In 990421 Mechanical Music Digest Ern Grover wrote:

> I recently restored a beautiful music box (R. A. Bremond - Geneva)
> which plays the following selections ...  Each is of a duration of
> approximately 55 seconds and 1.3 meg each.  I can send as many as
> you wish to your email off-list.

Robbie commented:

>[ The WAV format is what is used on CDs, and has been around for
>[ many years, whereas the new MiniDisc format uses data compression
>[ techniques similar to RealAudio and MPEG formats.  I'd like to
>[ have a report which compares the sound of the music box before
>[ and after processing by MiniDisc and other compression methods.

Actually CDs use the CDDA file format.  It is very similar to some
WAV files but not the same.

I am suspicious of lossy compression formats, such as the one used for
MiniDisc.  I think they may sound fine until we learn what to listen
for, then we will all say "That sounds like a MiniDisc recording".
Okay for casual listening, but not for reference files, in my opinion.

I would love to have some (or all) of the music box recordings.
Perhaps two zip files, each containing three recordings, would be a good
way to mail them?  Or could they go on the Foxtail site?

Regards

Don Cox
doncox@enterprise.net

 [ Ern, we would be happy to place the individual WAV files at the
 [ MMD Sounds web page, where they may be download via a web browser
 [ or via FTP.  Then, hopefully, someone can make a MiniDisc comparison
 [ for us!  :-)  I'll contact you about transmission details.
 [
 [ The MiniDisc(tm) format was developed by Sony in 1992 and reproduces
 [ audio at "near CD" quality, according to the MiniDisc web site at
 [ http://www.connact.com/~eaw/minidisc/index.html   -- Robbie