Insightful article by Roger Skoff "Paying For Nothing"


Yep here I go lets stir the pot, not really.

Was not sure where to put this as it is well written and covers every facet of our, hobby, obsession, passion, cult.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas.

I am an in-phase low power tube Bot.

While doing nothing to alter the musical signal becomes increasingly possible as our industry continues to learn more about the way things work, the basic facts of physics militate against our ever being able to completely achieve it.

THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO A SIGNAL THAT WILL HAVE NO EFFECT ON IT! Despite all the well-meaning but uninformed people out there (a surprising number of whom even have the credentials to make you think they ought to know better), amplifiers, cables, and many other things that have been attacked as making no difference actually do.

 

 

128x128jerryg123

Now, where have I heard this before? Oh yeah, "The system is built around the philosophy that everything matters." Its on my system page. Oh and the crystal radio he mentions? Built one as a kid just as he said.

Steve Deckert builds on this same philosophy, only he calls it zen.

From my system page:

The System is also built around the philosophy that the ideal component does nothing. The perfect component does not sound a certain way. It does not impart, it does not detract. It is not there at all.

From the Roger Skoff article:

True “nothing” isn’t possible. And even trying to approach it as part of the quest for sonic accuracy is both difficult and expensive. Regardless of how it may be stated, that’s what much of the cost of good audio gear goes for. When Dire Straits sang about “money for nothing and chicks for free” they were inadvertently correct, at least about the money part. “Nothing” doesn’t come free, and the more of it you want – the more accurate and unchanged you want your music to be – the more it’s likely to cost.

Great minds, etc, etc.

(Now that's stirring the pot!)

Actually starts at the playing and recording level. There is ‘coloration’ included on the performance and recording itself; instruments, stings used, microphones, mixing equipment, reverb added, etc etc etc. So, none of what we end up listening to is truly ‘transparent’. 
 

Get the sound you prefer out of your various colorized recordings, and ‘that’s that’.

Werner H.. only the really big hat with no cattle think they have outdone him…

I am a phase sensitive robot in a feed forward world

@jerryg123 good post. Some will seek to learn, some will crow they already know…

 

@tomic601 all ready have the one oh Great Carbon One LOL.

I am a minimalist carbon footprint bot...NOT!

@bkeske exactly why certain enlightened builders of gear seek to record and witness the original event as a baseline to discern how and how much the recording and playback chain influence changes… to wit many end up producing / sponsoring direct to disc recordings.. M and K, Conrad Johnson, Tim D, Wilson, Vandy, Peter L of Direct Grace….. ;-) but yes, it starts even before microphone selection… fun.

I am a ribbon microphone robot in a electret world 

Yep Jim. Another example is Paul at PS Audio making a big investment into their own recording studio and ‘record’ label.

I think that is good to see.

Man oh man tomic601, you are a get around bot for sure. Almost like "That Bot"

"That Girl" with Marlo Thomas. :-)

Regards

@tomic601 you are officially the Audiogon transmogrification bot! And nice article @jerryg123 I was reading it earlier today, everything does indeed matter whether MC said it first or not. 🤣

I am not a bot, as far as you know.

Roger is one of my more intelligent contemporaries, and he is of course spot on. No mincing of words here and good for him.

Oh no! We’re doomed! I will be exorcising all my amplifiers that modify that signal  asap. 

Silly man....Oh no! We’re doomed! I will be exorcising all my amplifiers that modify that signal asap.

I am not a Robot I am a Dalek.