SIGNALS & NOISE (Letters to Editor) (Nov. 1988)

The Price Isn't Right

Dear Editor:

I am delighted to see that the days of CD rationing are over. The stores are filled with new releases, and the press is talking of a CD glut! Unfortunately, the prices of the discs have not reflected these new developments. There seems to be no explanation for this, except for the greed of the record companies.

As a consumer and audiophile, I am interested in hundreds of CDs. If their cost were to drop to a more reasonable $10 or $11 apiece, I would spend more, not less, on these little silver platters. Furthermore, a new legion of music lovers would jump on the CD bandwagon and permit us to retire the vinyl format forever.

It is time for the audio press and the CD-buying public to demand fairly priced digital sound. If the record companies are unable to see this for themselves, then we, their strongest supporters, must tell them.

-Timothy Hanks; Minneapolis, Minn.

Avoiding Coincidence

Dear Editor:

Reading Edward Tatnall Canby's columns, "One-Point of View" and "Forced Coincidence" (June and August 1988), piqued my interest in the coincident versus spaced miking debate. As an audio professional who makes recordings for broadcast, I have had many opportunities for direct comparisons of miking techniques.

The August column was rather startling to me because the unnamed public radio recordist described by Mr. Canby reminded me of myself. In a public radio world that prefers coincident pairs as a miking technique, I unreservedly endorse spaced omnis.

I agree with Mr. Canby (and his anonymous friend in public radio) that the phase differences between microphones help the listener in mentally recreating the spatial acoustics of the original performance. I subscribe to the theory that an omnidirectional microphone is superior to a cardioid since any cardioid is designed to reject some sound waves reaching it, while an omni is not.

As Mr. Canby suggests, National Public Radio does advocate coincident miking techniques (specifically M-S) for member stations that make location recordings. To a station with small financial resources and no ear training program, a "safe" mike technique such as M-S makes sense. However, as Technical Director for New York Public Radio, I have used spaced omnis for classical recordings for six years and have obtained excellent results.

Although the out-of-phase content of such recordings may be a problem for disc cutting, it can be broadcast on M by carefully choosing and adjusting quality signal-processing equipment at the transmitter site. Furthermore, in this age of the CD, extreme left- or right-channel information, or even 180° out of-phase information, is not a consideration at all. The major reason I prefer spaced omnis over coincident mikes is that they sound best in most circumstances. The phase cancellation problems caused by summing to mono are an entirely different issue and should not be cause for sacrificing the best stereo sound.

-Christopher Czeh; Technical Director, WNYC New York Public Radio New York, N.Y.

Opening Musical Minds

Dear Editor:

The other day, I received a purely digital (DDD) Compact Disc of recorder concerti by Georg Philipp Telemann. As I lie back on my couch and listen to the first few tracks and gaze out my window upon the trees, I cannot help but think how ridiculous the argument against the digital medium is. I have suspected for a long time now that "old veteran" audiophiles are letting their bias toward the analog record cloud their thinking in regard to this format. I have heard all the arguments in favor of the record with respect to the CD, but I cannot agree.

If you analyze the situation, you will see a common thread among veteran audiophiles: A large percentage of them like to deal with things that are tangible, things that are easy to see, touch, or understand.

As a photographer, I would compare the digital medium to a film negative.

All photographs are made up of grains of silver bunched together in varying densities. This is perceived as a photograph, which sometimes is more pleasing to the eye than the original scene. The CD is made up of microscopic bits of information which the ear perceives as music--no more, no less.

Some people say that the harmonics produced by the clock frequency of the CD player and other frequencies of the source material can wreak havoc on the nervous system. This is pure hogwash, extolled by people who have nothing better to do than to analyze and rationalize everything, thereby missing the intrinsic value and beauty of life.

Please stop analyzing and start listening. You might let your defenses down and start enjoying yourself.

-Robert DelGavio Huntington, N.Y.

We Blush

Dear Editor:

I am pleased to note what appears to be a very positive trend in your record reviews. The regular reviews by Edward Tatnall Canby, Bert Whyte, and especially Frank Driggs are always valuable, due to the particular experience and perspective each author brings to his subject. The recent overview by John Sunier of Miles Davis' recording history (April 1988) was superb. As well, the July issue contains a review by Christopher Greenleaf which combines sufficient detail and historical background with a lucid and elegant style of writing.

As some of your readers may know, McMaster University established the first graduate program in music criticism in North America. It is for this reason that we are particularly interested in outstanding examples of this discipline.

--Dr. Hugh Hartwell Chairman, Dept. of Music McMaster University Hamilton, Ont.

Erratum:

In the September 1988 "What's New" column, prices for the KEF Custom Series in-wall speakers were quoted in a potentially misleading way.

The correct prices are $550 per pair for the CR200F two-way system and $550 per pair for the CR250SW sub woofers, not including installation.

(Audio magazine, Nov. 1988)

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