BOC CDs, was Re: BOC We gotta get out....

[Paul Mather]

Matthew Braun writes:

> Actually, they will sound worse than the LP if no re-mastering was done.
>
> I believe that "RIAA equalization" (EQ needed to compensate for vinyl's
> abilities to reproduce certain freq's better than others) is applied to the
> LP master tape--not built into the cutter.  As such, any CD made from a
> vinyl master tape will sound weird because it will be produced with an EQ
> that is transparent on vinyl, but audible on CD.

That is correct.  Pre-amps have an RIAA equalisation stage built into
their phono input.  This "removes" the RIAA equalisation encoded on
the vinyl, so that it will sound accurate through your speakers.  So,
like listening to a cassette recorded using Dolby B or C without Dolby
selected, it will sound "funny" if the equalisation process is not
reversed.  (As in the case of vinyl played through a CD input.)

Some of the early Hawkwind CDs sound to me as if they are just dumps
of the vinyl masters onto CD.  (_Chronicle of the Black Sword_ springs
to mind.)  I have always wondered, however, whether these CDs would
sound better if the CD player were plugged instead into the phono
input of the amplifier...

Just a thought,

Paul.

obCD: The Bevis Frond, "Terrible Day", _It Just Is_

e-mail: paul at csgrad.cs.vt.edu                    A stranger in a strange land.