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Re: Minidisk data transfer and bat recordings

Subject: Re: Minidisk data transfer and bat recordings
From: Andrew Lackey <>
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2004 23:11:50 -0800
> Martyn,
>
> I realize now that I came off stiff in the my first email.  I certainly m=
eant
> no direct insult just as I=B9m sure you meant no direct insult to those y=
ou
> disagree with.  Please accept my apologies.
>
> Your point of Beatle vs. Brittany Spears is well taken.
>
> But allow me to use the Beatles as an example of my point as well. George
> Martin=B9s Beatles recordings were the very essence of innovation both in
> creativity and technology.  So extraordinary in fact that they are marvel=
ed at
> today and will be forever.  Not because we can put these on a scope and a=
dmire
> their impressive frequency response, but because a group of guys got toge=
ther
> had the guts to dream the unimaginable and the ingenuity to bring it to
> fruition.
>
> We are all pursuing our personal sonic endevaors to different ends.  I im=
agine
> some of us don=B9t know our end, but we love the journey just the same.  =
I=B9ll
> speak for myself when I say that I thrive on the cycle...creativity feeds
> technology which feeds creativity which feeds technology.  I guess anothe=
r way
> to put it is...If you are already doing incredible work in a certain
> creative/technological (or as we have termed: good enough) phase then wha=
t is
> there to stimulate my sense of accomplishment or adventure or innovation =
or
> whatever you want to call it in sound.  I would much rather appreciate yo=
ur
> fine work, use it as influence and forge my own path.
>
> This is really what I meant to say in my initial post, and again my apolo=
gies!
>
> Andy
>
>
>
>
> I have equipment value here in my studio totaling about $60.000 including
> mics, does this make my equipment average? you equate Good enough with po=
or
> quality, sure go out and chase the best (as they say) for the next
> generation of tools but in the meantime, you tell me what is different to
> the human ear and what we can perceive!
>
> Are the old recordings of say the Beatles any worse than say Britney Spea=
rs?
> Listen to these on an FM radio and I=92m afraid the comments come over as=
 this
> is musical garbage, not the quality of the recording. I used to go and ge=
t
> what was put to me as the latest recorder and in the end find it was just=
 as
> good as what I had already got most of the time now, I go out with my Sha=
rp
> MD-DR7, I have recording samples all over the world and on various
> compellations, its as good as it gets.
>
>=20
>
> < I find it truly ironic that this post has the heading =B3MiniDisk data
> transfer
>> > and bat recordings=B2>
>
>=20
>
> I hit the reply button; I wasn=92t looking at the title of the string!!
>
>=20
>
> *       If good enough is good enough, then fine for you, but leave the
> people who
>> > want and need
>> > newer and better tools alone to accomplish their works.>
>
>=20
>
> I would never stop them chasing their goal but it gets a bit boring when =
all
> that you want to talk about is the very latest recorder and bit rates, it
> seems that this group at times is an advertisement board for retailers.
>
>=20
>
> Martyn
>
>=20
>
> http://www.naturesound.org <http://www.naturesound.org/>
>
>=20
>
>=20
>
>=20
>
>   _____=20
>
> From: Andrew Lackey 
> Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2004 10:46 PM
> To: Nature Recordist
> Subject: Re: [Nature Recordists] Minidisk data transfer and bat recording=
s
>
>=20
>
>> > This topic bubbles up everyone once in a while in my circles....and I =
say
>> > NEVER
>> > turn your back on technology.  Master the techniques and the tools, an=
d
>> > eventually
>> > the creativity and innovation in your works will help shape the next
>> > generation of tools.
>> > Its the cycle of human accomplish from fire to the wheel to the printi=
ng
> press
>> > to the...
>> >
>> > If good enough is good enough, then fine for you, but leave the people=
 who
>> > want and need
>> > newer and better tools alone to accomplish their works.
>> >
>> > I find it truly ironic that this post has the heading =B3MiniDisk data
> transfer
>> > and bat recordings=B2
>> >
>> > It=B9s been reported that bats make sound well over 120khz.  And since=
 you
> need
>> > twice the sample
>> > rate to capture a frequency....then, oh damn, 192k sample rate only ge=
ts
> us up
>> > to 96k.  I guess we=B9ll
>> > have to wait until the next generation of records to truly capture tho=
se
>> > =B3nature sounds=B2. I guess 192 will do
>> > for now.
>> >
>> > a different view
>> > andy
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Walt you say
>> >
>> > <I work on the concept of "good enough". It's all fine and dandy to wa=
ste
>> > lots of money chasing perfect if it amuses you, but what really counts
>> > is "good enough". If it will get the job done well, why spend extra?
>> >
>> > This seems to be something that is all too frequently ignored. People
>> > agonize over fluff and trivia. Make huge tempests in teapots. They spe=
nd
>> > huge sums of money on it. And they try to drag others into the game.
>> > It's well worth being practical and asking what level is "good enough"=
>
>> >
>> >=20
>> >
>> > This is something that hits close to the heart with me Walt. So many
> people
>> > in this group worry about the latest recorder and what it can do that =
the
>> > other can't, blah, blah blah.. The thing is, what you already have is
> often
>> > good enough! To find a recorder better than say a Portadisk would be v=
ery
>> > hard indeed, and if you have one, why bother about going out to buy
>> > something else untried and tested to give results that nobody in the g=
roup
>> > really hear!
>> >
>> > Apart from the very few, nobody really posts any good recording sound
> bytes,
>> > I try to put up as many examples as I can but as far as a group goes,
> apart
>> > from maybe 4 or 5 people here, do you really record nature sounds or a=
re
> you
>> > to wrapped in the latest technology?
>> >
>> > I have maybe 4 or 5 very decent recorders and each one is as capable o=
f
>> > delivering a good recording. Why bother in getting a new $2000 recorde=
r?
>> >
>> > Challenge to the group.
>> >
>> >=20
>> >
>> > Lets hear what you have and let others listen to what is already out
> there.
>> >
>> > Now, if you want to talk about mics, then that is a different question=
!
>> >
>> >=20
>> >
>> >   _____=20
>> >
>> > From: Walter Knapp 
>> > Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2004 3:50 PM
>> > To: 
>> > Subject: Re: [Nature Recordists] Minidisk data transfer and bat record=
ings
>> >
>> >=20
>> >
>> > From: "Graham M Smith" <>
>>>> >> >
>>>> >> > Bruce,
>>>> >> >
>>>> >> >
>>>>>>>> >>>> >>> Short answer: the quality of the analog section and the
>>>>>>>> accuracy of
> the
>>>>>>>> >>>> >>> digital one.
>>>> >> >
>>>> >> >
>>>> >> >
>>>> >> > So I might get away with the lower cost option for what I am doin=
g. It
>>>> >> > certainly seems worth trying out a couple of options before decid=
ing
> which
>>>> >> > to use. Bearing in mind that I am going to need up to 20 of them.
>> >
>> > I work on the concept of "good enough". It's all fine and dandy to was=
te
>> > lots of money chasing perfect if it amuses you, but what really counts
>> > is "good enough". If it will get the job done well, why spend extra?
>> >
>> > This seems to be something that is all too frequently ignored. People
>> > agonize over fluff and trivia. Make huge tempests in teapots. They spe=
nd
>> > huge sums of money on it. And they try to drag others into the game.
>> > It's well worth being practical and asking what level is "good enough"
>> >
>> > In recording perfect is unobtainable, in fact compared to the original
>> > sound at the mic the very best is very crude. And each person's opinio=
n
>> > about what they hear if at the mic location would be different. I work
>> > on "good enough".
>> >
>> > Think about all the folks making that so called perfect recording. Jus=
t
>> > so someone can play it on a boombox with speakers half dead from being
>> > played too loud. Or $5 headphones. Or make a crude sonogram of it. Or
>> > play it on what passes for a good home stereo these days. "good enough=
"
>> > for your audience has a certain meaning.
>> >
>> > Now, I've found that my "good enough" or "barely acceptable" magically
>> > turns into things like "excellent" when handed off to the listeners.
>> > Should I spend the money or time to get it to where I call it
>> > "excellent"? Something I'll probably never do about my stuff no matter
>> > how much I like it.
>> >
>> > This is particularly true in science, where funds are always limited.
>> > "good enough" is what you are after. At least according to this scient=
ist.
>> >
>> > Walt
>> > 
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >   _____=20
>> >
>> > Yahoo! Groups Links
>> >
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ribe>
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>> >
>> >
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>
>
>
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>
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