Conference Paper
Microphones for DSD Recordings-Practical Experience
AES Conference: UK 13th Conference: Microphones & Loudspeakers · Paper MAL-06 · March 1998
Abstract
The data rate of digital audio recording is getting higher and higher in order to get better and better sound. 20 and 24-bit PCM formats are now popular, and sample rates are increasing. All this even though the discussion of the need for bandwidths greater than 20kHz for music recording and reproduction has certainly not finished. Recording at 24-bits and 96kHz is now possible. What comes next, 24-bit/192kHz, 24-bit/384kHz, 25-bit/192kHz? These two parameters bit-width and sampling rate might leapfrog each other on and on. On the other hand, a totally different approach is Direct Stream Digital (DSD) which is being developed by Sony and Philips. This involves the recording of the 1-bit delta-sigma bitstream. Sony Music Entertainment Japan has been able to use an experimental DSD recorder which has a 100kHz bandwidth. We have started using wide frequency range microphones made by Sony for music recordings. In this paper, our experience of making recordings with these microphones is described.
