HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: chrisc@gold.gvg.tek.com (Chris Christensen)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
Subject: Re: Balanced vs. unbalanced
Date: 11 Nov 92 05:49:16 GMT
Organization: Grass Valley Group, Grass Valley, CA

In article <1992Nov2.074132.25973@news.weeg.uiowa.edu> 
smills@news.weeg.uiowa.edu (MuffinHead) writes:

>   Here's what I know about these two different kinds of lines:

>-Balanced uses 3 wires where unbalanced uses 2.
>-Balanced negative wire is not the same as the sheild.

A balanced audio signal is a differential signal through a cable that
has a minimum of three wires.  Two twisted wires and one shield wire.
(Bill V has mentioned wire that has seperate signal and shield
components but we won't confuse the issue for you).

In a balanced audio signal the sending circuit produces complinentary
polarity signals.  Those signals are referenced to the shield or
"ground" wire.  Referenced to but not required to use the shield to
complete the audio circuit.

In a balanced audio circuit the input or receiver of the signal is a
differential amplifier or transformer.

In said balanced circuit the shield does not need to be connected to
complete the electrical circuit.  The shield is only necessary to
shield the twisted pair from electromagnetic signals that may be
induced in the cable.

The shield is _only_ important in the phantom powering of
microphones...(with the exception noted above).

Say after me:

Balanced=GOOD
Unbalanced= Ca Ca......


>   What is the main benefit of using a balanced line instead of an unbalanced
>line? Is it to remove some sort of ground loop phasing or other weird term
>like that?
>   I recently retro-fitted an EQ that had 1/4" balanced/unbalanced in's and 
>out's because the jacks were crap (you know, wiggle the plug until a firm
>connection is attained, then don't touch it!). Since most of the other
>components in the series use unbalanced lines, I just used regular
>2-conductor "mono" jacks and left the 3rd wire unconnected. Keeping in
>mind that my kludge works fine, is there anything wrong with it?


-- 
Chris Christensen                  The opinions I express are my own,
chrisc@gold.gvg.tek.com            and sometimes they are wrong!
916-478-3419 FAX 916-478-3887      After all, I *AM* only human.
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
From: gds@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (Greg Skinner)
Subject: 3M +9db recording level
Reply-To: gds@cs.ucla.edu
Organization: in your face
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 92 20:04:11 GMT

In a post that expired from my machine, someone wanted to know if
there was a 3M tape that you could record with at +9db.  My
information may not be accurate, but this is what I learned in a class
I'm taking.  If someone wants more accurate info, I can get it.

The 3M 996 and Ampex 496 are rated for 360 nWb/m @ +6db (NAB) and
can be pushed to +9db (NAB).
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
From: bsanders@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (Barry Sanders)
Subject: Re: Interesting Twist on Excessive SPL in Clubs
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 19:06:01 GMT
Keywords: EARPLUGS

gw214790@LANCE.ColoState.Edu (Galen Watts) writes:

>Why does everyone associate
>a high level of DISTORTION with loudness?  Do you REALLY have to make the 
>red LEDS on the master come on?  Do you all know about gain structure?  Do 
>you realize that when the red LEDS come on you are at least 15 dB into 
>compression?  Do you realize the legal ramifications of damaging someone's
>hearing?

Hear, hear!! :-)   0db has lost its meaning, but not in the digital domain!!

>I don't know about you, but I'd like to hear the wind in the trees when I'm
>fourty, fifty,....  years old.

It really makes me feel good to hear you say that :)  I sometimes feel that I'm
the only person who realizes the value of retaining my sense of hearing.  I cant
believe the volumes to which rock guitarists and drummers subject their unpro-
tected ears regularly.  I can't even take a few *seconds* of that kind of 
volume, let alone a few *hours* of it, three nights a week or more!!!  I want to
know how they can hear at all!  

Barry 
bsanders@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu
From: cmh@eng.cam.ac.uk (C.M. Hicks)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
Subject: Re: Recording interviews?
Date: 12 Nov 92 17:31:42 GMT
Organization: cam.eng

steve@crc.ricoh.COM (Stephen R. Savitzky) writes:

>Any suggestions on how to record an interview?  One person asking
>questions, one answering, the result to be put on cassette and
>(eventually) sold.  What sort of microphones are good, and in what
>arrangement?  DAT or 4-track?  How are these things usually done in
>the broadcasting world?

>Inquiring minds want to know.


I would try either:

   i) One or two PZM's on the table at which the interview is being conducted
  ii) A reasonable quality condenser/electret (such as AKG C451/CK1 or C1000)
      placed 12 to 18 inches from each person.

In either case I would go with DAT, unless cut/splice editing is to be used,
in which case I would use 1/4 inch open reel analogue at 15 IPS. Also a little
gentle EQ may help to optimise intelligibility (less so with the C1000, which
is already optimised for the human voice), but care is needed to avoid making
the voices unnatural.

Another alternative, used a lot for TV, is the tie-clip mike. I avoid these
whenever possible because they pick up all sorts of extraneous noise from
clothes etc.

Hope this helps :-) Others, flame away...

Christopher Hicks (cmh@uk.ac.cam.eng)
From: alex@fiskville.mc.utexas.edu
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
Subject: Re: Denon vs Sony
Date: 5 Nov 92 19:53:49 GMT

Greg WARD writes
> And while I'm
> tossing about terms like "double-blind", would somebody mind explaining
> the difference between double-blind and single-blind, if there IS such
> a thing as a single-blind test?  How about zero-blind?  Triple-blind?
> I've never seen a satisfactory explanation of what precisely a  
double-blind
> test is, and why exactly it's so wonderful.)

It is my understanding that in a double-blind test neither the tester nor  
the testee knows which is which.  I am referring to Phase 1 pharmaceutical
testing where drugs are administered to participants and neither the  
subject or the test administrators actually know whether the subject is  
getting dosage or placebo (inactive substance). The only person who knows  
is the company that initiates the study and collects the results. So in a  
double blind test your friend would not know which device was the Sony and  
neither would you (so you as administrator of the test could not influence  
its results). 

--
***************************************
Alex Currier
Texas Union MicroCenter
University of Texas at Austin

NeXTmail Preferred
From: nummer_5@obh.in-berlin.de (Christian Wierzbicki)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
Subject: Cinch-Audio-Data (Circuit wanted)
Date: 7 Nov 92 14:15:16 GMT
Organization: obh - private bbs in Berlin/Germany

Hi, Folks !
-----------
I'm building some DSP board and want to interface it to my hifi equipment.
Therefore I need an example circuit how to interface my DAC to the lin in of
my amp,mixer,tape...

Can somebody tell me or send me a picture (GIF of Amiga IFF would be best)
on this...

Thanks in advance... And if I've posted my question to the wrong groups please
answer it anyway...

Ciao...
    nummer_5@obh.in-berlin.de

* Christian Wierzbicki * Fuerther Str. 20a * +49-30-7443030
* W - 1000 Berlin 49   * Germany           *
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
From: borchers@poogh.llnl.gov (Robert R. Borchers)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
Subject: Re: Junk Mail (was: Re: Big Brother Radio Shack)
Date: 5 Nov 92 17:59:59 GMT

In article <458@bit.UUCP> grego@bit.UUCP (Greg Sanguinetti) writes:
> In article <lfb5keINN94t@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>  
chakng@amberwood.Eng.Sun.COM (Chakchung Ng) writes:
> >One easy solution to this is to use Radio Shack's own address and let  
them
> >waste money sending junk back to themselves.:-)
> >
deletion
> The only thing that bothers me is all the paper I have to recycle, not  
to
> mention the wasted energy. I don't have any fantasies about keeping my
> name and address secret. Besides every so often some interesting and  
previously
> unknown, to me, stuff finds it's way into my mail box.
> 
> -grego
--
You people need a positive attitude about all of this. I know a guy near  
Denver who heats his house all winter with junk mail. It is especially  
warm around Christmas, fueled with calatogs. Bob

Robert R. Borchers
L-414
Livermore, Ca 94551
borchers@llnl.gov
NeXTmail Welcome
From: grego@bit.UUCP (Greg Sanguinetti)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
Subject: Re: Balanced vs. unbalanced
Date: 6 Nov 92 16:04:36 GMT
Article-I.D.: bit.466
Reply-To: grego@bit.UUCP (Grego Sanguinetti)
Organization: BIT  Portland, OR

In article <1992Nov5.103544.6124@aston.ac.uk> evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk (Mark Evans) writes:
>grego@bit.UUCP (Greg Sanguinetti) writes:
>: In article <456@bit.UUCP> grego@bit.UUCP (Grego Sanguinetti) writes:
>: >.... The shield is connected to the negative signal line at one end
>: >and left unconnected at the other. Any interference picked up by the shield
>: >is lost since it is not connected at both ends.
>: 
>: OOPS! ERRATA: I should have said that the shield is connected to ground at
>: one end NOT the negative signal line. Sorry. Oh by the way not all cords
>: have open shields since most balanced systems provide ground lift switches.
>
>The one end should also be the signal source end.

It's still ambiguous! Do you mean that the shield is open at the source
or grounded at the source? I usually open the shield at the source,
especially if the source is a floating ground like an instrument or other
battery powered source. The exception is when the source has a true ground
and the destination doesn't.
-grego
-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grego Sanguinetti, Bipolar Integrated Technology | Water, water everywhere,
grego@bit.uucp or grego%bit%ogi.cse.edu          | but I'd rather drink
or bit!grego@ogi.cse.edu or ...!ogicse!bit!grego | beer.
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
From: newsq@Ampex.COM (Stan Busby)
Subject: cubic distortion in analog recording
Organization: Ampex Corporation, Redwood City CA
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 01:47:39 GMT

The first magnetic recording made was biasless and
sounded like it.  Really bad odd-order distortion.
Essentially, only the peaks made it onto the wire.
It was Vladimir Poulsen's miracle on which the
King of Austria recorded himself at some show.

Later came D.C. bias, typically by bringing a
magnet near the point of recording.  It produced
distortion products of all flavors, and made a
noisy recording, too.

Then came High-frequency AC bias which made a fairly
quiet recording having only odd-order distortion and
not much of it at that.

The absolute amplitude of the distortion products
is proportional to the cube of the amplitude of the
signal....up to saturation, that is.  There are two
ways to cancel the distortion, and so, over some
limited range, make the channel more linear.

1.  On a pro audio machine, using typical thick-
coated audio tape, and using seperate record and play
heads, choose a head gap about equal to the coating
thickness and carefully adjust bias for minimum
distortion.

2.  On pro video recorders, the audio record head must
also serve as play head, and these machines typically
have a pre-distortion circuit which generates a signal
proportional to the cube of the input signal and mixes
it with the input before the record circuit.

In any of these cases, the saturation level doesn't
budge.  When the distortion at levels leading up to
saturation is linearized, the onset of saturation
is abrupt.  Some people don't like the way that sounds
when they overload the system.  These people have
become accustomed to the "soft clip" of analog tape
systems.  

See Audio Engineering Handbook, McGraw-hill, 1988,
Blair Benson, editor.  See Chapter 10.6.4

newsq@ampex.pro (Stan Busby)

Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro,rec.audio
From: chenh@neptune.ecs.csus.edu (H. Philip Chen)
Subject: Re: Denon vs Sony
Organization: California State University, Sacramento
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 92 01:44:43 GMT

In article <1992Nov06.161750.26329@bmerh85.bnr.ca> shiv@bnr.ca (Shiv Naimpally) writes:
:In article <1992Nov4.064646.10336@csusac.csus.edu>, chenh@neptune.ecs.csus.edu (H. Philip Chen) writes:
:|> shiv@bnr.ca (Shiv Naimpally) writes:
:|> >[...]
:|> >Sony and Yamaha I think are the only ones who make ALL their own 
:|> >chips ('vertically integrated'). Most other brands use their chips.
:|> 
:|> That doesn't sound right.  I've seen NEC chips in Sony products.
:
:NEC could be second-sourcing Sony. Also I should have clarified
:that. They make the major chips involved. They probably use
:'off the shelf' chips from NEC and others such as memory chips.

I don't remember seeing any memory chips that I could recognize.
There're too many different ones out there.

The NEC chip appeared to be a micro-controller of some kind, used 
in their CD players.  It's one of those square/quad ones with many 
times more legs than a spider.

Sure I know Sony makes chips for themselves and for other manu-
facturers too.  I've seen that myself too.



Cheers,

-phil

Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
From: curt@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Curt Welch)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
Subject: Re: DCC-MD
Date: 5 Nov 92 20:50:40 GMT
Reply-To: curt@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Curt Welch)
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

In rec.audio.pro, ted@dgbt.doc.ca (Ted Grusec) writes:
>For your interest, you should know that on the subjective sound side,
>the two formats are quite indistinguishable from each other.

This is what I've hoped would be the case, but how do you know
this?  Have you done A/B tests?  Have you heard the two formats
side by side?

I too have read 10+ articles and reviews of MD and DCC but _none_ of
them had access to a MD player to do any type of real test.   The only
people I know of that have listened to it were forced to do so at
one of the shows or press announcements.  Many people, on the other
hand, seem to have gotten access to a DCC player for testing.

The latest MIX has the first of a series of articles about MD.  They
plan to conclude the series with a listening test (but by the time
they get to that the MD players should already be out.)

Some interesting things I learned from the article:

  The disks hold 74 minutes of music.

  Play only disks have a shutter on only one side.
  
  Recordable disks have shutters on both sides (one for the laser and
  one for the magnetic head).
  
  The magnetic head touches the disk (I don't know if this is only
  during recording or all the time.)
  
  The disk is divided into blocks of music (I think they are called
  clusters), and each block has a link section that tells the player
  where the next block is.  I believe these blocks are quite short
  time wise - something like 10 ms.  These links are only used on
  recordable disks.

  On play-only disks, the link section can be used to hold extra
  subcode data (making it imposible to copy all the data from a
  play-only disk onto a recordable format disk.)

Curt
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
From: gvh@metrosoft.com (Gordon Van Huizen)
Subject: Re: Interface Digital Audio <---> Computer ???
Reply-To: gvh@metrosoft.com (Gordon Van Huizen)
Organization: Metrosoft
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 19:17:44 GMT

In article <1992Nov9.144423.7532@rhrk.uni-kl.de> luitz@rhrk.uni-kl.de  
(Steffen Luitz [RHRK]) writes:
> 
> Hello,
> 
> what about an interface digital audio (DAT, CD optical or coax) to 
> a computer system (perhaps SCSI or a PC-board  or ...) ?
> Nooo, I don't want to make my backups with my DAT recorder, but it
> would be very interesting to edit my recordings in some way with 
> the computer and the most obvious way seems to copy data from DAT
> recorder to the computer, do the cutting, filtering ... and copy
> everything back to a DAT tape.
> 
> Does such a beast exist ?

Yep! There is a sizable group of manufacturers that already make and sell  
this hardware and software for Mac's, PC's, NeXT's, etc.

> Are the specs of the digital audio interface available ? 

Yes.

> (If so, I could try to develop such an interface)

Well quite a few exist - but the more the merrier!

> Any other solutions ?
> 
> Thanks for any hints

Pick up any recent copy of Keyboard, Electronic Musician, Mix, or Home &  
Studio Recording for ads, articles and reviews of these products. EM did a  
round-up of shipping products for computer digital audio recording in the  
September 1992 issue.

Gordon

P.S. My company is developing multi-track digital audio recording software  
for the NeXT computer and it works with a number of audio I/O devices for  
the NeXT that are capable of CD and DAT sampling rates.

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------
Gordon Van Huizen           vox: 619.488.9411  fax: 619.488.3045
Metrosoft                   gvh@metrosoft.com [NeXTmail welcome]
----------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
From: moskowit@panix.com (Len Moskowitz)
Subject: Re: Recording interviews?
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 13:38:30 GMT
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix & Internet, NYC

Stephen R. Savitzky writes:

>Any suggestions on how to record an interview?  One person asking
>questions, one answering, the result to be put on cassette and
>(eventually) sold.  What sort of microphones are good, and in what
>arrangement?  DAT or 4-track?  How are these things usually done in
>the broadcasting world?

If your listeners will be playing the interviews back over headphones,
you can't do any better than using a set of binaural microphones.
Binaurals mount in or near your ears (typically clipped to the
sidepieces of your glasses) and record exactly what your ears hear.
When played back over headphones it sounds like you're there.  The
sense of spatial location is phenomenal.

If you combine the binaural microphone set with a DAT recorder you'll
make very high quality recordings.

Obligatory plug: I build a few different models of good sounding,
reasonably priced, miniature in-ear and near-ear binaural microphones.
Details will be sent on request.


-- 
Len Moskowitz
moskowit@panix.com
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
From: dave@scrc.umanitoba.ca (Dave McCrea)
Subject: Re: Alesis MEQ-230
Organization: Physiology Department, University of Manitoba
Distribution: rec
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 00:14:13 GMT

In article <MSKOGMO.92Nov9172202@dante.nmsu.edu> mskogmo@nmsu.edu (SKOGMO) writes:

>Does anyone have any experience with the M-EQ 230?  Good, Bad?  I
>would like to know because I am interested in purchasing a single rack
>space stereo 1/3 equalizer and may be able to get a good deal on the
>230.
>Thanx in advance.
>Matt
>mskogmo@dante.nmsu.edu

I have one of these and am generally quite happy with it. The only problem 
is those small sliders with no knob. There is just a hook for your 
finger nail. The unit is great for set and leave applications but 
not my first choice for reducing feedback in a howling stage monitor. Hard
to beat for the price: reccommended.

 
|  dave@scrc.umanitoba.ca         Dept. Physiology
|  Vox: 204-788-6770              University of Manitoba 
|  Fax:204-786-0932               Winnipeg, MB.  R3E 0W3, Canada
From: steve@crc.ricoh.COM (Stephen R. Savitzky)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
Subject: Recording interviews?
Date: 12 Nov 92 00:41:50 GMT
Article-I.D.: styx.STEVE.92Nov11164150
Organization: RICOH California Research Center

Any suggestions on how to record an interview?  One person asking
questions, one answering, the result to be put on cassette and
(eventually) sold.  What sort of microphones are good, and in what
arrangement?  DAT or 4-track?  How are these things usually done in
the broadcasting world?

Inquiring minds want to know.
--
\ --Steve Savitzky--  \    343 Leigh Ave   \ REAL HACKERS USE AN AXE!
 \ steve@crc.ricoh.COM \ San Jose, CA 95128 \     Free Cyberia!
  \ w: 415-496-5710     \   h:408-294-6492   \ 
   \_________________________________________________________________________
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
From: zerobeat@intacc.uucp (Ferenc Szabo)
Subject: Re: BBE Sonic Maximizer
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1992 04:40:06 GMT
Organization: Inter/Access' Matrix BBS

In article <18532@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> matthews@eecs.ucdavis.edu (Thomas W. Matthews) writes:
>Not long ago, I watched somebody in a studio try to use a BBE Sonic
>Maximizer by feeding it an accessory send and then mixing its output 
>back into the mix.  The result was that the particular track was being
>mixed with itself; one path included the BBE and one path did not.
>
You're right.  Unless the user was trying to get a certain out-of-
phase sound (which isn't all that great or desirable.......I've heard it)
then the BBE was being used completely wrong. The proper way of mixing
(so to speak) the dry signal with the sonically maximized signal is
to adjust the 'definition' control on the BBE.

Ok, technically not 'mixing' the dry/wet ratio but you know what I mean.
The real dry signal should NOT be mixed with the BBEd version.

ferenc



Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
From: jerrymo@ecs.comm.mot.com (Jerry Morrow)
Subject: Re: Interesting Twist on Excessive SPL in Clubs
Organization: secure_comm
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 14:50:15 GMT

In article <9NOV199217221268@cs.umass.edu> weems@cs.umass.edu (CHIP WEEMS) writes:
>
>Now there is about a 3" by 3" box item on the menu that says that
>different people like to listen at different levels, and that the
>club's policy is not to regulate the loudness of whoever is playing.
>However, for 50 cents they will sell you a pair of disposable foam
>earplugs or for $3, you can have a reusable set, both of which are
>rated to attenuate the sound by 24 dB.
>
>Has anybody else ever run across this sort of arrangement? Or are
>these people starting something new?
>
yep.  all the concerts I've been to at Poplar Creek music theater
this past year have had earplugs for sale.  At least they're admitting
it's too loud.

Jerry Morrow
jerrymo@ecs.comm.mot.com
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
From: tdawson@iphase.com (Tim Dawson)
Subject: Re: Fogging?
Organization: Interphase Corporation, Dallas Texas
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 17:44:09 GMT

evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk (Mark Evans) writes:

>IO20197@MAINE.MAINE.EDU (Rob Champagne) writes:
>: Hi all,
>:     I just got a new fog maching and a pair of laser heads for my mobile
>: disc jockey show.  I sometimes play in very large rooms (gymnasiums and such)
>: and the fog dissipates quickly.  Where does it go?  I mean...I haven't had the
>: opportunity to try the lasers out yet so if I fog the area in front of me,
>: after I can't see the fog anymore, will the lasers still show on the particles?
>:   Also, with one fog machine, can I have the fog come from two places at once?
>: How?

Assuming you are using oil based fog and not dry ice, the fog is actually a 
fine mist, which eventually forms back up into larger particles and falls out 
of the air, sticks to floors, walls, etc.  Since there is not much oil 
involved, it doesn't leave a mess over the short term, but use one somewhere
for a long time and YECHHHH!

If it is dry ice based fog, the fog is condensed moisture, just like in a cloud
and it evaporates.  

Regarding two sources, get thee to a hardware store and discover dryer hose!
The stuff is practically made for ducting fog, although the oil based units may 
require a fan to move the fog through the hose.

Actually, the best effect I have ever been able to do with a laser, is to 
fire off a few pyrotechnic flashpots - this smoke hangs in the air FOREVER, 
although it 'taint much fun to breathe if it gets too thick . . . .
-- 
================================================================================
The optionions expressed above do not neccesarily represent those of my 
employer - as a matter of fact, sometimes they wish I would shut up!

Newsgroups: rec.audio