If you stream and don’t buy anything ever, you are hurting us all.
We all do it, or know those that do. Since about 1999 (the early Napster era) the idea of actually paying for your music collection has been … Read the rest
Music & Sound Tech
The study of sound, music, and the technology used to create and distribute it.
Language Splits; Music Unifies
Very interesting article here about how humans use music psychologically, and how we have evolved with the help of music.
Language divides us into groups and parses all types of information into specific, tribal code.
Music on the other hand, unites … Read the rest
Guide To Hi-Res Audio
The momentum continues, as more publications pick up on this new push towards quality in consumer audio. MP3 won’t die without a fight, but it’s 15 year grip on the music industry appears to be loosening.
Check out … Read the rest
Free Upgrades For Life
Funny how reality got in the way of the Pono bashing and Neil Young hating that was all over the internet in 2013-2014.
The emperor has clothes. He usually wears yellow.
- They claimed Young was trying to
Stereo Porn
A Tale Of Two Setups
I was in my new all-analog studio last night with a simple task – dump from the 4-track tape machine to something digital so I could share the tracks just recorded with the artists.
First I needed to do … Read the rest
Quality Hiding In Plain Site
Why the hatred of quality music and sound right now? Is it really the machines taking over?
Consumer audio suffers this weird delusion. It seems to be a digital blindness.
It started in the 80’s but was … Read the rest
Good Drummer, Bad Drummer
“She’s just keeping the beat.” And?
Good advice. Musicians always need to serve the song (and actually write a good song to begin with ).… Read the rest
Want To Go To There
Outstanding tour of perhaps the biggest recording complex on the planet: Funkhaus Berlin.
Legendary. Take a 30 minute tour below.
The entire complex was specially-built for recording and radio production by the Russian government in the 1950’s. They … Read the rest
Headphones or Speakers
One thing I think is lost during audio debate and discussion these days is whether we are discussing listening on speakers or headphones. I find them to be very different.
Music is very complex vibration. When it is made by … Read the rest
The Power of Rhythm
Stroke made it so that you can’t walk? Turn to music.
Not just music, but rhythm.
Rhythm helps the brain re-learn how to walk. It is proving to be much more successful than previous methods of physical therapy.
Social Media?
= listening to music with other humans.
= watching movies with other humans.
= watching television with other humans.
= discussing the news with other humans.
These are social exercises. Sorry internet, you really aren’t social. You are anti-social in … Read the rest
Preserving Our Art
The master copy. In production it’s paramount.
Who owns it? Who is securing it? Can it be lost or ruined? Can I purchase it?
Digital allows us to make infinite copies of a file without loss … Read the rest
Promises Fulfilled
This is from a guy that spends his life testing high-end audio devices – things like $15k Amps and $5k headphones.
That ain’t my market, as you know.
He ordered a PonoPlayer and by the time it arrived he was … Read the rest
Room Acoustics 101
Here’s a simple to understand, visual version of basic room acoustic properties. People argue about gear and formats and often times forget to deal with the most important aspect of what they are hearing – the room.
We Will See What The Digital Age Has In Store For Us
Records, record stores, record sales … it’s all gone.
It’s up to the young musicians to try an’ figure it out.
There’s no money in it. There’s no record companies.
It’s free! You can download it. Nobody gets paid, so … Read the rest
Happy Birthday Enters Public Domain
One of the funnier/sadder stories of licensing and copyright folly involves the beloved song “Happy Birthday”. It’s origin is a 1890’s kids song with different lyrics, but somehow it was copyrighted in 1935 and that copyright was eventually acquired by … Read the rest
How You Hear Music
Listening 101
1. Directionality – Where is that sound coming from? Where exactly is that hi-hat sitting in the mix? Is the band in front of me or all around me?
2. Delay/Roomspace – Am I in a large room, … Read the rest