An engineer ready to prove digital is the superior medium

[jeffca]

Without repeating my post from a few months ago (Why does vinyl still exist?), I thought I'd do something that basically no one at these forums ever does. Offer some recordings I produced for review by the denizens of the forum.

 

Yes, everyone here has their opinion, but how many of you have done quality, high resolution recording? I imagine that better than 90% of the people that populate this forum have not. Consequently, most of the people who come here (just like any audiophile site or forum) really are thoroughly ignorant of how great digital recording is.

 

I'm not saying that I'm the greatest audio engineer on the planet (though most people think I'm pretty damn good) or that the files provided are the best ever or the best I can do (you learn something new with every project). I do know that everyone who's heard them has liked them.

 

These songs aren't acoustic, are mostly done with soft synths on a Mac workstation and were recorded in my house. That being said, these neo-R&B/hip-hop tunes sound as good or better than anything in the genre.

 

And just so you can get an idea of how things sounded during mix-down, I'll post the 32-bit masters as well as the final 16-bit CD tracks that were given the standard, "crush-down" process with a multi-band compressor and a limiter so they'd sound like the current offerings (a neccessary evil to get your product sold & played, unfortunately).

 

So, if I get a dozen people who are interested, I'll post a page on my web server. Any takers?

 

jeff

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Jeff - I'd be happy to post the files right here in this thread and get the conversation rolling. I'm using a Content Distribution Network that holds copies of all my files in different locations around the globe. That way large files like music and videos are downloaded pretty fast from the closest server to each reader's location. Otherwise feel free to post them on your site and we'll all have a stroll over there for a listen.

 

[rom661]

Hi Jeff (and Hi Chris)

 

I am not going to argue a position here. I find that I like things about digital and analog both. Like most, I would love to have the best of both worlds. My two cents worth are only regarding the test you are proposing. I guess I'm a little confused about the decision to use a signal that was never analog to begin with. I would expect digital to win in such a situation.

 

For me, at least, the challenge is to take an analog event, whatever it may be, and retain all of its qualities. Again, I am not a vinyl junkie, 90% of my listening is to digital, mostly through a MacBook and a Wavelength Cosecant DAC. I do find that I thoroughly enjoy the reproduction of my favorite music, be it jazz (lots), classical, blues or rock.

 

Oh, Chris, things are looking promising. We may get you down here yet.

 

Rick

 

[John]

Jeff, how does this prove anything? How are you going to post vinyl versions for us to compare? I don't get it. - John.

 

[PeterSt]

Hi Jeff,

 

You may get more comments and question(ing)s than votes. But you have mine.

 

But I guess the volume of the 32bit tracks will be lower, right ?

When you're at it, please tell by how much, so I can attenuate the 16 bit tracks proportionally at comparing (and next tell me that I will be comparing apples and oranges -> not true, because I will be using 24 bits to do it).

 

Thanks,

Peter

 

PS: For others to sleep on : the more synth this is, the better it is for comparing.

 

[bite-the-byte]

Hi Jeff, I join the cue... and also very curious to know your exactly recording/mastering technics, dynamic compression? What de-henphasis algorithm? etc...

 

Paolo

 

[emw]

Would be intressted aswell.

 

[Blu]

Thanks for the offer Jeff,

I have found that I enjoy music from digital as well as analog sources, so I would be interested in hearing what you have been able to accomplish in the digital recording field.

 

 

[Suteetat]

I am not sure I understand what you are trying to achieve? If your file sounds really really good, how does that proof that digital is a better medium?

I am not a vinyl fanatic (in fact I don't own any but heard enough through many high end systems). My take is that vinyl and digital has its own sound. There are certain aspects of vinyl that digital can't match and there are certain aspects of digital that vinyl can't match. It all boils down to personal perference, which virtue and vice you value and tolerate more.

Also using synth music, how is that going to show anything. Superior could mean so many thing but one thing that it should include is realism or closest to the real sound as much as possible. Personally I don't know what true sound of synthesizer is like?

Also using synth, I assume that you can create direct digital file without going through A/D converter which takes away

one weakness of digital recording. Hardly seems fair to use this as a basis for comparison between analogue recording where you still need an interface to transfer sound to analogue recording and a less useful tool for general comparison of digital vs analogue recording.

After saying all that, I am always welcome a chance to hear good sounding recording, nonetheless!

(neo-R&B/hip-hop make a cringe a little though )

 

 

[rajupatel]

Hi Jeff,

 

" thoroughly ignorant of how great digital recording is". i do not agree. We may be less informed but not "ignorant"???

 

Everybody has preferences in all spheres of life. So also music and it's method of reproduction. AND that's why so many home/high end/pro audio brands survive.

 

I agree with John and Suteetat.

I don't see the point. As compared to what are you wanting to show that digital recording is superior. And that what you propose to do isn't analog in the first place!!! what do we compare with? 32 bit vs 16bit???

 

Anyway i would like to hear what you propose.

 

Raju Patel

 

[bluedy1]

I am with you Jeff. Thanks for the offer

 

[Cavaille]

I would like to listen to the files too. BTW, I also believe in the superiority of digital media - as long as bit depth and samplerate are big enough . I´d love to compare the mixdown files to the normalized ones.