History of the CD, & new music formats, a must read for music lovers
Jul 10 '01 (Updated Jul 13 '01)
The Bottom Line Keep tabs on me for more info on dts surround CDs, DVD-A and Super Audio CDs
New multi-channel, high resolution music formats are here. They have been here for more than two years. But the initial high cost for equipment and lack of software (the actual music) made these audio formats toys for rich audiophiles. Now is a poignant time to discuss these new formats because the cost for the players themselves has finally come down to earth, and while the software is barely decent, new titles are finally trickling in.
But before I get into that I want to touch on the history of the wildly successful compact disc that many of you have come to enjoy (or loathe). The reason that I want to go back in time is simple. The past mistakes are what really fueled the actual idea in the early 90's for something better. For those on the outside, introducing a new format is like an attempt to fix something that isn't broken. But for those that follow the trends, and really truly, listen to their music we know better.
For audiophiles on a tight budget, and those with money to burn, take note. You will no longer need to spend exponentially more money for a tiny return in sound quality. With only the LP and CD offering anything resembling good sound, audiophiles spent outrageous amounts of money on speaker wire, interconnects, amplifiers and speakers. The truth is that most of you were trying to get water from a rock. Without a format to truly take advantage of all that gear, your returns were in fact diminishing. But all of that is about to change.
Readers and music lovers take note
In the next few days I will cover, in depth the two new high resolution, multi-channel music formats. I will also cover dts surround CDs as well. But what you will read, will be very different from what you usually come across. The reason is simple, I am going to really give you the dirt, I'm going to sit down and listen, test and report. I'm sure you have come across the wannabe digital Messiahs, and the false electronics prophets (otherwise known as advisors in electronics). I'm not into the bullsh!t.
Unlike these techno monkeys, I'm not going to simply compare specs on paper to compare the formats. I'm using the gear, and in fact I own almost everything that I will be writing about. So if you love music and you are intrigued by the 'next compact disc' stick around. I will be technical and yet try to keep things as clear as possible for the lay person. I will actually talk about (drum roll please). . . the way the music actually sounds what a concept!
But before all of this can happen, walk with me into the early 80's. You will learn what will be the same this time around, and what will be different.
The Compact Disc
One thing that never seems to change is the cry from the late adopters when new things hit the scene. It happens with video game consoles, the VCR, and audio gear. So before anyone cries out 'I just got my first CD player last year' talk to the hand. The first CD player hit the shelves in 1982, (Sony claims their debut in 82' and Philips in 83') that's right, 19 years ago. So don't cry 'cause you got to the party late. The CD was a child created by giant parents, also known as Sony and Philips. And if you think about it, taking into account research and development, the CD you are listening to right now is late 70's technology at best. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true, it seems like yesterday when the CD was the shiny new toy. Many of the writers that I frequent at epinions were not even born when the CD made its initial splash.
What was right and wrong with the Compact Disc
To begin with the first CD players did not look like the units you might own now. And to make matters worse, it didn't sound as good as the unit you have now. The initial price was high, and the software was almost non-existent. The same thing has happened with the new formats, but unlike the past, these new units sound fabulous. The new format introduced so long ago promised many things, and only delivered on a few. Keeping in mind that computer chips were ancient by today's standards, lasers were still fairly new (from a consumer standpoint) the new format was already doomed as far as quality sound goes.
With what was available at the time, Sony and Philips settled on specifications that would become famous with music lovers around the world. The now well known 16 bit format with a sampling frequency of 44.1 kHz. To people that pay attention to such things, this is like the formula for 'pi' or knowing that there are 101 Dalmatians. These set of numbers have been thrown around to the point of being sickening.
These specs were settled on because of space issues (this goes back to laser technology at the time) and the chips available of the time having the ability to crunch the numbers and do the math required. 16 bits and a sampling freq. of 44.1 kHz were settled on because of limitations, not because that yielded the best possible sound.
So why did the first players sound so bad?
Anyone buy a CD player in the very late 80's or in the very beginning of the 90's? Do you remember how manufactures used to tout 16, bit 18 bit, 4 times oversampling, or 8 times oversampling in bold letters on the front of their CD players? Most of you probably didn't even know what all that meant. But more was better, and for a short time, that sold units. Well oversampling did not exist on early players, and oversampling was just one of many Band-Aids used to fix CD format glitches. To keeps things as simple as possible, oversampling is a technique used to deal with harmonics that exist and the very upper end of audio spectrum.
Recording music in a digital format brings with it problems, even today to some extent. And a byproduct of this in the past were harmonics that existed right below, at and above 20kHz (the theoretical upper limit of human hearing). So the early fix was to use crude, analog cutoff type filters to fix the problem. Well analog devices by their very nature are not as precise or exact, and they had a negative effect on the sound quality. To be blunt the first CD players sounded like crud, and to compound the problem there were issues with the actual discs and how they were recorded.
The recording studio has a monkey wrench of their own
Anyone notice the popularity of 're-mastered' CDs? Notice that this is a hot thing with CDs that were previously issued? It might be Madonna or the Beatles and the practice is hot and getting hotter. Well part but not all of the reason is that for the studio, this whole digital thing was new. An early mistake made by engineers was their quick and easy way of using the final master tapes used for the LP, with the then new CD. The LP was (and still is) notorious for being a little lacking in the upper frequency range. To compensate for this, engineers would record the master tapes to sound very 'bright'. When these sounds made their way to LP, it sounded fine.
But the Compact Disc has a nasty habit of revealing whatever the source may be, and in this case it was those LP tapes. This exacerbated the issues the new format already had, and some material sounded very shrill. The CD was immediately dismissed by the audiophile camp and I can't blame them. This practice and the fact that people were still learning about digital sound and all of it's quirks is why many CDs made up until the early 90's are being 're-mastered'. The issue is more complex than this but I won't cover all of it for the sake of space.
Some more mumbo jumbo about the CD
The famous term '16 bit sound' that everyone has heard at one point or another. Well the sad fact is that (especially in early CD issues) you didn't really get 16 bit sound. The reason? The format is dependent on the sound level, or the in the digital world the 'value' of those ones and zeros that make up the sound. Early CDs were recorded at a level way below what it could handle. If you have ever switched from a CD recorded 10 years ago, and one now and had to adjust the volume, well now you know. It is popular today to record a CD as 'hot' as possible to get every bit or as much resolution from the format as possible. Recording a CD at lower levels or sounds that are soft are actually very low in resolution. In effect you throw away bits with a soft recording.
What many knew back then
When the CD had finally set in, many in the industry knew that a more preferable format would have been an 18 or 20 bit one, with a higher sampling frequency. But what was done was done, the format was a hit and it was too late. Changing the format then would have only confused, angered, and alienated consumers. So why was the CD a hit? I'm glad you asked that question
What they did get right
The CD was a hit for the same reason the cassette tape was a hit (will that damn cassette ever die?). It was sturdy and unlike the LP is was compact. But it did have advantages over previous formats and those advantages were huge. The first was the lack of surface noise (found on LPs and tapes) and the lack of wear from playback. If the master tape had a dead quiet background the CD would reflect that. That is one reason I feel in love with the CD, I hated the hiss on tapes and the rumble from LPs.
Instant access was another selling point, it was the first time that consumers had instant access to any point of an album. There was never a fear of wear, with only light hitting the disc, you could play a disc literally tens of thousands of times and it would sound as good (or bad) as the day you purchased it.
Space was another selling point. Unlike LPs, the first CDs were maxed out at around 78 minutes and soon after hit the 80 minute max. Why nobody ever wanted to pass 78 minutes is something I never found the answer to. Another key to the success of the CD is it did sound better than the cassette, and when it comes to the casual consumer that was enough. While the CD never sounded as silky, smooth or as 'round' as really good LP set-up, it was about as good as it got. Also worth noting, the CD also carried with it an amazing dynamic range and signal to noise ratio. So much more happened with this format, but I don't know if a ten thousand word essay would be appropriate here.
Minutia and memories
Anybody remember the original 'long box' that CDs came in? Well the tree huggers had a fit when the CD exploded, and there were issues with natural resources. So the fat and happy 80's ended and the reusable plastic container become the norm. I still have about a dozen of those long boxes saved away. Do you have any? So how many of you have really looked at the CD ROM drive on your computer? You probably aren't using it (except for music) at this very moment, go ahead and hit the 'open' button. If there is a CD in there now, take it out. Ever notice that indent that looks like it could accept another smaller CD? Look closely it's right in the center.
Anyone remember the mini 3" CD? It was supposed to replace the 45 and it became common for a very brief time for singles, I recall around 89' or 90' and then poof! They were all gone. I still have a mini sampler by DMP with the plastic adapter so that it could be used in my CD player. Early players did not have the indented tray for the little discs, and to this day those trays make room for the mini CD that never took off. Ironically enough in recent years, they have popped up as mini CDRs and they are also used in conjunction with PCs as digital business cards, go figure.
Why 2001 reminds me of 1986
When I got my first CD player early in 1986 I had to beg for months to get it. That was just before I got my first real job as a young pup so begging was still in fashion. When I went to the music store today, it was like 1986 all over again, but actually maybe worse. You see, back then the pickings were slim, the music store was full of LPs and tapes. At that time even though the CD was almost four years old, it was just starting to take hold. Back then the CD was the red headed stepchild. The CD bin was an afterthought, tucked away in some dark corner and the selection was thin. It was all Michael Jackson, Phil Collins and Madonna.
A funny thing, even though rap had not really exploded, Run D.M.C with their self titled debut was available, along with their ironically titled follow up King of Rock. And their third smash that vaulted them and Aerosmith, the album Raising Hell was available as a CD as soon as the tape and LP hit. When I went to the store today it was actually worse.
At two music stores (Sam Goody, The Warehouse) when I inquired about Super Audio CD titles, I got blank stares. The third (my local Rasputin) store had employees that knew of them, but said they had no idea when the titles would arrive. Some would be afraid to hear such things, and speak of format doom. But I'm not fazed, I went through it with the original CD, and it feels like old times again. For music lovers we now have another reason to smile, to have a warm and fuzzy feeling inside about music. It's all happening. . . again. Save your dimes and get ready to enjoy music in ways you never have before, and just enjoy it. I know I will.
Thanks for reading
I hope you have been entertained, educated or at least primed for what is to come. Stay tuned for opinions covering dts surround music CDs, DVD-A (not to be confused with DVD Video) and the new Super Audio CD format.
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Member: Tony Flores
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