----- Original Message ----- From: "phillip holmes" <insuranceman@xxxxxxxxxx>
In the phase encode/decode discussion of RIAA, did anyone mention that speed is critical? If the disk was recorded slow or fast, you'll have a hard time getting proper frequency response. And many older playback decks ran slow or fast, again making the frequency response and phase wrong. But the absolute worst is off centered pressings that cause a constant change in phase and frequency response. Makes me sick on really bad ones. AND, many RIAA stages are off by at least 1dB. If you compound all the errors, it's enough to make you listen to MP3. Oh, let's not forget tangency error, groove pinch.... It's a wonder they sound as good as they do. The best solution for these problems would be to play back on a Nakamichi turntable (automatic disk centering) and introduce RIAA in the computer. Sadly, I don't have the Nakamichi table. But can't you fix the speed in the computer, then do RIAA? I'm going to get someone to show me how to do that one of these days.
Well, keep in mind that for the first several decades of phonorecord history, one cranked up one's player (or, if you had the luxury of an electric-motor-driven player, turned it on...)...inserted a new steel needle (unless you were using "permanent" needles, which might last TEN plays...!)...and played your record, which actually produced SOUND! You didn't worry about the gazillion-or-so reasons why what you heard didn't EXACTLY match what had been played to create the recording...you were just happy that you, unlike your grandparents, could actually listen to some famous artist (well, more or less...?!)
My experience has been that actually hearing live performances is also less than perfect...venues have issues involving acoustics, audiences seem never to be COMPLETELY quiet (both of these are multiplied in large quantities if you elect to listen to non-classical performances!)...and if you haven't had your hearing carefully checked, there always exists the possibility you AREN'T hearing 100% of the sound!
One of the few advantages of (1) being nine days older than dirt (and twice as polluted), and (2) having suffered two serious head injuries, both affecting my hearing...is that I can't readily notice the flaws of 78rpm records, compressed digital sound files, and similar phenomena...so if the sound I'm hearing is 0.1% out of phase, or has similar distortion figures, I can't tell...
Steven C. Barr