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0 dBFS+ Levels in Digital Mastering
Several golden ears in the pro audio industry tend to believe that the best sound in pop / rock music generally was produced between 1982 and 1995.
Despite higher resolution in converters and DSP, lower jitter and probably a better overall understanding of digital media, we seem to be on a declining rather than inclining sound quality slope these years; even though people buying records and film may not be aware of it.
This paper examines the sonic consequences when 0dBFS+ signals are reproduced in typical consumer equipment. The performance of a variety of domestic CD players exposed to such signals are presented and evaluated.
by Soren Nielsen & Thomas Lund
Several golden ears in the pro audio industry tend to believe that the best sound in pop / rock music generally was produced between 1982 and 1995.
Despite higher resolution in converters and DSP, lower jitter and probably a better overall understanding of digital media, we seem to be on a declining rather than inclining sound quality slope these years; even though people buying records and film may not be aware of it.
Obviously there could be many reasons for this we cannot directly influence: Trends, basic recording and microphone placement skills, more semi-pro equipment being used, shorter production times and therefore less attention to detail etc.
But if the public do not care, why should we?
Because pride in our industry, craftsmanship and conservation of talent tell us to be concerned. And because more bits, more resolution and more channels can only be justified by the end quality and listener involvement going up.
Being a supplier of equipment for professional music and film production, TC Electronic therefore has a continued interest in discussing goals and rules for the production and mastering process with a pronounced focus on quality.
In this paper we have investigated millennium sound quality from a level point of view. Even though distortion in a linear digital audio system is generally lower at high levels, there may be situations where domestic equipment is not capable of reproducing hot signals created in a mix or mastering process.
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