Ho Gerry, How're you doin'?
On 02-Mar-98 at 09:31:42, Gerry Clark wrote to Graeme Jaye about
Digital recording
 GC> Hi Graeme, how's things?
Fine thanks.
 GC> 28-Feb-98 10:07:02, Graeme Jaye wrote to Gerry Clark Subject:
 GC> Digital recording
 GJ> yours is a specific application and you take the kit with you
 GJ> .  The original question was posed by someone who wanted a
 GJ> universally portable format so that *anyone* could play his
 GJ> audio recordings
 GC> Oops.  That's what I get for not backtracking a thread.
I know the feeling .
 GC> CD seems to be the obvious answer then.
I would say so.
 GJ> blind auditioning of the complete system revealed that there
 GJ> was still an audible difference between the same material
 GJ> sourced from MD and CD.
 GC> Hmm.  I did a blind test between CD and the same source copied
 GC> onto DCC and MD on a really top-notch hi-fi system and
 GC> couldn't hear any difference.
TBF, I am probably more critical than others - I was involved in the
music recording business for many years.
 GC> When I put the MD through a 4k rig and played it in a club
 GC> there seemed to me to be a lack of sub-bass but no-one else
 GC> commented.
I'm sure there was - but it doesn't surprise me nobody noticed.
 GC> There's a workaround for the slight pause with my MD player.
 GC> If you set the MD to pause and select your track the response
 GC> will be instantaneous when you hit "Play".
Yes.  We play the same tricks with CD as well when we need something
really tight.  Unfortunately, there is still a small delay (which is
variable, dependent on exactly where the disc is when it gets the
'go' command) and this makes it impossible to lip-sync with any
reliability.
 GJ> Without a doubt the best systems for us rely on solid state
 GJ> stores - they really *are* instantaneous .
 GC> Isn't that a very expensive way to store high quality audio
 GC> data?
Yes and no.  You have to remember that this is a business where
money come second to reliability.  These things have to work 10/12
hours a day, seven days a week - sometimes longer.  
Solid state stores, being entirely electronic, have no moving or
other mechanical parts and their long-term reliability more than
makes up for the initial capital costs over a few years.
Furthermore, until recently, CD recording kit was also very
expensive (and CD-RW didn't even exist) so that changes to the audio
were a real PITA with CD based systems but easy to organise with a
SSS.
 GC> I would urge people to buy one.
 GJ> They'll have to hurry then.  I suspect the format will be
 GJ> dropped before too long if the market doesn't pick up soon.
 GC> It's always a possibility but technology is running at full
 GC> pelt these days and todays fad gadget is tomorrows doorstop.
 GC> I try not to panic.
I thinkMD could well become a doorstop.  However, not panicing is
probaly the best thing you can do.  If it happens, it happens.  Time
to worry about it is when it does, IYSWIM.
 GC> Any drop in audio quality due to the compression algorithms is
 GC> negligable compared to the practical benefits.
 GJ> That rather depends on what you want it for .
 GC> Er...high quality audio output with instantaneous access,
 GC> flexible cueing, super-fast reorganisation of tracks and
 GC> portability?
Fine fopr you, I can understand - but not for me.  Long-term
reliability is foremost on the shopping list here.
Keep 'em comin'
Graeme in Dover, England
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