[Scott[_6_]]

On Sep 6, 4:33*am, "Gary Eickmeier" wrote:
"Andrew Haley" wrote in message

...









Audio Empire wrote:

But the dynamic range of an actual musical performance can exceed
even the the range of DSD or 24 or 32-bit PCM.

Bluff. *32-bit PCM has a (theoretical) dynamic range of ~ 190
decibels, the ratio of the quietest sound anyone can hear to the blast
of a pound of TNT ten feet away, which would certainly deafen you. *As
far as I'm aware it's not possible to make an analogue to digital
converter with such a range anyway: it'd need self noise of 0.25
microvolts and 1 kV full scale!

I wonder what the greatest dynamic range in the musical repertoire is.
The greatest range I've personally experienced in an audience is a
performance of _Monochrome_ by Maki Ishii, which exceeds 60dB from the
quietest drumming at the start to the crescendo. *This can lead to
some practical problems with audibility in a concert hall because it
is hard to hear over people breathing and occasionally coughing.

Two things Andrew: One, I would think the 32 bit PCM would be a recording
medium only. Then you have to squeeze that into a 16 bit CD for mastering..
Two, the dynamic range problem is greater for the recording engineer than
for the audience. Mikes are usually placed much closer to the orchestra than
a good seat back in the audience. Back there, everything has mellowed out a
bit (so to speak), and the perceived dynamic range is not so bad. But up
where the mikes are, the range can be formidable. Experienced recordists
please correct me if I am wrong, but that is my impression and experience..



In a good hall the sound does not "mellow out" in the optimum seats.
That is one of the marks of a great concert hall. Orchestras really
aren't all that loud even up close. Unless you are sitting in the row
or two in front of the brass section. In an excellent concert hall the
SPLs should be just as loud 10 to 15 rows back as they are in the
first row. Maybe ever louder.