What level of resolution ?

[Haselsh1]

So, it would appear that while Daft Punk were recording 'Random Access Memories', on the track featuring Georgio Moroder, they used three different microphones. Whilst he was talking about the sixties they used a 60's microphone. Whilst he was talking about the seventies, they used a 70's microphone and whilst he was talking about the future, they used an ultra modern microphone. The balance was shifted between these three microphones as he was talking. Big question time; who can clearly hear the difference...?

[danilo]

Someone of 8 years of age? The point where human hearing begins (measurably) it's inevitable deterioration

[Light Dependant Resistor]

The deterioration is far more likely the conditioning
imposed by using poor quality sound reproducing devices,
Perception of hearing, is for some years then conditioned /numbed
into thinking, that is all there is.

Until...

.

[Audio Advent]

I can hear the differences between and within the two main times he's speaking (sounded to me like the 60s to 70s mic switch happened after the little pause) listening to it on youtube (HD video).

But they also change the wetness of the reverb. First is dry without any, next has a very short time on it and is subtle and then much later he's speaking with quite a lot of reverb going on. So what is the mic and what is down to other effects?

It does open up a little to me a bit before he starts talking about the click but then the music stops too so you can hear more detail...

On this thread on diyaudio.com, first post, there is a download link to a DPA microphone promotional recording: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digit...ekris-r2r.html

It has a few different microphones of theirs in different positions whilst recording grand piano. The tracks sound really good and it's intresting to hear the differences between mic placements.

[danilo]

OF course you can
Clearly there is NO acknowledging the Human condition.
Fill yer Boots mate

[Audio Advent]

huh? Are you joking? Sounds to me that you're not used to studio geekery or don't have interest in studio techniques and so don't know what you're listening for.. Go and explore https://www.gearslutz.com and find the threads where people post up audio files of their recordings, demonstrating the differences between mics, gear, plugins emulations v the real thing etc etc . You begin to the learn to actually hear rather than just listen. Same with that Philips Golden Ear website they put up a while ago: https://www.goldenears.philips.com/en/introduction.html

If you can't the hear the difference between no reverb and loads of reverb though (as is the difference between the first instance he speaks and later on where the reverb is similar to the speech in "Fluffy Clouds" by The Orb) then there's no point being into hifi!

Other than that obvious change, you can hear a tonal difference although it's subtle between the middle and last bits of speech, so much so that it could be down to anything. It could even be that the whole mic thing is false and they've just EQ'd the tracks differently to get an effect or it's the tonal difference caused by the different effect gear or plug-ins used. Either way you can hear differences.

Listen to the files in that link I gave - listen to the differences in mic placement on a grand piano. Very real and obvious. Listen to different mics in the same placements - again, very real and obvious and that with mics from the same manufacturer. I have the actual DPA promo SACD and know it well (I know the CD layer anyway as I have to play SACDs through a not-so-good DVD player which is rarely set up.. wish I could find an easy way to rip it to my Pono player for DSD).

[Audio Advent]

And just to add, try as hard as I like, I don't hear differences between interconnects - differences I think I might hear are there again when I look for them but for the opposite cables - so I am well aware of the tricks your mind can play and deliberately focus on the opposite only to find I can trick myself both ways (and therefore any difference is imaginary).

[Haselsh1]

One thing my partner Sue and I can definitely hear are the differences between interconnects and loudspeaker cables. These differences are blatant they are so obvious. I currently use Atlas Hyper interconnects which have a clear emphasis in the treble when compared to Atlas Equator interconnects. I also use NVA LS5 loudspeaker cables as they also have a precise definition in the treble which tends to emphasise detail in the playback.

This weekend I shall be listening to the Daft Punk album on CD to hopefully hear the different microphones that were used on the Giorgio Moroder track. My guess is that now I know they are there, I shall hear them unlike listening to interconnects where you are not aware of the differences until you connect them up and then they smack you in the face.

[walpurgis]

Yes. The audible differences in the effects varying cables have on the sound are there to hear, even with digital cables. And I'm not talking about subtle effects (although they can be).

I simply don't understand those who say there is no difference. My thoughts are that they simply have not done the comparisons or if they suggest it's a psychological effect, don't trust their own perception.

[Haselsh1]

Geoff, I agree with the ‘perception’ angle on things. Sue and I can clearly hear the differences between interconnects and also loudspeaker cables but we fail miserably to detect any difference between mains cables. We did once try out a Tacima surge protected mains block and it completely screwed up the sound. It is of course possible that we were expecting it to completely screw up the sound in which case that was our ‘perception’.

I also think though that we can have a definite effect on our own perception. Sue and I are very open to cables sounding different so maybe that is why they do…? I once tried out some PWB Graphite foils and they made a rather significant difference to the sound of the CD’s with and without them. OK, the test disc was a Status Quo disk so maybe the end result was inevitable.

I don’t want to get wrapped up in whether interconnects sound better because to me, they sound different and maybe not better as who the hell decides what is better or not…? One thing I do know is that interconnects and loudspeaker cables sound very different to each other and many people can hear the difference.