Just to disturb the water a bit.
I play piano professionally and I must say that attending live concerts is perhaps the purest way of appreciating music. However, acoustics-wise, I do not think that live music is always superior:
1, As a poor student, I could only afford to sit in one of the last rows in the Severance Hall to hear the Cleveland Orchestra. To me, the sound quality there can hardly be compared to the SQ of recent Cleveland/Boulez DG recordings -- the mics are placed at optimal positions where no seat if available.
2, I love Bjork's music and went to hear her live once. It wasn't a dissapointment, but it was no where near as good as how she sounds on records. To me, she is very like Glenn Gould, the kind of musicians who treat music as still arts (such as paintings) and for whom the best medium of communication is through carefully crafted recordings. Rap music, which i also like, also sounds better, IMO, on records.
Once I was modding a CD player. I tried to find out the values on various components that I was hoping to replace, but, because of my not-so-good eyesight, I couldn't really see the exact markings. So I took out my so-so 4MP digital camera, took a few close-up pictures of the board, and uploaded them onto my laptop. Guess what, I could easily see everything clearly. I think that our current audio recording and reproduction technology has reached similar level such that our sen
I play piano professionally and I must say that attending live concerts is perhaps the purest way of appreciating music. However, acoustics-wise, I do not think that live music is always superior:
1, As a poor student, I could only afford to sit in one of the last rows in the Severance Hall to hear the Cleveland Orchestra. To me, the sound quality there can hardly be compared to the SQ of recent Cleveland/Boulez DG recordings -- the mics are placed at optimal positions where no seat if available.
2, I love Bjork's music and went to hear her live once. It wasn't a dissapointment, but it was no where near as good as how she sounds on records. To me, she is very like Glenn Gould, the kind of musicians who treat music as still arts (such as paintings) and for whom the best medium of communication is through carefully crafted recordings. Rap music, which i also like, also sounds better, IMO, on records.
Once I was modding a CD player. I tried to find out the values on various components that I was hoping to replace, but, because of my not-so-good eyesight, I couldn't really see the exact markings. So I took out my so-so 4MP digital camera, took a few close-up pictures of the board, and uploaded them onto my laptop. Guess what, I could easily see everything clearly. I think that our current audio recording and reproduction technology has reached similar level such that our sen
As an avid "white-boy hip-hop fan" (in addition to Jazz, "classical" and rock--call me eclectic) I must agree that I prefer recorded hip-hop to live. With the exception of a few live clubs I have been too, I must say the same for Jazz. I can't get over the hall acoustics (usually very live and "bouncy") to really appreciate the pure music, though I usually get over it very quickly and relax to enjoy the rest of the show.
I think I am used to symphony cheap seats, but I understand the sentiment. Overall, for those of us who are cheapskates, I think you may have a point that good speakers may be the best sound quality we can get on a regular basis.
I think I am used to symphony cheap seats, but I understand the sentiment. Overall, for those of us who are cheapskates, I think you may have a point that good speakers may be the best sound quality we can get on a regular basis.
If it sounds like cräp live i want THAT sound on cd! ..noo just kidding..
I went to a YES concert two times in a year first in an old wodden building(Cirkus i stockholm) then to Globen (same city).. I must say that globen was very dissapointing compared to cirkus..
I also like björks music very much , i come to think of "theres more to life than this" recorded at the milk bar toilets..
I went to a YES concert two times in a year first in an old wodden building(Cirkus i stockholm) then to Globen (same city).. I must say that globen was very dissapointing compared to cirkus..
I also like björks music very much , i come to think of "theres more to life than this" recorded at the milk bar toilets..
I think that it depends on what types of music we are talking about:
For classical/accoustic music, live concerts are always prefered, especially if they are in good halls. Listening to recordings at home is good but nonetheless synthetic since it is essentially: music -- mics -- recorders/computer -- CD -- Your system -- your ears, whereas attending live concerts are simply music -- your ears
For popular music that utilizing synthetic sound, it's a different story. Attending live concerts is like: vocal/electronic instruments/computer samples -- mics (OK), in a stadium/club -- PA system (not that good) -- your ears,
whereas listening at home is essentially: vocal/electronic instruments/computer samples -- mics (of better quality) in a professional studio -- CD (little loss in fidelity since, for most part of the music, it's just a direct transfer of electronic sound from the computer hard drive) -- your system (I hope that it is better than the PA system!) -- your ears
For classical/accoustic music, live concerts are always prefered, especially if they are in good halls. Listening to recordings at home is good but nonetheless synthetic since it is essentially: music -- mics -- recorders/computer -- CD -- Your system -- your ears, whereas attending live concerts are simply music -- your ears
For popular music that utilizing synthetic sound, it's a different story. Attending live concerts is like: vocal/electronic instruments/computer samples -- mics (OK), in a stadium/club -- PA system (not that good) -- your ears,
whereas listening at home is essentially: vocal/electronic instruments/computer samples -- mics (of better quality) in a professional studio -- CD (little loss in fidelity since, for most part of the music, it's just a direct transfer of electronic sound from the computer hard drive) -- your system (I hope that it is better than the PA system!) -- your ears
I went to a rock festival in Craven, Saskatchewan once. It had the best pa I have heard ever. Most pa systems I have heard were way to distorted. The vocals would give me physical pain at some places like Louies in Saskatoon.
But at Craven the pa was good. It made every band sound like they were a metal band. Nazareth - sounded like metal. Sum 41 - sounded like metal. The Spin Doctors - sounded like metal. it was weird. No distortion on this pa other than the guitars. But when the head liner ZZ Top started playing it seemed like they hit the loudness button because everything and the guitars were distorting and sounded twice as loud.
But at Craven the pa was good. It made every band sound like they were a metal band. Nazareth - sounded like metal. Sum 41 - sounded like metal. The Spin Doctors - sounded like metal. it was weird. No distortion on this pa other than the guitars. But when the head liner ZZ Top started playing it seemed like they hit the loudness button because everything and the guitars were distorting and sounded twice as loud.
I live in a big house, and its freakin old !
Whenever my girlfriend starts to sing i ask her to be quiet so that i can put on some real music.
Long time ago i heard "audiophilo" stuff that sounded like PA equipment. Mmmm, now i remember, Apogee was the name.
(She sings a lot, and i haven't been permitted to say anything that contains Pass in any form for the last coup(l)e of years
)
Whenever my girlfriend starts to sing i ask her to be quiet so that i can put on some real music.
Long time ago i heard "audiophilo" stuff that sounded like PA equipment. Mmmm, now i remember, Apogee was the name.
(She sings a lot, and i haven't been permitted to say anything that contains Pass in any form for the last coup(l)e of years
)
I remember i had a Marantz receiver, the model was
2216, or 2238.
It was different in sonics, a very interesting sound equipment, the piano reproduced perfect in that amplifier.
But was the piano it`s best..... and despite all those harmonic capabilities it was mufled in high frequencies, even testing different speakers....i loved that equipment down in the seventies....now a days i cannot listen to it without be bothered.
Was a very interesting amplifier...i think it was using some ligth bulbs, very small ones, in the place of low value resistors...maybe emitter ones, or power control ones..... was very interesting to watch it working near the clipping level.... a nice Christmas three when watching the amplifier under low ligth conditions, with the cover removed.
Also in the eigthies i could listen an enormous Mac Intosh...really enormous.... with giant speakers....a tube system.... a stereo enormous furniture, painted with that copper oxide green.
Was incredible the quality...alike those old Cinema tube amplifiers..with enormous woofer hidden behind the screen....very near the alive performance.....it could substitute if you had not money to go to listen alive, or if you had not too much alive performances in your town.
Good rememberings.....maybe for my hearing standards...for now a days, maybe not enougth....but those days, a very young man..i was much more tollerant.
regards,
Carlos
2216, or 2238.
It was different in sonics, a very interesting sound equipment, the piano reproduced perfect in that amplifier.
But was the piano it`s best..... and despite all those harmonic capabilities it was mufled in high frequencies, even testing different speakers....i loved that equipment down in the seventies....now a days i cannot listen to it without be bothered.
Was a very interesting amplifier...i think it was using some ligth bulbs, very small ones, in the place of low value resistors...maybe emitter ones, or power control ones..... was very interesting to watch it working near the clipping level.... a nice Christmas three when watching the amplifier under low ligth conditions, with the cover removed.
Also in the eigthies i could listen an enormous Mac Intosh...really enormous.... with giant speakers....a tube system.... a stereo enormous furniture, painted with that copper oxide green.
Was incredible the quality...alike those old Cinema tube amplifiers..with enormous woofer hidden behind the screen....very near the alive performance.....it could substitute if you had not money to go to listen alive, or if you had not too much alive performances in your town.
Good rememberings.....maybe for my hearing standards...for now a days, maybe not enougth....but those days, a very young man..i was much more tollerant.
regards,
Carlos
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