The future of the pro audio industry?

Discuss the hardware/software tools and techniques involved in capturing sound, in the studio or on location.

Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by Johnsy »

Hugh Robjohns wrote:... and when I complained afterwards to the duty manager he denied it and tried to explain that cinema sound was different to my home stereo...

I walked out and have never gone back to that venue!

Kudos Hugh. It's easy to imagine a less classy technical editor of a less classy high-tech music magazine having a "Don't you know who I am?!" moment there!
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by Hugh Robjohns »

I'm an old nerdy geek who writes about nerdy geeky stuff in a nerdy geeky magazine... so no one knows who I am... :lol:
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by ManFromGlass »

Oh I don’t know. I seem to recall a famous muscle man photo making the rounds!
:ooo:
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by Albatross »

MOF wrote:
It would be nice if they worked on achieving consistent levels and better diction, really...

:clap:

I saw a movie a few years back and the chap in that had an absolutely enormous diction.
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by Hugh Robjohns »

:lolno:
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by ManFromGlass »

Boogie Nights?
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by Arpangel »

Hugh Robjohns wrote:
Movies without dialogue died out very quickly... Conversely, Radio has always been hugely popular and continues so to be!

Yes, radio is still thee most powerful story telling medium, apart from books!
The reason is that your imagination can create worlds, characters, images suggested by the audio, and it gives you free reign, silent films give you that on a plate, but lack everything else, its not satisfying or interesting in any way to have to imagine the way things or people sound.
The art of good radio is still the ultimate in entertainment for me.
The director Jaques Tati was a master of sound in his films, very minimal, but they suggest and enhance a mood or a place so well, one of my favourite films is Blue, by Derek Jarman, just a blue background, but the sounds, musuc, and dialogue are so powerful they don’t need anything else.
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by Albatross »

ManFromGlass wrote:Boogie Nights?

No, Flash Gordon ...

Image
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by Terrible.dee »

RichardT wrote:
Terrible.dee wrote:
RichardT wrote:There are three main things I’m looking forward to.

The first is software that understands complex spoken instructions - what a time-saver that will be.

The second is software that really understands music - so for example, sampled instruments that play back phrases as a real musician would, a DAW that can add decent backings automatically, or automatically correct a poor performance.

The third is direct neural stimulation of the brain by playback systems - that way people will be able to hear high quality music wherever they are.

1.......Or you could learn to do the job yourself.

2. .....Or you could learn to understand music yourself.

3.....or you could........HUH?!?!?........Why would you want "music" streamed into your brain?......by the way. This tech ALREADY EXISTS......and it is HIGHLY DANGEROUS.

Yes I can do it myself - but sometimes it would be a lot quicker to have some assistance!

Why would I like music streamed into my brain? To get the best sound quality possible and not be limited by where I am.

How do you mean the technology exists and it’s highly dangerous?

If you look on youtube for something like "US Military test streaming thought directly into the human mind."....something like that. You will see the US Military conduct a test where they actually stream a FEAR response directly into the brain of about 20 people.

I saw that video several YEARS ago now.....I was actually surprised that they were being so open about this new tech, as it is crossing a line, ethically, that shouldn't be crossed.

Then I realized they were being open about it to normalize it. Introduce the public to it in an "Aww shucks! Look at what we can do now everybody!" kind-of-way. So the reality and implications of what they able to do....at this very moment.....don't seem as fearsome as they truly are.

There are also documented cases where "Paranoid Schizophrenia" was artificially produced by the Military. Lives have been destroyed and people tortured using this tech. It truly is evil, and violates the sanctity of an individual's mind.

Keep in mind, I saw this several years ago now......and if that is what they were letting the public know, then you can count on the fact there is plenty they can do with it that they WON'T let the public know.

And ask yourself why they are DYING to get their 5G networks up and running as quickly as possible?

We live in interesting times.
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by Hugh Robjohns »

They're definitely out to get you...
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by Luke W »

Terrible.dee wrote: And ask yourself why they are DYING to get their 5G networks up and running as quickly as possible?

Because the current generation infrastructure can't provide enough bandwidth/speed to keep up with the ever increasing demand placed on it?

Call me crazy... :lol:
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by Albatross »

More likely cock up than conspiracy. From what I see of gov, even given the appropriate number of glasses, bottles, barrels and manufacturing facility they would be unlikely to be able to organise a piss up.

Or, perhaps that's all part of the diversion :crazy:
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by Albatross »

Seriously though, I think the future of the pro audio industry is likely to look more like the past with the punter becoming more discerning and seeking out the authentic in a sea of mediocrity. Hope so anyway.
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by Arpangel »

Albatross wrote:Seriously though, I think the future of the pro audio industry is likely to look more like the past with the punter becoming more discerning and seeking out the authentic in a sea of mediocrity. Hope so anyway.

You’re asking a lot, the more technology we have, and the cheaper it gets, the more you’ll have to endure the mediocre, but that’s just an unavoidable by-product, always has been, you could say it’s worth it, giving those a chance who in the past may not have had the money to experiment or buy the necessary equipment.
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by ManFromGlass »

But music-wise wasn’t there a lot of mediocrity and bad copycats during the 60s, 70s, 80s etc?
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by shufflebeat »

Terrible.dee wrote: If you look on youtube for something like "US Military test streaming thought directly into the human mind."....something like that. You will see the US Military conduct a test where they actually stream a FEAR response directly into the brain of about 20 people.

Try "cucumber eating contest".
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by Drew Stephenson »

ManFromGlass wrote:But music-wise wasn’t there a lot of mediocrity and bad copycats during the 60s, 70s, 80s etc?

It was ever thus.
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by Albatross »

'Course there was, but this is about pro-audio. I think you'll see less samples, more real rooms, high production values, people who can play and so on. Hope so anyway.
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by Eddy Deegan »

I would think I was a good potential candidate for surround sound in the consumer space. I invested in a fairly high-end 5.1 system more than a decade ago and it was a bit of a novelty for a while but over the years practicality overtook things and I now use the rear speakers from that system as a decent bookshelf stereo pair.

The front floor-standing speakers serve well to augment the audio on our TV. The frond-mid speaker is unconnected and currently being used to stand a monitor on, although I do have plans to use it as a mono speaker going forwards.

In short, surround is kinda nice but it's not that nice that I'm willing to reconfigure an entire room for it to do it justice even though I was an interested party.

I find stereo to be more than adequate. I watch films and stuff, but when it comes to music I'm more about the music itself than the positioning.

I recall the day I discovered stereo as a youngster and it blew my mind; I still love it. Surround is interesting but not the game-changer that stereo was to mono, and I don't miss it (surround) one bit.

I suspect the same is true for certain other people when it comes to 3D TV. I watched Beowulf (I loved the book as a child) and Avatar in 3D. Both were impressive but I'd have liked them as much without the 3D.

When it comes down to the audio, we only have two ears and as for video a solid plot and good acting trumps visuals every day of the week :)
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by S.Crow »

Live music isn’t generally a 3D experience, although on the rare times when it is that can be wonderful.
Life is 3D but when you look at the majority of movies scenes 2D audio will cover it.
3D audio makes sense with VR as you have 3D video to go with it.
3D audio with a 2D video screen can be a gimmick or even a distraction to me.
I do wonder if people like the audio in the cinema more because of the bass and volume than anything else?

As for 3D music, I haven’t experienced it so can’t say.
It will have to work with headphones if it is to gain traction I think.
For people who listen to music with a more ‘technical ear’ it might appeal more than to people who want to feel the music.
I tend to want to feel the music rather than listen or analyse it so unless it improves that aspect I don’t see much appeal.
I think it might prove interesting for listening to certain types of sounds/music, but I could also see it potentially as being a distraction.

With Apple moving to lossless and Spatial Audio, plus Logic Pro being updated this year with Spatial Audio authoring tools, there is a chance that it will gain traction.
That may depend on how much the Apple buds with Spatial Audio support cost.
If they are only available at a much higher price point, not so good, but if the standard versions support it then good.
With lossless and possibly also Spatial Audio being free features for Apple users, that has to help interest and shake up the market.
It already has as Amazon now offer HD audio (lossless!) for no extra cost.

Not sure if there might be a new danger on the streets due to all this new tech!
Will spatial audio disconnect people even more from their environment when walking around?
In the sense that it’s harder to place external sounds when you are already immersed in a 3D sound stage.
Add to that, people on electric scooters, electric cars that make little noise and pedestrians glued to their smartphones and that sounds like a mix for more street accidents.
I’m curious to give it go though, at home of course. :)
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by Arpangel »

Albatross wrote:'Course there was, but this is about pro-audio. I think you'll see less samples, more real rooms, high production values, people who can play and so on. Hope so anyway.

The trouble is, how do you define someone who can really play?
I’ve never thought that I can play at all, I can, sort of, I had a classical training up to grade 5, then learnt the organ. But I dropped it when I was sixteen and became more interested in electronics and studio production, Brian Eno became my hero and took over from Bach.
I knew I wasn’t going to be the next Daniel Barenboim so I went off and found my own little corner somewhere, the difference between me, and Eno, is that he never ever wanted to be Daniel Barenboim, but I did, but like me, he did go off and find a corner of his own, albeit a lot bigger than my corner, and a lot more luxurious than mine too, so it turned out.
Now Bach could play, that’s for sure, in the traditional sense, and I can too, a bit, but Brian Eno's music is no less significant than Bach’s, but he can’t really "play" at all, in the traditional sense, and he admits it.
Real rooms too, there are some great ones, but there are also untreated spaces in top name artists studios that consistently produce amazing music, and have done over many years.
High production values? according to who? I’ll be the judge of that.

:D;)8-)
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by RichardT »

Arpangel wrote:
Albatross wrote:'Course there was, but this is about pro-audio. I think you'll see less samples, more real rooms, high production values, people who can play and so on. Hope so anyway.

The trouble is, how do you define someone who can really play?
I’ve never thought that I can play at all really, I can, sort of, I had a classical training up to grade 5, then learnt the organ. But I dropped it when I was sixteen and got more interesting in electronics, and studio production, Brian Eno became my hero, and took over from Bach.
Now Bach could play, that’s for sure, in the traditional sense, and I can too, a bit, but Brian Eno's music is no less significant than Bach’s, but he can’t really "play" at all, in the traditional sense, and he admits it.
Funny old world.
Real rooms too, there are some great ones, but there are also untreated spaces in top name artists studios that consistently produce good work, and have done over many years.
High production values? according to who? I’ll be the judge of that.

:D

These days I find it’s quite easy to create music that I can’t play - by recording it slowly for example as midi then speeding it up, or editing the midi manually for example. I think it’s more important to have good musical judgement so that the result sounds convincing. Music is becoming more like painting.

I think as samples get better and better, we’ll see more of them not less. Already piano samples are so good that very few people can tell the difference. String backings now are also very convincing as long as they are relatively simple. Why bother to go to the enormous cost and faff of recording a real string section unless you’re one of the elite artists who can pay people to take care of the whole thing?

I hope production values do go up - but it would depend on people having access to high quality playback to drive the process.
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by Arpangel »

RichardT wrote:
I hope production values do go up - but it would depend on people having access to high quality playback to drive the process.

Yes, "production values" are relevant to all sorts of things though, musical, and purely technical, trouble is, we all have different judgements, and opinions on those things, especially technical ones, which can be based on personal preferences so much.
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Re: The future of the pro audio industry?

Post by MOF »

Yes, "production values" are relevant to all sorts of things though, musical, and purely technical, trouble is, we all have different judgements, and opinions on those things, especially technical ones, which can be based on personal preferences so much.

Agreed, deliberately adding saturation or distortion makes it technically worse, but that is the new normal for most pop and rock music!!
For me the deliberate use of the bass drum ducking the rest of the track in some strands of EDM/Dance music is a step too far. :lol:
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