Does digital audio's limits merit a fundamental overhaul?

JoeyM · 28th December 2009

Now that we're quite familiar with the finite limits of digital audio production, including never-perfect filters, never-perfect bit-reduction and samplerate conversion.... (this isn't a rant

)

Can anyone say with certainty we've developed digital audio to its logical... "perfection"?

I can't help but wonder if there is some other way of using bits and bytes - one that allows perfect highpass filtering for mics/preamps with no switch, no need to have to choose between minimum phase and pre-ringing in the samplerate/bit-reduction area. When the people who make some of the best dithering algos say you shouldn't dither twice, that tells me, we have technological brickwalls that may need to be approached some other way.

There just seem to be problems that no genius has been able to work out in DAW-land, in an age of the best technology in history right?

Your thoughts?

Skulls615 · 28th December 2009

This is a really interesting, great topic.

I would say that we'll never feel like it is perfect and there will always be problems/things to fix. And, I think the ones who constantly criticize it the most actually work for the digital companies!

More importantly, is this- the end-user is the most important target of the recording. Do they really notice?

Have you heard Harvard studies are now showing that listeners are so used to MP3s that in blind tests they are picking the quality of MP3s preferably over other formats.

robertshaw · 28th December 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skulls615

listeners are so used to MP3s that in blind tests they are picking the quality of MP3s preferably over other formats.

now that is a bummer

audiophalanx · 28th December 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by robertshaw

now that is a bummer

well...its also probably because they're now somewhat deaf from constantly wearing those awesome, high fidelity 'stock' earbuds...

tysonviolin · 28th December 2009

JoeyM- my guess is it will eventually happen. Nothing lasts forever. We will be laughing at sample rates and bit depth at some point. Just a an educated guess.

28th December 2009	#1
JoeyM Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Audioland Posts: 1,095 Thread Starter	Does digital audio's limits merit a fundamental overhaul? Now that we're quite familiar with the finite limits of digital audio production, including never-perfect filters, never-perfect bit-reduction and samplerate conversion.... (this isn't a rant ) Can anyone say with certainty we've developed digital audio to its logical... "perfection"? I can't help but wonder if there is some other way of using bits and bytes - one that allows perfect highpass filtering for mics/preamps with no switch, no need to have to choose between minimum phase and pre-ringing in the samplerate/bit-reduction area. When the people who make some of the best dithering algos say you shouldn't dither twice, that tells me, we have technological brickwalls that may need to be approached some other way. There just seem to be problems that no genius has been able to work out in DAW-land, in an age of the best technology in history right? Your thoughts? __________________ Happy New gEars

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28th December 2009	#2
Skulls615 Gear Head Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 58	This is a really interesting, great topic. I would say that we'll never feel like it is perfect and there will always be problems/things to fix. And, I think the ones who constantly criticize it the most actually work for the digital companies! More importantly, is this- the end-user is the most important target of the recording. Do they really notice? Have you heard Harvard studies are now showing that listeners are so used to MP3s that in blind tests they are picking the quality of MP3s preferably over other formats.

28th December 2009	#5
tysonviolin Gear addict Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 407	JoeyM- my guess is it will eventually happen. Nothing lasts forever. We will be laughing at sample rates and bit depth at some point. Just a an educated guess.