Where do you listen to music most?

[Liam Schwilik]

Enough already!

I think I've reached that point where my point can be made. Most of you listen on crappy systems, no?

True music lovers listen to the music, and enjoy the effect that the music brings. Others listen to "the system" (that might be flat (or fat? or not?) in responce?). Ever noticed how, when you are in a car driving, and listening to music, or the radio, and you realise with horror that you cannot remember anything of the past 100 miles. Oh, the power of the mind!

Most of you listen in 1/8" earphones, ipods, computer systems, crappy hi-fis, good, but old systems, involuntary mono mode. Who knows? Most of the time, without even realising, you are very cleverly filtering out background noise from cars etc.

I therefore, have to consider this phenomenon. Thats why I have about 5 sets of crappy speakers, that probably tell me more about the sound, than the one really good set.

Music is a very humanistic emotion. It's not technocratic. My job is, on the face of it technocratic, and as result, I must not loose sight of all things emotional and musical. And that includes the equipment and how musical that equipment sounds.

What is flat (in audiophile terms)? I have many sets on mics and monitors, eqs etc. that all claim to be flat in responce. So why do they all sound different? I don't know, and I don't really care!

Thanks all for answering my question, and I hope some of you will find this thread interesting and a result will enjoy continued, free and easy pleasure in listening to music, whatever system you are listing on?

Mark.

P.S. It's a trait of mankind - to believe what we are told - check out Noam Chomsky's, Chronicles of Dissent.

[mikemush]

Enough already!
P.S. It's a trait of mankind - to believe what we are told - check out Noam Chomsky's, Chronicles of Dissent.

   Sorry,Mark.I don't believe you.

   

[Maart]

"I don't like music" - Martin "Lancelot Barré", 1989

Maart

[Cocker Freeman]

yeah, that's right, isn't it. Music's b*****ks really.

[Liam Schwilik]

Hi Maart,

Re: "I don't like music" - Martin "Lancelot Barré", 1989

I can imagine martin saying that!

Do you remenber how was it said, and in what context?

Mark

[Tullfanatic]

Yeah I can hear that too, Mark, especially under the questioning of a novice interviewer.   LOL!!!

Seriously, it always kills me to hear musicians say that they don't really listen to other peoples' music. If you're in the music biz, isn't it logical that you'd be somehow influenced by music or at least enjoy it?   I've recently seen an interview with Ian where he says that he got into Indian music because of eating Indian food.  Strange, that.

Annette

[Liam Schwilik]

Hi Annette,

Not at all! I had to tell my local ruby house owner to stop playing David Sanborn, and play some real Indian music. Also got to have the velvet paisley wall paper. Not to mention Tiger "beer" (said in Homer voice), and all the other goodies they offer!

He now does, and I think everybody feels better for it!

Re: If you're in the music biz, isn't it logical that you'd be somehow influenced by music or at least enjoy it?

I know David Silvian would not listen to other music for fear of it influencing him. Same goes with Tori Amos. When she's writing she stops listening to music, other than her own. I can relate to this, although I don't practice it myself.

Mark.

P.S. See Amusing anecdotes? for David Sanborn story

[Andy]

Enough already!

I think I've reached that point where my point can be made. Most of you listen on crappy systems, no?

I started to reply to this the other day and then got locked out for a while due to my own ineptitude.

Anyway, most of us listen on the systems we can afford. Just because a system is in a car or an environment that isn't acoustically balanced doesn't mean we ignore quality for the joy of listening.

For myself, I really enjoy it when the production is such that it can be enjoyed on  a wide variety of systems. The sound in my office is very different to my lounge, to my car. For tracks like "Janie Runaway" by Steely Dan, I can hear a totally different set of instrumentation when it's on the expensive system. It still sounds great on crappy speakers, but it does sound different.

Some music sounds rubbish on a crappy system - Philip Glass' Koyaanisqatsi being a prime example.

By the way I have a pair of background-cancelling headphones that are fantasic for white noise, such as aircraft, but noises such as voices and sudden sounds get straight through.

[Liam Schwilik]

Hi Andy,

You must be the wealthy one? ;-))

Yeh, valid point.

Don't you just a hate those recordings, when listening in headphones and experience an uncanny sound - like someone breathing in your ear, or a distant shout, or telephone ringing that freaks you, makes you rip off the headphones to realise that it's nothing but a quiet house (or that air stewardess trying to get your attention)?

How do they work (these fancy headphones)? Is it through some kind of phase cancellation?

Mark

P.S. I can tell you (off topic) , as it will all come to an end soon. There are some F.C. Lyrics  where the backing vocals were deliberately sang to wrong "silly" lyrics. Can anybody guess which songs they are?

 

[Andy]

They weren't all that expensive - Sony noise cancellation 'phones, bought at JFK on a business trip.

Yes, I believe the technology is phase cancellation They have a mike on the outside of each earpiece to take in external noise, the input to each is then inverted and played back through the earphones to cancel it out.  I have to change their batteries regularly.

I've heard many interesting background noises - an Oasis track that has a nokia ringtone halfway through (can't remember which track) - in fact telephones ringing is  regular occurrence as far as I can tell. There was a classical american pianist who used to sing along with his playing, no voice mike but it got picked up by the piano mikes. (His name escapes me, too).

P.S. I can tell you (off topic) , as it will all come to an end soon. There are some F.C. Lyrics  where the backing vocals were deliberately sang to wrong "silly" lyrics. Can anybody guess which songs they are?

I'm really not enough of aficionado of FC's songs, so have no idea. Si Tu Dois Partir? Royal Seleccione?

[Anna]

There's some interesting backing lyrics to "Closing Time", sounds like the lads are having a good time on a friday night, possibly in the Chequers (assuming the place isn't mythical, I know nothing!)

I mostly listen to music on my iRiver whilst riding my motorcycle to work or home.  So not only do I have MP3 compression and tiny earphones that aren't properly in my ears cos the helmet moves them about, I have traffic and wind noise to contend with too.  I do tend to lose the subtleties, especially in the treble, and I always have the bass turned WAYYY up on the EQ...

A real treat is to be able to listen to music on my wireless headphones.  It's the main reason I volunteer to do the cooking!  At last, full frequency response and no extraneous noise as they're proper cover-the-whole-ear headphones.  Don't know what the radio connection does to the quality though...

I don't have a good enough ear to really be able to tell whether I'm listening to a "quality" system or not.  I think the production values have much more to do with whether I enjoy a recording or not.  Which would explain why I don't enjoy most 70's, early 80's stuff - too trebbly.

[peluche (Chris)]

Mrs Peluche bought me a new iPod last week ... so now I tend to listen to music whilst walking the dog 4 times a day. I must admit that I'm amazed by such BIG sound from such LITTLE box !!! I'm catching up on albums that I bought and never really listned to properly, plus playing some albums I've not heard in years :
Current iPod playlist -
Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
Mostly Autumn - For All we Shared
Genesis - Lamb Lies Down ...
Rush - Exit ... Stage Left

Dog's going to well walked this week 
Chris

[Liam Schwilik]

Hi Miss Piggy,

What do you ride?

Is there a law against wearing headphones in a helmet? Never thought about that before now?...

Yes, the Closing Time Bv session was great! lots of fun there. Maarts falsetto contributions are superb! But I won't give the game away on the lyric front - you can just keep guessing?

Andy. If you wiggle your head when wearing those phase headphones, I bet you it really sounds strange, no?

Chris, was it your birthday, or have you just a really kind wife? Nice one!

mark.

[Andy]

Andy. If you wiggle your head when wearing those phase headphones, I bet you it really sounds strange, no?

Dunno Mark, never even thought to try. I'll give it a go when next I wear 'em.

[peluche (Chris)]

What do you ride?

Chris, was it your birthday, or have you just a really kind wife? Nice one!

Birthday in two weeks time ... so I guess I was just lucky !! Mind you, she says life is much quieter nowadays when I pop off to prepare dinner, I take the iPod and let her play her own stuff !!!!

Me, I ride a Triumph 

[jOhN]

Niiiiiiiiiiice Bike!!!!

Although I prefer the Speed Triple meself

[Andy]

It's not a real Triumph... there's no oil puddle underneath!

[Liam Schwilik]

Blimey Chris! You'd have to have some pretty nifty head phones to ride and listen on that one! LOUD Ones!

I bet you listen to Metallica's Black album when you ride - none of that woosey folk music?  

Mark.

[peluche (Chris)]

Although I prefer the Speed Triple meself

Nice one Andy !!!

I'll never have another triple in my life ... I paid Triumph huge amounts of money (back in the days when ...) for one of the first 100 T595's off the line (serial number 00057). You know, the raving mad 955cc triple, bright yellow thingummy. It got recalled after two weeks due to a 'problem with the snapping of headstocks'. They gave me an ol' BMW hire bike whilst they took it away and fixed it in Hinckley (two weeks). I suggested they might offer Jain and I some nice Triumph leathers in way of compensation ... they told me to 'go away' as they'd already gone to the huge expense of a new chain !!! I sold it and bought a Ducati  

[Anna]

Nice bike, the TT.  Rode one a whole 200 yards once (it belonged to a colleague at work).  Mine's a Buell (American sports bike - Harley motor but it goes round corners and stops).  XB9S Lightning.  A bit like this one...

Actually, this excact one!  Picture taken at Cropredy last year...  I don't usually ride with the panniers & top box on...



(*Broadband users can click on that image for a full-size version, might be a bit big for dial-up!)
Thanks to ukbeg.com for hosting!

It's LOVELY!!

As far as I know there's no law in the UK against wearing headphones on the bike - how exactly is it worse than having a car stereo on?  I make sure I can still hear sirens etc...  I don't listen to Metallica often - makes me ride too fast!