nice, but I'll settle for this).  If there is a
difference, what precisely is it? 

(I'm not going to buy the direct-to-disc version and make the comparison
myself, as the record itself is a disappointment that no amount
of sonic realism can redeem.  It's something like late 60's Judy Collins
- McBroom emphasizes the similarity by closing with a song from
"Who knows where the time goes" - but the singing and song selection
aren't as good, and the arrangements are quite pedestrian.)

David S. Johnson, AT&T Bell Laboratories