[Vintage-Audio] SAE-5000 Vs Soundcard Software Scratch And Snip Software

[Duane Fischer, W8DBF]

Hello All,

While reading through some commentary sent to me on the SAE-5000 I could not 
help but notice the frequent remarks about how much better software was then 
the SAE-5000 for removing scratches, snaps, crackles and pops.

Now before about 2003 aprox., there was no affordable software that the 
common audio fan could afford! Hence, devices like the SAE-5000 were the 
best way to go.

Then I read about the guys using computer sound cards costing around $500 
and special audio editing software costing from $100 - $250. They make all 
sorts of fantastic claims about quality etc. However, I have been around 
audio for five decades and I am not that easily convinced about anything 
being that wonderful!

Some of you have been dabbling with audio since Thomas Edison last replaced 
the 1.5 volt lantern batteries in his prototype hearing aids! So tell us, in 
your experience, what devices actually did work to reduce, or remove, 
undesireable audio debris without clipping the top end of musical notes off 
like a mad Barber with a sharp pair of Sheep sheering scissors?

Am I wrong, or do computers using audio editing software add both noises 
from the computer itself, plus sounds peculiar to the software and then one 
needs to filter that back out? If this is true, and the battle seems to flip 
and flop both ways over the fence of reason frequently, isn't their data 
loss from increasing the number of recording/copying generations?

Duane

Duane Fischer, W8DBF/WPE8CXO
dfischer at usol.com
HHI: Halligan's Hallicrafters International
http://www.w9wze.net
HHRP: Historic Halligan Radio Project
hhrp.w9wze.net