Christmas 1982 the audiophile community was all abuzz over the shiny 12 millimeter disk that would revolutionize sound forever. The CD or, as originally known the Digital Audio Compact Disc, was billed by Sony and others as “perfect sound forever” and I had to have one. By 1983 I was in the showroom of my local high end audio shop Audio Outlet. I was 17 and newly employed so all I could afford then was only a listen. CD players cost as much as my first car and CD’s themselves were about 18 bucks so buying one was not feasible. The technology was so new that most people would have to wait at least a decade before CD’s would be common in homes and 15 years, the late 90’s, before most cars were equipped with players.
Looking back on 1983 at my first audition, I didn’t believe my ears. The sound of instruments was clear and distinct with life like separation as though the musicians were actually performing live. I forgot that I was listening to a recording and transcended to a different setting altogether. As good as that first session was, none of the music I liked was yet available on the new format so I had to continue buying vinyl for a while. As much as I wanted one I told the eager salesman that “My ears loved it but my pocketbook couldn’t take it.” It would be four more years before I got my first CD player. That was 1987 and CD’s were still about $18 a piece, worth every penny however scarce. As time progressed the hardware and software became much cheaper. For me, though, recording digitally on CD was only a pipe dream. My hobby, and by then profession, was recording. I did everything in an analog world.
The best thing about digital sound is not what it adds it is in what is missing. Freedom from noise, tape hiss, immeasurable wow and flutter, extended frequency response and wide dynamic range are all earmarks of the CD. Many sound enthusiasts claim that digital sound is harsh and bemoan the loss of what analog added to the signal. Most call this “warmth.” Modern recording engineers agree that analog is better and attempt to replicate the sound in software. I would have seen this trend as a step backward in my youth, although now I appreciate both approaches to recording sound.
Analog reminds me of how 35mm film makes an image warm and inviting while digital is akin to the look of live video, realistic and stark. Both technologies continue to coexist. Since no technology really is “perfect forever” blending both is the way to go. The best attribute of digital is its ability to archive without any loss of quality on the shelf. Analog tape, on the other hard, degrades over time. Cassette tapes, especially, lose high frequency content over time. That is why I have been transferring my analog originals to digital with a few recordings made into CD’s. Most of the transfers exist on my hard drive. I began my digital migration in 1995 with the now defunct Sony Mini Disc then to CD and finally Mp3 files. A Peanut Whistle subscriber has suggested that I transfer my dad’s old recordings to CD. Thanks, I’m way ahead of you. I’ve been doing just that for the past 15 years.
Stay tuned
©2010 Neal Rhoden. The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.
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