"Arny Krueger" wrote in message ...
A good digital recorder can make a recording of the output of an analog
device and play it back in such a way that the difference can't be detected.
This has been done many times, and finesses all of the issues related to
mastering and the like.

In contrast, it's generally impossible to make an analog recording of the
output of a clean wide-range digital source whose playback can't be
distinguished from the original.

You don't need a MRI or a PhD to do this. A level-matched,
time-synchronized, bias-controlled test can be set up by *any* reasonably
competent audio production person, with an assistant.

The *real* problem is getting some competent people who like to pontificate
and posture about things like this off their lazy chicken butts to actually
do something.

well, my point wasn't really can we make them indistinguishable from
each other. my point was more to the effect of: it would be
interesting to see how people's brains reacted to all analog and all
digital recordings...furthermore, it would be of interest to see the
differences between the responses of older and younger subjects to
account for the sort of "branding" factor ecountered by the "pepsi
challenge" researcher.

i'm not really interested in finding out which is "better"...it's been
done to death. i think we all know there are things going for and
against both, strengths and weaknesses and with the technology
available to us now, both new and old, it's almost a moot point
arguing one over the other now anyway...we sort of have the best of
both worlds at our end in the chain...

i was really more curious to see if there was any particular way we
respond to hearing these different mediums...perhaps something
inherent across the board in the way we would react, regardless of our
generational ties to format. maybe it would be simply a case of liking
what we grow up with...or what we're most familiar with, etc.

i've seen rupert neve assert in print on several occasions that he
believes digital sound makes people subtly more hostile, frustrated,
negative...etc. it would be interesting to see some science being
applied to see what does go on between the two, if anything different
at all...

really, though, i just wanted make a few funny comparisons between the
pepsi vs. coke thing as applied to analog/digital and get the ball
rolling for a usenet pun and double-entendre-fest!!! (off to a good
start!)