[78-L] Recording Quality - a relative term

[David Lennick]

We have a number of professional recording engineers on this list. What do they 
think? (And as it happens, two I'm thinking of have passed 70, so are they 
hearing everything or reading it?)

dl

On 6/28/2014 11:18 PM, Rodger Holtin wrote:
>
> Owing to many bouts of ear infections, advancing age and years of surface
> noise (Goodyear : asphalt/concrete while on the clock and diamond :
> shellac/vinyl in my off-hours) I'm no longer the golden ear of my youth, so
> I must rely on other experts, or reputable opinions of some kind.  (So why
> am I daring this subject here, anyway??)
>
>
>
> It seems to me that the overall quality of recording topped out a long time
> ago, and all the improvements I've seen since starting in radio and
> recording studios in 1970 seems like so much chasing after ever-diminishing
> returns.  Tape was easier than disc, but as Dr. Biel has pointed out
> numerous time, not better than the existing disc method then in place.
> Digital has certainly made it all easier to use, much easier than tape, to
> be sure, but I don't think anybody really argues that the quality was
> improved over what we could get on tape.  OK, so there's still some
> surface/carrier advantage in digital over tape, or disc, but I understand
> that even digital carries its own noise.  I know that's true when it gets
> over-processed, but prior to processing does digital have its own noise?
> Microphones, mixers, speakers, headphones and all that other stuff has
> become smaller, but I'm not buying that it's all that much better in terms
> of audio quality that makes any difference to the hearer.  Maybe it's more
> reliable, and lightweight, but better?  Maybe the machinery can show us some
> graphic display of improvement in ranges well beyond what we can hear, but
> can we hear any improvement?
>
>
>
> So what's the real answer, or the majority opinion here?  Is recording
> quality still improving?  Has it maxed out?  If so, when?
>
>
>
>
>
> Rodger
>
>
>
> For best results use Victor Needles
>