Have You Had People From the Music Industry Over To Hear Your Rig?

[MylesBAstor]

Producers. Engineers. Musicians. Music Executives.

Had they ever heard a high-end audio system before? Did they own an audio system? Had they ever heard of high-end audio before?

What were their reactions to what they heard that day at your abode? Were they surprised? Pleased? Puzzled?

[Bruce B]

I'm all the time hearing from my clients that they can hear things in the mix that they had never heard before.

[lasercd]

I've had a well known mastering engineer over here for a listening session. When it was over he told me it was one of the best systems he's ever heard. He called me later on, while he was on the road home, to tell me that he thought about it some more and decided it was the best system he's ever heard. He hasn't heard the current version of the system either - I hope to have him back here soon. I hope to blow his mind.

[MylesBAstor]

I'm all the time hearing from my clients that they can hear things in the mix that they had never heard before.

Is that before or after you spin your magic or both?

[MylesBAstor]

I've had a well known mastering engineer over here for a listening session. When it was over he told me it was one of the best systems he's ever heard. He called me later on, while he was on the road home, to tell me that he thought about it some more and decided it was the best system he's ever heard. He hasn't heard the current version of the system either - I hope to have him back here soon. I hope to blow his mind.

[Johnny Vinyl]

The only 2 people I know personally are Gary Koh and Frederic Beudot from 6moons. Gary and I tried to get together at my place when he was in Toronto to do an upgrade on the big, big Genesis (1.2?), but we couldn't manage it. I did see him and Frederic though during that installation upgrade, so not all was lost. Now that I'm in Calgary it's unlikely anyone will be dropping by.

[JackD201]

Yes. Studio owners, producers, quite a few musicians. There's one band that drops in before they release their CDs. Here's a link to a blog of a young engineer who once visited the old system. The reactions of the others is pretty much the same.

http://hearhead.com/this-hi-fi-system-will-make-you-see-sound-the-lair-pt-1/

[MylesBAstor]

Yes. Studio owners, producers, quite a few musicians. There's one band that drops in before they release their CDs. Here's a link to a blog of a young engineer who once visited the old system. The reactions of the others is pretty much the same.

http://hearhead.com/this-hi-fi-syste...the-lair-pt-1/

What a great piece!!! I really enjoyed reading that Jack!

[JackD201]

Thanks Myles. He was fairly quiet and poker faced. I didn't expect his write up to be that complementary. Tats is a sharp young guy. He's got good ears and really cares about quality. What I found most interesting about him was his knowledge of music from the past given his age. Turns out his Dad is a vinyl loving tube head. He was brought up right! LOL!

He was bemoaning how in his specific line of work which is TV commercials he simply needs to use tools that he hates (normalization et al). I guess that's why performance audio, by contrast, is an oasis for him. Coming from the TV side myself, I know exactly how he feels. After all what can you really do with 2" or 3" full range drivers?

[Bill Hart]

My experience is that the industry (to the extent you can refer to it monolithically since it was always different tribes and is now even more fragmented with the dissolution of the majors as a driving force) is much the same as the general population insofar as familiarly with good sonics. Some are into it and may have systems; others, not so much. (The stereotype is the musician, even well to do one, with little more than a boom-box). For the people that work in the trenches - engineers, producers, etc. as opposed to riding a desk, it is probably like a busman's holiday. They'd probably rather be fly-fishing or something.

[MylesBAstor]

I've had producers, engineer and musicians visit over the many years. Some are aware of high-end audio, others not so much. But I like making the introduction!

Probably one of the first musicians I ever me who was into audio was David Chesky. We met at Audio Breakthroughs then in NYC back in the mid '80s when he was just starting up his company. He just loved the equipment and sound.

Around that time, met the owner of the deli across from the hospital who turned out played viola for the NYC Opera. He was bragging about their new digital recording (remember this was early '80s) and I said my condolences. He replied what are you talking about and then I proceeded to give him the lay of the land. Eventually had him over (back then the system was Maggies and cj tubes) and he was floored by what he heard. What impressed him the most was that he could tell the type of instrument the musicians were playing.

Recently had over a recording engineer whom I played tapes for and you could tell his ears perked up. Over the years, it seems what recording engineers value the most is dynamics and detail and --and this fellow also vocals -- apparently he was his hearing all of them. Plus I think sometimes engineers--not unlike reviewers -- get pigeonholed into one genre or couple of records -- and really have a great time when they can just kick back and listen to music. No pressure. Nothing at stake.

Others have come over too though one of the more interesting experiences came after one of my musician friends' wife invited me to go shopping with her for a new piano. What I really learned is that musicians use a very similar language to describe the sound of their instrument as audiophiles do to describe the sound of their system. Warm. Detailed.....

Oh and she ended up buying a Bechstein piano. Maybe now the absolute best choice living in a humid environment but a wonderful sounding piano nonetheless!

[Rob]

Have you heard David Chesky's current system? I heard through Kent from Electrostatic Solutions that David is a Quad ESL freak. He handles David and Robyn W rebuilds and visits them annually.

[1morerecord2clean]

I'm a musician and I listen to my system all the time.😸 Sounds pretty good but always room for improvement. I've heard lasercd's system a couple of times and it is indeed great. Actually I think there are many more full time musicians with high end systems today than there were 25 or more years ago. Many of them are spinning vinyl too. Going back to the late 60s and 70s most orchestral musicians I knew had little to show for in home audio and software. I think most of them saw home audio as more work when they were done with work.

I don't think instruments have a sound of their own. I mean they do, but every instrument even within the same brand and model are individuals as much as the musicians who play them. Likewise the same instrument in the hands of three musicians will have a different sound. Musicians choose their instruments because of the "feel" of that instrument with regard to flexibility, speed of keys, pistons, valves, intonation, etc as much as the sound they get from the instrument. While they may describe the instrument's sound in similar ways as audiophiles, I don't think audiophiles choose equipment in terms of feel. One thing that is for sure, the equipment we buy is in many cases much more expensive than the musical instruments used by the musicians. 🙀

[MylesBAstor]

I'm a musician and I listen to my system all the time.😸 Sounds pretty good but always room for improvement. I've heard lasercd's system a couple of times and it is indeed great. Actually I think there are many more full time musicians with high end systems today than there were 25 or more years ago. Many of them are spinning vinyl too. Going back to the late 60s and 70s most orchestral musicians I knew had little to show for in home audio and software. I think most of them saw home audio as more work when they were done with work.

I don't think instruments have a sound of their own. I mean they do, but every instrument even within the same brand and model are individuals as much as the musicians who play them. Likewise the same instrument in the hands of three musicians will have a different sound. Musicians choose their instruments because of the "feel" of that instrument with regard to flexibility, speed of keys, pistons, valves, intonation, etc as much as the sound they get from the instrument. While they may describe the instrument's sound in similar ways as audiophiles, I don't think audiophiles choose equipment in terms of feel. One thing that is for sure, the equipment we buy is in many cases much more expensive than the musical instruments used by the musicians. 🙀

Thank you for that fascinating perspective!!! That's why I think just like we are doing in the fitness field (where physicians, trainers, nutritionists, physical therapists, etc. are now working together rather than against each other), audiophiles, musicians, producers and recording engineers should be talking to each other rather than antagonists.

Does the feel of or the presence or absence of a remote control control count?

[Steve Lefkowicz]

Never did them them to come over to hear my system but a former co-worker/friend is married to the First Violin, Assistant Concertmaster of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra. He called me to ask about me helping them buy a complete "state of the art stereo, the best you can think of..." with price "not being a concern." She wanted something she could use to really get into and evaluate performances and techniques. When I explained my system at the time (a decent moderately priced system built largely around VMPS RM-2neo speakers, the whole system being about $12,000 total) they were shocked. They had set aside $5000 for the whole system, including furniture. I gave a list list of local dealers and suggested complete systems for $5,000 based on each dealerships inventories, but they never did buy anything, Told me they had a couple of negative experiences at the first places and stopped looking. I invited them over several times but they lost interest.

[Guest]

...

I don't think instruments have a sound of their own. I mean they do, but every instrument even within the same brand and model are individuals as much as the musicians who play them. Likewise the same instrument in the hands of three musicians will have a different sound. Musicians choose their instruments because of the "feel" of that instrument with regard to flexibility, speed of keys, pistons, valves, intonation, etc as much as the sound they get from the instrument. While they may describe the instrument's sound in similar ways as audiophiles, I don't think audiophiles choose equipment in terms of feel. One thing that is for sure, the equipment we buy is in many cases much more expensive than the musical instruments used by the musicians. 🙀

I remember one of my clarinet teachers (first chair Army band out of Ft. Belvoir in DC) picking out a step-up clarinet for me. He went through several, all the same brand and model, until pronouncing: "here, this is a good one - it feels right." My stereo system at the time was a portable Silvertone. heh.

The last person in the business to visit my room was the professional acoustician who designed the Stillpoints Apertures. He gave a few tips for improving low frequencies in my room and otherwise was very complimentary.