A blessing? Or a curse?

We all know there’s people who seem to have no memory of or ability to recall anything they hear. We know because they tell us so. In no uncertain terms, either! They are quite certain the only way anything can be compared is to flip back and forth instantaneously, because no one can remember anything they have heard for more than like a microsecond.

So okay, they can’t hear, can’t remember, they are quite certain this is the case, what can we do but believe them?

We also know there are people who seem to be able to recall very well things they have heard, sometimes even quite a long time ago. We hear this one all the time too. They tell us how a certain speaker or whatever sounds, even though they heard it only maybe once at some show or whatever many months ago. Let’s not quibble was it the speakers or the amp or the room or whatever. Point is a definite acoustic memory formed and has stayed with them.

Which at long last brings us to what you already know its really all about: Me! I have this decades long ritual where whenever people are coming over I do something, and sometimes a lot of somethings, to make the system really shine. My favorite thing about this, if I’m totally honest, is at the end when its late at night and the system is truly peaking I get to relax back and take it all in.

So this last time with the guys from Portland coming up, and then on to Mike Lavigne’s, well guess what? Left the Herron and the table on from the night before, woke up early to get the Melody going, ran the XLO demagnetizing tracks about a zillion times, demagnetized, sprayed, and then played a few sides. What they heard when they got here was pretty good. Or as I am told the unanimous opinion was, "Fantastic!" Then off to Mike Lavigne’s. So by the time I get back and relax that night its all been running for like 24 hours.

Holy moly did that sound good! Did not even want to go to bed.

Okay so here’s the problem. Last night, system been off a week, usual 30 min warm up, nothing else, anyone wonder why I was kind of underwhelmed? Its that dang auditory memory. If only I could forget! But then, if I was one of those guys who can’t remember a ding dong thing, would I have the system I have?

So what say you? Is it a blessing? Or a curse?