Suggested ways to immediately improve sound quality in home stereo systems

Improving sound quality in home audio systems can be achieved through several immediate steps. Here are some suggestions: 1. **Optimize Speaker Placement**: Ensure that speakers are placed correctly for optimal sound dispersion and imaging. Avoid placing speakers too close to walls or in corners, as this can cause sound reflections and distortions. Experiment with speaker … Read more

2024 Trends in Sound Quality

Yes, there are several trends regarding sound quality that have been prominent in recent years: 1. **High-Resolution Audio**: There’s been a growing interest in high-resolution audio formats, which offer better sound quality compared to compressed formats like MP3. Formats like FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) and WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) preserve more detail and … Read more

The Sound of 3D Printed Guitars

I got a friend and incredible guitarist, Nadav Tabak, to do a little video clip of my 3D printed guitars in action in a range of different styles of music, and showing off some of the different designs. The clip goes through chords, finger picking, funk, blues, heavy rock, progressive, and alternative rock. The bodies … Read more

How to set your intonation correctly, and always play in tune

In this guitar lesson I go over everything you need to know about setting your intonation on any guitar. It works for hard tails, tune o matics, floyd rose, all bridges. You will use this information for the rest of the time you play on your gibson, fender, Ibanez, or any guitar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3phxqPP9UTU See also https://www.electricherald.com/how-to-intonate-a-guitar-or-bass/ … Read more

Why Gen Z Doesn’t Care About Music – one opinion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag4iFa6E_yY   Great comments: If you want to know why kids don’t enjoy music, listen to the subtractions of MP3 recording from source material (on vinyl, or 24b CD, or OGG/VORBIS). Half the song removed by the digital compression, resulting in a beautiful looking cake that has no nourishment and tastes (sounds) thin and unsatisfying. … Read more

Can you not hear the stark differences between $200, $2,000, $20,000, and $200,000 guitars?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPY9Mxg3OJQ   Brandon Acker importance of characteristics — Playability – not fighting the player Timbre Resonance Projection (un-trapped) Sustain – all fundamental, no overtone, coloration   Notes on guitars and price points — $200 guitar – overbuilt inside for abuse, cheap laminated top.  Sound is trapped, no colored overtones. $2k guitar – solid top but … Read more

In blind test, soloists like new violins over old

“…the fundamental premise of tonal superiority has not yet been properly investigated.” http://www.pnas.org/search?fulltext=violi  n&submit=yes&x=0&y=0 http://www.pnas.org/content/109/3/760.a  bstract ABSTRACT Most violinists believe that instruments by Stradivari and Guarneri “del Gesu” are tonally superior to other violins–and to new violins in particular. Many mechanical and acoustical factors have been proposed to account for this superiority; however, the fundamental premise of … Read more

“A lot of us came to this business because of sound quality…” – Bernie Grundman

~ 16:50 into Steely Dan Aja UHQR w/ Fagen, Grundman, Schnee, Kassem, Kaplan: Discuss Recording and Reissue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZdcOb2OnyY CHAIRMAN AT THE BOARD book on Amazon The album “Aja” by Steely Dan is widely regarded as a landmark album in the realm of jazz-rock and fusion music. Released in 1977, “Aja” represents a high point in … Read more

Sound Quality and Effects

Sound quality and effects play crucial roles in shaping the overall auditory experience in music, film, television, and various other forms of media. Here’s an overview of sound quality and effects and their significance: 1. **Sound Quality**: Sound quality refers to the characteristics of sound that determine its clarity, fidelity, and richness. Key aspects of … Read more

Pitch perception beyond the traditional existence region of pitch

“…the perception of musical pitch at high frequencies is not constrained by temporal phase locking in the auditory nerve but may instead stem from higher-level constraints shaped by prior exposure to harmonic sounds.” Humans’ ability to recognize musical melodies is generally limited to pure-tone frequencies below 4 or 5 kHz. This limit coincides with the … Read more

Soloist evaluations of six Old Italian and six new violins

Claudia Fritz, Joseph Curtin, Jacques Poitevineau, Hugues Borsarello, Indiana Wollman, Fan-Chia Tao, and Thierry Ghasarossian PNAS 2014 111 (20) 7224-7229; published ahead of print April 7, 2014, http://www.pnas.org/content/111/20/7224.full.pdf+html “Soloist evaluations of six Old Italian and six new violins” conducted by Claudia Fritz, Joseph Curtin, Jacques Poitevineau, and Fan-Chia Tao. This research was published in the … Read more

Tubes vs Transistors – Perception of Loudness, Clarity, Distortion, Sound Quality

In general, with other variables held steady, as the power rating goes up dramatically (10x), the perception of loudness only doubles. 3,000 Watts sounds only “four-times louder” than 30 Watts. It seems unlikely, but measurements and anecdotal evidence have consistently shown it is generally true. People often ask, how does the Milbert BaM-235ab compare, in … Read more

MP3 vs. Uncompressed audio null test

When you subtract a mp3 file from its comparatively uncompressed origin, the result is surprisingly musical.  It is shocking how much information is lost between original and digitally-compressed mp3.  When played, what has been removed is shockingly song-like…almost like a twin has been removed.     An MP3 vs. uncompressed audio null test is an … Read more

What is “sound quality”

Sound quality (“SQ”) concerns the subjective psycho-acoustic perception of sounds and music.  It’s something we all hear and enjoy differently.  Join the journey.     Sound quality refers to the perceived audio characteristics of a sound source, encompassing how clear, pleasing, accurate, or faithful the sound is to the original source or recording. It’s a … Read more

The high-bandwidth requirement of guitar amps

Malcolm Moore has done extensive research into guitar pickups. SOURCE   The high-bandwidth requirement of guitar amplifiers is a crucial aspect that impacts their performance and the overall sound quality they deliver. In the context of guitar amplification, “bandwidth” refers to the range of frequencies the amplifier can accurately reproduce. For electric guitars, this encompasses … Read more

Sound Quality in Car Audio

What is “sound quality”? Measurement Mania Not long ago, and presently in many circles, sound quality (“SQ”) was said to be best represented by audio systems amplifying with the lowest Total Harmonic Distortion (“THD”) measurement. Overlapping the THD focus was realization and consideration of Transient Intermodulation Distortion (“TIM”, AKA Slew-Induced Distortion “SID”), also a quantitative measurement said to … Read more

Timbre vs Tone — One guy on internet demystifies “guitar amp tone”, showing it almost wholly concerns EQ settings and internal circuitry

(( Do not miss the microphone comparison, speaker cabinet comparison, string comparison, etc linked at the end of this post, which are all equally revelatory. )) From video comments — ”I am just a performer, I know nothing about circuits but in one summer I reversed engineered the whole guitar industry and made it open … Read more

Homogenization of DMB’s “sound” ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY3hwEVCong From the video comments — “I think the overall sound quality is becoming homogenized. The players switch up instruments nearly with every song, presumably to get differing sounds? Possibly for fresh strings to keep in-tune after such full-blast playing. The drums sound more homogenous than ever — every song now has the exact same … Read more

Guitar Preamp Tone Explained – by Phil Taylor / Effectrode

Guitar Preamp Tone Explained by Phil Taylor For images and entire article: http://www.effectrode.com/blackbird-vacuum-tube-preamp/guitar-preamp-tone-explained/   During the research and development of the ‘Blackbird’ vacuum tube preamp I undertook a thorough investigation into tube preamp circuits in a quest to discover just what factors are important in creating great guitar tone. The following article is a result of … Read more

Put your money where it matters — $4,000 Drum Set with Cheap Heads VS $400 Drum Set with Nice Heads

Heads.  Hoops.  Lugs.  Lug Washers.  Metal.  Plastic.  Wood.  Maple.  Birch.  Poplar.  Cherry.  Oak.  Spurs.  Mounts.  Shells.  What matters? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qvYr8KOMu0 DW kick was a nightmare to tune.  DW lots more finicky, much more on-edge between good and bad sound than cheaper EASTAR kit. Wow.   Quality drum heads are essential for achieving optimal sound quality, responsiveness, … Read more

Bearing Edges — Drum Sound Physics Part II

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3efdlamETiE Per CGPT — The bearing edges of a drum refer to the outer edge where the drumhead comes into contact with the drum shell. The shape and construction of these edges play a crucial role in determining the overall sound and character of the drum. Here’s how bearing edges can affect the sound … Read more

Notes and Thoughts on Drum Shell Bearing Edges — Drum Sound Physics – High-speed video reveals incredible distortions subsequent to each hit; Contact points/surfaces vital to tone

Drum shell bearing edges vitally affect tone and feel response of the heads / drums.   I discuss bearing edges and their affect on a drum’s performance. Let’s see if I can’t distill this topic down to the important bits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3efdlamETiE   0:00 Introduction 2:11 Bearing edge definition and purpose 6:55 Keeping it simple — … Read more

Regarding why semiconductors inherently sound unpleasant when used at audio frequencies

Here are some possible reasons.  There are differing theories, thoughts; apparently, some people honestly can not hear the difference.  But, some can. The purpose and goal of semiconductors was always primarily cheapness (to make and operate) and also high-frequency operation — sound quality was never a goal or purpose. If but at a microscopic level, … Read more

Tonewood and resonant frequency myths debunked

In this video I debunk that the nut and bridge lose their independent resonant frequency when attached to the guitar, and become part of the guitar bodies and neck. I also prove that a guitar’s body and neck have multiple resonant frequencies. tone wood can only exist if a body has a very narrow window … Read more

Snare Drum Tunage — “It’s all about that tang”

This video is an in-depth response to the folks who have been asking me how I tune snare drums. Packed with a good bit of info it is useful for anyone really wanting to understand how to get great snare drum sound. Tuning is HUGE… but stick with me to the end to see how … Read more