charles@sunybcs.UUCP (Charles E. Pearson) (06/28/84)
This is a serious question, not one of my pet peves.
Windom Hill has converted some of its analogue recording
practices to Sony PCM (for vynal records) and seems to have
excaped the problems/distortion usually associated with
any digitally processed recording, to whit: loss of
ambiance information (dimensionality), extra twangy highs,
gross strings... any frequency above the midrange inclusive
has these problems.... WH PCM seems to not have these
problems.
'Fantasia' by Walt Disney Inc. the new(er) digital version
has all of the problems (as a counter example).
The recordings from Germany on Harmonia Mundi label lie somewhere between
the 'Fantasia' death and WH's transparency.
For note: CDs are usually accused of having the digital disease,
only in their case the disease seems to be greatly exagerated.
The question is: What is WH doing correct, 'Fantasia' perfectly wrong,
and Harmonia Mundi just missing?
Further information:
William Ackerman 'Passage' WHSP-C1014 (on Windom Hill records)
Sony PCM 1600 Digital Recording System
Miked with 2 AKG 452 EB microphones
NEVE 8036 console with EMT 240 Reverb.
** little to none of the digital disease ***
William Ackerman 'Past Light' WH 1028 (on Windom Hill records)
Studer 24 track analogue recorder at 30 IPS
Mixed digitally on Sony PCM 1600
** little to none of the digital disease **
'Fantasia' Vista 104 (Walt Disney Productions)
No equipment specs.
** Perfect example of the Digital disease ***
Volumns I..VI of Miller and Kreisel Sound Corporation Digital Master Series
Sony PCM 1600 Digital studio Recorder with input and output transformers
removed.
Miked with AKG 414 (with new type diaphram) microphones
Their own mixing console.
** Perfect series example of the digital disease ***
'Lessons for Lute, Cittern and Orpharion' Harmonia Mundi IC 069-99975T
No equipment specs.
** Middle road example of digital disease **
'Fresh Aire III' AG 365 (On American Grammaphone)
Analogue recording with unusually excellent ambiance.
(Obviously no digital disease)
Ten-Jiku Kitarou 'the Silk Route' (on Polydor label) 813 478-1
This is a movie sound track.
Japanese made.
Mitsubishi X80 PCM tape recorder.
** no digital disease what-so-ever ***
Unusually excellent ambiance, on the order of 'The Woods is Alive' from
Fresh Aire III.
Some tape saturation, most noticeable at the end of side one, otherwise
this is an excellent 'analogue sound' coming from a digitally processed
record.
What is going wrong with some MFG and dead right with others???
Charles E. Pearson
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