michaelk@tekmdp.UUCP (06/20/83)
Every few years taste tests are done: real butter vs imitation butter (margarine). The imitation butter that people grew up on becomes more the real than the real. Perhaps some people will prefer analog vinyl disks to CD's because the CD's don't have the "normal" .5 Hz "ticks" caused by a scratch, or sound strange w/o a solid noise floor to stand on. So, when I listen to a CD version of a piece I know oh so well, and it sounds "wrong", could it be that THIS is right, and I've only become comfortable with my margarine? Mike Kersenbrock Tektronix Microcomputer Development Products Aloha, Oregon
shauns@tekcad.UUCP (06/25/83)
It seems we've addressed this subject before. An interesting perspective on
this whole issue of CD `harshness' can be obtained from the July issue of
Audio. This magazine now presents CD reviews, and their comments are
revealing. You can read them for yourself, but the upshot is that the MIKING
MIXING, and EQ are screwing up the sound, NOT the CD format itself. The CDs
that were most shrill were multi-miked and EQ'd with a heavy hand. Those that
used a minimalist approach were faultless. Parenthetically, I might add that
several CD pop releases were also reviewed, and their sound was really no
better than the analog version (except, of course, for noise level) owing to
the ridiculous amount of processing that the pop album is subject to. (Case
in point - the Billy Joel CD. Who cares? An absurd album to `demonstrate' CD
with.)
A second point was brought up about the demos at CES - In almost all cases, the
cuts were being played too loud, and the playback systems were gagging on it
right and left. How can you judge a program source when the
playback equipment isn't up to it?
Once again, I restate my long-held views:
MOST RECORDING ENGINEERS DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY.
And it's going to take some time to spread the word. Until then, our ears
will suffer their learning pains.
Before we all let our imaginations run wild with supposed inadequacies of the
CD format, let's apply a little scientific method and listen to some properly
recorded CDs on adequate equipment before we pass judgement. Then we'll know
where to lay the blame.
Shaun Simpkins
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--
Shaun Simpkins
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ARPAnet:shauns.tek@rand-relayrh@mit-eddi.UUCP (Randy Haskins) (06/27/83)
Could be (the margerine effect) is true. Reminds me of a story I heard a few years ago about a guy that was going into the catsup (or whatever YOU call it) business. Seems his angle was that he was going to be VERY painstaking with it, like carefully mixing all of its ingredients and not letting it burn. Well, as it had to happen, nobody bought it. The reason? We were all 'spoiled' by the catsup made by the big companies: they weren't careful and let it burn, so we got used to the burned flavor. He tried burning his and people started buying it. Isn't life wonderful? ==Randy