Hello All,
Ahhh…a long weekend and the gift of leisure…the calm before the Christmas bedlam ☺
I’ve been writing this since Friday…I am so driven to do this. I missed the audio show, and generally been to busy…SOOOO…lest all you guys forget I ever existed I’ decided to write again…some thing more than the occasional photography contribution…☺
Its been a good block of time since I made an audio related post. So much I have missed from you guys, I am so behind. Is there WS Audio Remedial Class? I should enroll. Actually, I am so worried that I may be repeating a well worn topic so I will post this in SYNERGIES…the moderator is my friend and if I manage to annoy him I trust that he will not stay annoyed with me for too long….Jack is just too busy these days engage me nalang in a discussion…the kind we so enjoy and have not had in a long time☺
However, If this topic is too well worn, please delete this thread if its redundant or OT. As always, a constructive exchange of differing opinions with you guys is always welcome and eagerly anticipated. I would like to add, beforehand, that each and everyone of you has followed his own path to Audio OZ. I acknowledge that your experiences are sacrosanct to you and I am certain that your individual joys and heartbreaks in this hobby have made it all the more meaningful to you
I will get to the topic of synergies…but allow me a few paragraphs to build up some context.
In many cases, successful synergies seem to be achieved through a good number of ways. Here are a few:
1. Trial and error, experimentation through mixing and matching gear, components and technologies all the way from the front end to the speakers. Mixing to your personal taste.
2. Sticking to one-brand systems.
3. Learning from our colleagues and their setups.
4. Era matching, vintage, modern, cutting edge, bleeding edge, beta versions.
5. Regional origin matching..e,g. Brit sound, Japanese, European, East Coast American and West Coast American….fill this up with more. Or combining to compensate weaknesses.
6. Collaboration with likeminded colleagues in setting up is so valuable in synergies
7. Reading, researching, auditioning
8. Experience is a big help
9. Technical and scientific understanding is also a huge help
10. PLAIN OLD LUCK…This happens
11. And there is also the “throwing money at the problem” by buying whatever you think might work.
12. Add whatever else missed out on…
AND THEN WE FIND THAT SOME SONGS OR MUSIC SIMPLY SOUND HORRIBLE ON OUR BELOVED SYSTEMS!!! WHY WHY WHY!!!???
Now to the meat of this write-up and what I write here is from direct experience from my own setup and what I’ve learned from my pals and mentors. And for those of you who know me…ITS NOT GOING TO BE TECHNICAL…so if your are expecting a discourse on physics, circuit design, materials, acoustics, brands, gurus, or inscrutable mathematical equations other than dynamic compliance, matching, do yourselves a favor, STOP READING NOW.
In achieving synergies, it’s best to start, as in most case, at the root of things.
1. It starts with a song we love..or the love and enjoyment of music for its own sake..or for dancing..or for singing along, or for playing an musical instrument. Love of music is the alpha and the omega of this hobby.
2. F*#^k being analytical. Just F*#^k the snobbery…if you hear a song you like playing in an SM department store, on AM radio, or blaring in a PA bullhorn or on the cheapest piece of consumer electronic junk…you will feel enjoyment. From Kundiman to Hip Hop, from spiritual Gospel to drug encouraging rock or electronica. It starts and ends with the spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical stimulation that music brings…
3. Again, just to stress the Point… ….SCREW the technology, loose the snobbery. The real SYNERGY HAPPENS BETWEEN YOU AND THE MUSIC YOU LOVE. I’m really sorry but if you don’t agree with this, you ARE IN THE WRONG HOBBY
4. The technology is just a delivery system. That’s all it is…a system that reproduces recorded sound…any sound system can reproduce the recorded sound of an apocalyptic lingering FART, if you want.
Okay, now that I have shamed myself (and this community) by utilizing profanity and BTW I truly believe that deep down, no adult is really offended by profanity…its entertaining as long as its not directed at us or a loved one, right? OOOps OT. I use the foul language to emphasize a point I feel we should all acknowledge.
So, the synergy of musical genres to equipment, to me is the MAIN CONCERN. For me, that is the real challenge.
Jazz trios are often performed in small or intimate venues. Symphony Orchestras are performed in huge opera houses, Big Bands in dance halls,, Rock concerts in Stadiums….Different Genre’s of music require different delivery systems…
Before electronic playback and recording were invented, the design of the venue optimized the travel of sound from the source to the audience. Opera houses were designed differently from play houses. Palaces had special rooms to enjoy quartets or virtuoso soloists. Churches were designed to make the priests voice seem otherworldly…small arrangements with weak sounding instruments like a flute or a guitar required the listener to be very close to the musician like a lounge or restaurant setting…Again each genre required a different delivery, a different room…
So lets build this up. The second synergy is between the music and how it gets to human ears and ultimately and optimally to the soul of the listener.
Now we come to the era of recording and playback. Her now IS WHERE JACK and KEITH and probably a good number of you guys who range from simply content to positively orgasmic about your own setups will disagree. Some of you guys out there believe in the “ONE SETUP THAT CAN DO IT ALL”
But I say..that EACH KIND OF MUSIC synergizes better with a dedicated, application oriented setup….Setups should be music oriented. Musical...Moving more than accurate. Emotive more than precise...
But, as educated colleagues, we can disagree without feeling animosity or insult. I respectfully ask you to read further (since you are already at this point) and try to understand me.
At mid volume, my Spendor SP 3/1ps will hopelessly mangle and muddy up Sir Thomas Beecham’s Messiah no matter how good my front end and components are.. The Messiah is a big, bombastic, powerful piece of music and driven by a complex musical arrangement of a large symphony.
On the other hand, Jack’s Lamm and VR Setup likely have adequate speaker area, power, agility, and overall crossover technology to deliver the Messiah in a superior manner.
Similarly, If Jack’s VR setup was used to play dance or techno, his floor-standers would certainly elicit a stronger emotional reaction for the listener to dance than my monitors. His VRs have the lowest to the highest frequency range I have ever heard and all delivered judiciously and in a tonally balanced way, surely as a result of exquisite design.
I have heard Norah Jones played on a triode amp and a giant horn speaker system…Huge image, GINORMOUS image…colossal !!! But Norah Jones is not a giant…and her band (the Handsome Band, as they are called) are all playing their instruments in a gentle accompaniment to Norah. I don’t’ think Norah planned to terrify me into listening, I think what she really she meant was to be to heard as if she was 8 meters away and playing softly on her piano….
I hearD Led Zeppelin played on that speaker without a box…the music seemed (as martye aptly described) crawled across the floor, up my legs, and seemed to creep stickily to my ears.
My simple Technics rig plays 80s synth pop better than my Thorens-SME setup…
I’ve heard LS 3/5as fake the mid-bass, II could go on and on…but really we all know what I’m talking about…
I believe, that in some general and common sensical terms, some genre’s work best with particular kinds of setups….Conversely, equipment is designed to work best for different applications. Or, in this case musical genres and the specialized needs of the reproduction, the aspects of the types of music and reproduction that must stand out, factors that must be emphasized.
So what to do with this fact…how does one capture the large number of possible permutations…so many musical genres versus so many possible setups and technologies…HOW HOW HOW…do we all just settle, do we just pretend that our setup can do it all… do we all just become content…WHERE IS THE FUN IN SETTLING???? WHERE IS THE LEARNING, THE ADVENTURE…WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR EPIC TREK TOWARDS AUDIO PLAYLAND?
Here are some ideas I have and want to share:
FIRST- you must have a FRAMEWORK to work with…An end goal in mind…a personal preference to satisfy.
Know yourself first-For example… Know what music you like. If you like different kinds of music, it may well be that you may need to switch components...
Know the dimensions of your listening room and factor that into your plan. Know your budget, too.
Examine you preferences:
If you were hypothetically watching a concert of your favorite music, do you want to experience front row impact to knock you on the head, do you want to be mid hall and appreciate the layering and perspective, where do you want to be sitting?…this will help you choose the technology (tube or solid state) type, software type, amplification, power, speaker size, wattage.
The scary part is if you like many kinds of music, as most of us do, you really need several setups if you want to optimize the playback…Or, you can setup a generalist system and JUST ENJOY THE MUSIC
BUT REALLY, JUST ENJOY THE MUSIC…IT’S THE PRIMARY CONCERN ☺
PS
Clearly I have left a lot left to be said...I'm waiting for you guys to chime in
Looking forward to reading about your experiences