SIGNALS & NOISE (Letters to Editor) (Jun. 1990)

Music from Behind the Brain

Dear Editor:

Regarding Edward T. Canby's column in the February 1990 issue, are we taking classical music for granted by treating it as background noise material? So thinks Mr. Canby, who feels Mozart and Beethoven get no respect! I've come to the conclusion that some amount of listening, even if it's back-brain listening, is better than none.

Films, art, music, and books have all benefited from, and been hurt by, cheap editions. This enormous distribution of Western cultural artifacts, afforded through modern technology, has made the artifacts disposable. A thrice-in-a-lifetime chance to hear a symphony is no longer the big deal that it was in the 19th century. A Compact Disc contains two symphonies and over 70 minutes of music, always available at our convenience. Therefore, the music becomes less precious. If your attention isn't completely focused, well-there's always next time.

However, I've found that the music really does register in the back brain.

The next play, it usually gets my undivided attention. When I'm distracted, a composer will leave little fragments of his music tinkling in my head, and I've discovered that my inattention has actually enhanced my enjoyment of music! Therefore, full attention at full audio volume, Ober ales, isn't the only way to enjoy recorded music. A little haunting carries a lot of magic.

George Nussbaum; New York, N.Y.

Sunbelt Show

Dear Editor:

This is to announce that the Atlanta Audio Society, Inc. is sponsoring the two-day Sunbelt Audio Show in Atlanta on Saturday and Sunday, August 18th and 19th, 1990. The show will feature public-entry ticket sales and allow exhibitor retail sales.

Space has been reserved at the Radisson Inn and Conference Center in Atlanta. A minimum of 30 guestroom sized spaces and 10 large-dimension exhibit spaces will be available for both live-demonstration and static displays. High-end audio/video manufacturers, distributors, dealers, recording companies, and audio/video publishers are invited to participate.

As far as we know, ours is the first audio society to sponsor a show of this scale. Please write to the Sunbelt Audio Show, 1160 Cumberland Rd. N.E., Atlanta, Ga. 30306 or call (404) 876 5659 for further information.

-Charles G. Bruce, Jr., President, Atlanta Audio Society; Marietta, Ga.

Direct to What?

Dear Editor:

February 1990's "Spectrum" contained a report on a recent "direct-to disc" recording session produced by Tam Henderson of Reference Recordings. Mr. Henderson felt that many recording companies complain that their CDs do not sound like the original master. He also suggested that this particular "direct-to-disc" production sounded exactly like the original, since there was, in effect, no original recording to begin with.

Okay so far. However, the reasons why many manufacturers are not pleased with the sound of their Compact Discs are the failure of A/D converters to maintain 16-bit linearity and the imperfections in the analog filters associated with them. Serious audiophiles can certainly attest to this, and have been complaining about it since the first Compact Disc was auditioned.

The fact that a "direct-to-disc" session took place in order to bypass an archival (master recording) process does not, in and of itself, guarantee accuracy. An analog-to-digital (A/D) step was still necessary in order for a Compact Disc to have been made of this performance. Whether the Compact Disc was ultimately manufactured as a result of an over-the-air transmission or from an accurately archived analog-to-digital recording, I submit that the results would have been identical! As a publicity stunt, the effort drew attention to the problems associated with the front end of the digital pro cess. As an exercise in solid engineering practices, I would question if the effort was worth it, particularly if there were no corresponding benchmark archival devices available to verify the sound of the original audio feed, as sent by Mr. Johnson to Mr. Harley.

Brad S. Miller

By The Numbers

Incline Village, Nev.

On Death and Lying

Dear Editor:

At long last, there is word of Prof. I. Lirpa. I learned from Iyam, a close cousin of his, that Lirpa is dead. Iyam said Lirpa was involved in a head-on collision with his new Vehicular Com pact Disc Reproduction System (VCDRS). Also, he told me that we should not grieve for Lirpa because he was dangerous. He was fiendishly clever, as were the devices which he cooked up and you unwittingly published. Now I ask you, why did no one write to say whether or not these concoctions worked? I'll tell you. They were designed to self-destruct, with a large explosion. That's why no one wrote. The fiend!

Also, he had become boring, which is more reason not to grieve. But I must warn you: Should you receive a communication from someone who claims to be Lirpa but is not dead, don't believe him. On top of everything else, the man was an impostor and a liar.

Have a nice day.

Ahyim Khid'n; Big Bull, Mont.

Editor's Note:

False reports of Prof. I. Lirpa's death are as common as multipath in New York City and, likewise, should be tuned out. As for your claims of self-destructing equipment, we have always known that Lirpa wanted audiophiles to get a bang out of his products, but such "explosive" allegations are totally unfounded. In fact, I am right now listening to a CD on Lirpa's out standing VCDRS (reviewed in the April issue), and I have had absolutely no problem.

R.I.P. LP?

Dear Editor:

With regard to the letter from Lloyd E. Townsend, Jr. about the price of records in stores versus the price from clubs and independents (January), the bottom line is: Who cares about the price of records? LPs are dead.

In most places where I shop, the CDs are less than $10. Trying to pawn off black plastic at any price should be illegal. I have not listened to any of my records in years. Even at $2 apiece, I don't want them.

-C. Engebretsen; Hamilton Square, N.J.

(Source: Audio magazine, Jun. 1990)

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