Something stirs in the Undergrowth

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chris661
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#241

Post by chris661 »

Nah. While those speakers have their advantages, part of what makes this hobby an interesting challenge is the making-it-fit in the spaces we have.

The other problem is that, the better your system gets, the smaller the variety of music you'll play through it, as more and more recordings have their flaws shown up.

A system can be too good (in terms of detail retrieval), laying bare all of the faults in your favourite recording.

When it gets to a point where you're spending that amount of money on speakers, amps, etc, you might as well start hiring local bands to play in your front room. It'll certainly sound better.
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Nick
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#242

Post by Nick »

The other problem is that, the better your system gets, the smaller the variety of music you'll play through it, as more and more recordings have their flaws shown up.
Sorry, not true. It may be true for a type of "better" some commercial makes offer. But in real terms, no, the better your system, the more you discover in the recordings you previously thought were no good.
Whenever an honest man discovers that he's mistaken, he will either cease to be mistaken or he will cease to be honest.
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andrew Ivimey
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#243

Post by andrew Ivimey »

It would be an understatement to say that the previous point is 'contentious' in nearly every point!

Al,
Knitting, I am told, can be very therapeutic.
Summat can be too but you'll have to tell us more about the nature of your summat ;-)
Philosophers have only interpreted the world - the point, however, is to change it. No it isn't ... maybe we should leave it alone for a while.
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pre65
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#244

Post by pre65 »

chris661 wrote:
The other problem is that, the better your system gets, the smaller the variety of music you'll play through it, as more and more recordings have their flaws shown up.

A system can be too good (in terms of detail retrieval), laying bare all of the faults in your favourite recording.
I used to think that way, but not now. :wink:
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

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ed
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#245

Post by ed »

contentious ?, cor, we do contentious..

I've found that the music vis equipment is in layers....we get used to how a piece sounds and then we upgrade and another layer is exposed. Sometimes this layer grates with something already exposed, or something deeper that's only half exposed, resulting in a negative...we upgrade again and that particular nasty gets resolved....

sometimes, very rarely, we unearth something that wasn't even there on the recording...that's the time to worry..

really good example imo is robert plant/alyson krauss 'raising sand'..some similar instruments so close together that some systems can't delimit them and the result is a bit mushy while other systems seperate them....reading between the lines...

maybe you havn't gone all the way yet Chris, or maybe you have and it's time we all started knitting...
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al newall
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#246

Post by al newall »

The other problem is that, the better your system gets, the smaller the variety of music you'll play through it, as more and more recordings have their flaws shown up.
I think i can understand why you think this, Chris.
I also think this is one of the reasons we spend so much time trying to get a sound that suits us as individuals.
In other words trying to find a happy medium that doesn't exacerbate the things we don't like in poor recordings.

I have perhaps half a dozen favourite albums that i consider to be good recordings. I play them regularly.
Not because everything else is flawed and sounds awful.
But because i know these six albums well and can use them to spot small changes after a tweaking session.
Much to learn there is.
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andrew Ivimey
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#247

Post by andrew Ivimey »

But then its back to what Ed says - wierd phenomenon that when I hear something that sounds amazing! and then after an 'improvement' to the system of some kind, it sounds so much better/heard more detail. I wasn't dissatisfied beforehand but how could I have lived with it like that for so long!?!?!?

an example:- It is only relatively recently that I have realised there really is a grand piano banging away in the background of the title track of Axis, Bold as Love. How I wish Jimi Hendrix's work had been better recorded originally (bit like how the SACD of DSOTM doesn't really sound any better than the CD / or vinyl)

And,,,, when the fab four had just had a good session at Abbey Road and they all agreed that it was time to cut the tracks onto vinyl, how much more did they hear through Quad303s and huge Tannoy monitors etc? Is it possible to actually hear more now and would they want us to ?!?!?!?!?

And and - here's a thing. Many musicians and audiophiles get moist eyed about the 1940s recordings of Arturo Toscanini. I think they sound awful but the performances are supposed to be sublime. I think the poor quality of the recording / low, I assert, dynamic range and surface noise combined intrude so much I can't enjoy or even perceive the quality of the performance.

and on and on.
Philosophers have only interpreted the world - the point, however, is to change it. No it isn't ... maybe we should leave it alone for a while.
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Dave the bass
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#248

Post by Dave the bass »

al newall wrote: If thats what it takes to get close to real music.
I may as well give up now and take up knitting or summat.
Move away from the knitting needles :-)

If you REALLY want to get closer to music our-Al there's none-more-closer than actually playing it yerself!

Buy an acoustic guitar and learn a few songs. Really. Thats as close as it gets other than actually writing the music in the 1st place and then performing it.

Its good for the brain and feeds happyness directly into the soul.

S'true.

DTB
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andrew Ivimey
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#249

Post by andrew Ivimey »

'move away from the knitting needles' love it! - from the boy who is still trying to use one as a tone arm - ek ek ek ek ek ek ek ek ek etc

Skateboarding gets your knees closer to the granite hard gritty ground - guffaw.

Still we can't go round coccooned in cotton wool or so my gran used to say.

Has anyone combined skateboarding and playing the geeeetar!?
Philosophers have only interpreted the world - the point, however, is to change it. No it isn't ... maybe we should leave it alone for a while.
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Dave the bass
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#250

Post by Dave the bass »

andrew Ivimey wrote:
Has anyone combined skateboarding and playing the geeeetar!?
Yes. The Carvells

Also a zillion hardcore rock and punky bands. Most famous characters are probably Ray Barbee, Steve Caballero and Duane Peters (Google 'em if you must!). Blummen racket IMO except this one ('All Hail Cardiel') by 'Bad Shit' detailing the awethumness of John Cardiel's skateboarding before and after he was accidently run over on a skate tour by a trailer resulting in a broken back. He learned to walk again and now skates again. Amazingly.

Soz for hijack Mark.

DTB
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pre65
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#251

Post by pre65 »

Dave the bass wrote: If you REALLY want to get closer to music our-Al there's none-more-closer than actually playing it yerself!

DTB
I was playing (badly :wink: ) the entertainer on keyboard a few minutes ago, makes my hi-fi sound absolutely bloody awesome. :lol: :lol:

I can be hired if anyone else wants to benefit from a similar experience. :wink:
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

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andrew Ivimey
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#252

Post by andrew Ivimey »

When I said skateboarding and playing in the band I meant at the same time! Anything else is just too too easy... and as for that example, Capn Senior Bass, Johnnie B Goode meets schmaltzerock - yuk city!
Philosophers have only interpreted the world - the point, however, is to change it. No it isn't ... maybe we should leave it alone for a while.
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Dave the bass
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#253

Post by Dave the bass »

Ok... try 'All hail Cardiel".... :lol: ->

DTB
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andrew Ivimey
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#254

Post by andrew Ivimey »

Fair weather weekenders! None of them is even trying to play a penny whistle let alone play a strat with their teeth - anyone call fall off a skateboard

- guffaw -
Philosophers have only interpreted the world - the point, however, is to change it. No it isn't ... maybe we should leave it alone for a while.
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Mike H
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#255

Post by Mike H »

andrew Ivimey wrote:Knitting, I am told, can be very therapeutic.
Not if you have no patience .. Image

Summat can be too but you'll have to tell us more about the nature of your summat ;-)
Cataloguing your matchstick collection?


 
 
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