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The Problem with Music (1993)

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Re: The Problem with Music (1993)

#81

Post by noduerme »

analog31 wrote: post #49

>>>> Especially “Punchy” and “Warm.” Every time I hear those words, I want to throttle somebody. I've seen this first-hand. I'm a bassist. When you ask any bassist about their sound, they all say that they want it to be "punchy." Every bass, amplifier, and speaker is described as "punchy." If not, it doesn't even make it to the market. Protip: To overcome any problem with your sound, turn the volume up a bit. This is…

Not to do with tonal quality, but in the ages of 4- and 8-track garage recording my music with semi-formed bands, the phrase I'm sure I was most guilty of using toward bassists was "drive it home". That always referred to a specific point in a song, though, and at least was something I could pick up a bass and demonstrate. It's that moment when the bass is supposed to deliver the satisfaction of answering and closing, resetting the rhythm and the melody at the same time, taking everything from noodly to clean again.

Re: The Problem with Music (1993)

#82

Post by wyclif »

georgeecollins wrote: post #39

Here is something that may be of use. When someone sends you or hands you a contract, read it. If they hand you a contract and expect you to sign it on the spot either ask to look at it overnight or sit down and read it in the spot. Anyone who expects you to sign something without reading it should feel shady. Read it with a pen in hand. You are allowed to change things in a contract. People often give you things as…

I'm old enough to remember the first edition of this when it was published in 1993. This is actually not the original version, Albini expanded it at some point and added all the technical stuff about recording, microphones, DATs, etc.

Re: The Problem with Music (1993)

#83

Post by wyclif »

livelielife wrote: post #24
dahart wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The issue is that producers have no bar at all for the role, and the role is not well defined, unlike software engineers that typically have a 4 year degree, 2 year degree, or at the very least a code camp, before being hired. Would you hire someone for software engineering who had no engineering training or experience just because they can talk lucidly and in detail about what software they like? Maybe a better soft…

> unlike software engineers that typically have a 4 year degree, 2 year degree... they do NOW. Back when a lot of us started getting involved with this, most 'engineers' had physics, engineering, mathematics, and other various backgrounds because software engineering degrees were too freaking new. In the near-future (10 5? years? possibly sooner?) kids are gonna graduate with specialized PM degrees having gone to hig…

Back when a lot of us started getting involved with this, most 'engineers' had physics, engineering, mathematics, and other various backgrounds because software engineering degrees were too freaking new

Or in some cases, humanities backgrounds (Medieval Lit, philosophy, etc).

Re: The Problem with Music (1993)

#84

Post by WalterBright »

This is about the same with starting any other business. The gross revenue sounds good, but everything costs money and everyone has their hand out to get paid. The business owner is dead last in getting paid.

A lot of people conflate "revenue" with "profit". They have a very rude awakening when they try to start a business.

Re: The Problem with Music (1993)

#85

Post by IAmGraydon »

analog31 wrote: post #49

>>>> Especially “Punchy” and “Warm.” Every time I hear those words, I want to throttle somebody. I've seen this first-hand. I'm a bassist. When you ask any bassist about their sound, they all say that they want it to be "punchy." Every bass, amplifier, and speaker is described as "punchy." If not, it doesn't even make it to the market. Protip: To overcome any problem with your sound, turn the volume up a bit. This is…

>Protip: To overcome any problem with your sound, turn the volume up a bit. This is also a known trick in the studio, and the equipment showroom: Make a few arbitrary adjustments, then play it back again, but with the volume turned up.

Protip: I’ve been studying audio engineering for over 20 years and have 2 full studio albums. I have no idea what you’re talking about. The Fletcher Munson curve is not a way to fix problems with your sound.

Re: The Problem with Music (1993)

#86

Post by IAmGraydon »

mitch3x3 wrote: post #74
analog31 wrote: post #49

>>>> Especially “Punchy” and “Warm.” Every time I hear those words, I want to throttle somebody. I've seen this first-hand. I'm a bassist. When you ask any bassist about their sound, they all say that they want it to be "punchy." Every bass, amplifier, and speaker is described as "punchy." If not, it doesn't even make it to the market. Protip: To overcome any problem with your sound, turn the volume up a bit. This is…

Punchy commonly translates to “compressed” and warm to “saturated/distorted”. Volume will of course help, but it’s not always what people want.

Punch is typically referring to a waveform with high dynamic range - the opposite of compressed. Warm usually indicates a sound with rolled off highs and boosted midrange.

Re: The Problem with Music (1993)

#87

Post by bsder »

UberFly wrote: post #65
simoneau wrote: post #54

See also "Courtney Love does the math" (2000) for a similar analysis of the music industry: https://www.salon.com/2000/06/14/love_7/

That was a good read, thanks. I'd like to know how the last 20 yrs have effected things and if musicians are still getting just as screwed. Sadly I'm guessing yes.

From TFA: > They spend half a million to record their album.

This changed: bands now get less that $50K to do the album.

Re: The Problem with Music (1993)

#88

Post by eyelidlessness »

livelielife wrote: post #23

they are talking about the recording industry more than about music; so I suppose I agree? the recording industry is the problem that music has. But this 'problem' is not limited to music.

That’s (the music industry) is their point. They wrote this well into a prominent career working in the industry. It’s not just some navel gazing about the impact, it’s served as a reality calibration for musicians seeking something on the spectrum of sustainable career to stardom for decades. The sobering reality that “success” in music is and has been mostly a vessel to concentrate wealth and direct culture at the whims of a few powerful people is definitely not limited to music, but it’s something musicians deserve to be aware of in the particulars of how it plays out.

Re: The Problem with Music (1993)

#89

Post by analog31 »

IAmGraydon wrote: post #86
mitch3x3 wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Punchy commonly translates to “compressed” and warm to “saturated/distorted”. Volume will of course help, but it’s not always what people want.

Punch is typically referring to a waveform with high dynamic range - the opposite of compressed. Warm usually indicates a sound with rolled off highs and boosted midrange.

Interestingly, in addition to being a bassist, I'm also an electronics freak. I've studied every amp schematic that I can lay my hands on, have built my own gear, and read a lot of online commentary on the subject.

In my observation, a fair generalization is that for every term describing tone quality, there are equal and opposite definitions and explanations.

Re: The Problem with Music (1993)

#90

Post by dbalatero »

AlbertCory wrote: post #11

> That’s why few self-respecting engineers will allow themselves to be called “producers.” btw, HN'ers, I'm preparing a new Substack post about "music movies you haven't seen" and one of the ones I saw when it came out was about a recording engineer ! Imagine that. I think Tom Dowd is the only engineer anyone would make a movie about. It's Tom Dowd and the Language of Music and now I can't find it anywhere. Can you?

email me at my username at gmail.com.
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