Re: [microsound] digitalstress

[precursor <precursor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

on 4/11/04 4:16 PM, archontic@xxxxxxxxxxxx at archontic@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> I'm really sensitive to a something like a fatiguing effect of digital
> graininess... i notice it particularly after the contrast of changing
> from cd to record and vice-versa. if i've had anything like a couple of
> days of listening to records (where sounds emerge from inky blackness)
> then i almost can't bear to listen to cd's. My cd transport and
> separate filter (dac) are both quite good quality. The efffect is real
> for me and puts me on edge. I also notice a sluggishness in rhythmic
> and percussive material which contributes to a grating feeling and
> hence extra stress. It doesn't matter whether its electronic or
> acoustic music only. Am I alone in this? For me the effect is
> particularly noticeable during night-time listening.
> 
> Best wishes,
> 
> David
> 
> 

> 
hmmm,  i get the same thing ,i think it is due to the nature of the digital
recording medium itself ,it is the exact opposite of analog(or nature) when
it comes to recording, its behavior,...and when things work against our
analog ears ,obviously this is one of the side effects. basically when we
speak softly or normally our voice sounds even and such, smooth, and when we
shout our vocal chords introduce slight distortions, just like anything in
nature. analog desks for instance have headroom above the 0(unity gain) and
when signals go above this range they also begin to introduce a natural
saturation or the "hot" sound, just like nature....but digital on the other
hand does not have this headroom, so what happens is that when you speak
softly into the microphone , in essence you are getting a grainy/poor
quality/distorted sound because not all of the bits were captured , and the
funny thing is when you scream and due reach the 0 or just about, you are in
essence getting a "smooth" sound because the distortions /graininess/poor
quality are absent due to the full bit resolution capture, and if you go
above 0 in digital your screwed, cool ha? Its too bad that when designers
were introducing digital recording they were obsessed with getting analogs
flaws out of the way(noise,etc) ,but totally left out the positive natural
aspects of analog...that was a bad move i think..but im sure in the coming
years it will head right back where digital borrow's all those flaws once
again..

m.


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