At This Time Can We Recreate Full Range Live Music In The Home?


I read on this web site some members claim they go to the symphony orchestra and are "convinced" their system reproduces the experience. I agree with vocals, light percussion, acoustic music, light jazz, the best systems come very close. My experience comes from being a semi professional drummer for 40+ years. I currently have acoustic and electronic drums in my home. I play in a huge open space with 20 foot cathedral ceilings. I think I can state that I know what live drums sound like. Can even the six figure systems reproduce the attack and decay of a 20 inch crash cymbal? I say "maybe" in the future but not now! What makes me laugh is we audiophiles myself included will spend many, many thousands of dollars trying to reproduce the sound of a $20 triangle or a $15 woodblock or a $10 shaker. Play the song Aja by Steely Dan. I can play on my system the drum solo by the great Steve Gadd at realistic volume levels-if you dare -but it is not the same as real drums!! I don’t know if I can’t convince people that are not musicians. Not putting non-musicians down. Quoting my dad, "You don’t have to be a horse to be a horse doctor." Another quote by John Lennon. Someone asked him what he was listening to. He responded, "Dripping water."  It would be interesting to know how many of the greatest producers/engineers are or are not musicians or vocalists.
Some statistics: Soft drums 105dB, hard drums up to 130dB, kick drum/timpani 106-111dB, ride cymbal 101dB, toms 110dB, ride bell 115dB, crash 113dB, snare 120dB, rimshot 125dB. I have a system that could produce 125dB, would I -NO WAY I value my #1 instrument -my ears. So the drums are playing at 125dB peaks, now add in the other 80+ members of the symphony orchestra-how loud now? I ask again, can we at this time reproduce accurately the power of a symphony orchestra in the home? For many of us this is the Holy Grail of being an audiophile - Keep Searching!
wweiss

Showing 1 response by kingsleuy

No.  It's all a recreated illusion.  And I'm glad of it.

1.  In my apartment, every disk I play Always sounds exactly the same.  Never had I been attended a Live Performance and gotten EXACTLY the same performance as the night or two ago playing the same program.  Nor have I performed and experienced that "same" performance as the night before.  For the better or worst.

2. A solo artist with a guitar would fit in my apartment.  4 musicians maybe. Symphony Orchestra, No way.

3.  There is more to music than achieving high SPLs of Live Music.  What about the pianissimos?  Or the No Play (rest) notes.  The space between the notes you hear.  Just as important.
Holy moly! Drums?!   I played in jazz bands.  When we were all were mic'd.  Most of the time the drum set was not.  When we were not mic'd, I/we could not play over that drummer.  In an orchestra of 100+ musicians.  There usually is only 1 each percussion instrument.  When there was a need for multiples of them, the 100 became 150+.   When I got called in as a "bumper" the usual 4-5 of became 8 of us in the french horn section.

4.  My system can't.  If it could I would get evicted if I even come close to the spl of a live performance.  My neighbor had taken to his electric guitar 2:30 in the morning.  Bars closes at 2.  I thought it was hilarious.  Landlord didn't.   Girlfriend is still here.  He is not.