Watch this !

[Jaap]

http://philoctetes.org/Past_Programs...uality_Matters

this is the bigger picture, the reason why you are in tubes (I suppose)

Very informative and worth your time

[jrn77478]

I did watch it, all 2.5+ hours of it.
Fascinating to see some of the most gifted technicians in the music industry talk about where their craft has been, where it is headed, and where it should be headed. Conspicuously absent from the the entire panel were any of the people responsible for the business end of the industry. You know, the one's who, apparently, thought that using RIAA to protect their sinking ship of an industry through litigious bullying of defenseless individuals was a good idea. No, we're not going to have that debate. I am merely pointing out that there seems to be no one in the business listening to the technical wizards who know best how to make recorded music an engaging product that people will buy. The segment of the discussion where the one chap was talking about how vinyl appreciation is spreading "virally" among the mp3 generation is really the message here. Not that vinyl is a panacea, but that consumers can identify and then desire something that is better than what comes out of their iPod.

[c2cthomas]

Hi Jaap.

I found the discussion informative and rewarding. Many of the statements and opinions touched on things we already know about - bad recordings. But it was interesting to hear some real masters of the recording art explain what was, is, and hopefully will be going on with the recording industry. IMHO we are all headed towards downloading our music and storing it onto a "music server" (PC). Or perhaps some of us will digitize our vinyl and store that on the server. Using 24 bit / 192 kHz sampling should get us where we need to be - but getting your hands on material that has been recorded at those rates is the trick at the moment.

Thanks for sharing!

[Sheldon]

Interesting clip. I saw most of it in between doing other things. It brought up many of the forces driving the quality/cost/format issues. Of course a prime factor is the desires of the consumer. It's already agreed that audio passionistas, if you will, represent a small subset of the music listening population. But I think one problem we have - and I don't see it discussed often - is that this already small group appear to be almost exclusively male. How many women have been active on this site? Two maybe? How many women on that panel? Or how many are there in similar positions in the recording industry? Very few, would be my guess.

I don't offer any reason, much less solution, for this remarkably polar orientation. But if half the population doesn't place much priority on the recorded music listening experience, it will remain a fringe pursuit. Especially so, as it's the half that still today has the most influence on priorities in the domicile.

Sheldon

[Jaap]

Originally posted by Sheldon
But if half the population doesn't place much priority----------- , it will remain a fringe pursuit. Especially so, as it's the half that still today has the most influence on priorities in the domicile.

Sheldon

It didn't stop Porche or Mercedes or the producer of my roadbike

[Sheldon]

Originally posted by Jaap
It didn't stop Porche or Mercedes or the producer of my roadbike

Yes, also mostly male driven. Unlike hi end audio, however, probably a majority of men actively lust after Porsches, and many would sacrifice other things for a Mercedes too. And roadbikes also more male owned than female. But again, compared to high end audio, a much larger portion of women would like a Porsche. Almost all would take a Mercedes, and a fair number ride roadbikes.

Sheldon

[Jaap]

I must admit that most women seem to be more interested in the size of things, like loudspeakers, than in quality issues regarding these apparatus.
On the other hand where size or looks isn't a big issue men often succeed in dominating buying decisions, sometimes using all kind of tricks.
At least that is how I manage to survive

[riverrat373]

Thank you for that Link! That was a learning experience that has opened up a whole new dimension in audio for me.

[EC8010]

Originally posted by jrn77478
The segment of the discussion where the one chap was talking about how vinyl appreciation is spreading "virally" among the mp3 generation is really the message here. Not that vinyl is a panacea, but that consumers can identify and then desire something that is better than what comes out of their iPod.

Odd you should mention that. I'd had a few drinks and owned up to an interest in valves to our next door neighbour. First, I had to explain what a valve is (she's under 40). Then, when I had done so, she asked why I was interested in valves, so I said I thought they sounded better. She said, "Oh, like vinyl?"

PS They don't have a turntable...