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Learning To Listen

I’m frequently astonished when I hear the description of a soundstage by someone who really knows what he’s talking about. The Stereophile crew, Steve Gutenberg, and countless others hear—or claim to hear— when one violinist’s chair is out of line from the others and when the percussion players were forced into the bathroom because the studio was full. Issues like where the mices were placed, who stood where, and where the coffee pot was located are child’s play for these guys. 


Is it “mices” or “mikes?”


This seems to be a skill, like juggling, which one could learn with a little knowledge and a little practice. Some of the super listeners have said as much. But search though I might, I can’t find the key to the kingdom, the door to the fortress, the . . . all right, I’ll stop beating that particular horse.


But if someone could point me to the Cat In The Hat, The Horton Hears Who, the McGillogoty’s Pond of the subject you would have my eternal gratitude.




paul6001
middlemass
924 posts
 
I'm with millercarbon on this one. Obviously, 40 years of critical listening just isn't enough for the tech snobs ("sound engineers in academia.")
I just need to take a course!
Thank You!
oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 
You learn it and someone has to teach you. Very simple.. The number of people that talk themselves into hearing something is just NUTS.. MOST people talk themselves into hearing Shi$.. AGone is FULL of "what a difference" You learn to discern the difference by a teacher, not by listening on your own.. That is how you DON'T learn..
Professionals teach professionals. Rookies teach rookies what? What rookie learn..

I have a grandson, he won't shut up.. 6 years old. I have to tell him to LISTEN, pay attention to Grandpa..
Two ears ONE mouth.. use them accordingly, boy...

As far a drivers.. Have you ever had a wreck? NOT ME.. A million mile backwards, NEVER a wreck.. Think about that.. 15 ton service truck 40+ years NEVER a wreck.. That is the good driver.. Oh I did run over a guys CD cases after he left them under my tires to get them out of the heat. AFTER I looked under the truck.. AFTER, I almost took off his hand.

HE was a Fast driver too. Not a good one, but a fast one...:-) I knew race car drivers with no drivers lic.. BAD DRIVERS...OH YEA.. Real bad.. The most misused piece of tech on the planet. Everyone thinks they are for fun..
20 tickets, 20 wrecks. Good driver.. PRISON! 20 years... or 89 days in a 4 x 4 cage... You'll straighten out...

Regards
bluemoodriver
193 posts
 
The OP asked for the key to the door of the fortress. Science and education is usually a good start.
Just to puff that Critical Listening for Studio Engineers course I posted, I too have listened intently to music for 40 years or so, but I  found the course invaluable. Not so much the theory - it was the listening tests. Each week we were sent sound files which explored the theory taught that week. (Eg here is a string quartet. Here they are again. What filter, set at what frequency, was applied in the second sample?). I thought it would be easy - maybe lots of us would. But it was really, really hard.   But with teaching and learning and then practice it became easier as the weeks went by. I would never have got those skills without that input.  It’s like playing tennis with your mates for hours and hours - you won’t get much better without a coach. 

If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always got.
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oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 
I’m listening to and watching "Poirot", my French still sucks... I need a teacher ;-)

Spanish not bad, though..

My MIL was a Spanish interpreter, a TEACHER of the Spanish words..
Amego...

Regards
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