When I listen to my system.......
As I have stated many times, I listen to the musicianship and the composition. As I listen to SRV, just as an example, there are three musicians working together to create a "performance". How is it that anyone can put tone, sound staging, or anything else with the "sound" before the performance. There is much information on our recordings, and generally, many of these recordings are just so so with the fidelity. In fact, why do many listeners only listen to top notch recordings of higher fidelity, of the "sound", rather than appreciate those qualities I look and listen for. Is it because I was a singer / vocalist in my youth? Is it because I was around musicians who shared the joy of "music"? Is it because at a very early age, I was introduced to big band music and eclectic performances by so many, via my dad (he would have been 100 today; happy birthday dad). Yes, I consider myself an audiophile, because I spend money on gear and am careful with my dedicated room....my system allows me to hear more of the performance. But, it is the "music", the "performance", that matters most to me. I suppose I am feeling a bit nostalgic today, because of my pops. I am bringing this up again, because I do not understand the mentality of folks who listen differently than I. I know this subject might be ad nauseum to many, but some of the folks I used to design systems for, became less interested in the music, and more about the sound, placing the music and performance secondary, or not at all. I am just venting. If you would like to add to this post, I welcome all thoughts. No judgement from me. I wish everyone well. Enjoy! MrD.
I listen to music on my system. It’s a recording of artists playing instruments. Whether it’s a recording or live it’s still music. Not sure how this would take any enjoyment out of the hobby. Seems like an irrelevant distinction within the context of how people listen or how they build their systems. |
@inagroove there is no requirement on the definition of music that it applies only to live music. It’s music whether it’s live or recorded. I do agree that there are differences between the two. Among them being that the sound of recorded music, that a loudspeaker creates, is a facsimile of the sound created by the actual instrument and is subject to both of the influences you mention and certainly more. |
@inagroove music is defined as “vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion.” There is no requirement that it be live. Your dog analogy represents the distinction between a “live” dog and a photograph of a dog. They are both dogs but different representations of it. Live music and recorded music are both music just different representations of it. What happens when live music is amplified and played through speakers? Does this mean it’s not music since it’s being reproduced by microphones, processed by electronics, and playing back through speakers which may or may not capture exactly the sound produced by an unamplified instrument? |
Hopefully last response to this rabbit hole
This is patently false given the topic named Music with over 10,000 threads in it on this forum. Without having perused them I feel safe in assuming many folks here have gathered to discuss music likely outside the context of their gear. |
