sound systems playing cds

[Dave K]

If this is about "sound", this has really split into to two discussion:

i) Using vinyl versus "digital":
If you play a properly mastered CD (WAV file, in 44.1) on a big system it can yield fantastic results. They key thing is that it's transfered "straight" at a proper recording level, and ideally not using any filters to remove skips and pops....even the best ones remove part of the musical frequencies.

ii) Lossless (WAV) versus MP3 formats:
When you play lossey formats over a big system, they sound like crap. The compression algorhythm removes the "weight" of the sound, even though the tone distinctions are very clear. The lower the mp3 resolution, the worse it gets. Personally I don't like mp3s because they make the high end frequencies (e.g. high-hat, and cymbals) sound like they are being processed through a garbage compactor.

If this is about aethetics (enjoying watching the selector pull records out of their sleeves) that's something else altogether.

Anybody can amass a large amount of digitized reggae, and walk into a dance with terrabytes of music. Or vinyl for that matter. But that doesn't automatically make someone a "selector", there is an element of sequencing, and ability to inject excitement and drama that is required.

[Vinnie]

Jah Tubby used to be a Sound System as we know it. Now they are a production company with company directors and General Annual Meetings with the board members, unlike the 80`s. But in the Sound System world if you play a lap top at a dance it is considered as a novelty. Haul and pull up selector - Haul and pull up the lap top. Itch it up Operator - Itch it up operating the lap top. All the Sound System sayings need changing. If it ain`t broken don`t fix it!! Uproar Uproar Jah Shaka`s using a lap top in the dance!! What next mp3s and ipoddies!! It`s not called a Sound System, it`s called a lap top system. It will take too long to transfer records to other formats.

peace

i see what you mean i guess iration steppas is in the same category as jah tubby then

i always thought a soundstem was more defined by the equipment like in the difference between a dj and a soundsystem or a PA and a soundsystem and not really about the format being played

i would call it then a 'vintage' soundsytem in that case

since it is more expensive to cut a vinyl or acetate in comparison to a cd its only possible for the rich sounds to be vintage i guess
would love a presser to cut my own dubplates (im not talking about piracy here!) but hey im no rockeffeller and everyone knows the majority of sounds dont get rich

respect for shaka & those who stay vintage but at the end, what counts is, what comes out of your speakers

bless
vinnie
http://www.soulremedy.be
http://www.myspace.com/soulremedysoundsystem

[stepping razor]

Certain sounds these days play a dubplate from a CD. Music recorded not on a computer but a digital multi-track recorder, which gives it very good quality sound. Then they take a recording from the multi-track on to a very good quality recordable CD deck, it may be digital recording but it don`t go through a computer, which is totally compressed right through each stage with more compression. I think the issue here is computer digital Vs. digital without computers.

peace

[ACEtone]

I think the issue here is computer digital Vs. digital without computers.

what the...?
What do you think is inside a digital multitrack? It is a computer too! just the same kind of 1s and 0s...

[stepping razor]

Different types of compression.

peace

[stepping razor]

Multi track recorders don`t deal with bit rates bps unlike computers.

peace

[ACEtone]

I think you'll find that they do indeed work in terms of bit depth and rate - just depends on what these fixed rates are in the machine.
Multitracks are not 'unlike computers'. They are computers but ones which are dedicated to one specific task.

For example:
http://www.zzounds.com/item--BOSBR1600CD
This is fairly low end but see the specs. for bit depth and rate.
You're making an erroneous distinction between digital multitracks and computers.
Just because a computer (or more correctly the software being used) offers the user a choice to encode at low bit rates does not mean the technology is the problem. The problem is the level of sound quality the user has the ears to detect and be satisfied with!

[stepping razor]

So why plug a multi track recorder into a computer? What`s the point?

peace

[ACEtone]

I don't know. Why would somebody do that?
That'd be going from the digital to analogue to analogue to digital. Seems a bit pointless. Unless it was a spdif digital to digital or something I don't know much about.
So who is doing that then?

'course there might be a set up where the user could use the multitrack as a control surface for the computer sequencer and add a truck load of effects and what not. If it works for some people - great for them. I personally never had any interest in a digital multitrack.

[stepping razor]

When you make music does it go through some computer software programme?

peace