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Conference hips::uk_audioo

Title:You get surface noise in real life too
Notice:Let's be conformist
Moderator:GOVT02::BARKER
Created:Thu Jul 28 1988
Last Modified:Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:550
Total number of notes:3847

331.0. "Training The Ears" by SKIWI::EATON (Marketing - the rubber meets the sky) Thu Jan 02 1992 23:33

Well, Christmas has come and gone, and with it some good times with friends
along with some very special bottles of red stuff...

Late one evening after the port had been tasted a while I got into a dicussion
with a musician (my girlfriend) about sound. I have been "assisting" her in 
cutting tracks for a (hopefully) upcoming album, and so was working with the
production people in laying down the various tracks that constitute making a
song.

Now, we've already discussed my distaste for albums which are produced by
engineers using 32 track machines, digital effects etc.etc., but what has
surprised me is that a number of people who spend their lives as working
professionals in the music industry who have so little idea of what constitutes 
good sound from a Hi-Fi perspective.

Got me thinking about the best way to educate someone to this.

How do you folks out there manage ?

-Dave.
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
331.1This work for meFUTURS::WATSONRik WatsonFri Jan 03 1992 08:5118
    I gave up trying to ``educate'' people to what I think constitutes a
    good sound ... when trying to educate, people listen ``too hard''.
    
    I tend to stick on any-old-album then sit down and chat about anything
    except for Hi-Fi. After 5-10 mins their feet start to tap. Let the
    tapping continue 'till the end of the album then ask them what they
    would like to listen to. (At this point they probably don't realize that
    they'd been tapping their feet).
    
    Play their choice of album whilst continuing to chat. After the first
    track or so the conversation had died down and we've all started to
    listen...
    
    		...then open the Port.
    
    			Rik
    
    PS Happy New Year all.
331.2BAHTAT::SALLITTa legend in his lunchtimeFri Jan 03 1992 11:5312
    �re .0....
    
    Professionals often play back through monitor speakers at very high
    volumes, and don't listen for the same things as �you or I. Nor, at
    that point, do they expect to �enjoy the listening.�
    
    I used to cringe when sleeve notes indicated that an album was
    digitally recorded�, but as the professionals became more experienced
    with the new technology, and my system has improved, the so-called
    "�digital nastie" have become less of an issue.
    
    Dave
331.3SKIWI::EATONMarketing - the rubber meets the skyWed Jan 08 1992 00:517
I don't have so much of a problem with Digital Mastering per se, what I
(intensely) dislike is the multi-layering of tracks, the extensive use of
synthesisers rather than real musicians (e.g. you almost never use a real
drummer to lay down a rhythm track), but mostly the absence of anything that
could be called "live" in the recording of a track.

-Dave.
331.4BAHTAT::SALLITTa legend in his lunchtimeWed Jan 08 1992 10:279
    I know what you mean. It isn't that digital recording/mastering is
    inherently bad; it just seems to encourage laziness in planning
    recording sessions, or encourages tecchies to think they're creative
    when they're not.
    
    It used to have the same effect on hifi manufacturers, but hopefully
    things are getting better.
    
    Dave