I told my son in a phone call last night that I've given up trying to understand other people. Another useful one is trying to get another person to understand me, or asking for that of another person in some way.
There actually are other people who dont understand what "Quiet nights of quiet stars" is all about and would find the whole idea boring...
What amazes me is the logarithmic-scale necessary range in human motivation, similar to physical capability, like some folks running a full marathon at 6-7 mins a mile. I'll never run any mile in 6-7 mins... Likewise, i'll never build a speaker the size of a small automobile, or a sub taking up the whole basement - or a home sound system using 17 phase-linear 400s.
It's fun to watch though - and wonder about it!
Must they use the word "crazy" to describe it?
In that link I added, I think the crazy part was motivated by the current information on the site that used to have a full technical description of what was done and why, but currently the site has gone over to the far side... (of sanity?)
Ancient Chinese secret, sorry, can't divulge...
(*RHC follows*) When I was building Control, Mastering, and QC suites in the 80s and 90s my design process was to ensure equal path lengths from each speaker (duh), and a basically equilateral triangle approach to the listening position. The rooms were designed to ensure the early reflections off the non-parallel sides were as far outside Hass as possible and highly dispersed. The listening position and speakers were located at the front 1/3 of the room towards the speaker wall. Soffit mounting where possible greatly reduced baffle effects and extended the low-end. I learned early on that above all, side reflections are highly disturbing to imaging (it makes sense from an evolutionary perspective), so if I had to adapt a pre-existing room, I would orient the listening position towards the center of the long wall. For our QC rooms I went with nearfield monitoring with Genelecs and Meyer HD-1s, hearing minute detail in that usage was more important than proper imaging. In those days I had only the knowledge gained from Syn-Aud-Con classes, the Davis's Sound System Engineering tome, and F. Alton Everest as guides. We did have a TEF which was invaluable at identifying issues. However, we struck up a relationship with Peter D'Antonio early on (1988?) and afterwards were converts to LEDE. (*End of RHC*)
In the last couple of years I have been working with a very highly regarded studio design firm (several TEC awards and Mix covers) with two excellent acousticians with many years of experience (I handle AC power, shielding and grounding), and they have a much more finessed approach to the design. They use an iterative process since each studio is a different size and shape, and I think they wouldn't appreciate me divulging it. I will say the basic equilateral 60° included angle to the speakers is a good general guideline which gives a good stable wide image. One nicety is the use of elevator stands for the nearfield speakers right behind the meter bridge which allows for several sets of speakers to share the same basic alignment, albeit with different equilateral leg lengths. Variable acoustics and traps are also commonly used to accommodate different types of music and correct low end response.
Mastering rooms are usually designed with a slightly higher reverberant to direct ratio compared to Tracking Control rooms. This afford a sonic perspective which is closer to end-user perspective.
I'd like to not endanger my position with the firm, is this informative enough without being too cagy?
Cheers!
Howie
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Bill,
It is not much of a problem when the fellow operating things is five feet wide.
Many of the larger consoles have the master controls in the middle, so that is the aiming position.
Not a silly question at all, and of course the speakers are servoed to pivot and point to wherever the engineer is sitting...........NOT!! lolol, sorry I just imagined that actually happening, and L/R time delays would have to be varied as well as amplitudes, and then there is the asymmetrical room reverberant field to consider...is anyone else getting stir crazy from being on lockdown?
The answer is of course in order to get a decent stereo image the engineer has to sit at the center where the main volume and screens usually are. This is less important when tracking when setting up levels and eqs are the job of the moment. For final mixdowns most engineers sit dead center and set up remote flying faders on the channels and sub-groups they want to vary from the center master fader position.
I need to get out more...
Howie
I am a subcontractor and not supposed to reveal clients with out their permission, nor can I use their projects in my ads or promotional material without permission...Sometimes I wish I was on salary again...but then I remember being on salary.
And re: molded diffusion unit ad LOLOL. (RHC Warning) Something similar happened to me when I was at a Syn-Aud-Con titled "How We Hear," and one of the presenters was Mead Killion. Richard Clark and I had arranged with Mead to do an in-ear recording demo using Ety mics and IEMs and we ended up being in an Etymotic ad, but I liked their products so I wasn't upset. And man, did I get paid for that ad!!! nope... (End RHC)
I guess we all use ad copy where we can get it, I use my distributor's ad copy (with permission of course), it is too expensive or in my case, too time consuming to come up with my own, not that I even have the talent to make compelling ads...
Cheers,
Howie
COVID lockdown
Sadly, North Carolina needs to be on lockdown, but it is not and the COVID rates are now increasing. Apparently some here feel being told they have to wear a mask is an infringement on their 'freedoms.' I wonder why they don't feel the same about being told they can only drive on the right side of the road? Maybe the human failing of not believing something if there is no instant consequence plays a role...?
Anyway, I'm on lockdown by doctor's orders, I am immuno-compromised, and apparently if I catch it I will REALLY catch it, and I'm trying to avoid that eventuality. I have the additional complication shared by many here: I am not 20 any more...
I hope everyone here is taking care as well!
Cheers,
Howie
Sadly, North Carolina needs to be on lockdown, but it is not and the COVID rates are now increasing. Apparently some here feel being told they have to wear a mask is an infringement on their 'freedoms.' I wonder why they don't feel the same about being told they can only drive on the right side of the road? Maybe the human failing of not believing something if there is no instant consequence plays a role...?
Anyway, I'm on lockdown by doctor's orders, I am immuno-compromised, and apparently if I catch it I will REALLY catch it, and I'm trying to avoid that eventuality. I have the additional complication shared by many here: I am not 20 any more...
I hope everyone here is taking care as well!
Cheers,
Howie
Howie, maybe a good investment - 3M 07183 Half Facepiece Respirator Large 51131071834 | eBay
Or Honeywell 85302TBA Hazmat Bib Hood Visor for 85300 Airline Respirator | eBay
That one you'd have to arrange your own battery / air pump / filter / connection hose. Pretty easy to do with the skills you have - even I could do it. DIY PPE for COVID-19 Infection Avoidance : 10 Steps - Instructables
I put on the respirator even when stopping in an outdoor yard sale. I wear the PAPR hood when going grocery shopping.
Hope this helps others - and those in the not 20 anymore category.
Or Honeywell 85302TBA Hazmat Bib Hood Visor for 85300 Airline Respirator | eBay
That one you'd have to arrange your own battery / air pump / filter / connection hose. Pretty easy to do with the skills you have - even I could do it. DIY PPE for COVID-19 Infection Avoidance : 10 Steps - Instructables
I put on the respirator even when stopping in an outdoor yard sale. I wear the PAPR hood when going grocery shopping.
Hope this helps others - and those in the not 20 anymore category.
I remember driving in Italy on what I thought was a two lane road. Apparently, there are Italians who think it's three lanes, 'cause one was coming at me in the 'center' lane.
I believe so, governments ought to understand this but they seem to have a problem with it in "liberal democracies". Wales is the only country in the UK that has not made wearing of masks mandatory in shops and few people here wear them
Thanks RIDIKAS for putting up this review of the JC-2. It is critical, even dismissive of the JC-2, but it offers useful measurements and comparisons with other products. I don't get this sort of feedback very often. I will look at the review more closely and see if I can improve the JC-2 somewhere, by just changing a component, component value, etc. It has served long and well enough for over 10 years, and it will someday be retired.
Can I do better? Not really. I can make it measure better, but then it will take away from sounding 'better'. I can revert to the Blowtorch topology (no loop feedback) and it will sound better, but measure worse! What to do? This is probably my last commercial preamp (JC-2), as I use a Blowtorch and it is not going to be replaced anytime soon.
I hope this review shows the quandary with measurement oriented reviewing. It can measure great, yet only sound OK; or it can measure somewhat lousy and sound great!
Those of you who can hear the difference, I recommend that you trust your ears. Those of you who don't trust your ears, or really can't hear any different, go for specs, features, and price. That's what I would do.
Can I do better? Not really. I can make it measure better, but then it will take away from sounding 'better'. I can revert to the Blowtorch topology (no loop feedback) and it will sound better, but measure worse! What to do? This is probably my last commercial preamp (JC-2), as I use a Blowtorch and it is not going to be replaced anytime soon.
I hope this review shows the quandary with measurement oriented reviewing. It can measure great, yet only sound OK; or it can measure somewhat lousy and sound great!
Those of you who can hear the difference, I recommend that you trust your ears. Those of you who don't trust your ears, or really can't hear any different, go for specs, features, and price. That's what I would do.
I think it measures pretty good! And sounds fantastic of course. You may want to read page two and three of that thread. Some questions were raised in regards to methodology of the test.