|
Classical Court From Perotin to Prokofiev (and beyond), performed by Caruso to Khatia, it's all here. |
|
|
|
Classical Court From Perotin to Prokofiev (and beyond), performed by Caruso to Khatia, it's all here. |
|
In Reply to: RE: "the 3 dimensional acoustic sound wave does not only exist at the single point of a microphone" posted by Analog Scott on September 6, 2019 at 05:55:18:
. . . that there is but a single manifestation of accuracy at the live event ("the original acoustic waveform" - note: singular, not plural). So let's break down your paragraph:
Here is the problem when talking about accuracy and the original accoustic waveform. Three different people sit in the same concert hall at totally different seats in different sections One in the front row off to the extreme left. One in the middle orchestra section and one at the top balcony far left almost behind the orchestra. Do they all hear the same sound? If not which version is more real? Which version gives us our better sense of what is the accurate sound of live music?
So let's go back to my OP in this thread, and I now say again that you're sidestepping the issue by arguing that live music must be a POINT (singular) of reference, then elaborating on the different types of live music (and acoustics) which would seem to undermine any arguments in favor of a single reference or standard. This time, you're proposing a listener in the front on the extreme left, a listener in the mid section, and a listener at the top balcony. You then ask, "which version is more real? -and which version gives us our better sense of what is the accurate sound of live music?
As far as accuracy is concerned, those are BOGUS questions! There's an accurate sound for the guy sitting front row left, another accurate sound for the guy sitting in the middle, and still another accurate sound for the guy sitting in the top balcony! Get it? And it's up to us as listeners to draw from our experiences sitting in these various locations to discern what the microphone strategy has been on any given recording. In fact, your question, "which version is more real" depends entirely on what you're after either as an engineer or as a listener. I mean, that's not even a scientific question - it's merely a question of taste. And if I want a recording from the vantage point of someone sitting in the leftmost sear in the front row, I want as accurate a recording as is possible from that location!
As for your second paragraph, I hardly know where to begin. Let me just try with a few sentences:
So we now have 5 versions of the same original acoustic waveform
There you go again! There is no single "original acoustic waveform"! There's the waveform at the contact point of one microphone, another one at the contact point for a second microphone, and so on. Your concept of this is totally mistaken!
Will these all sound the same?
No - nor should they!
Will any of them sound like what any of our three concert goes heard?
No - why would they?
Which of the 5 would be the most real?
That's a totally subjective call, depending on where you were sitting and what you deem important in a recording. I WILL say however that, IMHO, accurate recordings can be made with a number of different microphone set-ups. I used to be pretty starkly in favor of minimalist microphone set-ups, but these days, I've heard convincing engineering with non-minimalist set-ups too. So how does accuracy prevail if all these different microphone set ups can sound good? Again, it goes back to experience: listeners can recognize what kind of microphone set-up was employed, and, within the parameters of a given microphone set-up, the accuracy can be discerned (in connection with one's experience at concerts and with other recordings).
Which of the 5 would be the most accurate?
You can't simply ask a bald question like that - the accuracy would come into play within each category. We would do much better to observe, "This is an accurate aural depiction of a minimally microphoned recording" or "This is an accurate aural depiction of a recording made with 40 microphones". You're trying to steer the discussion into this false absolutist stance you have (i.e., the original acoustic waveform - singular!).
How would we as audiophiles know?
Listening experience - both in concert and in home. Listening experience which almost rises to the abstract level: over time, we may begin to form ideal notions of the sound of a certain type of instrument in a certain type of hall with a certain type of microphoning. All the better if we have been to the actual hall where the recording was made, and all the better if we were actually present for the performance which was the basis for the recording - but these latter two attributes are not strictly necessary with enough experience. When I finally saw a concert at the Barbican in London, I had a certain expectation as to what music would sound like in that hall (based on LSO Live recordings), and, sure enough, my expectations did not lead me astray! So, in that sense, those were very accurate recordings, even though many critics don't consider them ideal. (But they are accurate musical depictions of the character of that hall - and if they were full of artificial reverb, they would NOT be as accurate)!
Would the three concert goers likely have the same opinions of the 5 different versions of the same musical event given their direct experiences with the same event?
Who knows? Would they want the recording to sound exactly like it sounded from each of their respective seats? You tell me.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Follow Ups
- I see that you've now shuffled back to claiming. . . - Chris from Lafayette 09/6/1917:43:29 09/6/19 (5)
- My claims have been consistent. - Analog Scott 12:31:48 09/7/19 (4)
- And each of those vantage points has ITS OWN accuracy! - Chris from Lafayette 17:46:55 09/7/19 (3)
- RE: And each of those vantage points has ITS OWN accuracy! - Analog Scott 19:44:11 09/7/19 (2)
- RE: And each of those vantage points has ITS OWN accuracy! - Chris from Lafayette 20:46:04 09/7/19 (1)
- "So. . . whence with your "three dimensional acoustic sound wave [singular]?" - Analog Scott 13:34:14 09/8/19 (0)
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2025, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
