Paul McGowan Prefers Digital

[microstrip]

sitting in a high back chair over his ears with all glass walls and stone floors


Yes he MUST be an expert LMAO

I had never seen this book, but we should remember Mendel Kleiner is world reference in acoustics and electroacoustics, with a brilliant CV. I have his book "Acoustics of Small Rooms" - bought just because I appreciated the tittle two years ago, nothing else - and unfortunately I still did not have the time to read it with the care it deserves. Please note that the book deals with plenty of derivatives and integrals - it is a book for people with some maths knowledge who want to understand in depth the physics problems of small rooms. Do not expect it to fix your acoustic problem ...

 

[Hi-FiGuy]

He seems like the real deal ...
• https://research.chalmers.se/en/person/galactic

• http://proaudioencyclopedia.com/aco...-mendel-kleiner-and-jiri-tichy-a-book-review/

* Just don't judge the book by its "glass" cover.
I think it's for people with poor room acoustics, and the photograph just shows that.
This guy will fix it.
_____

The speakers (transparent glass horns) are interesting. Check the subwoofer "bubble" modules.
Those speakers too I can investigate and find out what they're all about ...
My best guess; they are for the decoration but I could be totally wrong as I see an open-reel-tapedeck in the background @ the end of the white couch.

Yes, they are serious ...
• https://www.luxury-insider.com/luxury-news/2008/09/fh001-horn-speakers-from-ferguson-hill

• https://www.fergusonhill.co.uk/fhoo1/

He can start by hooking up some cables to the speakers, but that would increase the noise floor!

 

[NorthStar]

The cables are transparent Mike.

 

[spiritofmusic]

This apartment block is a crime against acoustics. I lived in one of these lofts for two decades and can confirm. This is just an ad shot.

 

[NorthStar]

It's a smart cover shot to promote a highly scientific audio acoustic book.
If you can make that loft acoustically sounding you are a master.

 

[Don C]

As far as Jim Smith goes he did bash vinyl in his quarter notes supplementary news letter.

I do not agree with his view, and feel he and Paul just do not have the patience for turntable/arm setup.

Turntable/arm/catridge setup take more time to fully optimize than what can be done in a few days.

Lots of very fine adjustments, and knowing what to listen for, with many recordings, takes time.

What actually changed in Peter's room after Jim Smith finished, other than moving the speakers slightly in the room?

I have read Jim Smith's "Get Better Sound" and did not learned much I did not already know by following High End since the 70's.

The book is very basic knowledge.

 

[microstrip]

(...) I do not agree with his view, and feel he and Paul just do not have the patience for turntable/arm setup.

Turntable/arm/catridge setup take more time to fully optimize than what can be done in a few days.

Lots of very fine adjustments, and knowing what to listen for, with many recordings, takes time.

IMHO people fine tune vinyl for their preference or mainly because they have systems that are very complicated - nothing wrong with that choice.

But pretending that a vinyl system that does not need complicated and long time adjustment is inferior is a very biased view of the system.

 

[microstrip]

It's a smart cover shot to promote a highly scientific audio acoustic book.
If you can make that loft acoustically sounding you are a master.

 

[NorthStar]

This hobby is not free, and there is no specific recipe or book or format or ... to be happy with.
It's all about the music we love and how it is delivered to us; that's what delivers us from this world completely nuts.

I enjoy Tango's sharing of classical music albums. His YouTube videos sound surprisingly good. I enjoy a billion other things, all related to life, arts, intellect, learning, knowledge, communication.
That is exactly what all threads are about...the music of life, including this one.

As long as a wall exists between analog and digital we'll never be totally free spiritually.
I was born in the analog age, that is my source, my river, my blood, my soul, my youth, me.
Digital came in and I got new digital pedals for my electric guitar. I got a computer too.
I love analog piano, I love Hammond b3 organ, I love electronica piano...Moog synthesizers.
...Turntables, CD spinners, tape decks, violins, cellos, acoustic bass guitars, harmonicas, accordions, drums, tambours, congas, Tango music, Calypso, Cuban, Brazilian, African, French, Orchestral, Chamber, sonatas, symphonies, ballads, romances, canoeing, fishing, mountain climbing, taking pictures, visiting museums, checking wildlife, analog and digital cameras, black and white, classical guitar, saxophone, trombone, clarinet, the wind in my hair and face from the ocean, from the forests.

Nobody read the newspapers anymore; it's all digital now.
It's a good thing to escape in the analog music world, it's liberating.
When I walk I walk digital, when I talk I talk analog, when I walk and talk I live life.

 

[Al M.]

As long as a wall exists between analog and digital we'll never be totally free spiritually.

Which wall, Bob?

 

[NorthStar]

Which wall, Bob?

The wall that says one format is superior to the other one, and that the other format is inferior.

 

[BlueFox]

Nobody read the newspapers anymore; it's all digital now.

Living and working in high-tech in Silicon Valley I get two newspapers every day; The San Jose Mercury, and The San Francisco Chronicle. Love my digital music, and will never go back to analog.

 

[Al M.]

The wall that says one format is superior to the other one, and that the other format is inferior.

I see. I'm past that.

 

[stehno]

......

I have read Jim Smith's "Get Better Sound" and did not learned much I did not already know by following High End since the 70's.

The book is very basic knowledge.

What do you suppose that says about the many who look up to him?

 

[BlueFox]

What do you suppose that says about the many who look up to him?

They are starting to realize that the gear and setup are both essential to good sound.

 

[microstrip]

The wall that says one format is superior to the other one, and that the other format is inferior.

The wall separates contents, not formats. Formats would be extremely easy to debate ...

 

[RogerD]

If there is a wall between analog and digital reproduction it is the human creation of the audio system that is at fault.
There is plenty of good equipment available to level the best playing field.
I take into consideration that most digital and digital conversions are taken from the master tape or are direct. How should they sound? Extremely transparent,dynamic,and everything that microphone has captured should pass through to the listener.
If that level of performance is not apparent then the system is at fault not the format.
In my experience digital is much easier to achieve a high level of reproduction.

 

[NorthStar]

The wall separates contents, not formats. Formats would be extremely easy to debate ...

Some album pressings are unique to the vinyl format...33 1/3 & 45 rpm (180-200gr), record label, serial #, 1st pressing, remastered, ...
You are 100% correct Francisco.

Some SACDs (classical music) sound marvelous and are unique to the hybrid multichannel format.
100% correct again.

DVD-Audio stereo @ 24/192, and surround (5.1) @ 24/96 (unique to the format, can't get that on vinyl or open-reel-tape).

Blu-ray Audio (Pure Audio) ... stereo and surround (hires).

R2R tapes (15 & 30 ips), superb analog sound of the highest caliber, but restricted on artists from all venues and genres. Collector's items for the the top music hardcore collectors.

The content, the music we love the most from the format we prefer is king.
All formats are certified queens in their own quality recording and playback.

Nothing in this world can take away all the timing and touching and loving for analog.
Nothing in this world can be more convenient and faster than a top digital music server.
Spinning 5-inch digital discs is much more simple than spinning 12-inch discs (same for R2R tapes).

All music disc formats are poisonous and highly intoxicating; we can pick one poison or a combination of two or all. The way we live our lives, our styles, the time we take to live and to listen, is the best of times.

 

[stehno]

If there is a wall between analog and digital reproduction it is the human creation of the audio system that is at fault.
There is plenty of good equipment available to level the best playing field.
I take into consideration that most digital and digital conversions are taken from the master tape or are direct. How should they sound? Extremely transparent,dynamic,and everything that microphone has captured should pass through to the listener.
If that level of performance is not apparent then the system is at fault not the format.
In my experience digital is much easier to achieve a high level of reproduction.

You are correct. Except that "Extremely transparent, dynamic, and everything the microphone has captured should pass through to the listener" is the very real potential but far from the actual.

 

[Tapetech]

everything the microphone has captured should pass through to the listener"

Maybe you don't want to pass on the mic feed. As in it needs to be filtered to some extent to be more listenable. I think this can be compared to film or video. When frame rates are increased from the old 24 fps, the technical accuracy increases, but test audiences almost always prefer the filtered, less-accurate, version of the film.