Rerurn to Romy the Cat's Site
In the Forum: Audio Discussions
In the Thread: Simpson Microphones thread.
Post Subject: Perfect Sound ForeverPosted by Paul S on: 9/11/2008
Andy, when I said I am not set up to exploit internet "music", I meant just that; I cannot and therefore did not run your samples through my main payback system, although even that might or might not have done justice to your samples according to your own sense of end-to-end equalibrium/continuity, at least based on your response. Actually, I just listened with what I had and gave you my immediate impressions, which were as I said. By "harmonics", I mean that notes played by instruments have characteristic tonal/timbral signatures that include both a primary frequency and also various attendent "rider" frequencies that vary considerably in amplitude. For whatever reason (perhaps my limited playback capabilities), I found the samples somewhat "stripped" or "bleached" of these harmonics as I recognized them live. As far as "expression", this is hard to describe in binary code, but I'll try to slide one in by saying it is the varibles in sound worked by the performer him/herself, like timing and inflection, which we percieve both consciously and unconsciously in music, just as in speech. Again, the computer system is lacking, but I can usually get expression in the truck, from my clock radio, etc. Whether any of what I did/didn't perceive has anything to do with microphones, I have no idea, nor do I presume to so much as hazard a guess in that direction. I saw your query and answered off the cuff, taking the sound at face value, so my remarks were "detached" from considerations other than just what I did/didn't hear from the samples, whatever the reasons.
Hence the question you include in your header. I am perfectly willing to accept that my playback is poor enough to make the absence of the cited-as-absent traits mea culpa.
I do find your observations about the "sacred" microphones very interesting, however. I have had a few chances to hear playback from tracks gotten via different "classic" microphones, and it was "instructive", to say the least.
Best regards,
Paul SRerurn to Romy the Cat's Site