[ProAudio] Lossless audio on YouTube

[Corey Bailey Audio Engineering]

Hi Richard,

Always great to hear from you.

I wasn't commenting on the creative uses (or, misuses) of Dolby NR. 
However, playing an SR encoded soundtrack through a Dolby A series 
decoder is a particularly egregious audio experience. At the time, I was 
as surprised as David Grey to learn that the average person listening, 
didn't know the difference, or perhaps, didn't care.

FWIW, I too prefer the Dolby 363 hardware decoder.

The bad Beta Tester,

CB

www.baileyzone.net

On 4/24/2021 7:56 AM, Richard L. Hess via ProAudio wrote:
> Corey,
>
> I should not get started on this, but I'll keep it brief. People don't 
> care or sometimes prefer using UNDECODED tracks that were Dolby A 
> encoded in their re-releases.
>
> While John Dyson, with some support from me, has worked tirelessly on 
> the software decoder for tapes recorded with Dolby A, the feedback is 
> it's not quite there yet.
>
> Dolby made software decoders for Dolby A and SR for one of their 
> Cinema products, but have said to me "we will never issue a software 
> decoder plugin" and "it's impossible."
>
> For many reasons I can understand those statements, and I see why 
> "good enough for Cinema projection" isn't "good enough for master tapes."
>
> Also, I know people who prefer the 361 decoder over the 363 and 
> vice-versa (I prefer the 363).
>
> It would even be difficult to remanufacture hardware Dolby A decoders 
> today because a few specific components that affect the micro-timing 
> of the attack/release are no longer manufactured, and Dr. Dolby used 
> some of these components, it appears, precisely for their transfer 
> function at specific levels. This is very difficult to emulate in 
> software (generic diode and Zener diode models don't work) and may be 
> why it's well nigh impossible to do one.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Richard
>
>
> On 2021-04-23 5:32 p.m., Corey Bailey Audio Engineering via ProAudio 
> wrote:
>>
>> In 1987, I attended the unveiling of Dolby Digital for 35mm film. The 
>> demonstration was very impressive although one could tell when the 
>> sound was switched, back & forth, between DD and the analog sound 
>> track which was Dolby SR encoded. Afterwards, I pointed out (at the 
>> time) to David Gray & Tom Scott, that there were less than a dozen 
>> theaters equipped to play an SR encoded track....world wide. This 
>> meant that the vast majority of theaters that installed DD, would be 
>> playing an SR encoded soundtrack through a system designed to play 
>> Dolby A.........UGH!
>>
>> David pointed out that Dolby had done several focus groups &, much to 
>> his surprise, the listeners couldn't tell the difference or, didn't care.
>>
>> My $0.02
>>
>>
> -- 
> Richard L. Hess                   email:richard at richardhess.com
> Aurora, Ontario, Canadahttp://www.richardhess.com/
> http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm  
> Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes.
>
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