Greetings Audio enthusiasts, Friends and fellow Bloggers,
As a part of first blog entry under Monaural Musings, let me narrate a small incident that made me realize the difference between Music and Audio.
During my early days, i used to go for Flute Classes. My Guru was a jack of all trades, which basically means when he is out for break, me and my companions have the opoourtunity to try out all different instruments from Harmonium, to Jazz Pads. There is always a thrill in trying to do something which you are not supposed to do. Although we had strict instructions not to touch other instruments, we seldom cared a bit about that piece of advice. There were many instruments, few which will make a sound when you hit it randomly (Like the Guitar), few which wont budge (Like the Sax) whatever you do. However, i had taken a special liking to one instrument - The Drums. I like them a lot for two reasons, the Drum kit was by itself huge, making its presence felt in a macho way among rest of its puny peers. Secondly, i loved the thump, kick and snare of the drums. There was one hunk who would come to practice drums. When in full flow, i would just stop whatever i was doing to watch the action. It was pure 'eargasam'. The Music filled my mind and soul. There is nothing more i can ask for when i hear this kind of music.
Long afterwards, we brought our first Hi-Fi System - From Phillips. I was long fascinated by the Knob controls of Tone and Stick Controls of Equalizers, and when i got my hands on them, i was already fiddling with it. The one we got had a 3 Band Eq - Bass, Mid and Treble. I always loved to push the Bass up to experience the thump and Kick. Few songs got them right. Few songs played them ok. Few songs sounded downright crap. I didnt understand. Why is the Sound of a Drum appear so different in different songs. Why isn't the same kick and punch replicated for all songs of the same genre ?
I took me quite a while to understand that the sound you hear out of an HI-Fi system has many variables to it few controlled and a lot uncontrolled. I was beginning to understand that, Audio is different from Music. I realized why Composers are called Musicians and Programmers are called Sound Engineers.
Audio is Science - The way a sound is recorded, the way sound is played, the way sound reaches your Tympanic cavity.
Music is Emotion - The way you sink your senses, the way goosebumps standup your skin, the way you forget everything else.
Perhaps it would be fair to draw an analogy and compare Audio and Music with your Mind and Heart.
Audio like your Mind is about asking logical questions, needing rationale to proceed and making you look like a School HeadMaster.
Music like your Heart, doesn't need Justifications, Clarifications or Classifications and makes you look like a Toddler.
Always Enjoy the Music and Reason the Audio - But, don't do both at the same time.
Cheers
Praveen
As a part of first blog entry under Monaural Musings, let me narrate a small incident that made me realize the difference between Music and Audio.
During my early days, i used to go for Flute Classes. My Guru was a jack of all trades, which basically means when he is out for break, me and my companions have the opoourtunity to try out all different instruments from Harmonium, to Jazz Pads. There is always a thrill in trying to do something which you are not supposed to do. Although we had strict instructions not to touch other instruments, we seldom cared a bit about that piece of advice. There were many instruments, few which will make a sound when you hit it randomly (Like the Guitar), few which wont budge (Like the Sax) whatever you do. However, i had taken a special liking to one instrument - The Drums. I like them a lot for two reasons, the Drum kit was by itself huge, making its presence felt in a macho way among rest of its puny peers. Secondly, i loved the thump, kick and snare of the drums. There was one hunk who would come to practice drums. When in full flow, i would just stop whatever i was doing to watch the action. It was pure 'eargasam'. The Music filled my mind and soul. There is nothing more i can ask for when i hear this kind of music.
Long afterwards, we brought our first Hi-Fi System - From Phillips. I was long fascinated by the Knob controls of Tone and Stick Controls of Equalizers, and when i got my hands on them, i was already fiddling with it. The one we got had a 3 Band Eq - Bass, Mid and Treble. I always loved to push the Bass up to experience the thump and Kick. Few songs got them right. Few songs played them ok. Few songs sounded downright crap. I didnt understand. Why is the Sound of a Drum appear so different in different songs. Why isn't the same kick and punch replicated for all songs of the same genre ?
I took me quite a while to understand that the sound you hear out of an HI-Fi system has many variables to it few controlled and a lot uncontrolled. I was beginning to understand that, Audio is different from Music. I realized why Composers are called Musicians and Programmers are called Sound Engineers.
Audio is Science - The way a sound is recorded, the way sound is played, the way sound reaches your Tympanic cavity.
Music is Emotion - The way you sink your senses, the way goosebumps standup your skin, the way you forget everything else.
Perhaps it would be fair to draw an analogy and compare Audio and Music with your Mind and Heart.
Audio like your Mind is about asking logical questions, needing rationale to proceed and making you look like a School HeadMaster.
Music like your Heart, doesn't need Justifications, Clarifications or Classifications and makes you look like a Toddler.
Always Enjoy the Music and Reason the Audio - But, don't do both at the same time.
Cheers
Praveen
