On 2014-07-03 17:51, James Knott wrote:
On 07/03/2014 08:43 AM, Carlos E. R. wrote:
CD frequency is limited by the sampling frequency, which must be at
least 2x the highest audio frequency. Actually, double the frequency of any harmonic that wants to be included.
I assumed harmonics were included, as they're a fundamental part of what gives instruments and voices their characteristic sound.
If you play an instrument with a note at, say, 14 Khz (A9 on a piano) the first harmonic would be beyond half the sampling frequency, and thus not recorded. Harmonics are simply higher frequencies above the fundamental, that is, that they distort the fundamental note. Or explained another way. If you digitally sample a 22 Khz wave, when you reproduce it you should get a pure 22 Khz sine wave, provided the entire tool set is absolutely perfect. If the original had "distortions" or differences to the pure sine wave (like harmonics), they get lost. It is digital sampling theory :-) Which is why some of the arguments about vinyl being better have /some/ weight. An analog tool chain /maybe/ transmits some of that, or maybe just adds noise (intentionally or not) at those frequencies so that the ear is fooled, and the mind thinks the sound is better. -- Cheers / Saludos, Carlos E. R. (from 13.1 x86_64 "Bottle" at Telcontar)