"Churchill, Guy" wrote:
> If you can't ever hear tell the difference, does it matter? I
I submit that it does matter, for the reasons I mentioned in my previous
post that future technology will enable the ability to vastly improve
current recordings. It's like the Caruso restorations. They used the
best quality recording technology at the time, which the majority of
people thought was high quality recording, but still, there was too much
information lost, and the restorations, while good, are still not
great. Perhaps in the future it will be possible to restore the
complete sound of the Caruso recordings. For that matter it may be
possible to restore the complete sound of Bach playing the organ. But
why make it more difficult that it has to be.
And I'm not just thinking about restoring only the two track mix, I'm
thinking about the ability to separate out instruments and remix, and
create new soundstages and the like. With any lossy compression, that
sort of thing becomes much more difficult.
> will challenge anyone in a doubleblind listening test to identify
> the difference between CD and the latest ATRAC version. If you can,
> then you are certainly in the minority. For the rest of the world
In the majority of cases, I cannot tell the difference between CD and
the ATRAC on my MZ-R90. However, I did a recording with it of some
acoustic guitar, where I didn't set the levels properly, and I can hear
a difference between the ATRAC and the DAT version. (I used the R90 as
a backup recorder, DAT optical out to R90 optical in.)
I also notice a distinct decrease in quality when I start to process the
ATRAC stuff with EQ or reverb or dynamic compression, and the like.
There's something about it that doesn't like to be messed with.
> _snip examples of MD uses_
I totally agree that MD has its uses. That's why I own one. The only
reason for my first post on this subject was the statement that MD is
High Quality recording. I just don't think so. And I do record
concerts, and music for listening to on the train, and jams, and
sketches, and I want an LP4 deck so I can cram tons of music on it and
on and on...
> Here is an experiment just WAITING to be done ... pick a piece
> of music, something simple but complex (dynamic range, tempo,
> instrument placement). Do a digital recording in SP, LP2, LP4
> dump back to CD digitally and compare on a reference system.
> (remembering that the recording can only be a s good as the
> original). Make the WAV files available for all, so that
> others can burn a CD and make a decision for themselves. 30 sec
> clips should be enough (x3 = approx 15Mb download)
I was going to do this with some of my uncompressed PCM friends, but
it's interesting how they backpedal when you bring up a proper
doubleblind test. I may still do it however. I still really do want
to. Perhaps we can work out something?
> > It amazes me that people will spend thousands of dollars on their
> > instruments, including microphones and preamps and other miscellaneous
> > recording gear, and then balk at shelling out $700 for a DAT. Instead
> > they go for a $200 MD. (I'm just going with rock bottom here.) And then
> > they throw away a lot of the signal. Does it sound great? Yes. Does
> > it sound as good as it could? No. Plus you have severely
> > degraded your chances of future restoration possibilities.
>
> What amazes me more, is people who spend $1000's on Hi-Fi and put it
> in a 10'x10' room, full of furniture and wonder why it doesn't sound
> that good.
Total agreement with you here.
> > MD has many uses. Long Play mode is one of them. Recording music is
> > one of them. I will even go so far as to suggest that recording music
> > in a LP mode is one of them (oh, no! heresy!) But don't delude yourself
> > that you are getting high quality recordings in whatever MD mode you
> > use.
>
> Don't delude yourself you are getting an "exact" copy, but do recognise
> that using 5:1 compression, MD is probably giving you the best damn
> "real time" compressed recording available. "Fitness of use" :)
Agree with you again. I only object when someone says that MD is high
quality recording, when it is middle quality recording.
-steve
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