Traps vs Equalizer

I keep editing my post because the subject is thought provoking to me. But I
should probably just post again, so here goes:

The music is distorted as soon as it hits the atmosphere. Particles in the air
change it, other sounds and forms of energy may change it. It bounces
around the environment it is being played in which "distorts" it further. Then
of course it goes into a microphone and is fed electronically into some
electrical maze in a box. Someone listens, through their speakers/
headphones and makes decisions as to how further to distort (since you
choose to use that word) the sound. It is edited and finalized and goes
through some other machines which may distort it further to produce
whatever medium it may be offered to the public on. We, Jane and John
Public, order up the plastic discs in whatever form, or horde the original
audio tapes, and we put it on yet another distortion machine with yet more
wires and variables, and we have this machine attempt to reproduce the
sounds through wooden boxes with magnets and cones and wires and
sophisticated technology up the wazoo. And this sound comes out that
somehow resembles the sounds produced in the studio. And it gets "
distorted" as soon as it hits the atmosphere and bounces off the walls
and ceilings in your room, and hey, whady'a know, if you put together a
system that you enjoy, those sounds actually sound pretty darn musical!
Then you take the same plastic disc over to your buddies house and listen on
his system...whady'a know...sounds like music there too...but it sounds
somehow different...hey, I liked the bass better at my place, but the midrange
is marvelous here at my friends house. Who the f*&k cares as long as you
enjoy the music?! They're all 'distortion' machines if you choose to view them
that way. Get the thing working so it 'distorts' the music the way you like it
most of the time and your cooking with gas!

Marco

Marco, You can make the painting analogy work with a bit of effort. The only thing you have to do is substitute the effect of light on a painting for the choice of playback equipment. First determine if the painting was made in a studio under natural light, incandescent light, flood ligh, spot light, flourscent light, flash light, candlelight, and the intensity of any of these, or if the painting was made outdoors in direct sunlight, partial shade, cloudy skys, flat light, and any other form of light you can think of. The painting is going to look different under each of these lighting conditions. All are color distortions - you must know what the artist used, or what light he expected you to use to view the painting to really get the picture. Absolutely critical to know these things! Thats why I hate going to museums, they never give you this information.

I wonder if our hairshirt audio friend is as dogmatic about his art appreciation as he is audio. :-)

Personally, I hang my hair shirt up when I got to bed. Its just too dammed itchy.

Marco, You can make the painting analogy work with a bit of effort.

Not unless the only objective of the painter is "photographic realism", which I find pretty boring in most (but not all) cases. Otherwise such knowledge as you suggest (about the conditions under which the painting was 'observed') has absolutely nothing to do with the appreciation of that painting. Nor would it really have much to do with your appreciation of photographic realisim except at the level of how well it succeeds at technique. Whether it moves you has nothing whatsoever to do with technique, or, at best precious little (IMHO).

Marco

The "Painter" metaphor just doesn't work for me because there is a difference between "art" and "craft". The sound
engineer is a craftsman (IMO of course)

Ah, then this is where we differ. In my experience, the audio engineer ends up an artist whether he wants to admit it or not. Making a record of audio events is like a group art project, with every person adding his or her own personal touch and style on it--whether or not they are claiming to try and avoid this.

You are correct, though, with your points on distortion. As sounds exist within the atmostphere, which is constantly changing, it is never really the same twice. So your points are quite valid. I should ammend myself to say "your hifi is a giant heap of distortion that passes on more distortion, some of it pleasing to the ear and some not; it's up to you whether or not you want to add what I consider to be superflous amounts of the displeasing stuff."

Now I see why we are posting!

I should ammend myself to say "your hifi is a
giant heap of distortion that passes on more distortion, some of it pleasing to
the ear and some not; it's up to you whether or not you want to add what I
consider to be superflous amounts of the displeasing stuff."

On that, I would have to agree completely my friend!

Marco

PS I don't suggest using any of this as a selling point for your next A'gon
classified ad!

Marco