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Re: UPSAMPLING or OVERSAMPLING ?

Posted by Werner (A) on January 29, 2002 at 23:35:18

In Reply to: UPSAMPLING or OVERSAMPLING ? posted by Glide on January 29, 2002 at 09:06:39:

Fundamentally it's the same. Only marketing and pro-lingo versus audiofool-lingo have created an artificial difference.

Both, in their most pure meaning, are the conversion of a sampled
data stream to a higher sample rate, no additional processing involved.

In consumer audio, it was originally used to allow digital filtering in order to get rid of a lot of analogue filtering. After a while, the term 'oversampling' got to imply 'digital filtering' as well.

In pro audio, it was used in its pure meaning, being just the conversion between data rate standards (i.e. 44.1, 48,88.2, 96,32,...)
In a studio, this has to be done with utter precision, something not trivial when doing, say, a 88.2k to 96k conversion. This is why dCS got involved: doing non-integer resampling at the highest level of quality.

At about the same time, DVD-A reared its head, now with magical numbers like 96k and 192k. Consumer industry jumped on it by dropping 'oversampling', adopting the term 'upsampling', and going not for multiples of 44.1 (which would be smart), instead choosing the magical-aura multiples of 96 (bad, because non-integer).

In most cases (up and over), digital brick wall filtering is involved. Otherwise images would remain in the pass band.

Low-order filtering, i.e. non brick wall at 20kHz, has existed for
over a decade. Wadia did so. Pioneer did so. And even the BB DF1704
oversampling filter these days has the choice between high order and low order low-pass.

Really really nothing new here at all. (Oh, even DSD is old hat.)

The guys at Madrigal are correct in their statements, but being from an established high-end company that (for once) did not hype along, they come over as compromised with most of the inexperienced.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Kimber Kable

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