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[klaus]

I have, on another occasion (http://repforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/topic,36438.msg532924.html#msg532924), lamented the decline of the prevalent listening environment and attitude. This is Part II of the same subject (can't get it out of my head).

I wrote here about hooking up a Neumann M50 to record my outgoing message on my answering machine. Insanity, pure and simple. Whatever I heard differently with that $20k mic from the $5 electret mic I had been using before and after that experiment, was probably tainted by the expectation that it WOULD make a difference.

Now comes the ironic flip side of the same coin: All proud father, I uploaded to YouTube a recording I (g.) made with my son (dr.) in the basement with a nifty little camera that had surprisingly good audio fidelity. I had given out the link to a few friends, and, after giving it some time, I inquired what they thought of it. To a person, they watched the three-minute song (or, probably more realistic, the first 15 seconds of it) on their iPhones or Androids.

So what the hell are we doing on this forum? Discussing how minutely different brands of coupling capacitors affect $10,000.- mics? How aftermarket transformers don’t quite sound the same as the real thing? How current PVC diaphragms cannot touch the sex appeal of older ones?

Discussing minutiae of audiophile-quality microphones seems almost pathetic in light of today’s dominant playback format: sub-telephone-quality audio from a 1/4 inch loudspeaker buried behind a metal grate.

It’s one thing to give a quick initial look and listen on a hand-held device of music I have carefully recorded and uploaded. It’s an entirely different universe in which I must now realize that a second listening on a device with halfway decent fidelity will never happen.

[aremos]

But, like everything else in life, we end up doing things for, and because of, our own obligation to ourselves.
And we never know how, in the long run, it will exponentially affect things down the road.

Why lower our standards towards what we might (erroneously) think is the norm ... or that it isn't appreciated?
And, once in a while, there will be those who will hear (whether in the "right" environment or not) what we did & appreciate it. And the effect is reciprocal.

[klaus]

Those are kind and wise words.

[Piedpiper]

I am sure that virtually all of us reading this can relate to this question, as well as ones like it in other arenas of our lives, and have already answered it for ourselves, over and over, as we are faced with the doubt of whether pursuing anything our hearts resonate with is worth it. It is by definition worth it, but not in and of itself so much as as an expression of our love for the depth and breadth of the beauty of creation. The maniacal obsession over minutiae seems to solicit the balancing factor of a larger perspective represented in the choice to walk out the door of the studio to enjoy a simple meal and a walk under the stars with a loved one, or even by ourselves, or the dance of wild abandon that we are sometimes lucky enough to capture with all our painstaking technique and equipment.

Also, it seems that we are already witnessing the backlash of the hyper fast disposable culture in retro trends, however trendy, exhibited in the hipster movement, towards vinyl and the like... strange but true... as always...

[DarinK]

A bit of hope comes from the increasing popularity of actual headphones instead of earbuds.  Apple has just announced they're buying Beats (the headphone & audio company) and are also expected to soon start offering higher resolution downloads.  So, for the first time in years, some big market forces seem to be moving towards better fidelity.

[Uwe]

However, I do have great difficulty with the mention of 'Beats' headphones in the same paragraph with better fidelity...

[DarinK]

However, I do have great difficulty with the mention of 'Beats' headphones in the same paragraph with better fidelity...

They're definitely bass-heavy, but they're also much better fidelity than most earbuds or smart phone speakers.

[Piedpiper]

Yes, it is gratifying that fashion is favoring larger size with pretensions of an awareness of quality as opposed to purely the convenience and discretion of small size.

[Piedpiper]

But, like everything else in life, we end up doing things for, and because of, our own obligation to ourselves.
And we never know how, in the long run, it will exponentially affect things down the road.

Why lower our standards towards what we might (erroneously) think is the norm ... or that it isn't appreciated?
And, once in a while, there will be those who will hear (whether in the "right" environment or not) what we did & appreciate it. And the effect is reciprocal.

I have recently been hosting a late night open mic at a not particularly nice bar, filling in for an indisposed friend. I have been doing it as favor, and for the money, as well as to support the local artistic community such as shows up to this place. I am not overly fond of such venues and have harbored some judgements about some of the clientele. I am an accomplished musician but mostly in an unusual genre that I would assume limited interest from this sector, but I always kick off the night with a few tunes from myself. I also go to unusual measures to adjust the sound for each individual performer and haul in my own modest but capable PA and mics. I have been quite surprised by the many comments of generous appreciation for both my playing and attention to the sound from those I would have assumed to be beyond such sensitivities. It has shifted my attitude decidedly about the place, the people, and my willingness to continue the gig. Yet another in a long line of humbly gratifying experiences.

[Jim Williams]

To be a coach craftsman in the age of the model T is similar. Buggies were switched out for cars, home hi-fi speakers are switched out for earbuds.

I'm glad I listened to a few wise men back in the early 1970's:

"Too many mixers, not enough fixers".

Now days I feel like that old man at the end of that 1970's sci-fi film Logan's Run when the lead charactor asks;

"Why do you keep the old guy around"?

"Because he knows how to fix the MACHINES!"

[J.J. Blair]

I watched on my laptop!  Those speakers are way better than the iPhone.

[J.J. Blair]

BTW, I will say that even on my laptop, I can tell when there's a good vocal mic and a not as good one, because one conveys emotion and nuance better.  It's nothing to do with fidelity. 

Also, the better the mic, the less work I have to do as a mixer, to make something sound right.  Mind you, better does not necessarily mean more expensive, or what not.  It might be best choice for that instrument / voice in that track.  And then I check my mix on my laptop.  And I can certainly tell on the laptop if it's a SM57 on vocals, or a spitty cheap condenser. 

If I'm recording an orchestra, and I need to do a Decca tree, I bet that even on my laptop, M50s will sound better than Earthworks. 

[Jim Williams]

I've used everything from AKG 535's to Shure 545's to Beta 58's live.

Once mixed, no one can tell what mic was used if the vocals sound good and are well balanced.

A great performance seems to equalize all that stuff out to where it isn't as important as you may think.

Performance sells 'downloads', not the gear you select.

[klaus]

So, if "performance sells downloads", not the gear I select, then the ongoing de-evolution into using shitty audio recording equipment seems fully justified. No wonder I don't get these calls anymore where people are begging me to take them on as apprentices.

Maybe this is indeed a cleansing period, as one poster suggested: only those with passion for good audio stay in the game, and for all the right reasons.

I'll think of a name and motto for the New Audiophile Guild. Something like "Dedicated to the Preservation of Beauty, Art and  Bla Bla Bla in Audio…"

[GYMusic]

Passion.