-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [testpress-announce] CD quality to soon jazz up MP3s
Date: Sat, 24 Jun 2000 19:16:40 EDT
From: "KhaiMar Management" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
CD quality to soon jazz up MP3s
By Brad Gibson, MacCentral.com, Special to ZDNet
Squeezing the file size takes a toll on the quality of audio files. Now,
Kenwood engineers have found a way to improve the sound of MP3s.
Engineers at consumer electronics giant Kenwood Corp. have developed a
new technology that makes compressed digital music files, such as MP3
files, sound as good as the original cut from a compact disc.
The technology, code-named Supreme Drive, re-creates high-frequency
sound
signals usually lost when music is converted into digital data and then
compressed.
When audio data is compressed in a format such as MP3, high-frequency
data
is lost. As a result, certain sounds in music might not be as
recognizable.
Supreme Drive takes the missing harmonics -- known as "fundamental" --
and
mathematically re-processes the data through a sound generator. When
finished, music then has a more natural sound, according to Kenwood.
Industry experts contacted by MacCentral said it is too early to tell if
this technology will have a far-reaching impact on all types of MP3
music
files, but that early indications show it's a breakthrough and something
to
be watched closely.
"We'll have to take a close look at it and see how it can affect the
various
types of uses for MP3 files," Edward Kessler, Vice President of
Engineering
for Napster Inc. told MacCentral. "It's too early to tell what this
could
really do to the quality of MP3, but it's exciting nonetheless."
Napster is a controversial Internet music-sharing site that has been in
legal turmoil with the music recording industry over the illegal
distribution of copyrighted music.
"From the little technical information Kenwood has released, I think
this
could make a profound difference in the quality of MP3," said Duncan
Harmon,
an independent digital audio engineer based in Cincinnati. "This is
obviously both a software and hardware solution that would be built into
audio components such as car stereos, portable MP3 players and a the
like."
"If it sounds as good as they say it does, I think Kenwood has got a
real
money-making technology on their hands," Harmon said.
Kenwood said it plans to incorporate the technology into a future
digital
audio products of its own, but would give no timeframe of when products
using the new technology would be available, or what kind of products
they
would be. The company also plans to call on other player manufacturers
and
music delivery service providers to introduce the technology to their
own
products and services.
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------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------- Original Message -------- Subject: [testpress-announce] CD
quality to soon jazz up MP3s Date: Sat, 24 Jun 2000 19:16:40 EDT
From: "KhaiMar Management" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
CD quality to soon jazz up MP3s
By Brad Gibson, MacCentral.com, Special to ZDNet
Squeezing the file size takes a toll on the quality of audio files. Now,
Kenwood engineers have found a way to improve the sound of MP3s.
Engineers at consumer electronics giant Kenwood Corp. have developed a new
technology that makes compressed digital music files, such as MP3 files,
sound as good as the original cut from a compact disc.
The technology, code-named Supreme Drive, re-creates high-frequency sound
signals usually lost when music is converted into digital data and then
compressed.
When audio data is compressed in a format such as MP3, high-frequency data
is lost. As a result, certain sounds in music might not be as recognizable.
Supreme Drive takes the missing harmonics -- known as "fundamental" -- and
mathematically re-processes the data through a sound generator. When
finished, music then has a more natural sound, according to Kenwood.
Industry experts contacted by MacCentral said it is too early to tell if
this technology will have a far-reaching impact on all types of MP3 music
files, but that early indications show it's a breakthrough and something to
be watched closely.
"We'll have to take a close look at it and see how it can affect the various
types of uses for MP3 files," Edward Kessler, Vice President of Engineering
for Napster Inc. told MacCentral. "It's too early to tell what this could
really do to the quality of MP3, but it's exciting nonetheless."
Napster is a controversial Internet music-sharing site that has been in
legal turmoil with the music recording industry over the illegal
distribution of copyrighted music.
"From the little technical information Kenwood has released, I think this
could make a profound difference in the quality of MP3," said Duncan Harmon,
an independent digital audio engineer based in Cincinnati. "This is
obviously both a software and hardware solution that would be built into
audio components such as car stereos, portable MP3 players and a the like."
"If it sounds as good as they say it does, I think Kenwood has got a real
money-making technology on their hands," Harmon said.
Kenwood said it plans to incorporate the technology into a future digital
audio products of its own, but would give no timeframe of when products
using the new technology would be available, or what kind of products they
would be. The company also plans to call on other player manufacturers and
music delivery service providers to introduce the technology to their own
products and services.
________________________________________________________________________
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