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Toru A
Another deliberate interpretation by Andreas Koch will help.
Below is an excerpt from [www.positive-feedback.com]
Fig.2 below shows the typical dynamic range of a DSD signal sampled at 2.8224MHz which can be greater than 150db in the audio band below 20kHz.
The slowly rising noise floor at higher frequencies also follows to some degree our hearing threshold for transient signals that have been proven to be audible up to 100kHz.
Of course, DSD at double the rate (5.6448MHz) has an extended audio range of 0-40kHz above where the noise floor then starts to rise gently.
Fig. 2 also shows the theoretical dynamic ranges of high resolution PCM signals at various sample rates. Note the steep brickwalls that PCM signals typically have.
It is those brickwalls that can generate very audible side-effects such as pre-ringing, if not processed with special algorithms (such as in all Playback Designs products).
By design DSD signals do not generate these side effects.
As we can see from this, DSD is characterized by the following:
-great dynamic range in the audio band (0-20kHz)
-slowly rising noise floor in higher frequencies (no brickwalls)
-extended frequency range into MHz
This makes DSD a serious contender in the choices of high resolution audio formats. Sometimes DSD is criticized for its high frequency content (as shown in Fig. 2).
But all DACs limit the amount of noise that actually gets through to the analog side.
This noise is generally not correlated to the music signal and therefore is easy for our psychoacoustic hearing system to filter out, but most listeners do not even hear it.
Double rate DSD addresses this problem by pushing the ramp of the rising noise floor up on the frequency axis by about 20kHz
thus reducing the absolute noise floor in the higher frequencies quite dramatically.
Conclusion
While DSD continues being used on every SACD, it may also have an additional new growth life as a separate download format.
Its sonic performance makes it competitive with any high resolution PCM format, many listeners would argue it is even superior.
Its bit efficiency alone almost guarantees a success in that application.
Yesterday any audio format was strongly married to some type of hardware carrier (i.e. vinyl, CD, SACD etc.)
and that hindered the evolution of the encoding formats, be that in PCM or DSD.
But today we are entering an era where the hardware does not impose the same limitations. It is becoming flexible and upgradeable thanks to software control and computer platforms.
This is not only true for storage, processing, simple playback functionality, but also for physical links (i.e. USB ) all the way to the place where music is made, in the DAC.
When yesterday the encoding format had to adapt to the hardware carrier (packaged media), today the table is being turned: the hardware adapts to the encoding format.
In other words today's computer technology can grow with whatever format we may choose for today or tomorrow.
Today it may be a combination of high rate PCM and DSD, tomorrow it may be mostly DSD.
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Toru A
A Japanese guy made an interesting observation about Brown Sugar.
For your information.
1994 Virgin
2009 UMG
2010 SHM-SACD
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kowalski
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Naturalust
I look at alot of wave files in a typical day and it appears to me that the above tune was obviously remixed for the UMG release and that the UMG mix was used to create the SHM/SACD versions. Look at the overall level from start to finish. You can see the gain has been ridden starting with the UMG wave file. That increase in gain from the beginning of the track to the end of the track was just not present on the Virgin release. You are thus comparing apples to oranges here. Of course the effect of listening will be different on these later mixes.
What I don't see on any of them is a real large difference in dynamic range. No areas of the wave file that approach the 0dB line throughout the song. This greater dynamic range is somewhat "simulated" by reducing the overall volume for the SACD mix but if you turn the whole thing UP, you would get the same waveform as the UMG mix.
What would be great is a recording which may or may not have the overall volume of the UMG mix but contains big enough swings in the dynamic range to keep the ear interested and the brain happy. If I knew how to get screenshots of the wave files and put them up here I would be happy to demonstrate graphically what I am talking about. peace
SHM-SACD version is a new transfer made in 2011 from original master tapes. It has nothing to do with UMG remasters. And when you listen to them they sound clearly different. UMG remaster while very bright sounds totally flat to my ears. The SACD version on contrary is rocking and very entertaining - like it should be.
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Naturalust
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kowalski
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Naturalust
I look at alot of wave files in a typical day and it appears to me that the above tune was obviously remixed for the UMG release and that the UMG mix was used to create the SHM/SACD versions. Look at the overall level from start to finish. You can see the gain has been ridden starting with the UMG wave file. That increase in gain from the beginning of the track to the end of the track was just not present on the Virgin release. You are thus comparing apples to oranges here. Of course the effect of listening will be different on these later mixes.
What I don't see on any of them is a real large difference in dynamic range. No areas of the wave file that approach the 0dB line throughout the song. This greater dynamic range is somewhat "simulated" by reducing the overall volume for the SACD mix but if you turn the whole thing UP, you would get the same waveform as the UMG mix.
What would be great is a recording which may or may not have the overall volume of the UMG mix but contains big enough swings in the dynamic range to keep the ear interested and the brain happy. If I knew how to get screenshots of the wave files and put them up here I would be happy to demonstrate graphically what I am talking about. peace
SHM-SACD version is a new transfer made in 2011 from original master tapes. It has nothing to do with UMG remasters. And when you listen to them they sound clearly different. UMG remaster while very bright sounds totally flat to my ears. The SACD version on contrary is rocking and very entertaining - like it should be.
You are missing my point. It is that the SACD & the UMG waveforms above BOTH appear to be different MIXES than the 1994 Virgin waveform. It is easy to see the overall volume of both the SACD and the UMG waveforms creeping upward by the end of the song.
The process of transfering from original master tapes does not preclude the possibility of additional post production being done on them. I would love to give you guys some blind listening tests to show you just how subjective the whole analysis is.
Talking about frequencies around 100KHz in music with a straight face and saying they have proven to be audible is really going out on a limb. peace
In my opinion, the SHM-SACD sounds better than the ABKCO CDs. In fact, the 2002 ABKCO CDs aren't even the best version on CD. That honor would go to one of the 1980s releases. I somehow doubt the 2002 ABKCO would be that much better on SACD to somehow trump everything else. In other words, I'm pretty sure I disagree with you here.Quote
Toru A
I've been listening Singles Collection-The London Years SACD.
As far as Brown Sugar and Wild Horses are concerned, ABKCO SACD version is much better than 2010 Shm-SACD Sticky Fingers.
Flat transferring has likes and dislikes. I sometimes feel it's boring.

But that's not what you're saying, right? By the way, if you were to include the 2002 ABKCO CDs in this comparison, it'd fall somewhere in between the Virgin and the UMG as far as dynamic range is concerned.Quote
Toru A
In conclusion, he is saying that ultimate Sticky Fingers in the present digital format must be SHM-SACD.
I don't believe this. I think a far more likely explanation is that the 1994 Virgin was compressed in a different manner or EQ'ed in such a way that the picture changes like you describe. If they did remix it they have somehow managed to create a mix that sounds just like the old one, warts and all. That is highly unlikely and would be pretty much unprecedented.Quote
Naturalust
I look at alot of wave files in a typical day and it appears to me that the above tune was obviously remixed for the UMG release and that the UMG mix was used to create the SHM/SACD versions. Look at the overall level from start to finish. You can see the gain has been ridden starting with the UMG wave file. That increase in gain from the beginning of the track to the end of the track was just not present on the Virgin release. You are thus comparing apples to oranges here. Of course the effect of listening will be different on these later mixes.
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FreeBird
In my opinion, the SHM-SACD sounds better than the ABKCO CDs. In fact, the 2002 ABKCO CDs aren't even the best version on CD. That honor would go to one of the 1980s releases. I somehow doubt the 2002 ABKCO would be that much better on SACD to somehow trump everything else. In other words, I'm pretty sure I disagree with you here.Quote
Toru A
I've been listening Singles Collection-The London Years SACD.
As far as Brown Sugar and Wild Horses are concerned, ABKCO SACD version is much better than 2010 Shm-SACD Sticky Fingers.
Flat transferring has likes and dislikes. I sometimes feel it's boring.
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Toru A
A Japanese guy made an interesting observation about Brown Sugar.
For your information.
1994 Virgin
2009 UMG
2010 SHM-SACD
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stonesnow
Well, no wonder suicide is such a virtue (of honor) in Japanese culture, then! If I saw this nonsense every time I listened to Brown Sugar (or any song in recorded or unrecorded history), I think I should make an honorous virtue of suicide also! Is this sort of mentally masturbatory bit of pseudo-EEG chicanory supposed to change or influence the way one hears music? Really!! I'll hear/see what I hear/see in my mind, and here's what I hear/see in my mind when confronted with something like this--BLOW ME!!!!

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dcba
So the record biz "brains" leave us with two options : buy the UMG crap CDs for a few monetary units or spend a huge amount of money on the SHM-SACD releases?
Where's my gun?
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Naturalust
Well Stonesnow, it has nothing to do with Japanese culture, you are out of line making those suicide comments. In fact Mick Jagger or any other serious musician in 2012 spends plenty of time looking at, listening to, editing and anyalysing waveforms like the ones shown above.
Like it or not this is what a song looks like in todays Digital Audio Workstations. You can choose to dislike it or never look at it but you are left holding an empty bag when you make ignorant comments like the one above. If you listen to music these days you are listening to something that has been represented just like above during it's creation and mixing and mastering. It is an essential part of music production these days, no sense getting ugly about it. I appreciate the anaylsis as others here obviously do. peace
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kowalski
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stonesnow
No need to be disrespectful towards someone's culture when you see something you don't understand...
What I do understand is the limitations of all this digital gimmickry such as waveforms.
Since you purport to be so knowledgeable, then tell me this: Can these waveforms measure emotion, the feel of music? That's something a pure musician will always have over a digitally deluded technician...
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stonesnow
Take music out of the hands of nerdy, wonky technicians and put it back in the hands of creative musicians--it'll sound a lot better. war
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stonesnow
The second line of your reply insinuates that those who favor an analog approach cannot be a serious musician. Of course Mick Jagger studies waveforms--he's always jumping on the latest trends. It was the same mentality that led him to bring in a whole coven of producers for Bridges To Babylon--but if it ain't broke, why fix it?
Too many microwave cooks in the kitchen these days. You hip, young trendies always think you're the last word in history, but you haven't heard the last of Analog Man. Enjoy your era of relevance, but the rest of us will not be going away.
Take music out of the hands of nerdy, wonky technicians and put it back in the hands of creative musicians--it'll sound a lot better. war


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Naturalust
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stonesnow
Take music out of the hands of nerdy, wonky technicians and put it back in the hands of creative musicians--it'll sound a lot better. war
Creativity is all about embracing all the available tools at hand and coming up with something NEW and original. I'm all for the analog approach to recording and playing but when it come to editing I will be off creating another song while you are stuck with your scissors and tape trying to get it the way you want it.
Anybody who is serious about music production today cannot deny the advantages of digital. It's not all about wanking away on your instrument to produce a song, alot more goes into the final product. If you look at the version of Brown Sugar you are listening to I don't doubt there was some phase of the finished product that required digital production. Unless you are still listening to your original vinyl copy from 1968 and in that case unless you've kept it in pristine condition, I doubt fidelity is a part of your musical vocabulary.
To call waveforms digital gimmickry is about as ignorant of a statement as I've ever heard on this board. Pure musicians, digitally deluded technicians? what are you smoking? peace
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His Majesty
Old people moaning about new things.
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flilflam
The only thing I am moaning about is the marked tendency for most of the younger musician's music to be trite, insignificant, and consisting of two or three chords at the most. The talent is not there, for the most part.


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stonesnow
But the difference between you and me is obviously one of age--I am old enough to remember the difference. I grew up in the 80s
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Sipuncula
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stonesnow
But the difference between you and me is obviously one of age--I am old enough to remember the difference. I grew up in the 80s
Then who posted Naturalust's old-man-voice Dead Flowers cover? Ismellsensetaste aconspiracymonstermustardmanchardchancremanchurdmayomunchousenMancatoMuensterManchester.
The man is over5030 and obviously knowsnothingplentyaboutsynovialdrug perfusionprofession[/s]
I was born post9/11Civil WarBoerBundtBaer Worldbaker's dozenanimalhaste.
Well, she said baby, Jazz, jazz ain't that bad since it was stoned and still am since 1964. Crotchfield farm, we need a medic by the pool, as the old gray affectionate frog test called it to keep on rolling here. peace.
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Sipuncula
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stonesnow
But the difference between you and me is obviously one of age--I am old enough to remember the difference. I grew up in the 80s
Then who posted Naturalust's old-man-voice Dead Flowers cover? Ismellsensetaste aconspiracymonstermustardmanchardchancremanchurdmayomunchousenMancatoMuensterManchester.
The man is over5030 and obviously knowsnothingplentyaboutsynovialdrug perfusionprofession[/s]
I was born post9/11Civil WarBoerBundtBaer Worldbaker's dozenanimalhaste.
Well, she said baby, Jazz, jazz ain't that bad since it was stoned and still am since 1964. Crotchfield farm, we need a medic by the pool, as the old gray affectionate frog test called it to keep on rolling here. peace.
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stonesnow
I was merely saying that when I first heard such music, there wasn't even such a thing as CDs. These digitally brainwashed youngsters will never understand that first analog encounter with music--and no one, back then, ever complained about the sound of vinyl or cassettes, saying, Oh, gee, I wish they would remarket this stuff so we could hear what it really sounds like. Get off of the super-polished product mentality, kiddies, because in fact the music whether on vinyl or cassette sounded just fine--otherwise, we still wouldn't be remembering and posting here, now would we?
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Naturalust
Stonesnow, this is the only name I have ever posted under and I'm sure my vinyl collection would put yours to shame. I was just trying to combat the obvious ignorant bigoted and idiotic crap you posted , having the nerve to tell someone that suicide was good for their race of people.
Hey I'm sorry you say you grew up in the 80's, that explains alot, but it appears you may have some growing up yet to do. While you were playing around with your 4 track cassette machine I was recording on Studer and Ampex 24 track tape machines, so I know a bit about analog, too.
btw thanks for the nod on the Dead Flowers cover I did, why don't you check out the Let it Loose cover I did too. It's called music and covers are a tribute to the band who originally recorded them. Maybe you could do one too instead of making a complete arse of yourself by attacking individuals and entire races of people.
kowalski I appreciate this thread and your contributions to it , sorry to get a bit off topic here. I agree with you about todays music product not rocking like the old stuff and I think the compression issue is a big part of it. I am hoping, like you, that digital will overcome it's limitations in the near future and allow us to listen to rockin recordings again soon. peace
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Naturalust
newbie idiots like you