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Re: MD Technology review

Subject: Re: MD Technology review
From: Wild Sanctuary <>
Date: Wed, 3 Jul 2002 18:19:17 -0700
>Wild Sanctuary wrote:
>
>>  The data collection process has been effortless and has gone pretty
>>  much without a hitch. Immediately, when we returned to the lab, all
>>  the data was transferred to both hard disk and backed up onto CDRs
>>  encoded in stereo with no signal processing and calibrated to the
>>  original input levels at which the data were recorded.
>
>Since I now have a MKH 30 and a MKH 80, I can do M/S, and have been
>trying to decide if I archive the real original from the two mics or the
>encoded stereo. Any thoughts on this subject one way or the other?


As I understand it, no problem either way, Walt. If you don't process 
your signal (w/ EQ or reverb) you should be able to convert to 
stereo, and then, w/ a matrix revert to original M-S signal any time 
you wish. That's one of the beauties of M-S recording.

>
>I only recently upped my HD space enough to hold much of my collection.
>Mine is archived in two forms: Aiff files on optical disks, and audio CD
>format on CD-R's. I keep working copies of current stuff on HD as well.


Probably a safe move. I also store my complete archive in two 
distinctly separate places for safe-keeping.

>
>  At the time
>>  late last summer when we had to commit to our standardized gear, MDs
>>  were not especially problem-free (incl. the Portadisc) and I am a bit
>>  leary of the compression issue, particularly when we have to crunch
>>  numbers to support our field findings sometime later this summer for
>>  publication.
>
>The funny thing is I'm recording with a Portadisc out of the first
>shipment to the US, with it's original software. Problem free. The
>problems seem to have been erratic and relatively rare. I'm still
>planning on having HHb upgrade my software, probably this fall, so have
>been watching everyone's experiences closely.
>
>As far as the compression vs number crunching, I have no idea, it's
>something that can probably be found only by trying it. Probably depends
>on just what you are trying to crunch. For instance the sample by sample
>data will differ, though a fft derived from it does not as far as I can
>tell. I do know that MD is subject to the same problem as moving any
>digital audio, namely keeping clock sync organized. A lot of the
>problems blamed on ATRAC look a lot more like that problem. But, you are
>already recording digital, so I assume you have that taken care of.
>
>I've quit trying to guess what ATRAC will damage, every time I guess, I
>find it's not so, or not as I predicted. I know that when you
>effectively remove 80% of the data something has to happen, it's just a
>real slippery customer to pin down. Especially as that data magically
>seems to reappear out the other end. And complicated by the problem of
>separating the ATRAC effect from that of the surrounding electronics. I
>have great admiration for the folks who invented and perfected this system.

Sounds like a winner. And I'll be testing it for our purposes soon.

>
>>  I have no problem upgrading and, in fact, would do just about
>>  anything to find alternatives to tape or hard disk drives. I just
>>  dont trust things that spin, or can be folded or wound. MD and solid
>>  state formats certainly point the way to the future, in my mind, and
>>  I will probably switch at some point when the dust settles as to the
>>  best technologies. So we're completely in agreement.
>
>You are, in some ways at the same point I was when I went MD, for about
>the same reason, media reliability. I just did not go to DAT first. I
>did have the experience of using optical disks for a while before then,
>and do trust them. MD, to me was just a smaller optical disk as far as
>media goes. I was fully comfortable with that aspect and in fact it was
>that that got me to try MD.
>
>My problem with solid state is that I know it depends on electric
>charges for storage. And recovery from even one damaged bit is hard. So,
>I have no comfort zone built up about it.


That certainly makes sense. But perhaps that, too, will be mitigated 
over time...if we live so long. BTW, I do recommend the Portadisc and 
other MD tech in my new book, Wild Soundscapes.

Bernie

Wild Sanctuary, Inc.
P. O. Box 536
Glen Ellen, California  95442-0536
Tel: (707) 996-6677
Fax: (707) 996-0280
http://www.wildsanctuary.com


-- 


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