Audio Dinosaur and Digital Audio

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • AudioRube
    Junior Member
    • Sep 2014
    • 1

    Audio Dinosaur and Digital Audio

    Here goes...

    Greetings,

    Audio dinosaur here. First allow me to confess and apologize for my utter lack of experience and knowledge per the digital audio realm. I'm an old school two channel analog audio guy finally...about 25 years late, attempting to advance to a more complete transition to digital beyond my first generation CD player and my own computer usage void of any music file functions utilization.

    I recently purchased a Marantz CD6005 and a Tascam CD-RW901MKII for integration into a very "vintage" audio system I've had mothballed for a long time. Those components are a David Hafler DH500 two channel amp. A Hafler DH110 preamp, a Yamaha PX-3 turntable, a Teac V900X cassette deck, Tandberg TD 20A reel to reel and carver TX-11 tuner. I've discarded my first gen Yamaha CD player for the new. Haven't used either magnetic tape machine for a long time. Speakers are ADS L1530's

    My primary reasons for the new pieces are for recording playlist CD's for mobile playback. I'm also just now getting into ripping and burning CD's on a desktop and couple notebook PC's. Bought a new Dell recently to serve as a dedicated music file device only. Which brings me to my initial questions. I have ripped about a 3rd of my CD collection, then burned a couple CD-R discs for mobile playback. Ripped using lossless WAV format as I understand this is better for reproduction than compressed formats, which I would anticipate. I was a little disappointed with results. Quality of reproduction is fine. It's the actual sound level that seems lacking to me. Back in the day I was able to produce very good results per the magnetic tape medium via the readily tweaked recording levels and the ability of quality tape to accommodate moderately boosted recording levels without overloading so to speak, avoiding the potential for resulting in terrible recordings. I am completely without any knowledge of this capability per digital recording. I understand the detrimental aspects of tweaking recording levels of digital material. No nothing about any equipment, software or back panel digital coax and optical connections (also new to me vs. the old RCA analog connectors I'm familiar with) that may facilitate better recording results. Each of the new pieces...the Marantz and Tascam have these ports.

    First thing...I know I need a new pre-pro and have been shopping with an eye on future expansion. My budget is pretty restricted...or very restricted. I don't need high end, bells and whistles so I'm leaning towards an Outlaw 975 surround processor to route my sources through. For digital and home theater expansion purposes...I know the Hafler preamp must be replaced. The Outlaw would replace my current tuner as well. I'm wondering if I could expect better digital recordings using the Outlaw 975 in conjunction with the Marantz and Tascam? Any advantage over PC based ripping / burning? Also wondering if using the various digital in / out coax or optical ports for sources and recording equip would improve results? The Tascam manual specifies signal boosting is a no-no via a source per the RCA analog ports. That much I knew. The manual doesn't seem to address the possibility...or capability of record level tweaking per sources via the digital ports. Maybe no record level boosting is advisable during digital recording under any circumstances? Always to be recorded at zero boost? If that's true I guess I don't understand the purpose of recording level controls the Tascam has. This is what I don't know. I've also read of software...like "Digital Performer" per PC based music reproduction that seems to allow tweaking the signal. Maybe that's what is needed for quality reproduction on a PC?

    I hope I can figure some stuff out. Producing good quality recordings was always an enjoyable hobby for me back in the days of magnetic tape.



    More ??? about PC music file manipulation ahead...but that's quite enough for now, I'm sure. I'm looking to load music files onto memory cards and flash drives as well. The mobile deck can accommodate these as well. Hoping to rid my vehicle of the bulky CD cases. If you've taken the time to read all this, know I really appreciate it.
  • JonMarsh
    Mad Max Moderator
    • Aug 2000
    • 15259

    #2
    Without being there and watching exactly what you're doing, it's hard to know if my intuition or guess is correct, BUT, as I have a lot of experience with magnetic tape recording going back to the early 70's, both consumer and pro, what i think you used to do was overdrive your tape analog tape recording setup and increase the average loudness by basically using the tape as a peak compressor, saturating softly on the peaks and limiting the peak volume. Generally, I don't like that kind of effect on program, even when I listen to rock and jazz, and especially not with classical music. You DON'T want to peak over drive a digital recorder, because you get very hard clipping with a lot of HF distortion- no soft clipping (like a tube amp) but hard clipping like a solid state amp.

    BTW, I'm quite familiar with the components you mention, as well as substantially earlier stuff...

    With regards to the sound level, and not meaning to be sarcastic, this is what the volume control is for- just turn it up a bit higher until you get the average levels you want- of course, without compressing through the recording process, your peaks will be higher. These days a lot of us spend good money to get recordings that are not peak limited and that do have a wider intrinsic dynamic range- you may have a different preference, and of course, it is a free world-. :W
    the AudioWorx
    Natalie P
    M8ta
    Modula Neo DCC
    Modula MT XE
    Modula Xtreme
    Isiris
    Wavecor Ardent

    SMJ
    Minerva Monitor
    Calliope
    Ardent D

    In Development...
    Isiris Mk II updates- in final test stage!
    Obi-Wan
    Saint-Saƫns Symphonique/AKA SMJ-40
    Modula PWB
    Calliope CC Supreme
    Natalie P Ultra
    Natalie P Supreme
    Janus BP1 Sub


    Resistance is not futile, it is Volts divided by Amperes...
    Just ask Mr. Ohm....

    Comment

    • aarsoe
      Senior Member
      • May 2004
      • 795

      #3
      You should never play with recording levels on digital - statement only applies to cd ripping and copy.
      There is no possibility to go above 0 DB without a really nasty distortion that will at best blow all your protection circuits on any newer amp or maybe do even worse things. On older gear like you use it could blow a speaker unit or two.
      However I am wondering if what you are looking for or describing is the ability to have your gear sound "full" even at low volumes. Believe the bug has bitten you once again and that only new gear will solve the itch... Sorry :-)

      Comment

      Working...
      😀
      😂
      🥰
      😘
      🤢
      😎
      😞
      😡
      👍
      👎
      Searching...Please wait.
      An unexpected error was returned: 'Your submission could not be processed because you have logged in since the previous page was loaded.

      Please push the back button and reload the previous window.'
      An unexpected error was returned: 'Your submission could not be processed because the token has expired.

      Please push the back button and reload the previous window.'
      An internal error has occurred and the module cannot be displayed.
      There are no results that meet this criteria.
      Search Result for "|||"