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Comparison Of Analog And Digital Recording
Sound can be recorded and stored and played using either digital or analog techniques. Both techniques introduce errors and distortions in the sound, and these methods can be systematically compared. Musicians and listeners have argued over the superiority of digital versus analog sound recordings. Arguments for analog systems include the absence of fundamental error mechanisms which are present in digital audio systems, including aliasing and associated anti-aliasing filter implementation, jitter and quantization noise. Advocates of digital point to the high levels of performance possible with digital audio, including excellent linearity in the audible band and low levels of noise and distortion. Two prominent differences in performance between the two methods are the bandwidth and the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N ratio). The bandwidth of the digital system is determined, according to the Nyquist frequency, by the sample rate used. The bandwidth of an analog system is dependent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sound
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the brain. Only acoustic waves that have frequency, frequencies lying between about 20 Hz and 20 kHz, the audio frequency range, elicit an auditory percept in humans. In air at atmospheric pressure, these represent sound waves with wavelengths of to . Sound waves above 20 kHz are known as ultrasound and are not audible to humans. Sound waves below 20 Hz are known as infrasound. Different animal species have varying hearing ranges, allowing some to even hear ultrasounds. Definition Sound is defined as "(a) Oscillation in pressure, stress, particle displacement, particle velocity, etc., propagated in a medium with internal forces (e.g., elastic or viscous), or the superposition of such propagated oscillation. (b) Auditory sen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dynamic Range
Dynamics (from Greek δυναμικός ''dynamikos'' "powerful", from δύναμις ''dynamis'' " power") or dynamic may refer to: Physics and engineering * Dynamics (mechanics), the study of forces and their effect on motion Brands and enterprises * Dynamic (record label), an Italian record label in Genoa Mathematics * Dynamical system, a concept describing a point's time dependency ** Topological dynamics, the study of dynamical systems from the viewpoint of general topology * Symbolic dynamics, a method to model dynamical systems Social science * Group dynamics, the study of social group processes especially * Population dynamics, in life sciences, the changes in the composition of a population * Psychodynamics, the study of psychological forces driving human behavior * Social dynamics, the ability of a society to react to changes * Spiral Dynamics, a social development theory Other uses * Dynamics (music), the softness or loudness of a sound or note * DTA Dynami ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tape Transport
A tape transport is the collection of parts of a magnetic tape player or recorder that move the tape and play or record it. Transport parts include the head, capstan, pinch roller, tape pins, and tape guide. The tape transport as a whole is called the ''transport mechanism''. Tape head The tape head is the part of a tape recording or playback device which converts the magnetic fluctuations present in the tape into an electrical signal, which is then amplified and sent to speakers or headphones. The tape head is set off-center in a multitrack device in order to record or play one or more tracks running in each direction of the tape (e.g. the two different tracks present on most, if not all, compact cassettes). Capstan The capstan is a rotating spindle used to move recording tape through the mechanism of a tape recorder. The tape is threaded between the capstan and one or more rubber-covered wheels, called pinch rollers, which press against the capstan, thus providing friction ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
CD-R
CD-R (Compact disc-recordable) is a digital media, digital optical disc data storage device, storage format. A CD-R disc is a compact disc that can only be Write once read many, written once and read arbitrarily many times. CD-R discs (CD-Rs) are readable by most CD readers manufactured prior to the introduction of CD-R, unlike CD-RW discs. History Originally named CD Write once read many, Write-Once (WO), the CD-R specification was first published in 1988 by Philips and Sony in the Rainbow Books, Orange Book, which consists of several parts that provide details of the CD-WO, CD-MO (Magneto-Optic), and later CD-RW (Re Writable). The latest editions have abandoned the use of the term ''CD-WO'' in favor of ''CD-R'', while ''CD-MO'' was rarely used. Written CD-Rs and CD-RWs are, in the aspect of low-level encoding and data format, fully compatible with the audio CD (''Red Book'' CD-DA) and data CD (''Yellow Book'' CD-ROM) standards. The Yellow Book standard for CD-ROM only speci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Generation Loss
Generation loss is the loss of quality between subsequent copies or transcodes of data. Anything that reduces the quality of the representation when copying, and would cause further reduction in quality on making a copy of the copy, can be considered a form of generation loss. File size increases are a common result of generation loss, as the introduction of artifacts may actually increase the entropy of the data through each generation. Analog generation loss In analog systems (including systems that use digital recording but make the copy over an analog connection), generation loss is mostly due to noise and bandwidth issues in cables, amplifiers, mixers, recording equipment and anything else between the source and the destination. Poorly adjusted distribution amplifiers and mismatched impedances can make these problems even worse. Repeated conversion between analog and digital can also cause loss. Generation loss was a major consideration in complex analog audio and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dynamic Range Compression
Dynamic range compression (DRC) or simply compression is an audio signal processing operation that reduces the volume of loud sounds or amplifies quiet sounds, thus reducing or ''compressing'' an audio signal's dynamic range. Compression is commonly used in sound recording and reproduction, broadcasting, sound reinforcement system, live sound reinforcement and some instrument amplifiers. A dedicated electronic hardware unit or audio software that applies compression is called a compressor. In the 2000s, compressors became available as software plugins that run in digital audio workstation software. In recorded and live music, compression parameters may be adjusted to change the way they affect sounds. Compression and limiting are identical in process but different in degree and perceived effect. A limiter is a compressor with a high #Ratio, ratio and, generally, a short #Attack and release, attack time. Compression is used to improve performance and clarity in public address ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soft Clipping
Gain compression is a reduction in ''differential'' or ''slope'' gain caused by nonlinearity of the transfer function of an amplifying device for large-signal inputs. Overview When overdriving an amplifier beyond its the linear range, gain compression will occur due to nonlinear circuit characteristics. The output of large amplitude inputs will be less than expected than using the small signals gain of the amplifier, such that an increase in input will not be matched by a proportional increase in output. Gain compression is the difference between the ideal linear power transfer curve and the real circuit's power transfer curve. An important gain compression parameter is the OP1dB, which is the power input that results in a 1 dB compression of the output power (OP), corresponding to a gain ratio of 10 = 79.4%. Harmonic distortion results from nonlinear transfer curves. And once an amplifier's maximum amplitude is reached, signals will be clipped, resulting in eve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Limiter
In electronics, a limiter is a circuit that allows signals below a specified input power or level to pass unaffected while attenuating (lowering) the peaks of stronger signals that exceed this threshold. Limiting is a type of dynamic range compression. Clipping is an extreme version of limiting. Limiting is any process by which the amplitude of a signal is prevented from exceeding a predetermined value. Limiters are common as a safety device in live sound and broadcast applications to prevent sudden volume peaks from occurring. Limiters are also used as protective features in some components of sound reinforcement systems (e.g., powered mixing boards and power amplifiers) and in some bass amplifiers, to prevent unwanted distortion or loudspeaker damage. Types Limiting can refer to a range of treatments designed to limit the maximum level of a signal. Treatments in order of decreasing severity range from clipping, in which a signal is passed through normally but sheared o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saturation (magnetic)
Seen in some magnetism, magnetic materials, saturation is the state reached when an increase in applied external magnetic field ''H'' cannot increase the magnetization of the material further, so the total magnetic flux density ''B'' more or less levels off. (Though, magnetization continues to increase very slowly with the field due to paramagnetism.) Saturation is a characteristic of ferromagnetism, ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetism, ferrimagnetic materials, such as iron, nickel, cobalt and their alloys. Different ferromagnetic materials have different saturation levels. Description Saturation is most clearly seen in the ''magnetization curve'' (also called ''BH'' curve or hysteresis curve) of a substance, as a bending to the right of the curve (see graph at right). As the ''H'' field increases, the ''B'' field approaches a maximum value asymptote, asymptotically, the saturation level for the substance. Technically, above saturation, the ''B'' field continues increasing, but ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dither
Dither is an intentionally applied form of noise used to randomize quantization error, preventing large-scale patterns such as color banding in images. Dither is routinely used in processing of both digital audio and video data, and is often one of the last stages of mastering audio to a CD. A common use of dither is converting a grayscale image to black and white, so that the density of black dots in the new image approximates the average gray level in the original. Etymology The term ''dither'' was published in books on analog computation and hydraulically controlled guns shortly after World War II. Though he did not use the term ''dither'', the concept of dithering to reduce quantization patterns was first applied by Lawrence G. Roberts in his 1961 MIT master's thesis and 1962 article. By 1964 dither was being used in the modern sense described in this article. The technique was in use at least as early as 1915, though not under the name ''dither''. In digital pro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meridian Audio
Meridian Audio is a consumer Audio equipment, audio and Home cinema, home theatre equipment manufacturer based in the United Kingdom. Bob Stuart and Allen Boothroyd founded the company in 1977 under the name Boothroyd-Stuart. In 1985 the company released a CD player under the brand name, Meridian. The company also created the lossless compression format Meridian Lossless Packing (used by DVD-Audio) in 1998 and the lossy Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) format in 2014. History Based in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, Meridian Audio was founded by John Robert (Bob) Stuart and Allen Boothroyd in 1977. Since the company's inception, all Meridian products have been built in the UK. The company claims it was among the first to introduce active loudspeakers designed for the domestic market and was the first British company to manufacture a CD player in 1983. The Meridian MCD, launched in 1985, was the first audiophile CD player. During the pre-2007 economic boom, exports made up 80 per ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stereophile
''Stereophile'' is a monthly American audiophile magazine which reviews high-end audio equipment, such as loudspeakers and amplifiers, and audio-related news. History ''Stereophile'' was founded in 1962 by J. Gordon Holt. With the August 1987 issue, it started monthly publication. In 1998, ''Stereophile'' was acquired by the Petersen Publishing Company. At this point, it was based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. During this period, it was published eight times a year. Petersen, which was acquired by Emap Ascential (formerly EMAP) was a British-headquartered global company, specialising in events, intelligence and advisory services for the marketing and financial technology industries. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until it was ac ..., was then sold to Primedia Inc. in 2001. Primedia sold its Enthusiast Network, a New York–based publisher of special interest magazines, to Source Interlink Media, in 2007. In March 2018, ''Stereophile'' was purchased, along ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
