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11-04-2009, 10:49 AM
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continued from PM...
In reference to the #17 post here -- http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/show...mall-1584.html -- concerning the audio processing comments:

Quote:
...Could you at some point in the near-ish future please disclose something(s) in particular that you recommend and/or like? And how best to utilize whatever you'd use based on personal experience?
I still have a harman/kardon EQ8 '80s-vintage 10-band in with my home stereo stuff. I've often wondered if that could successfully "fluff up" older VHS recordings that include music as part of the programming?
I have Audacity, too- but do struggle a bit with that at times...Thanks!

Hope you're good, thanks again!
Audio guides?

I think it's a great idea! Audio is, again, one of those things that most people don't consider. Even some professionals overlook this, and should not.

To "back up" a second, and look at the big picture...

Remember ALL of the important aspects of digital video, and DVD specifically:
  • quality-controlled video input, meaning good VCR, TBC, proc amp as needed, detailer/sharpeners/res boosts as needed - what I call "pre-precossing"
  • quality-controlled audio input, meaning good VCR, audio boards between source and digitizing device - what I call "pre-precossing"
  • video and audio filters in software, as needed -- "post-processing" (post-input, at least)
  • proper presentation, meaning easy-to-understand, easy-to-read, obvious and attractive DVD menus, DVD labeling/printing (or marker writing), and DVD cases/storage
Every step should be controlled, monitored, filtered, and perfected -- never let a computer just "do it", or expect an analog or digital device to "just do it". Without your oversight and instructions, I doesn't really know what to do. It randomly guesses, often quite wrongly.

Consider it done!

I'll start a series of audio guides when the new site launches here by end of year. In the meantime, if you have any SPECIFIC questions, ask them in the forum, and I'll try to answer them as best as I can.

Thanks for the idea.

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  #2  
11-04-2009, 10:53 AM
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Re-reading your question, can you connect the "harman/kardon EQ8 '80s-vintage 10-band" via standard RCA audio inputs? If so, then are you certain the vintage device does not ADD hiss or noise to the signal? I have an old 80s stereo, and it's known to sometimes add in noise -- making it a poor fit for my LP conversion work.

I had to upgrade to a nicer turntable two years ago, and then later bought the audio board that I cart between it and the video setup, as needed. Computer serves as recorder, although that can sometimes add noise too -- took a while to get a "noise free" setup, no feedback from other cards or devices inside the tower. Better card, too (Turtle Beach).

Get back to me on all that. Let's see what you've got available!

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11-04-2009, 02:46 PM
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Quote:
can you connect the "harman/kardon EQ8 '80s-vintage 10-band" via standard RCA audio inputs?
That's the only way you can connect this analog audio equalizer.
Quote:
are you certain the vintage device does not ADD hiss or noise to the signal?
It was the audio cassettes I used to playback/record utilizing this device that were making all the forsaken noise!
Quote:
I had to upgrade to a nicer turntable two years ago...
I use a Thorens. What did you upgrade to?
Quote:
...then later bought the audio board that I cart between it and the video setup.
This was what prompted my initial question. It would interest me to know of a way to improve an audio track through hardware, as an alternative to software. Oftentimes, after de-muxing video and audio into distinct streams, a "re-assembled" file will now sound great but be out of synchronization (it only takes a few dropped video frames...) What hardware device(s) do you favor- and for what reason(s)? Forget about my old equipment and projected junk video projects...Please use one of your own (or customer) restoration projects as an example? Your forum membership are intuitive enough to make product and model judgments based on a solid and applicable scenario- Your natural inordinate attention to detail is already legendary...
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Let's see what you've got available!
...darn near empty pockets. But please advise what to do, and I'll save...
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11-05-2009, 06:08 PM
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I know some audio-heads don't like them, but I've been quite pleased with my Crosley. It's one of the special-order high-end ones, it's not one of the crappy ones you'd find at Target or the now-gone Linens-N-Things. The audio plays quite clean from it, and the output sounds good -- better than a high-end 80s deck that was more than 2x the price when new (that some audio-heads oddly do like, go figure).

Audio boards can run into the mid and upper hundreds, well into the thousands. There are so many out there. Even modest-sized churches tend to have nice boards. My most recent deal was a Tapco from Best Buy, for all of $58. Regular is about $150-200 for it! It was on clearance, getting rid of their Tapcos, and I had a 10% coupon. It has multiple gain controls and a 3-band EQ. This is my travel deck, should I need one. It fits perfectly into an extra laptop bag! Note that I am near one of those extra-large Best Buy stores that has its own rather sizable musical equipment sections.

A good 7-band or 10-band EQ effects processor from Mackie, Behringer, Avalon and a few others are nice, but those easily run $500 to $2,000 range. Those tend to also have added filters.

I'm mostly using 3- and 4-EQ mixers, because they can filter enough, but for a lower cost. I can process the rest of the way, if needed, in SoundForge. I'm mostly interested in pre-processing, not full hardware processing.

B&H sent me their new catalog this week, and there are some decks that run as much as $12,000 in here. Pockets feeling even more empty when you hear figures like that?!

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