From: ratner@owlnet.rice.edu (Logan Joshua Ratner)
Subject: Re: Electronic media losing it's value for artist
Organization: Rice University
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 19:26:46 GMT

In article <1go5spINNid7@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> pustule@cats.ucsc.edu (Thaddeus H. Wood) writes:
>
>In article <1992Dec15.033030.24392@samba.oit.unc.edu> Michael.Kohne@launchpad.unc.edu (Michael Kohne) writes:
>>In article <LmwRVB1w165w@angus.mi.org> thx1138@angus.mi.org writes:
>>>Robert Hall, 
>>>
>>>  You are wrong about an electronic medium that is can be copied losing
>>>  it's value for the artist.  Cassette tapes for musicians can be copied.
>>>  Albumns can be copied onto them, and CD can be copied to DAT.  All of
>>>  these are easy to copy and distribute ("Hey, can I have a copy
>>>  of your new Front 242 tape?") yet, somehow, musicians make money
>>>  off ot them. 
>>
>>Yes, they can all be copied, but none perfectly. (even CD to DAT can't be
>>perfect-they have diffent sample rates, and there is usually an analog stage
>>in between, reducing quality with each generation of copy). 
>>
>>I think if perfect copies of music could be made, then you'd have a lot less
>>profit. Of mabey not, many people want to own the original album for the neat 
>>stuff in the little CD booklet, as well as the music. 
>>
>
>Hmm, that's odd.  Then I guess the fiber optic cable connecting
>my CD player to my DAT must have some sort of D/A converter in
>it.  And yes, they do have different sampling rates.  DAT's sampling
>rate is _higher_ than that of CD.  Which must be the reason for
>the horrible sound degradation.  
>
>Also, when I copy data from a CDROM onto my harddisk, I notice
>that I just can't seem to get a perfect copy.  I think it has
>something to do with the ANALOG cable connecting the respective
>devices to the SCSI bus.  Damn!  
>
>You know, I just love it when people talk about stuff they know
>nothing about.
>
>-SARCASM OFF-


Your sarcasm aside, you can't in fact make a digital-digital
copy of a CD.  The music on a CD is represented a coded digital
information, which the CD player reads.  But your sterio doesn't
handle digital data streams very well.  So the nice, accomodating
CD player takes that coded information and turns it into a voltage
waveform, which the sterio can handle. Now it doesn't get much more
analog than a voltage waveform.  This waveform is then sent to the
reciever, amplifier, equalizer, etc., then to the speakers.

In play mode a DAT does the same thing.  Of course, the DAT can be
used to record as well, so then it's connected to the CD player
the same way a sterio would be.  Of course, the CD player still thinks
its talking to a sterio, so it sends the same voltage waveform as always.

The DAT sees the (analog) waveform, assumes its 'hearing' a microphone,
or a CD player, or a MIDI keyboard, or something, and starts sampling.
Thus it digitizes the analog waveform.

                     CD                DAT
Thus:  Digital Music -> Analog Voltage  -> Digital Music.

If you've got a way to actually copy the data stream from a CD,
before D/A conversion, I'd love to hear about it.  But what you
imply doesn't work.

"You know, I just love it when people talk about stuff they know
nothing about."

ratner
Xref: sparky alt.cyberpunk:6744 sci.electronics:21155