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Why early digital sounded so bad

Clark Johnsen: "I led a "Boston D Party" in 1983, where some eighty braves tossed CDs into the harbor"

Eighty braves, he says, eighty braves! And cheerleader Johnsen was proud of it and still is!


What had happened was that recording companies were rushing to get CDs to the market. So what did they do: they used the mastertapes that they possessed, which were intended to be used for vinyl. In those days they applied HF boost (brighter microphones, corrective feedback) in order to compensate for the HF losses that inevitably occured in the processing of the recorded signal. The result of that post-processing was the so called EQ-ed master, approved by the artist. On vinyl that HF boost had disappeared, on CD, of course, IT HAD NOT. That boost was responsible for the edged, harsh, or whatever you call it, sound.

John Eargle, Do CDs sound differerent? (Audio Nov. 1987): "The tapes used to create the CDs were primarily intended for LP cutting and had built into them all the corrections needed for that process."


Klaus



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Topic - Why early digital sounded so bad - KlausR. 03:53:25 11/25/05 (221)


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