Re: [ARSCLIST] CD writing programs and DC Offset

[Mike Richter <mrichter@xxxxxxx>]

At 04:10 PM 3/26/2003 +0000, Copeland, Peter wrote:
> Dear All,
>     I have two comments about the discussion on "CD Writing Programs", one
> technical, and one non-technical.

Again, I ask that we keep separate issues which are distinct from one
another. I doubt that anyone with experience questions the influence of
software which can alter the sound as recorded to the hard drive. Any
analogue processing, ADC or audio editing must use appropriate hard- and
software to deliver quality product. Indeed, on another thread, I
recommended that if you must alter pitch, you do it via sample rate to
avoid the interpolation and other errors of software resampling; I
understand that hardware resampling is often worse still.

But this thread dealt with the software which converts (redbook) files on
the hard drive to the recording on the CD. That is another matter
altogether and while the audio mastering programs vary widely in their
features, all I have used, seen or heard of leave the content of the audio
stream intact. They reorder the bits and feed them to the drive.

As I said in my post on DC offset, I know of some problems which it
introduces and how simple it is to correct. Rather than investigate other
effects, I simply correct the offset when it occurs and move on.
Unfortunately, the other source(s) of even-harmonic distortion are not
easily corrected and often prove intractable. The only saving grace is that
they are amplitude-dependent and are therefore seldom as disturbing to
software or to the ear as distortion which is not.


Mike
mrichter@xxxxxxx
http://www.mrichter.com/