Wide Dynamic Range Jazz Or Classical - Pacific Microsonics HDCD Model Two User Manual

Setup & Operation
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Model Two HDCD User's Manual
that will almost always be in the limiting curve, unless a highly limited or distorted sound
is desired during undecoded playback.
Typically, Peak Extension recordings do not have the "crunch" or "edge" produced by hard
clipping that is sometimes desired for certain types of rock material.
To get a hard "crunch" without any "easy over" limiting, turn Peak Extend off and adjust
DSPGAIN to a level just below full scale, usually - 0.1 dB. The digital input signal level can
then be adjusted using an external device such as a 24-bit editing workstation. This allows
as much clipping as desired without generating any "overs". To eliminate the need for an
external gain adjusting device, the Model Two can be put into a dual output mode with
digital output 2 set to HDCD_24, and digital output 1 set to HDCD_16, and offset -0.1 dB
relative to output 2 using OUT1OFS in the Levels Menu (see page 36). DSPGAIN can then
be adjusted to provide "crunch" on digital output 1 without generating any "overs". Digital
output 2 may then "over", but isn't used.
When a "dry" or "punchy" low level sound is desired with limited dynamic range material
that has little ambient information, Low Level Extension can be turned off.

Wide Dynamic Range Jazz or Classical

This type of material typically has infrequent, short duration peaks such as snare drum rim
shots, cymbal crashes, bass drum hits, etc. These types of short duration peaks can be
limited by as much as 5 dB or 6 dB using Peak Extension with little audible effect during
undecoded playback, allowing the average recorded level to be raised which improves
overall resolution and fidelity.
Low Level Extension, set to Normal mode, should almost always be used with wide dynamic
range material as it greatly aids in preserving the low level ambient and timbral informa-
tion that gives "life" and naturalness to recordings.
With certain types of source material, such as a very low level passage in a noisy analog
tape, Low Level Extension may occasionally cause an audible shift or "breathing" of the
noise floor during undecoded playback. Low Level Extension can be turned off "on the fly"
prior to such passages when the signal level is above - 30 dBfs, and turned back on
afterwards, again when the signal level is above - 30 dBfs, to preserve the best possible
fidelity for the remainder of the recording. However, with source material that is very
noisy, Low Level Extension should be left off, as the noise of the source will set the
resolution floor.
P A C I F I C M I C R O S O N I C S I N C .
Rev. C - January 2002
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