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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Audiophiles tend to “listen”
to the equipment and not the music. I love listening to equipment that can
actually image well. Very little does it well. The room has a larger affect on
the sound than most understand. Today’s CD machines might very well be
superior than those of yesteryear. High end equipment has died a pain full
death with the advent of video. Sad but true. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">nsrca-discussion-bounces@lists.nsrca.org</st1:PersonName> [mailto:<st1:PersonName
w:st="on">nsrca-discussion-bounces@lists.nsrca.org</st1:PersonName>] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Gray E Fowler<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Thursday, December 13, 2007
10:18 AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> <st1:PersonName w:st="on">NSRCA
Mailing List</st1:PersonName><br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: [NSRCA-discussion]
Gov'ment Job.......was: Re: Off topic</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
</span></font><font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:sans-serif'>I have tried to stay out of this as it could become old
guy vs young guy, but then again I am no longer young.....</span></font> <br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>As
an ex muscian I have recorded about 25 original songs and the interesting thing
is that my recording time frame spans the cross over of analog to digital, that
is 1985 to about 1995.</span></font> <br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Led
Zeps "Whole Lotta Love" is not record groove bleed over, but is
called tape print through. That's where a freshly recorded magnetic impression
transfers through the back side of the tape onto a place it does not belong-one
reel revolution. To alleviate this tapes are to be stored "tails out"
which the recording engineer obviously forgot to do...in 1969. So that has to
be the coolest recording accident of all time. </span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>I
have known many home listening "audiophiles" in my life, some I would
call friends. I was always amazed at the money that they spent on their home
systems that was at times more than what it would cost to put in a
"studio" system. As a professional musician and a professional sound
man, the entire idea of recording in a studio was to make your guitar or the
drums sound like YOUR guitar, or your drums. When I stood in front of my <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Marshall</st1:place></st1:City> tube amp cranked
up to 11, I wanted that sound on my final product-be it a record or digital recording.
(Pehaps I will discuss guitar tube amps and the reason for their existence at a
later date). I cannot begin to explain how difficult that task actually is. I
will say it is much easier now days.</span></font> <br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Analog
recoding studios really sounded good. 2" wide 24 track tape spinning at 30
inches per second. That is what it took to keep the tape noise level low and to
get the most accurate reproduction AND each machine and tape brand had to be
calibrated before each recording session to ensure accuracy. Remember, what you
are listening to is what the muscian wants you to hear, so audiophiles and
listeners do not even get a vote yet on sound quality.</span></font> <br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>The
2" tape 24 track "Master"changed my guitar sound a bit.
Then that was mixed down to stereo 1/2 track 1/4" tape format called
"Half Track Master". That change my guitar sound a bit more, but
still okay. The Half Track Master then is sent to a pressing plant to make the
actual vinyl record. First you had to find a pay an expert
"Master-er" to get to vinyl. This guy held you and your recording by
the Nards. Why? Because analog vinyl technolgy was so screwed up. The Half
track master that sounded great in the recording studio had to be Re-equalized
by this record master-er to compensate for his equipment and how he knew it
would change your recording-that you just spent $5000 on. It also had to be
compressed (musically not like MP3-more later) so it would not violate groove
and needle physical capabilities. If the Master-man sucked or did not care, so
did your record. If you were a big time rock star (I was not), then you could
hire Bob Ludwig, and he would make 5-6 wax pressings so the musician could hear
what he changed and choose what they liked best. Me I had to take what I could
get. In reality very few muscians ever approved of their vinyl recordings
because they sounded so different from what they put down in the studio.</span></font>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'> Yet
old audiophiles with their Harmonically distorted tube amps and super crappy
damping factors, needles that once again change the sound and wear the grooves
down, changing the sound, and worst of all "colored" speakers
tailored so any fool got a decent balance of bass and highs, claim
superiority-calling this "warmth".</span></font> <br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Digital
Mixers, with digital recording and digital media by far produce the truest
reproduction of what the muscian intended. What I discovered when I recorded
digital was that what used to sound "full-warm" was in fact much less
accurate. The "full-warm" sound that was missing was harmonic crap
that filled up the spaces in the mix. What you could then do with digital is
add more musical parts to fill the gaps and you could hear all the
detail. Listen to Led Zep records, then listen to a Led Zep CD which was taken
straight from the Half Track stereo master. One thing that you will notice
right away on CD is how much reverb is present on the CD that you cannot hear
on a vinyl record. I used to think as I bought CDS that the CD has reverb added
on top of the original recording. Not so, it is just that it is 2X louder
because the vinyl cannot reproduce such a subtle sound.</span></font> <br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Digital
compression like MP3 .....is DATA compression that is uncompressed before it
becomes ear capable analog. Records "Squashed" compressed music
volume for needle physical reasons, Radio uses "infinite" volume
compression-to appear louder than other stations and to keep from violating
broadcast bandwidth-even worse....but hey, my brother thinks radio sounds
great...he must be an audiophile..... </span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Also...On
Monday I am going back to the recording studio..first time in 12 years. I am
making the studio pull out and dust off their antique 1/2 track analog machine
(an the studio had to calibrate it-as usual). I have about 10-11 songs that
were mastered a on 1/2 track tape and guess what..I and going to burn some digital
copies. My first album was so F-up by the vinyl record that I look
forward to hearing what I actually recorded in 1985......</span></font> <br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Merry
Christmas Pattern dudes........ <br>
<br>
<br>
Gray Fowler<br>
Senior Principal Chemical Engineer<br>
Radomes and Specialty Apertures<br>
Technical Staff Composites Engineering<br>
Raytheon</span></font> <br>
<br>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=1 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:
7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif;font-weight:bold'>Bob Richards
<bob@toprudder.com></span></font></b><font size=1 face=sans-serif><span
style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif'> </span></font><br>
<font size=1 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Sent
by: <st1:PersonName w:st="on">nsrca-discussion-bounces@lists.nsrca.org</st1:PersonName></span></font>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><font size=1 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:
sans-serif'>12/12/2007 08:41 PM</span></font> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=1
face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Please
respond to<br>
<st1:PersonName w:st="on">NSRCA Mailing List</st1:PersonName>
<nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><font size=1 face=sans-serif><span
style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif'>NSRCA Mailing List</span></font></st1:PersonName><font
size=1 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif'>
<nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org></span></font> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><font size=1
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<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><font size=1
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:
7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Gov'ment
Job.......was: Re: Off topic</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><br>
<br>
<br>
IMHO, although the "warmth" of a tube amp is desireable to most
people, it is, in fact, a type of distortion. <br>
<br>
I have a collection of vinyl, but prefer to use CDs. Kinda hard to keep the
needle from skipping while driving to work. :-) <br>
<br>
Remember the one Led Zepplin song where the adjacent grooves "bled"
over when the album was pressed? Never would have happened with digital. ;-) <br>
<br>
Bob R. <br>
<br>
<b><i><span style='font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'><br>
twtaylor <twtaylor@ftc-i.net></span></i></b> wrote: <br>
</span></font><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:navy'>You’ve obviously never heard a good system
then Matt. </span></font><font size=2 color=navy face=Wingdings><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;color:navy'>J</span></font> <br>
<font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial;color:navy'> </span></font> <br>
<font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial;color:navy'>Vinyl is still MUCH better than any CD. Also one must have
tubes for the warmth that transistors can never match.</span></font> <br>
<font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial;color:navy'> </span></font><tt><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>_______________________________________________</span></font></tt><font
size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">NSRCA-discussion mailing list</font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">NSRCA-discussion@lists.nsrca.org</font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">http://lists.nsrca.org/mailman/listinfo/nsrca-discussion</font></tt></span></font>
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