Analog vs. digital segment on PBS

Albertporter...About the peak level recorded on a CD...I have a unit in my system (Behringer DEQ2496) that indicates the momentary recorded level, and logs the peak observed during the whole CD. I have adjusted gains in my system so as to maximize the signal as it goes through the DEQ2496, and to my surprise every CD I play hits within a few dB of clipping, but no clipping occurs. The recorded level of the CD is obviouly being carefully set (probably by trial and error) to make best use of the available dynamic range. This is similar to what one does when making a tape recording.

Eldartford.

That sound like a reasonable way to maximize the dynamic range CD is capable of. Too bad the recording people don't think about that when they produce them.

As quiet as CD's are, I don't see the point of pushing the limits and compressing them. Guess it's a way to put the music in your face, so even in a car or listening on a computer system, it jumps out at you.

What a waste when you have a nice system though.

Eldatford,

Actually the mastering engineer will compress (squash) the hell out of music first and then boost the average signal to usually within as little as 3 db of the maximum that a CD can digitally represent with 16 bits. This means the CD will sound loud as the dynamic range is now squashed to be contained within the top 10 db or less of the entire CD dynamic range format....i.e. the 96 db overall dynamic range is completely wasted at least 10 bits or more are all the same 1's practically throughout the entire CD!

This is great for a noisy car environment but in a quiet environment with a good system the music just sounds like what it is...squashed crap like you stepped in something...only good thing is it doesn't smell!!!

Shadorne...The compression you talk about is common on pop recordings, but I have few of those. Mostly my recordings, LPs as well as CD, are classical, and there is no obvious compression. Some are quiet pieces for the most part, but somewhere there will be a peak that exercises all the bits.
Cliping of a digital signal is much worse than for an analog signal, but is much easier to avoid.

Eldartford,

If you are listening to classical then it sounds like they are simply making the music fit on the CD as loud as possible without clipping the signal. The peak being close to the max 16 bits. That is normal procedure. There is nothing wrong with that.