Living with popping and crackling

Dougdeacon...No. For artistry I like my Rubinstein LP, which I play in preference to digital discs, but I am always upset by the surface noise. Even when new this LP was somewhat noisy because they cut it at a rather low level, probably to preserve dynamic range. I would prefer a little more compression (they always do some) and less surface noise.

Surface noise is a fact of life for vinyl. In the last decade before consumer digital media became available many kinds of hardware were developed to address the issue: dynamic noise filters (Carver Autocorrellator) pop and click eliminators (actually digital devices), and DBX noise reduction (similar to Dolby processing for tape recorders, and the only really successful approach). Distortion, dynamic range, and most other deficiencies were overcome by the best equipment, but surface noise just became more and more objectionable as other faults were corrected.

Some audiophiles can "listen through" the noise. Some say spending $30,000 or more on phono playback equipment will solve the problem. (After spending such money, who would admit a mistake!) Others simply deny surface noise exists. Unless you are one of these folk, concentrate on a good digital system.

Papertrail...Some noise filters were much more effective than others, and used some very clever methods to distinguish noise from music. Nothing is perfect(even vinyl), and some really good LPs did not benefit from the noise reduction. However, for the average or inferior LP (which might be good music) I found that a Carver Autocorrellator made them better. In particular, I found that in a matrix quadraphonic system, where the S/N ratio of the rear channels was lousy, the Carver device made a big difference.

But the real answer is digital.

Johnnantais...Congratulations!! You are one of those who can listen through the noise.

!!!!!THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES!!!!

Jyprez...Recordings made prior to the digital age usually had a good deal of "processing", most notably Dolby or DBX. Also of interest is the almost universal use of multitrack recording with subsequent mixdown to stereo, which scrambles phasing, and the "blending" of low frequency material (mix to mono) so as to enable tracking by less-than-highend pickups.

Vinyl does have some virtues, but signal to noise ratio is not one of them. My Dixieland jazz LP's (loud and brassy) sound great. Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (quiet) does not.

Jyprez...I accept your comment that I am "fixated" on LP surface noise, but I reject your suggestion that the noise is "supposed". This is why I cited (in the earlier post) the many kinds of hardware that the audio community desparately developed to address the problem, before digital came along. Also it is true, as you say, that most Jazz and Pop music is recorded at a constant loud level, which hides the surface noise.

By the way, I hope you realize that ALL of your LPs have very intensive noise reduction in the form of RIAA equalization. Also, all but a few "audiophile" recordings were mastered using Dolby or DBX dynamic noise reduction, compression, and peak limiting.

Perhaps LPs are like saussage...you don't want to watch it being made.