|   Tech question: hooking up outboard gear to enhance cd-r's | PwrPopGuy
Jun 18, 2003 8:06 PM | | I have this sound enhancer box that I always use with my stereo system for listening - it hooks up through the tape loop of my receiver and what I'd like to do is use the box to enhance cd-r's that I burn on my computer. Is there some way to do this? Have any of you done anything like this, maybe with an equalizer or some other effects unit? My burner is an internal type, so I can't think of a way to do it and keep it in the digital realm all the way. |
| Don't think so ........ | Les
Jun 19, 2003 1:20 AM | | Burning CDrs is a digital data transfer so I doubt the sort of enhancement you refer to will make any difference to the CDR. The sound enhancer is impacting upon the sound as it's produced between the player/amplifier & speakers, it doesn't have a 'permanent' impact upon the recorded music.
To transfer the signal to your PC you would ideally need a digital connection to record CDrs otherwise when recording analogue you may have to manually mark the track spacings. Lot of bother for no quality improvement that I can perceive.
Cheers
Les |
| Have you tried using the Sound Editor | Mike
Jun 19, 2003 2:17 AM | | which comes with the Easy CD-Creator package, if you highlight a track and go to 'effects' then you will see a graphic equalizer which might be what you want.
I've not tried it myself - but let me know if it works.
Cheers
Mike |
| Didn't think of that but I'll check into it. Thanks, Mike (nt | PwrPopGuy
Jun 20, 2003 4:21 AM | | |
| no easy way | jack70
Jun 19, 2003 8:01 AM | | No easy way to do this. Even with a higher end sound card, you still have to bring the signal (out of the enhancer unit) INTO the computer first, and it'd have to be in analog form (enhancer is an analog unit)... unless you have a bunch of external DACs hanging around your room... LOL. Even then, you'd have to "record" the signal going into the PC in "real time". It would add some additional noise, etc from the PC & soundcard environment.. although it's always possible it would sound OK when done [ya never know with these things... just because something is "DDD" recorded quality, or "high-resolution" video, doesn't mean it will sound or look great compared with certain analog stuff].
Most such "enhancers" just "equalize" and/or mix channels a bit. Sometimes they also dynamically effect the signal (compression/expansion in certain bands). Some are meant for listening to headphones... mixing the signal to a "more realistic" sound that you'd get from speakers (where <b>each</b> ear hears <b>both</b> channels). Recording studios used something called ("Aural Exciter"... not sure if that's right(?)...I forget the damn name of it) back in the 80's. It was supposed to make a recording sound "better", whatever the heck that means. I think it cost about $500-700. Used in a manner such as reverb, or other effects within a studio environment. Probably just dirtied/messed up the sound even more IMO.
The only way to "digitally" do this (aside from the multi-DACs I mentioned) would be to digitally edit a ripped wav file using a mix of plug-ins to simulate the "transfer function" that the original enhancer box did to the signal. Not something for amateurs. But any good pro-audio editor has as many tools in it as the best studios did even 10 years ago. With one, you can "roll your own" presets (plug-in effects) and save em, then apply em to any waveform. You could literally spend dozens of hours playing around with such tools. (& get something much better than what your enhancer does).
BTW Rick, I'd love a copy of that jazz mystery disc you're doing when it's done. Thanks. |
| no easy way | PwrPopGuy
Jun 20, 2003 4:19 AM | | Hey jack70, thanks for the info (and the same to the other responders as well). JDaniel is the guy doing the jazz mystery disc. And I haven't forgotten your power pop rarities request, I've just been somewhat lazy getting around to it with planning other comp projects. I will definitely put it together though and have it to you by next week, man. About my post in this thread: I bought this little black box about 4 or 5 years ago by a company called TDS (True Dimensional Sound) who have since sold out that technology to Acoustic Research and they have the process in a box under their name that sells for $119.00. The thing increases the output of the signal slightly and gives the sound more clarity, more dimensionality and my "mad scientist" idea was to be able to use this enhancement process to make my own comps with "remastered" tracks :-). I didn't figure it would be a simple task if possible at all with a computer. I think it would be possible and much simpler though with an audio burner with the signal from the receiver routed through the box, then to the burner, but then does an audio burner accept RCA phono jacks or a digital input only? Doesn't matter because I'm not going to get an audio burner, I can only hope that perhaps AR will come up with a product that will allow someone to encode cd-r's with the process. I won't hold my breath but it was an interesting thought anyway.
Rick |
| re: Tech question: hooking up outboard gear to enhance cd-r's | BT3
Jun 19, 2003 8:15 AM | | You could do it so long as you don't mind going analog. Example; external CD player feeds your receiver, come out of your tape monitor outs and go through your magic box, go into the stereo input on your sound card, record with computer. You now have a file that can be burned to cd, but the source is analog. Very nice setup for ripping from your vinyl collection.
Myself, I have thrown out all my magic boxes of yesteryear (actually I still use most of it for live recording). Instead, I use "plug ins" for the digital recording software on my computers. The plug ins mimic your effect box. I use two software packages, ProTools and Cool Edit. ProTools is probably beyond the scope of conversation here. Cool Edit (and there are many look a likes out there) could easily do what you want to do and more. Give you an example. I had an old Doors CD that I bought years and years ago. The sound quality sucked so bad that I would never listen to it. So I ripped it to the hard drive, and used Cool Edit to tinker with. First I brought it through an compander plug in. Next was EQ, highlighting areas I thought were lacking. Next was a funky stereo expanding filter used very lightly. Next was normalize to minus 2db. Saved files and burned to disk. Sounds way better to my ears, but is certainly less than perfect. And a lot of that comes down to the source that's available in the first place.
"Oh the heresy!", I hear them say.
See ya,
B |
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