Comments on: Newspaper Subscriptions Continue To Decline; Do You Still Get A Newspaper? http://www.lockergnome.com/reflections/2009/11/23/newspaper-subscriptions-continue-to-decline-do-you-still-get-a-newspaper/ Technology News, Reviews & How-To Sat, 18 Feb 2012 05:52:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: high_frontier http://www.lockergnome.com/reflections/2009/11/23/newspaper-subscriptions-continue-to-decline-do-you-still-get-a-newspaper/#comment-68117 high_frontier Sun, 31 Jul 2011 11:06:00 +0000 http://wp3.lockergnome.com/reflections/?p=632#comment-68117 Actually, I would not consider you a purist at all, as a real purist would not be listening to mp3s unless under duress of some kind. Part of the reason so much of music is compressed today is the poor equipment that many people have. To reproduce real music at realistic levels takes power, and lots of it. I does not matter what type of speaker we are talking about, lots of power is needed with even the most efficient corner loaded horns. [The problem with horns is that they introduce their own colorations and distortions due to their design.] The very best speakers are very inefficient and require levels of amplifier power most are not willing to purchase or live with. One anecdotal point that Bob Carver was said to make was how much power was needed to properly reproduce the shearing of a piece of paper with a scissors. At normal [same level as the real event] it took a couple of thousand watts to get the transient attack correct - this is why he was famous for high power amps throughout his career, like the Phase Linear 700 and various models that bore his own name. It is no wonder then, that for semi-realistic reproduction in the home, several hundred watts of clean power are needed, and we are not talking car stereo exaggerated wattage here. The amplifiers that reproduce this amount of power usually are 5 to 7 rack spaces in height, usually about 20" in depth, and weigh in at at least 50 pounds. That is for a two channel amplifier. [ Don't let anyone kid you, two channels of proper recording is all you need with the right equipment! ] I should also say that this amplifier is usually found at a price of over $1000, which is more than many people will ever spend on a sound system, thinking that the need is not there, or that differences cannot be resolved that make the investment worthwhile. That would be for each person to answer for himself, but if fidelity is desired, not only is compression to be avoided, so are sup-optimal digitization techniques, and low-fidelity playback equipment. [That would tend to be 95 - 97% of the equipment found in homes today.] Actually, I would not consider you a purist at all, as a real purist would not be listening to mp3s unless under duress of some kind.

Part of the reason so much of music is compressed today is the poor equipment that many people have. To reproduce real music at realistic levels takes power, and lots of it. I does not matter what type of speaker we are talking about, lots of power is needed with even the most efficient corner loaded horns. [The problem with horns is that they introduce their own colorations and distortions due to their design.] The very best speakers are very inefficient and require levels of amplifier power most are not willing to purchase or live with.

One anecdotal point that Bob Carver was said to make was how much power was needed to properly reproduce the shearing of a piece of paper with a scissors. At normal [same level as the real event] it took a couple of thousand watts to get the transient attack correct – this is why he was famous for high power amps throughout his career, like the Phase Linear 700 and various models that bore his own name.

It is no wonder then, that for semi-realistic reproduction in the home, several hundred watts of clean power are needed, and we are not talking car stereo exaggerated wattage here. The amplifiers that reproduce this amount of power usually are 5 to 7 rack spaces in height, usually about 20″ in depth, and weigh in at at least 50 pounds. That is for a two channel amplifier. [ Don't let anyone kid you, two channels of proper recording is all you need with the right equipment! ]

I should also say that this amplifier is usually found at a price of over $1000, which is more than many people will ever spend on a sound system, thinking that the need is not there, or that differences cannot be resolved that make the investment worthwhile.

That would be for each person to answer for himself, but if fidelity is desired, not only is compression to be avoided, so are sup-optimal digitization techniques, and low-fidelity playback equipment. [That would tend to be 95 - 97% of the equipment found in homes today.]

]]> By: Paddy Gordon http://www.lockergnome.com/reflections/2009/11/23/newspaper-subscriptions-continue-to-decline-do-you-still-get-a-newspaper/#comment-68116 Paddy Gordon Sat, 30 Jul 2011 01:40:00 +0000 http://wp3.lockergnome.com/reflections/?p=632#comment-68116 Compression makes sense for DJs at clubs etc to keep the volume solid during a song, there's nothing worse than going from a loud song to a quiet intro and folk thinking the music's been turned off. Then the main part coming in VERY LOUD and getting folk moaning that it's too loud etc. or worse, it blowing your speakers/amp Makes some sense for people in busy cities etc with headphones, but iPods should have software compressors built in by now. The only place compression makes no sense whatsoever is in the home when there's no external noise such as large crowds or diesel engines going by etc. I've routed my iTunes through logic's compressor before when going to bed so the music stayed at a constant volume and I wasn't woke up half an hour later with my playlist nearly finishing and a loud part coming on etc. Compression makes sense for DJs at clubs etc to keep the volume solid during a song, there’s nothing worse than going from a loud song to a quiet intro and folk thinking the music’s been turned off. Then the main part coming in VERY LOUD and getting folk moaning that it’s too loud etc. or worse, it blowing your speakers/amp

Makes some sense for people in busy cities etc with headphones, but iPods should have software compressors built in by now.

The only place compression makes no sense whatsoever is in the home when there’s no external noise such as large crowds or diesel engines going by etc.

I’ve routed my iTunes through logic’s compressor before when going to bed so the music stayed at a constant volume and I wasn’t woke up half an hour later with my playlist nearly finishing and a loud part coming on etc.

]]> By: chris morrell http://www.lockergnome.com/reflections/2009/11/23/newspaper-subscriptions-continue-to-decline-do-you-still-get-a-newspaper/#comment-68115 chris morrell Fri, 29 Jul 2011 22:52:00 +0000 http://wp3.lockergnome.com/reflections/?p=632#comment-68115 absolutely and as this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Magnetic#Criticism_regarding_production row demonstrated , "Hi Fi" is NOT the preserve of classical music geeks. absolutely and as this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Magnetic#Criticism_regarding_production row demonstrated , “Hi Fi” is NOT the preserve of classical music geeks.

]]> By: Kim Nilsson http://www.lockergnome.com/reflections/2009/11/23/newspaper-subscriptions-continue-to-decline-do-you-still-get-a-newspaper/#comment-68114 Kim Nilsson Fri, 29 Jul 2011 22:48:00 +0000 http://wp3.lockergnome.com/reflections/?p=632#comment-68114 Pretty much what I said over here: https://plus.google.com/109325348412536933420/posts/hZz4R82DYzS I still haven't found that video or article about the "loudness" issue of modern music. Pretty much what I said over here: https://plus.google.com/109325348412536933420/posts/hZz4R82DYzS
I still haven’t found that video or article about the “loudness” issue of modern music.

]]> By: Matt Hughes http://www.lockergnome.com/reflections/2009/11/23/newspaper-subscriptions-continue-to-decline-do-you-still-get-a-newspaper/#comment-68113 Matt Hughes Fri, 29 Jul 2011 22:40:00 +0000 http://wp3.lockergnome.com/reflections/?p=632#comment-68113 I was very happy when trent reznor was releasing flac copies of the ghosts albums I was very happy when trent reznor was releasing flac copies of the ghosts albums

]]> By: Rob Sommerfeldt http://www.lockergnome.com/reflections/2009/11/23/newspaper-subscriptions-continue-to-decline-do-you-still-get-a-newspaper/#comment-68112 Rob Sommerfeldt Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:59:00 +0000 http://wp3.lockergnome.com/reflections/?p=632#comment-68112 Don't just blame the Mastering Engineers. Sometimes the Recording Engineers send their mixes for mastering already compressed, so there isn't much they can do with those ones. Then there are the Producers and Artists who insist on having their songs AS LOUD as possible in the hopes that it will sound better to the average listener who is listening thru earbuds trying to drown out the real world. Unfortunately audiophiles are few and far between and while they spend large on gear, they don't tend to buy much music as they are really picky about quality, so the market is not geared towards them. It would be nice to just tell everyone that there is a volume knob/button on their player, but that just doesn't seem to make a difference. Don’t just blame the Mastering Engineers. Sometimes the Recording Engineers send their mixes for mastering already compressed, so there isn’t much they can do with those ones. Then there are the Producers and Artists who insist on having their songs AS LOUD as possible in the hopes that it will sound better to the average listener who is listening thru earbuds trying to drown out the real world. Unfortunately audiophiles are few and far between and while they spend large on gear, they don’t tend to buy much music as they are really picky about quality, so the market is not geared towards them. It would be nice to just tell everyone that there is a volume knob/button on their player, but that just doesn’t seem to make a difference.

]]> By: Jake Mottram http://www.lockergnome.com/reflections/2009/11/23/newspaper-subscriptions-continue-to-decline-do-you-still-get-a-newspaper/#comment-68111 Jake Mottram Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:32:00 +0000 http://wp3.lockergnome.com/reflections/?p=632#comment-68111 i found that my iOS5 backup didnt work on my iPhone when i tried to restore to iOS4. luckily i had a backup saved from when i was about to try out iOS5. iTunes would complain that the backup was made from a newer version of iOS i found that my iOS5 backup didnt work on my iPhone when i tried to restore to iOS4. luckily i had a backup saved from when i was about to try out iOS5. iTunes would complain that the backup was made from a newer version of iOS

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.lockergnome.com/reflections/2009/11/23/newspaper-subscriptions-continue-to-decline-do-you-still-get-a-newspaper/#comment-68110 Anonymous Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:27:00 +0000 http://wp3.lockergnome.com/reflections/?p=632#comment-68110 google IOS beta 5 without developer this beta is still a little rough for use on your iphone- some apps don't work (they are not optimized for new OS) google IOS beta 5 without developer

this beta is still a little rough for use on your iphone- some apps don’t work (they are not optimized for new OS)

]]> By: Dennis F http://www.lockergnome.com/reflections/2009/11/23/newspaper-subscriptions-continue-to-decline-do-you-still-get-a-newspaper/#comment-68109 Dennis F Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:34:42 +0000 http://wp3.lockergnome.com/reflections/?p=632#comment-68109 We get 3 newspapers, the Chicago Tribune, the Daily Herald, and the Lisle Sun. First 2 we pay for. We get 3 newspapers, the Chicago Tribune, the Daily Herald, and the Lisle Sun. First 2 we pay for.

]]> By: pgilly http://www.lockergnome.com/reflections/2009/11/23/newspaper-subscriptions-continue-to-decline-do-you-still-get-a-newspaper/#comment-68108 pgilly Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:34:42 +0000 http://wp3.lockergnome.com/reflections/?p=632#comment-68108 Even though we live in a small rural town that is 20 miles from the nearest downtown, we have always subscribed to the city daily. There's just something comfortable and familiar about the smell and the feel of newsprint with the morning coffee. Sure I use the internet, but that's for the national and international news and sports that supplement the local paper. We also subscribed to the local weeklies until they went out of business. Fortunately we still have neighborhood and shoppers' weeklies to keep up on the very local news and info. Physical forms of communication must be supported and appreciated for the niche that they serve so well. Even though we live in a small rural town that is 20 miles from the nearest downtown, we have always subscribed to the city daily. There’s just something comfortable and familiar about the smell and the feel of newsprint with the morning coffee. Sure I use the internet, but that’s for the national and international news and sports that supplement the local paper. We also subscribed to the local weeklies until they went out of business. Fortunately we still have neighborhood and shoppers’ weeklies to keep up on the very local news and info. Physical forms of communication must be supported and appreciated for the niche that they serve so well.

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