Can you believe it? Tape Project is ten years old! Thanks to everyone who has supported us in introducing studio quality tape reproduction to the audiophile community!

Author Topic: Reference Recordings HRx format and the Tape Project  (Read 17148 times)

Offline joeljoel1947

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 88
    • View Profile
Re: Reference Recordings HRx format and the Tape Project
« Reply #15 on: October 16, 2008, 08:35:06 AM »
Ben---I agree but that's really not what I'm talking about here.  For "Exotic Dances" it was recorded BOTH ways---100% analog all the way through for the TP release and 100% digital all the way through for the HRx release.  No conversion happened anywhere from analog to digital or vice versa.  So "Exotic" marks a great oportunity to hear the digital and analog masters and compare them.

Dolph--thanks for the informative post!!  I think you hit the nail on the head when you speak about the better microdynamics in analog.  Basically, the acoustical space, air around instruments and depth of the music seems to get "lopped off" in digital.  You lose "presence".  Much of that, as you rightly point out is because of the higher noise floor---all the micro and macro dynamics are preserved and not "cut out" like digital often does.

The HRx release I heard was probably the FIRST digital recording I've heard (and I was a BIG SACD/DVD-A fan) that didn't seem to have this issue.  So, that's why maybe "for the few" like you and I this will be VERY interesting to compare the HRx and TP release of Exotic Dances---to see if the differences you speak of hold up.  I think they will, but I'm curious to confirm it.
Regards,
Joel Kozlowski

Offline Ben

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 304
  • Bring on the music
    • View Profile
Re: Reference Recordings HRx format and the Tape Project
« Reply #16 on: October 16, 2008, 09:45:24 AM »
For some reason I was thinking the A/D conversion was made a lot earlier,
more like the time when CD's where coming out. Here I am hoping the professional
has got better, for the wider bandwith and sample rates. I forget where I read this on the net but I think you only have 18 to 20 bits of good conversion to analog at least
with the consumer products.  With the 7.5 IPS tapes I play you can hear the hiss
when I have volume turned up to 75% as the amp is right next to the speaker. None
the less the music has depth. Drums and cymbals live.All the digital I have heard seems to sound better
till you realize it is the distortion that seems to sound so good. (editors viewpoint).
The real test of music still seems to the old test LP's, that I have never heard.

Set 45,Open baffle speakers,Otari 5050,,Pioneer DV-79AVi DVD/CD/SCAD player