On Tue, Dec 05, 2000 at 12:05:47PM +0000, Robin Szemeti wrote:
> On Tue, 05 Dec 2000, you wrote:
>
> > I had somebody on IRC try to convince me that records were of superior
> > quality to CDs. Sure, but CD's don't wear out after a few plays and need a
> > stonking great player that I don't have the space for.
>
> there are _still_ that sort of dimwit about ? .. wow. Sounds like they
> need an ear upgrade ...
Think about the numbers.
A CD records 16-bit samples at 44.1kHz. That is just enough to record a
tone with a frequency of 22.05kHz. However, *all* the information for the
shape of the waveform will be lost and it relies on the tone being at
the right phase compared to the sampler. It is only when you drop down to
around 16-18kHz that you start to record sufficient information to
reconstruct a half-way decent representation of the waveform, and even then
it's a bit crap. 16kHz is easily within the hearing range of healthy
adults. I myself can easily hear tones higher than that.
Now consider that music is *not* just pure tones. A musical note produced
on a violin sounds different to the same note on an oboe because the
instruments produce different harmonics and mix different quantities of
those harmonics together. Nigh-on all of those harmonics are at frequencies
way above the frequency of the 'pure' tone.
In summary, if you record at a low frequency (and 44.1kHz is low) then you
are guaranteed to lose vital information and your music will suffer.
Whether it matters or not depends a lot on the type of music and the
equipment used to play it back. What I've got on right now would not be
affected (shouty angry rawk) whereas the Pie Jesu in Faure's Requiem would
be affected (especially if sung by a treble as opposed to a soprano). It
is true that most record players are crap and will not sound as good as a
CD, but even a merely 'reasonable' record deck with a good quality pre-amp,
amp and speakers will, with the right music, beat a CD hands down. Even if
you use a damned good CD player, with the CD produced from the same master
as the record.
Once you get into the realms of SACD, HDCD and DVD audio however, records
begin to look less attractive. DVD audio, for instance, is recorded at
96kHz* and is 24 bits per channel instead of 16. It can therefore reliably
encode much higher frequencies.
* - at least, that's the last I read from the bickering standards bodies.
No doubt it's changed now.
--
David Cantrell | [EMAIL PROTECTED] | http://www.cantrell.org.uk/david
The voices said it's a good day to clean my weapons.
