The ten biggest lies in audio

[jacobyjd]

I think one of the biggest lies in my Audio world is that I know what I'm doing. I really have no idea and I'm sorry about that.

Why my stuff works is a complete mystery to me and if it ever sounds good then it's luck alone and even though the intent to do so may be there I'd be fooling myself if I believed it happened because of some inate, inherent or even inherited talent.

Sorry Guys, if I'm good at anything it's the big mans fault.

...and the reason we keep you around is because you aren't selling your work for outrageously inflated prices

Well...for that and for wild metal furniture sculpting ideas...

[sean k]

Aha!  I haven't let out my secret plans for unscrupulous profiteering of my time here 

Seriously though it is on the cards to attempt getting outrageously inflated prices for my work in audio... but it'll be a tongue in cheek kinda thing where every part of the effect will be a one off sculpture... I'll even do microscopic scrimshaw type drawings on the transistor bodies and opamps top faces, not to mention the intricate painting on the capacitors, totally oozing originality in the tangible aspects of the product...

     but I'll have totally unmodded reproductions of garden variety circuits...

Looking like gold but acting like lead is what I'm after.

These are two carved resin knob plugs that I'll get cast in pewter or zinc then get the plated. The body of the box will be this guy in a coffin    and it'll be carved out of wax and cast in bronze.

So they'll be artworks first and FX with a utilitarian purpose second. Artworks to illustrate the sheer bombasity of form over function.

Sold, hopefully, to someone with either far too much money for their own good, which'll be much better utilized in my pocket, who needs a concrete example of their own conceit. Telling honest lies is the highest form of hypocracy!

[CoolJohnny]

also, keep in mind the debate between vinyl and digital often has to do with the ridiculous amounts of multi-band compression used in mastering most modern CDs. all those digital remasters that labels entice us to buy every five years of the same artists' catalogue are often really no more than just more compressed than the last ones. this can make some older recordings sound newer and punchier, better than you rmember, but it also diminishes the dynamic range and creates listening fatigue in some extreme cases. google "the loudness wars" for a more technical explination. this is why i did not shell out for the new beatles remasters. i'll find somebody with them and listen first before i get suckered again.

[sean k]

I remember the first time I encountered that, the uber comp, it was the first album by those super country guitar heroes, which had the Orange Blossom Special at hyper velocities... can't remeber the band name sorry. Anyways I recorded the CD to the PC and then opened it up  in a recording program and the bloody music was hitting the rails all the way through every song, well not quite hitting the rails but so close it was uncanny what a thick block each song was. Even when I scopped in it was still either on or off until you got right down to the end of individual notes... A brand new industry... super uber compression.   

[Paul Marossy]

also, keep in mind the debate between vinyl and digital often has to do with the ridiculous amounts of multi-band compression used in mastering most modern CDs. all those digital remasters that labels entice us to buy every five years of the same artists' catalogue are often really no more than just more compressed than the last ones. this can make some older recordings sound newer and punchier, better than you rmember, but it also diminishes the dynamic range and creates listening fatigue in some extreme cases. google "the loudness wars" for a more technical explination. this is why i did not shell out for the new beatles remasters. i'll find somebody with them and listen first before i get suckered again.

Maybe that's why I can only stand listening for five minutes to 90% of the commercial radio stations out there. That's about all I can stand.

[connie_c]

Radio stations do it to stop the quiet parts of songs being drowned out by your engine noise when listening in the car, well at least that was the original reason. Maybe when we all drive electric cars they will turn off the compressors.

[wavley]

also, keep in mind the debate between vinyl and digital often has to do with the ridiculous amounts of multi-band compression used in mastering most modern CDs. all those digital remasters that labels entice us to buy every five years of the same artists' catalogue are often really no more than just more compressed than the last ones. this can make some older recordings sound newer and punchier, better than you rmember, but it also diminishes the dynamic range and creates listening fatigue in some extreme cases. google "the loudness wars" for a more technical explination. this is why i did not shell out for the new beatles remasters. i'll find somebody with them and listen first before i get suckered again.

There is a great review of the new Beatles remasters in the new Tape Op, I got my issue this weekend and bought Revolver, while more compressed than the 1987 issues (they are about 2 dB louder) they are certainly cleaner sounding they really didn't do a bad job at all.  I really loved Let it be naked but thought it was a bit over compressed, these aren't as bad as that.