5 ms·

>(more than are on a standard CD) Sorry, but CD (16bit PCM) has better dynamic range than vinyl. The best vinyl systems can have dynamic range of around 80dB.

>(more than are on a standard CD) Sorry, but CD (16bit PCM) has better dynamic range than vinyl. The best vinyl systems can have dynamic range of around 80dB. 16bit PCM is 96dB.

bayindirh 4y ago
Unless it’s brick-wall normalized during mastering.
- masklinn 4y ago
  Sure but that's got nothing to do with the CD itself. Except in that you would not be able to brick-wall a vynil at all so you don't.
- kstrauser 4y ago
  That's a real thing, to be sure. The Loudness Wars have completely ruined any number of otherwise decent recordings. The worst I ever heard was Dropkick Murphys's "The Meanest of Times" which had the dynamic range of an air conditioner in Phoenix. Still, you can always take a great analog recording, pipe it into a good ADC, and listen to that sample forever without degradation. I think almost everything can play FLACs now.
  - Tsiklon 4y ago
    Metallica's Death Magnetic was another truly dreadful example of the loudness war - Thankfully a better mastered release came out in 2015. I've just got my hands on this release and comparing it against my original copy it is a night and day improvement - especially on "All Nightmare Long".
    - bayindirh 4y ago
      Yeah, the first release was pure clipping, no music. I remember listening to it and saying? “Did all we wait for this? C’mon”.
      - nikau 4y ago
        Hah I had the same experience, I thought some idiot had recorded it via their soundcard line in or something. Eventually got the better mastered version which was leaked from guitar hero or something.
- vosper 4y ago
  Which is not an issue with the digital format, but with the mastering.
  - bayindirh 4y ago
    However, you can’t change the mastering of the album you have bought. When the CD version of the album you have bought has subpar audio quality, the abilities of the medium has no value and importance.
    - Sporktacular 4y ago
      "When the CD version of the album you have bought has subpar audio quality" Yes, but these mastering choices could apply to the vinyl version too. In other words, your response had nothing to do with a comparison of the two media.
      - netr0ute 4y ago
        > could apply to the vinyl version too They can't, because these choices create enough volume for the needle to go haywire, so mastering always has a better dynamic range.
        Sporktacular 4y ago
        Again, mastering choices differ between distribution media, that's obvious. When you say 'mastering always has a better dynamic range', did you mean CD quality PCM has a better dynamic range?
      - bayindirh 4y ago
        Nope, you can't apply the same mastering to the vinyl, esp. the latest stonewalling compression/normalization techniques because of RIAA equalization [0]. Without RIAA equalization, it's not possible to keep the needle in the groove with that amount of bass and low end. You can't keep the needle on the track with stonewalling even with RIAA equalization. As a result, you are limited by the medium itself, hence you have to make milder choices. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIAA_equalization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIAA_equalization

>(more than are on a standard CD) Sorry, but CD (16bit PCM) has better dynamic range than vinyl. The best vinyl systems can have dynamic range of around 80dB. 16bit PCM is 96dB.

bayindirh 4y ago

Unless it’s brick-wall normalized during mastering.

masklinn 4y ago
Sure but that's got nothing to do with the CD itself. Except in that you would not be able to brick-wall a vynil at all so you don't.
kstrauser 4y ago
That's a real thing, to be sure. The Loudness Wars have completely ruined any number of otherwise decent recordings. The worst I ever heard was Dropkick Murphys's "The Meanest of Times" which had the dynamic range of an air conditioner in Phoenix. Still, you can always take a great analog recording, pipe it into a good ADC, and listen to that sample forever without degradation. I think almost everything can play FLACs now.
- Tsiklon 4y ago
  Metallica's Death Magnetic was another truly dreadful example of the loudness war - Thankfully a better mastered release came out in 2015. I've just got my hands on this release and comparing it against my original copy it is a night and day improvement - especially on "All Nightmare Long".
  - bayindirh 4y ago
    Yeah, the first release was pure clipping, no music. I remember listening to it and saying? “Did all we wait for this? C’mon”.
    - nikau 4y ago
      Hah I had the same experience, I thought some idiot had recorded it via their soundcard line in or something. Eventually got the better mastered version which was leaked from guitar hero or something.
vosper 4y ago
Which is not an issue with the digital format, but with the mastering.
- bayindirh 4y ago
  However, you can’t change the mastering of the album you have bought. When the CD version of the album you have bought has subpar audio quality, the abilities of the medium has no value and importance.
  - Sporktacular 4y ago
    "When the CD version of the album you have bought has subpar audio quality" Yes, but these mastering choices could apply to the vinyl version too. In other words, your response had nothing to do with a comparison of the two media.
    - netr0ute 4y ago
      > could apply to the vinyl version too They can't, because these choices create enough volume for the needle to go haywire, so mastering always has a better dynamic range.
      - Sporktacular 4y ago
        Again, mastering choices differ between distribution media, that's obvious. When you say 'mastering always has a better dynamic range', did you mean CD quality PCM has a better dynamic range?
    - bayindirh 4y ago
      Nope, you can't apply the same mastering to the vinyl, esp. the latest stonewalling compression/normalization techniques because of RIAA equalization [0]. Without RIAA equalization, it's not possible to keep the needle in the groove with that amount of bass and low end. You can't keep the needle on the track with stonewalling even with RIAA equalization. As a result, you are limited by the medium itself, hence you have to make milder choices. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIAA_equalization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIAA_equalization