> > the digital > > version will always be superior in audio content fidelity > > since records > > cannot effectively duplicate all audio frequencies > > Hmmm, I'm not sure about that... most digital formats actually have a > ceiling of 44.1Khz, and cannot store frequencies higher than that. At the > same time there is no theoretical limit to the frequencies a piece of vinyl > can store; given sufficiently futuristic pressing technology, there's > nothing stopping you from going right down to the molecular level.
Quick corrections here: digital formats have varying sampling rates. The most common current one is 44.1 kHz, used by CDs. An upcoming one is 96kHz, used by many DVDs and some possible future audio formats. A fair amount of digital recording is also now being done at 96 kHz. In theory, vinyl carries infinite frequency as is. However, at high frequencies, vinyl does a very poor job of encoding those frequencies. I can't remember the official "upper limit" for vinyl, but I recall it being somewhere on the order of 15-16 kHz before the response begins dropping. Given sufficiently high quality pressing technology, nothing can stop you from increasing this. However, increasing digital's upper limit is simply a matter of processing power, which is much easier to increase than analog technology. > The theory that frequencies outside our audible range have a modulating > effect on the sounds we *do* hear is one that vinyl enthusiasts often > postulate. But most tracks go through some form of digital processing before > being pressed these days (Basic Channel, Pole etc excepted), so the 44.1Khz > ceiling applies anyway. Frequencies outside the audible range in analog *do* have an effect on sounds we can hear. In signal processing, it's called the modulation theory. The digital counterpart is called aliasing. Both require fairly technical explanations, but amount to this - "inaudible frequencies can make themselves heard". CMJ --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
