Okay my pretty little audiophiles…the menu for today consist of a couple of conversations that I have had recently along with a couple of tech reviews of some pretty interesting things.
First, there is a lot of talk going around having to do with this concept of “cloud computing” a lot of folks aren’t sure what this means or how it may affect them in the future. Basically what it boils down to is the ability to have access to a virtual server on the Internet. So, instead of having floors of buildings full of servers to supply free space for a company, it moves to a distant location through the Internet, so you never have to be cluttered up with them again. There are some folks who are hesitant to jump into this idea though, and I could understand why. I mean all you’re really doing is moving the physical servers to somewhere else in the world so you won’t have to bother with them. They’re not in the clouds, and if something goes wrong with them you couldn’t get to them to fix them…you’d have to call someone in Norway probably. if you’d like more info on this topic then check out THIS discussion on the topic.
Second up, the concept of being able to mix an audio production piece, such as a song, by using only headphones. Traditionally in the past songs were produced and mixed/mastered by listening to them through Hi-fi speakers, so that the producer could re-create the musical experience as closely as possible. Well, since most people today listen to music through tiny earbuds or through low-quality car speakers should producers have to, or still feel the need to, use the traditional Hi-fi sound system since those who are consuming the audio will not be able to hear it at its full quality anyway? Think of it like this; why would the NFL want to broadcast games in Hi-Def if no one gets the TVs that can show Hi-Def? The same principle applies here, what is the motivation for producers? Is it that they are continuing to push for Hi-fi with the thought that even if a few audiophiles strap high quality headphones on and enjoy their music, then it makes their job worthwhile? Or is it better to just adapt to the times and let the quality of sounds fall away?
We’ve already noticed a drop in quality of recordings, just in the last 5 years or so. If you compare the sound wave of a song recorded in the 70’s to one recorded today you will notice that the songs back then are no where near as loud. All of the music heard on today’s radios and ipods are compressed to the point that you miss out on all of the subtleties that make music what it is at times…but that’s just my opinion. There is a really good article on the topic HERE from EQ Magazine online.
The first item on today’s audio equipment review is for all of you American Idol Wannabes! Allow me to introduce to you the Electro-harmonix Voice Box!
The heart of this beast is a 256 band vocoder, the more bands, the clearer the voice diction, and 256 is very impressive. The only thing about this device, as with most vocal processors, is that you have to have a decent quality voice to begin with. (It’s not going to turn the tone-deaf singer of your band into Pavarotti), but if you can sing fairly well, then this is a great addition to any vocalist’s toy box. On the high end this device sells for about $220 brand new, but well worth the price if you’re serious about your vocal quality. HERE is a video showing the box in action, enjoy!
This next device is simply called “Beamz”. It is produced by a company from Scottsdale Arizona and is probably one of the most user-friendly instruments I have ever seen! Simply put, this device is a light beam-based musical instrument and when the beam of light is broken by the user’s hand, it plays a sound.
You can check out a demonstration of this device HERE
That’s all for this blog, if you have any questions/comments or feel like sending me some info about your favorite device then email me at rock108brandon@gmail.com
Til next time!
