Re: [ARSCLIST] CD writing programs

[Steven Smolian <smolians@xxxxxxxxx>]

Yup, James.  You read me right- with eyeballs, not a laser.

Steve

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Steven Smolian    301-694-5134
Smolian Sound Studios
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CDs made from old recordings,
Five or one or lifetime hoardings,
Made at home or concert hall,
Text and pics explain it all.
at www.soundsaver.com
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----- Original Message -----
From: "James L Wolf" <jwol@xxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2003 3:33 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] CD writing programs


>    Here's my take on this exchange. Science is great. Science is
> useful. Long live the science of sound. But any science is only as good
> as its concepts and tools of measurement. For audio science those tools
> have developed greatly in the past decade and I assume they will
> continue to. Steve's anecdote that many techies saw no problem with
> early digital illustrates that they did not have the tools to "see" what
> the audiophile and engineer could hear, that it sounded like poop.
> Similarly, Steve seems to be suggesting that there could be other
> factors in the conversion from wav. to CD-audio that aren't picked up by
> the current tools of measurement, but which he can hear. Or if he's not
> suggesting that, I am.
> I don't think that's all that outrageous.
>    I've heard stories about the early days of hi-fi and the
> measurements used by technicians and advertisers of equipment. THD, was
> a big one, still is I guess. But manufacturers found ways to make their
> measurements look good usually at the expense of sound quality. Tested
> great, sounded terrible.
>     The ear, while subjective and not quantifiable, is a very subtle
> instrument, especially when it's connected to a trained nervous system.
> The ear's findings, especially when they are considered carefully,
> should never be dismissed out of hand. They point the way to better
> science.
>
> James
>
> >>> smolians@xxxxxxxxx 03/20/03 12:39PM >>>
>
> I remember the early days of digital at the AES when certain people
> reappeared regularly to tell us that "bits is bits."  Then jitter, least
> significan bit and other digital ills were discovered, analyzed,
> understood and measuring equipment designed to quantify variations.  I
> suspect the same will prove the pattern with CD writing programs as
> well.
>
> Steve Smolian
>
>
>
>
>
>
> =========================
> Steven Smolian    301-694-5134
> Smolian Sound Studios
> ---------------------------------------------------
> CDs made from old recordings,
> Five or one or lifetime hoardings,
> Made at home or concert hall,
> Text and pics explain it all.
> at www.soundsaver.com
> =========================