John Gatski is the Publisher & Executive Editor of Pro Audio Review.
Everyone who reads this column knows that PAR has been a big proponent of high-resolution audio technologies, including the various 1990s and 2000s disc-delivery formats of SACD and DVD-A and its derivative, Dual-Disc.
For various reasons, including major label indifference, the paranoia over digital copying and an unwillingness to settle on a single standard, the formats never achieved critical mass. Blu-Ray could become the new physical media delivery vehicle of choice for high-resolution PCM audio, but it is likely to always have a video element.
The future of high-res music, however, may be read in the tea leaves of the iTunes model — Apple’s incredibly successful Internet download store — and the various copy cats that have followed.
If the iTunes model works for MP3 and “near” CD-quality audio, what about high-resolution music? As Internet download speeds increase significantly, so are our computers. Downloading 24-bit/96kHz or higher sampling stereo and surround files should be easy.
I had heard that various high-res audio download sites were popping up on the Internet, so I had to try one for myself. I sampled the iTrax (www.itrax.com) audio download site, the brainchild of high-res proponent and AIX Records Owner/Engineer Mark Waldrep. Waldrep has been making high-res audio recordings (and videos) for a few years now, with such artists as Lawrence Juber, Robbie Krieger, Albert Lee, and John Gorka on his roster.
Like iTunes, the customer is given a choice of downloading albums or single cuts. Since these are not mainstream pop recordings, the price is a bit higher, as most audiophile recordings are — about $21 per album, or $1.99 per cut at 24/96 resolution. If you want lower cost, you can purchase stereo MP3, Dolby Digital, Windows Lossless versions ranging from .79 cents to $1.29 per cut; if you want surround, you can have Dolby 5.1 and DTS 5.1 and WMA lossless 5.1, but the per cut rate goes as high as $2.25 bucks.
There is no 24-bit/96 kHz linear surround track download option as of this writing, but Waldrep says that feature is coming (the penalty being much longer download times for linear audio).
I downloaded several 24/96 cuts from Lawrence Juber’s “Guitar Noir,” an excellent recorded album from a couple of years ago. I own the DVD-A, so a disk vs. download quality shootout was in order.
I logged onto the iTrax site, set up an account and began the download process. It was easy; you check off the cut and the resolution, push download and, presto, it downloaded the linear PCM files in relative short order. Most tracks downloaded to the Mac G5 dual 2.7 GHz via Verizon Fios fiber connection in about 1 minute, 30 seconds per track. Average track length is six minutes or so.
I then burned the linear 24/96 stereo tracks to “Music DVD,” a highly useful mode contained in the Roxio Toast Versions 7-8 that allows stereo 24-bit/96 kHz linear music to be burned onto a regular DVD video disc. Almost any player can play these DVDs (except for most Sony players I have tried) and most will play it in full 24-bit/96 kHz resolution. You can also burn the high-res tracks to disc with Minnetonka Bronze DVD-A authoring program. Or you can just play them back from your computer with WMA, QuickTime or the myriad audio programs that support 96 kHz.
In playback on my reference system, the tracks sounded exactly like the DVD-A tracks, clean open and revealing. Judging by iTrax, the future of high resolution is here.
TOURING GEAR
In years past, our March issue would be bustling with preview coverage of the NSCA show, held for years in March. However, NSCA and InfoComm show have combined for a new “super” show that starts its first combo-exhibit this June.
Nonetheless, we have great articles and reviews in this issue, including our 2008 Touring Gear Preview with several profiles of notable tours and live sound engineers as well as a sampling of tour-appropriate equipment.
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