The Noises of Music

[Watt? Me worry?]

Hi RATs!

I used to have season tickets to live music events. I love live
music.

Someone suggested I do not hold the great achievements of audio
implementation in adequate regard.

I do not listen to recorded Music because I prefer it. Only because I
am too sick to go out, anymore.

Some people are impressed with themselves and their vast knowledge.

That stuff that comes out of audio systems does not sound much like
live Music. A few of the noises are fairly convincing, but, there is
something huge missing.

Why else would anyone go to a concert? To show off their sock puppet's
new clothes? If you do not go, you do not know. And some go and are
still convinced Audio is the Ultimate. Well, they say they went...

This is a free country. Some people would rather buy a CD than attend
a live performance.

Life is much like the Internet. Lots of possibilities, but, not much
work gets done.

And a lot of sad little bursts of nasty nonsense.

______

Yes, we can make our audio systems less irritating, if not ourselves,
nor each other ;)

Happy Ears!

Al Marcy

[Bret L]

On Apr 22, 8:08*am, "Watt? Me worry?" > wrote:
> Hi RATs!
>
> I used to have season tickets to live music events. I love live
> music.
>
> Someone suggested I do not hold the great achievements of audio
> implementation in adequate regard.
>
> I do not listen to recorded Music because I prefer it. Only because I
> am too sick to go out, anymore.
>
> Some people are impressed with themselves and their vast knowledge.
>
> That stuff that comes out of audio systems does not sound much like
> live Music. A few of the noises are fairly convincing, but, there is
> something huge missing.
>
> Why else would anyone go to a concert? To show off their sock puppet's
> new clothes? If you do not go, you do not know. And some go and are
> still convinced Audio is the Ultimate. Well, they say they went...
>
> This is a free country. Some people would rather buy a CD than attend
> a live performance.
>

Most live pop music is as wholly artificial as is a recording. Only
purely acoustic performances matter as a reference anymore, and that
kind of music isn't of interest to day's audiences very much so
itbecomes an unanswerable question.

[Watt? Me worry?]

On Apr 22, 5:47�pm, Bret L > wrote:
> On Apr 22, 8:08�am, "Watt? Me worry?" > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Hi RATs!
>
> > I used to have season tickets to live music events. I love live
> > music.
>
> > Someone suggested I do not hold the great achievements of audio
> > implementation in adequate regard.
>
> > I do not listen to recorded Music because I prefer it. Only because I
> > am too sick to go out, anymore.
>
> > Some people are impressed with themselves and their vast knowledge.
>
> > That stuff that comes out of audio systems does not sound much like
> > live Music. A few of the noises are fairly convincing, but, there is
> > something huge missing.
>
> > Why else would anyone go to a concert? To show off their sock puppet's
> > new clothes? If you do not go, you do not know. And some go and are
> > still convinced Audio is the Ultimate. Well, they say they went...
>
> > This is a free country. Some people would rather buy a CD than attend
> > a live performance.
>
> �Most live pop music is as wholly artificial as is a recording. Only
> purely acoustic performances matter as a reference anymore, and that
> kind of music isn't of interest to day's audiences very much so
> itbecomes an unanswerable question.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -



Hi RATs!

Pop is fun, too, but, they do not sell season tickets. The Minnesota
Orchestra has a nice concert hall. Neville Mariner lead a Respighi
piece that ended with a final sonic blast up from the stage and out
through the rear of the auditorium. Possibly over one acoustic watt. I
do NOT try that at home 8*O

Besides, I am last century's audience. I only need to fool myself :)

Happy Ears!

Al

[Bob Eld]

"Watt? Me worry?" > wrote in message
...
> Hi RATs!
>
> I used to have season tickets to live music events. I love live
> music.
>
> Someone suggested I do not hold the great achievements of audio
> implementation in adequate regard.
>
> I do not listen to recorded Music because I prefer it. Only because I
> am too sick to go out, anymore.
>
> Some people are impressed with themselves and their vast knowledge.
>
> That stuff that comes out of audio systems does not sound much like
> live Music. A few of the noises are fairly convincing, but, there is
> something huge missing.
>
> Why else would anyone go to a concert? To show off their sock puppet's
> new clothes? If you do not go, you do not know. And some go and are
> still convinced Audio is the Ultimate. Well, they say they went...
>
> This is a free country. Some people would rather buy a CD than attend
> a live performance.
>
> Life is much like the Internet. Lots of possibilities, but, not much
> work gets done.
>
> And a lot of sad little bursts of nasty nonsense.
>
> ______
>
> Yes, we can make our audio systems less irritating, if not ourselves,
> nor each other ;)
>
> Happy Ears!
>
> Al Marcy

I agree. Speaker music never sounds quite right or real. The simpler the
source, fewer instruments, etc. the more real it can sound but there is
always something lacking. Blind A,B tests have shown this over and over
through the years.

My view is that the transfer functions of speakers and microphones are just
wrong. At best they are two pole band pass or low pass networks while most
are multi-pole monstrosities of compliance and mass that in no way can
accurately reproduce music. While the musical instruments themselves have
multi-resonances, reflections, refractions and a complex pole-zero transfer
function. Their sound is what we expect to hear. Adding the transducer
responses on top of it is why live music sounds real and speaker music does
not. It's a matter of what we expect.

Of course live modern or pop music that comes out of speakers sounds the way
it does and can have a power and dynamics not possible in acoustic music. It
is in a class by itself and is not the same as acoustic music. Furthermore
as people become less and less familiar with acoustic music, the
distinctions may disappear. Even in some Broadway Shows they are getting rid
of musicians and going to synthesized music from computers.

[RickH]

On Apr 22, 8:08*am, "Watt? Me worry?" > wrote:
> Hi RATs!
>
> I used to have season tickets to live music events. I love live
> music.
>
> Someone suggested I do not hold the great achievements of audio
> implementation in adequate regard.
>
> I do not listen to recorded Music because I prefer it. Only because I
> am too sick to go out, anymore.
>
> Some people are impressed with themselves and their vast knowledge.
>
> That stuff that comes out of audio systems does not sound much like
> live Music. A few of the noises are fairly convincing, but, there is
> something huge missing.
>
> Why else would anyone go to a concert? To show off their sock puppet's
> new clothes? If you do not go, you do not know. And some go and are
> still convinced Audio is the Ultimate. Well, they say they went...
>
> This is a free country. Some people would rather buy a CD than attend
> a live performance.
>
> Life is much like the Internet. Lots of possibilities, but, not much
> work gets done.
>
> And a lot of sad little bursts of nasty nonsense.
>
> ______
>
> Yes, we can make our audio systems less irritating, if not ourselves,
> nor each other ;)
>
> Happy Ears!
>
> Al Marcy

Way too many are sitting at home with their computers these days
instead of going out. Sad.

[RickH]

On Apr 22, 5:47*pm, Bret L > wrote:
> On Apr 22, 8:08*am, "Watt? Me worry?" > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Hi RATs!
>
> > I used to have season tickets to live music events. I love live
> > music.
>
> > Someone suggested I do not hold the great achievements of audio
> > implementation in adequate regard.
>
> > I do not listen to recorded Music because I prefer it. Only because I
> > am too sick to go out, anymore.
>
> > Some people are impressed with themselves and their vast knowledge.
>
> > That stuff that comes out of audio systems does not sound much like
> > live Music. A few of the noises are fairly convincing, but, there is
> > something huge missing.
>
> > Why else would anyone go to a concert? To show off their sock puppet's
> > new clothes? If you do not go, you do not know. And some go and are
> > still convinced Audio is the Ultimate. Well, they say they went...
>
> > This is a free country. Some people would rather buy a CD than attend
> > a live performance.
>
> *Most live pop music is as wholly artificial as is a recording. Only
> purely acoustic performances matter as a reference anymore, and that
> kind of music isn't of interest to day's audiences very much so
> itbecomes an unanswerable question.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -


I regularly follow the big jazz bands around Chicago. Most are mic'ed
into the house PA with maybe 5 or 6 mics. But you can still hear both
the band and the PA, that is still non-artificial to me. Best
acoustics in Chicago is at the Willowbrook Ballroom, big room with
damped arched-wood-truss ceiling built in 1921. When the occasional
20-something walks in there, they are floored.

[Bret L]

>
> Way too many are sitting at home with their computers these days
> instead of going out. *Sad.

Yeah but look at the price of tickets.

[Patrick Turner]

On May 11, 7:00*pm, Bret L > wrote:
> > Way too many are sitting at home with their computers these days
> > instead of going out. *Sad.
>
> *Yeah but look at the price of tickets.

Recently I had the pleasure of being given a free ticket to see Nigel
Kennedy playing a kaliedescope of classical and jazz musical treats at
a local venue here in Canberra which rarely gets entertainmant worth
going to.

Well, the venue was a convention centre, not the usual other two halls
which are acoustically much much better. It was obvious the promoters
chose the crummy venue because the cost was lower. Anyway, about 1,200
ppl showed up.
The cost of my ticket was $102. Nigel played and played but the sound
came mostly through the public address system. During quiet music
passages the music was ruined by the airconditioning rumbles. Poor
SNR.
Nigel is a bit of a right git on stage. I can only tolerate so much
cockney bull**** for so long. I'd rather hear him play his music
seriously from a recording; he's very good with a violin, dat fo sure.

So, why go to "live" concerts where the music is less live than what
you'd hear through a decent hi-fi system?

Australia's ABC Classic FM, radio network does have live broadcast
concerts each sunday at 3pm from various halls across the country, and
generally there are 4 concerts over a month for an hour each and at
Lewellen Hall which is the best venue in Canbberra and they are free
and they use almost no "sound reinforcement" because there is no need,
despite the capacity of about 1,200 seats.
The performers at these broadcasted concerts are often amoung the
nation's best musicians and bands - but no rock and roll trash. The
artists take delight in an opportunity to play to the country via
radio.
I try not to miss these local freebies because they are enjoyable, its
nice to be out, and they re-calibrate my ears to give me an idea what
real hi-fi should sound like. People who never attend concerts where
there is true live unamplified music just don't know what hi-fi is.

Patrick Turner.

[Paul D. Spiegel]

If you make the effort to look for it, there is a remarkable amount of
free live music, at least in big city like Los Angeles.

A few weeks ago I went to a free concert on a Sunday afternoon at the
Colburn conservatory. Performers were a mix of accomplished students,
instrumentalists from the LA Philharmonic, and vocalists from the LA
Opera. The program was challenging, the musicianship suberb, and the
acoustics stunning. Not a microphone or amplifier in sight. Beautiful.
I need to attend more of these next year.

Schools are out for the Summer, but there are outdoor festivals of every
stripe throught the city. One of my favorites is the Central Avenue
Jazz fest.

There is nothing like the sound of live music.

Enjoy.

- Paul