Chime in on my debate with AIX Records

[JerryDelColliano]

I use the term "argument" as a conversation starter.

AIX discs are great. Anyone with a DVD player and 5.1 speakers needs to know about them.

Its too bad that labels can't see that even to a smaller market - that they have a responsibility to the art to present it in the best possible way. Do you see The Getty using flourescent lights because they are cheaper? Apple does that with their music and has the balls to call it HD!

[deacongreg]

Dr.AIX, thank you for explaining what you do and your obvious passion for it. I guess, since you record everything with todays equipment, there is no chance of a label like CTI being re - done. So, I will await anxiously, while hopefully artists that I like, mainly comtemporary jazz, modern jazz, soul, and some classical and gospel. Will hear about your label and techniques.


One of my favorites, Pat Metheny, is definitely someone I wish you could connect with and record his music.

[MilleRSV]

Dr. AIX,

Good to see you on this new forum. I've chatted with you briefly on another forum. I know you have many other projects working at this time, but looking forward to your ITrax site opening soon.

Any updates?

[David DelGrosso]

Dr. AIX,

Long time no see!

For what it's worth, I also have long appreciated the superb sonic realism of AIX recordings, and I'm VERY interested in learning more about your future releases.

That said, I would offer one comment regarding a portion of your message:

Originally Posted by Dr. AIX

As for pre-existing tracks like DSOTM and A Night At The Opera...they will never be HD Audio tracks. They can't! The fidelity of the those analog recordings was locked in at the time the musicians played in the studio into an analog recorder. With mixing and mastering and safety copies, consumers never got to hear them as the musicians and engineers did.

With HD Audio, we can hear everything that was there on the analog masters BUT they simply cannot approach the fidelity of new state-of-the-art mics, preamps, recorders and processors. It's a different time and the POTENTIAL exists to make better recordings. Some labels/artists/engineers do and but most don't.

Your point is well taken, but it's also true that Picasso paintings will never offer the brilliant colors available from today's advanced materials... yet these older paintings are still quite valuable, and deserve to be presented in the best lighting possible.

So my preference is still for the best of both worlds... perfect HD live recordings, plus the best-possible re-mastering of the most inspiring music ever recorded.

And, as we both know... what the major labels and artists are willing to due, is heavily influenced by supply and demand...as in "lots of demand BEFORE we invest in creating a supply."

Nonetheless, I'm still holding on to the dream that HD-Audio movies and HD-Audio videogames are going to steadily sell millions of new HD-Audio playbacks systems... and maybe (just maybe) can eventually re-kindle enough "demand" to someday spark a re-birth for HD-Audio MUSIC.

DD

[bobstcyr]

I own several AIX discs and agree they sound great. I also own some regular CD's that sound very good. I think that the care of set up - good mike's and electronics and a good setup is maybe as important as the resolution. I think there are many old multi-miked, over processed recordings that would sound poor no matter what resolution they were recorded in. So if we simply push for those folks who make mediocre recordings to use higher resolution we won't get better sound. Buying better sounding disks from those who pay attention to the sound quality will push others to do likewise many of the smaller labels put out great quality of sound.
And of course we need to kill MP3, what's the sense of talking about sound quality and resolution if everyone is going to degrade whatever sound quality is available by compressing everything to MP3?

[J.J.]

I agree with both sides. I have upgraded (if you call it that) for sound quality issues or just pure ease of use, from LP to cassette to CD and now to the high rez. and surround sound discs. I think if the good new music was released in better quality discs they would sell more. Especially with fewer really good artists out there. I would upgrade to better discs that I already own if they were my favorites and no new music was available at the time. I would rather spend my dollar on new music first and upgrade later.

I believe part of the failures of SACD and DVD-A were because of first, two different formats, and second because of the lack of new titles. I know some of the current artists are taking control of their own recordings and doing surround sound on their own without the backing of their own labels.

How many versions of one album are you really going to buy?