[Dixielandjazz] CD audio query.

[Paul Edgerton]

Is the disc that's giving you problems one of those Stomp-Off CDs with
the anti-copy "feature?" If it is, that could explain it.

In any case, the encoding for a CD includes lots of redundancy for
error correction. Even so, many CD players have a horrendous error
rate, and the disc you're having trouble may be right near the
threshold of correctibility for typical machines, but you have one
player that has a better than average error rate. If that's the real
problem, then a different copy of the same disc shouldn't have the
problem, or at least not in the same spot.

Another possibility is that it was poorly mastered, (yes, even label
releases sometimes have problems) and has what are called overflow
errors. That is, when audio is digitized it is converted to numbers,
and the largest number possible is 32,767. So what happens when the
number needed is, say 34,287? Nothing higher than 32,767 can be
recorded, so that's what goes onto the disc. In other words, it
represents a spike to maximum output. Normally that would cause a
player to produce an audible click, or perhaps the player would
briefly mute the output. But some players use a different converter
technology and they might respond to an overflow in funny ways.

I don't want to get too technical, but from your description, it
sounds like a badly mastered CD.

And I would never knowingly buy a CD with copy protection. So it
sounds like I'm through with Stomp-Off.

-- Paul Edgerton


On Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 7:51 PM, M J (Mike) Logsdon<mjl at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> For approx the second time in my life, I've encountered a CD that exhibits
> digital "crackling" at the exact same point, on more than one player in my
> home.  I get a replacement, and the same thing occurs.  I'm not imagining
> it; it's really there.  Though, admittedly, I have hyper-sensitive hearing.
>  But be that as it may.
>
> Then, just now, I try yet another player in my home, and the distortion is
> NOT there.  Two players, yes, this one player, no.  What gives?
>
> I test yet another player soon, to see which one I used to make an analog
> copy (recent Stomp Off CDs are anti-copy encoded, it seems), and will send
> it to chrome tape if I have to en route to CD, and just deal with the lack
> of fidelity.
>
> Any ideas?  (And please, keep it simple: I'm a mere gov't bureaucrat.)
>
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