At least once a day and sometimes more, I get an email from a local music industry pundit ranting about the state of the music industry and the players (both artists and record company executives) behind it. He talks about everything in his blog. Readers have been treated to descriptions of his trip to Hong [...]
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Mark Waldrep on August 3rd, 2008
Let me state right up front that I’m crazy about immersive surround mixes when it comes to high definition music…or any music for that matter. I’m not talking about the “extracted” or DSP-processed expansion of stereo to 5.1 channels but the real deal…mixed directly from the source multitrack masters. Mixes that place you smack dab in the center of the musical action. But I acknowledge that music lovers have different tastes and experiences when it comes to listening to music so I’ve tried with my recordings/mixes to offer choices. That’s the reason why there are “Stage” and “Audience” mixes of every track that I’ve produced for the label. And, of course, stereo mixes for the audiophile that has his/her two-channel system thoroughly dialed in (or can’t expand to a full surround setup for financial reasons or space limitations).
It’s interesting to me that vast majority of HD audio tracks that are downloaded from the iTrax.com site are 2-channel 96 kHz/24-bit versions. Obviously, I’m in the minority when I profess a preference for surround sound. But whenever I demo tracks at a trade show or in my own room, the “stage” mixes are almost always the favorites. I think when it’s done well, multichannel can be very compelling. Why the disconnect?
I know AIX Records was the first to have multiple mixes on their DVD-Audio/Video titles and I believe iTrax.com is the first website to offer the same thing. But why bother…not very many other engineers or labels give you the choice of being on stage with the band or sitting in the best seat in the house.
I’ve been an audio engineer for over 30 years and a musician for a little longer. I remember the age of “quadraphonic” records and dabbled in multichannel presentations of my electro-acoustic compositions while studying at UCLA and Cal Arts. The compositional component of my dissertation was recorded using a Neumann KU-81 “binaural” head. It was first time a composition doctoral student did something that was actually heard by his/her committee members…all listened to the 20-minute piece wearing headphones. I still have my trusty Nagra IV-S portable analog reel to reel machine that I used all those years ago to capture and playback those binaural source tapes.
My goal in creating “stage” perspective surround mixes is not to use technology to transport you to the local rock arena, jazz club or late night rave. I’m not a fan of live recordings. It requires too many sonic compromises…at least for the recording crew (and for the paying audience). After all, the primary purpose of a live performance is to engage or entertain the audience. That means you’ve got to have a PA system to project the sound uniformly to the assembled masses or intimate group of 20 club patrons. The microphones used on stage are usually the venerable Shure Bros. SM-57 dynamic mikes. As good as they are…they’re not generally associated with high end studio recording and are definitely not the mike of choice for most vocal or instrumental tracks. They are used in clubs and on arena stages because they are inexpensive, reliable and virtually indestructible.
My philosophy of recording is to use state-of-the-art recording technology to bring the band to you, the listener. Imagine Willie Nelson or John Gorka and band setting up in your media room to play a private “house concert” for an audience of one…you! The sound can be captured using the very best microphones, preamps, AD converters and high bit rate digital equipment (analog recording…even the best of the best is still standard definition). If the performances are done in a live acoustically rich performance hall rather than a studio…the musicians can interact with each directly. They can see each other, hear each other and make music the way music is meant to happen. Studios isolate the players, involve lots of machines (to restrict tempo, pitch and dynamics) and can take place over many weeks or months, if not years.
The recordings that I prefer are not attempts to recreate a live concert in your living room. I love tracks that maximize the emotional or intellectual connection inherent in the composition, performance and expression of the artists. Using current state-of-the-art recording and playback technology, it is possible to exceed the reality of a live music performance…at least sonically. The musicians in a surround mix are sitting around you in your space playing for you. For myself, it doesn’t get any better than that.
Mark Waldrep on July 27th, 2008
A few weeks ago I attended a meeting of the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society. I’m a lifetime member of this group, which is led by a very enthusiastic audiophile and wonderful guy by the name of Bob Levi. I don’t get to as many of the monthly meetings as I would like but the recent meeting was fairly close and so I went.
The afternoon’s presentation was all about high end speakers ($12,000 per pair) and the recordings of Bob Attiyeh of Yarlung Records. He played a number of his tracks from CDs even though he records them in high resolution. I’m hoping to offer his catalog through iTrax.com in the near future. I’ll keep you posted.
Whenever I show up to a meeting Bob is very generous and acknowledges me to the group. Some of them know me and have been to the studio and others are unfamiliar with AIX Records and iTrax.com. On this particular occasion I talked about some of the new projects that we’ve been finishing. One in particular is from over 5 years ago. I’m afraid I can’t share the name of the artist due to complications outside the scope of this discussion but it’s someone that audiophiles know and cherish. It just so happens that I have restored the multitrack masters after all these years and been mixing them into the surround and stereo tracks that we feature on our discs and on iTrax.com. I offered to play some of these mixes for members of the group that would like to come by the studio. Several people took me up on the offer.
The AIX Records Mixing Room
The first was an attorney and his associate. He’s been a two channel fan and was curious about hearing a well-calibrated 5.1 surround setup…especially with the prized tracks that AIX Records has been capturing over the past 8 years. I ushered them into the studio and offered them the seats right at the edge of the console.
Playback in my room is handled in a couple of different ways. Through the kindness of my good friend Robert Stuart of Meridian Audio in the UK, I have a Meridian 800/861 transport and processor for playing CD and DVD discs (including DVD-Audio titles). I also have a “music server” functioning on one of our PCs which outputs digitally through a Lynx card to the Euphonix digital to analog converters. In this case, I played back the new 5.1 “stage” perspective mixes from a Sonic Solutions HD multichannel mixdown machine ( an older MAC) directly through my console to Bryston amplifiers and a set of matched B&W 801 Series III speakers (using Audience AU24 cables).
The mixes are done entirely in the digital domain…no conversions, no equalization, no dynamics processing and no artificial reverberation. I hit the space bar for Pete and sat in back on the couch. Suddenly, there were musicians in the room with us. The acoustic guitarist strummed the rhythm part along the front while the Hammond B-3 came from the left side of the room. Other players were spread around the space in very specific locations. It was a small ensemble of only 5 players and the vocalist…but if you closed your eyes they were performing in the studio just for us.
The song was played back just as the musicians had performed it all those years ago. The timbre of the voice moved from breathy to edgy and back again effortlessly. When it was louder, it felt louder as real music does. The song was melancholy. In fact, it’s a very sad song about a broken hearted lover and the pain associated with being left behind. It does what music has always done for me. It communicates directly to the listener.
Well, it stunned Pete and his friend. They were speechless. When they finally did turn around in the chairs they expressed disbelief that a sound recording could be that impressive. Rather than listening to an over processed commercial recording, they had the opportunity to experience the actual sound of a group of performers and an extremely talent vocalist.
I played a bunch of other tracks from a variety of our projects. We talked and listened and then talked some more. Music is a wonderful thing and deserves much better than what CDs and standard downloads deliver.
HD Surround Music works…and it’s what keeps me doing what I do.
Mark Waldrep on July 26th, 2008
There has been a resurgence of interest in vinyl LPs during the past several years. Many audiophiles assert that vinyl LPs sound “warmer” or “more analog” than digital recordings…especially standard resolution compact discs. Even makers of high end digital audio equipment such as digital to analog converters and disc transports make the claim that vinyl is the reference to which all else is measured. Manufacturers of turntables and cartridges are having bonanza selling expensive state-of-the-art analog turntables. Can you imagine spending $150,000 - $300,000 on a machine that spins a piece of 200 gram vinyl? Save your money!
A $120,000 Turntable!
I was dismayed to read the “Back Page” interview in the most recent issue of The Absolute Sound. Neil Gader asked 10 questions of Paul McGowan, the CEO of PS Audio. Near the end of the interview Neil asked if vinyl was still the reference for audio fidelity. To which Paul answered, “Absolutely, I think digital struggles to come up to the standards that are easily attained by vinyl.” Unfortunately, his opinion is widespread among audiophiles and the general public.
I do not agree with Paul or any of the other advocates of this position. If we were only talking about the sound of early CDs in comparison to LPs, then I might waffle on the point. It’s true that early compact discs were made from equalized tapes that were intended for vinyl and the emphasis and dynamic modifications made to the audio were ill-conceived and produced poor results. But in this age of high definition audio recording and playback, it is absolutely untrue that vinyl provides the reference against which all audio reproduction should be compared!
It is true that vinyl has a particular sound associated with it just as film looks different than video. Audiophiles have come to appreciate the sound of vinyl. The distortions of this very highly developed reproduction method have come to be known as “warmth” and “depth”. But they are distortions to the actual sound received by the microphones. I have no argument with the sound of vinyl among the various flavors that are currently available to music fans. Where I draw the line is when someone elevates vinyl to reference standard. If by “reference standard” we mean sound reproduction that meets or exceeds the capabilities of our human auditory system. Vinyl doesn’t even come close…but HD Audio at least has the potential to.
Let’s first take a look at what I call the “provenance” of a particular recording. By that I mean, the specific production steps that a track goes through prior to arriving at your speakers. Music starts with musicians/singers performing in front of microphones and recording equipment (it’s true that a lot of electronic music is captured directly to the recorder without mikes but that’s a story we’ll address later). The original recording pretty much establishes the fidelity of the recording. These days there are some very sophisticated tools that can remove clicks, pops and hiss from older analog recordings. There even some state-of-the-art tools that can selectively remove the frequencies of say a cell phone from a piece of recorded music…but they are expensive and require a very skilled operator. That’s why I say the fidelity is “pretty much” established at the time the musicians played the tune.
In the past, ensembles would assemble in a studio or in a performance space and play. The audio engineers would strategically place as many microphones as they deemed necessary (minimalists prefer fewer mikes and others like the sound of many) around the space. The feeds were mixed together in a mixing console and the output (either mono or stereo) recorded by a disc cutter or on an analog tape machine. The resultant recording is referred to as the master. And if you wanted to hear that recording at its absolute best, you had to be present during a playback of the master in the control room. Otherwise, the next stage in the production process degraded the sound by about 6 dB (which is a lot). Analog tape copies lose 6 dB of dynamic range and signal to noise ratio when they are copied. There is even a term for this degradation. It’s called generation loss. The “safety” copy is used during the mastering and disc cutting process on the way to the vinyl master. Record labels and engineers simply can’t risk damaging the original master.
In the world of audio fidelity things like dynamic range and signal to noise ratio are measure in decibels, a logarithmic measuring system. Human hearing is the most sensitive of our 5 senses. Our ability to hear extremely quiet sounds AND tolerate very loud sounds is astounding (the amount of energy received by your ears from the quietest to the loudest is billions of times greater). Using decibels, humans experience pain and can suffer severe hearing loss if exposed to 145 dB. A full symphony orchestra cranking out the final variation in Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition - The Great Gates of Kiev might hit 125-135 dB for brief moments (many woodwind players wear ear protection if they sit front of the brass section). Standing in the front row of a Metallica concert produces sound levels that exceed 135 -140 dB for prolonged stretches.
So how good are the various recording technologies at capturing the dynamic range of the real world? Analog tape, the recording technology most often used in the production chain of a vinyl release, tops out at about 72 dB. If you use a noise reduction system such as Dolby SR (Spectral Recording) you can push that number up to 90 dB, but risk distortions to the harmonic accuracy of the recording. So the vinyl records that audiophiles claim as a reference are very limited in dynamic fidelity…never more than around 60-75 dB of signal to noise ratio can be delivered by an LP. Still they can sound pretty great…in spite of their limited dynamic capability.
HD Audio (according to my definition) is audio that is recorded and reproduced (both ends of the production chain must be included) with specifications that meet or exceed those of our human hearing sense. With regards to dynamic range, a PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) encoded audio track using 24-bit linear digital words has the potential to reach 144 dB of signal to noise ratio. In reality, the equipment we use falls somewhat short of this theoretical upper limit. Current state-of-the-art converters and recording machines spec out around 125-130 dB…still a whole lot higher than the best analog machines and vinyl reproduction. Each PCM digital bit equates to about 6 dB of signal to noise ratio according to the theory.
So a vinyl record (made from the safety copy) has a dynamic range of 60 -75 dB, which can be fully encoded with only 12-13 bits (less even than the 16-bits available on a standard definition compact disc). While an HD Audio project that is carefully done can accommodate 120-135 dB of signal to noise ratio within its 24-bits. From the dynamics side of the fidelity question, vinyl isn’t even in the ballpark.
We’ll talk about frequency response, linearity, timbral accuracy and timings issues in the next installment. But the next time you read that vinyl is “still the reference”, you’ll know better. Take the initiative to listen to a great HD Audio track…something with a lot of dynamic range…and you’ll know why I’m so passionate about this. The timbale on the Ernest Ranglin recording we did is a prime example. On vinyl it would have to be compressed to fit…on the HD Audio file or DVD, all of the dynamic range is delivered. It just sounds more real and contributes to the musicality of the track in a way that has previously been impossible.
Mark Waldrep on July 20th, 2008
John Mellencamp - Life Death Love and Freedom
John Mellencamp's New HD Audio Album
John’s new album came out last Tuesday. I got a copy yesterday because I’m a fan of his music AND because of the hype over the HD presentation that is included with the package. There has been a lot of interest in the so-called “new” ΧΟΔΕ (CODE) format developed by T Bon Burnett, the producer of the project and a “team of engineers”.
As a major proponent of high definition sound recording and reproduction, I was curious about T Bone’s definition of HD audio and just how this new format was going to deliver it. Before the album came out there wasn’t much information available and T Bone wasn’t saying much…although I did hear an interview from a show called Soundcheck from June 9, 2008 where he tried to explain the concept of HD audio, 96 kHz and CDs. It’s obvious that T Bone’s motivations are well-conceived and thoughtful…who doesn’t want better sounding recordings? However, his explanations seemed a little confused and his facts at odds with the Nyquist theorem and established digital theory. But that doesn’t really matter…in fact, I agree with him that we need to put out tracks that are better than compact discs can deliver.
The problem that I have is that there is nothing new here…except maybe that T Bone Burnett has a better platform from which to preach about high definition audio than I do AND that he was able to work with a celebrity status musician to bring his “new” format to the public. ΧΟΔΕ is not a new format…it is a marketing term. The DVD included in the package is a standard DVD-Video disc with a hybrid DVD-ROM section. The actual disc format, the specifications, the format of delivery and the tracks included on the DVD-ROM section of the hybrid disc are things that have been offered previously…and for many years! So why is there such a flurry of interest around a “new system” that isn’t?
Let’s start with the information on the printed booklet. The back of the package includes the following explanation attributed to John Mellencamp & T Bone Burnett:
ABOUT ΧΟΔΕ (CODE):
There’s a specific reason that Life, Death, Love and Freedom is presented here on DVD, as well as on a CD. That reason is ΧΟΔΕ (CODE in Greek letters).
ΧΟΔΕ is a new system that creates high-definition audio that is virtually indistinguishable from the original master tapes, but does not require any new or special equipment to play it. If you’ve got a standard DVD player, or one built into your computer system, you can play the ΧΟΔΕ DVD and experience this album with a resonance, depth, and presence that is unprecedented in the digital era. Additional, the DVD contains ΧΟΔΕ files that can be copied into most computer music software including iTunes, and downloaded onto personal music players, such as the iPod.
T Bone and his team of engineers developed CODE and were ready to debut it at the same time John and T Bone were putting the finishing touches on Life, Death, Love and Freedom, so it’s only appropriate that this album is the first-ever release in this format.
Life, Death, Love and Freedom on DVD also comes packaged with a standard CD version of the album for those of your playing the album in your car or in a system that doesn’t have a DVD player.
“We are very happy that people are going to be able to experience this album in a way that’s true to our original intent. We hope you enjoy it.”
So what’s the deal? The type of DVD disc used on Life, Death, Love and Freedom is in reality a standard DVD-Video disc…obviously nothing new. That format was established in the mid-1990s by the DVD Forum and codified in a $5000 per copy specification document…and it hasn’t changed since (with the exception of a couple of minor tweaks). If a content developer wants to release a DVD-Video title, there are rigid rules that have to be followed…or the disc won’t play in standalone players or computer DVD-ROM drives.
The audio specification for DVD-Video a disc includes stereo 96 kHz/24-bit PCM (Pulse Code Modulation). This is the audio format being delivered by the “new ΧΟΔΕ system.” Several record labels took advantage of this capability right after the DVD-Video format was released back in March of 1997 (AIX Media Group created the very first releases!). For example, Classic Records put out a line of “DAD” discs, which were in reality DVD-Video discs with music at encoded at 96 kHz/24-bits. They attempted to create a brand around “DAD (Digital Audio Disc)” but once again they used an existing format. All AIX Records DVD-Audio/Video releases include a 96/24 PCM stereo track in addition to two 5.1 mixes.
Every DVD-Video player can play a 96 kHz/24-bit PCM file…although some of the really cheap ones skip every other sample and don’t reproduce real HD audio. The DVD-Video format ushered in the digital age for the movie industry. Hollywood moved from VHS tape to CD-sized spinning discs in the spring of 1997. Most of the soundtracks on movie releases are encoded in Dolby Digital or DTS…neither of which are HD. They can however deliver good quality audio in 5.1 surround…one of the key selling points of the new DVD-Video format and a major component in the ear of home theaters.
The DVD flavor intended as the replacement for the compact disc (after all CDs were introduced over 25 years ago) is the DVD-Audio format. This is actually a new format that tried to maximize the fidelity of the audio by eliminating video (although DVD-Audio discs can accommodate tracks that are playable in standard DVD-Video machines). The DVD-Audio format was capable of delivering 96 kHz/24-bit PCM quality through 5.1 surround speakers! Listening to music recorded at HD rates and delivered through a 5.1 surround sound system is audio heaven. But, the format required a new encoding scheme to accomplish the HD audio surround trick…known as MLP (Meridian Lossless Packing). And that meant that standard DVD-Video players couldn’t read the HD audio tracks. Customers that wanted the best sound had to purchase a new DVD-Audio/Video machine (and many millions did!). But there was a competing format and a lot of the releases in the new format weren’t dramatically different from the CD version. The DVD-Audio format was not a widespread market success…although AIX Records still issues discs in the format. The future is in HD audio downloads.
So in reality, ΧΟΔΕ is not a new format but a repackaging of an existing technology…the DVD-Video format with its capability to deliver stereo 96 kHz/24-bit PCM audio using any standard DVD player. I would also dispute their claim that you can “experience this album with a resonance, depth, and presence that is unprecedented in the digital era.” I’ve listened to the entire album using a Meridian 800/861 through B&W 801 Series III speakers in stereo and it’s quite good…but not as special as they would have you believe. In fact, I had to recheck the signal routing when I played it because the first tune is in mono…both John’s voice and the guitar he’s playing are locked in the middle of the stereo field. Compare that to the solo guitar and voice on John Gorka’s tune Italian Girls to hear what HD audio can really achieve. Move to the 5.1 surround track and you get a music experience that is on a “whole new level.”
Mark Waldrep on July 20th, 2008
There’s good news and bad news in the quest for high definition music downloads. The good news is that there seems to be a genuine move to better quality audio delivered via the web. The bad news is that the majority of “HD Music Download” services are offering only standard definition tracks. I don’t fault them for moving the fidelity bar up…we all need better music…but to claim that “CD quality” is HD is disingenuous and misleading.
Recently, there have been a number of articles published in print and online reporting on this exciting trend. If you pick up the new issue of Home Entertainment magazine, there is an article entitled, “Downloads on the Up and Up” by Dennis Burger. The subtitle is, “MusicGiants and iTrax give Internet music download an audiophile makeover.” It’s an excellent article on the emerging market for HD audio downloads.
Even TAS (The Absolute Sound), the gold-standard publication for audiophiles, placed a banner on the cover of their August issue…”The Digital Issue.” For a trade publication that caters to the very high end of the audio market and generally reserves its highest praise for expensive turntables, vinyl, tubes and two-channels, it was promising. Sadly, they missed the boat by focusing on CD quality music servers, download services and some magic potion that supposedly matches the “optical impedance” of the light reading the pits of your discs.
I do applaud Robert Harley for stating on page 59, “Although MusicGiants touts its downloads as “HD,” the files are CD quality. According to the company, the3 files are called “HD” because CD-quality files are “High-Definition” compared to MP3s and other lossy formats. In my view the term should refer to a sampling ate of 88.2 kHz or higher and a word length of 20 bits or more. It seems misleading to CD quality “HD audio.”
I couldn’t agree more. Audiophiles should be well beyond the world of compact discs at this point in audio’s history! How about talking about real HD music servers and sites like Linn and iTrax. Robert even responds to a letter to the editor that, “high-res downloads are right around the corner” when they are, in fact, already here.
Even Apple’s iTunes site, the largest online store by far and the 2nd largest music retailer on the planet, is promoting its “plus” version of their catalog…encoded files at 256 kbps (remember that CDs require around 1400 kbps to achieve 44.1 kHz/16-bit fidelity).
Hardware companies are moving into this space as well. Olive Media Systems of San Francisco has focused on creating music servers and a networked home environment for distributing digital audio from a central hard drive. I’ve talked with them at length about a new piece in their Opus line of servers that will accommodate 96 kHz/24-bit playback. The new product should be available soon and will be among the first devices to handle true HD audio.
Logitech/Slim Devices has been delivering their Transporter for some months. It’s basically a high-resolution, two-channel Squeeze Box, their award-winning audio bridge device that connects a computer to your living room. It’s a solid product and runs at 96 kHz/24-bits.
If you’re more the do-it-yourself type…it’s not difficult to create a music server that can handle 96/24 stereo PCM files on a Mac or a PC. Shortly, I will begin a series of “how-to” columns that provides details on setting up a great quality music server for minimal money. I’m considering offering some hardware through iTrax to interested customers.
Linn, the UK-based hardware and record company, was probably the first to deliver recordings that were actually made using audio equipment capable of capturing a performance at better than CD quality. I applaud them for their groundbreaking move into the market with solid recordings.
Writers should be able to distinguish between “CD quality” downloads pretending to be HD and the real thing. Their job is to advance the knowledge base of music-loving consumers…not try and extend the lifespan of CDs. HD digital downloads are the future of high end audio.
Mark Waldrep on July 20th, 2008
I would like to thank you for taking the time to come by this blog. My hope is that the iTrax.com website and this blog will become a valued resource for information about the emerging world of high definition music. I’ll be talking about hardware (music servers, computer audiophile systems, surround headphone strategies) and software. I look forward to being able to engage interested readers in all areas related to audio fidelity beyond that available on standard digital music download sites (even those that profess to be delivering “HD” audio). There is a difference and once you experience it…you’ll know why I’ve spent so much time and resources trying to make people aware of it. Thanks again.
