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In Reply to: RE: /maxmem - second thoughts posted by rickmcinnis@dogwoodfabrics.com on January 22, 2012 at 20:06:44
I tried taking out maxmem from my boot file and while I did not hear less noise I did hear many of the things you mentioned. Its not subtle. I hear soundstage more up front (but less depth). I hear a fuller midbass (but less deep bass). I hear more distinctness with maxmem back in. I think my reaction is the difference between our systems. My system (electrostatics and cone drive bass) is very inefficient (maybe 85 db) whereas your system (horns) is much more efficient. Bottomline I prefer maxmem back in.
But this is yet another way to balance one's system. Its just like, imo, reducing cpu frequency in bios...I tend to find the value that sounds dynamic/lively (not too low a freq) but not hard in the upper mids, highs (not to high in freq).
Follow Ups:
like I said I wonder if it is sound effects?
I did like the effect that maxmem gave, too, but the reduction of noise is something I think I will prefer over time.
There is the possibility that maxmem will work better after being re-inserted. I have noticed this many times with other tricks.
I still cannot figure out WHY this should do something worthwhile and I wonder if it has something to do with upsampling v. no upsampling?
You said: '...like I said I wonder if it is sound effects...'.I think its all about sound effects, that's what voicing is all about. Here's another item that has an air of absolute science about it but is really pragmatic in a sense ... 'lowering the voltage or cpu frequency' to lower rfi. That may be true (that it reduces rfi)but it is also just modifying the power supply. For example we're all told to lower the voltage and cpu speed as much as possible (to reduce rfi). But taken to an extreme if you lower both to zero and what do you get...no music right. Raise them both till you get something to work and get music...but it may be real weak music... soft, no strong bass, no high frequency extension. Raise it too much and you get strident music. So you try to set it just right...not too high not too low. There is much about audio design that is really just about voicing something just right. Yes new technology begets new electronic devices to produce music but they still have to be voiced. I believe since we have so many variables in computer audio to play with ... we should play with them to voice our system. Why not? I also believe those that have tried computer audio and dismiss it have just have not really tried to 'voice their system'. Look at it from an analogue perspective...you need to adjust cartridge vertical/horizontal tracking angles, stylus tracking force plus electrical loading (47k ohms or 10 ohms). If you don't do all that (plus a lot of other stuff) you don't optimize/tweak the system to get it...just right.
I bet if any who claim computer audio is not up to analogue or even good cd disk playback ever heard your cmp fully optimized as I know it is they would be instant believers in computer audio. I know I am.
Edits: 01/23/12 01/23/12
Adjusting a cartridge's load is not neccesarily about voicing though one could do that if they wanted. There are actual electrical parameters that need to be met due to the cartridge's characteristics.
All I can say is that I no longer am getting the blue screens and squeal and it is not as if the sound I am hearing is not attractive.
It is a more robust sound.
When someone loads a MC cartridge with too low resistance one will get a bassy bloated sound and lose output voltage; one can like it but it is not (really) what the designer intended.
One can take the voicing thing to the point where fidelity to the sound that was actually captured has little to do with what is actually ultimately heard. Sometimes this is good for a really bad recording but usually will introduce distortions (euphonic to some) that will mask what is there. This can be advantageous on some recordings but usually makes a mess of many others. I guess I want as much information as I can get and that is my bias. Neutrality is my goal. Sometimes you have to live with the warts.
I would like to know the reason for /maxmem since there is no reduction in power used by the memory when implementing this so the argument about reducing RFI does not apply here.
I think it is something that worked before and has been made superfluous with later developments.
Just my opinion.
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