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Regarding the point of written music

25/6/2010

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I think it boils down to two different approaches (neither way is wrong). I tend to compose and perform without it. This means my sight reading is poor (so I tend to compose and perform without it!). Anyway I choose to work that way because I like the freedom. When it comes to group performance or more complicated compositions I do have to use sheet music. I like the fact that it is a good memory jogger (like a photo). Otherwise I find it hard to remember details when I go back to a piece 6 months later. 

The other thing is that writing music down is an efficient way to communicate - to make sure we are all on the same page (so to speak). It could be argued that music without notation is more effective. In any case the performance is what counts - good musicians make good music.

in Western culture, written language is considered more valid than spoken language (which is why I am writing this down ;)  - but seriously, we place higher value on a signed contract than someone saying "my word is my bond". Unfortunately,  this has flowed over to music. How may times have you heard the expression " have you got the music for..." meaning of course the sheet music. But I think there is an underlying message here that the sheet music IS the music. This is wrong - the music is the performance. So it all gets down to how we use the notation. I think it should be more of a guide. 

A final point is that we have only had audio recording for about 100 years. The reason that our musical knowledge and appreciation of the last 6-700 years is intact is because the music was notated. Otherwise how every piece of Western art music went would be conjecture, until the 20th Century when the phonograph was available.


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McGurk effect

22/6/2010

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The McGurk effect is an illusion where if a listener hears 'ba' but sees lips saying 'ga' the listener will perceive the sound as 'da'. It is a powerful illusion that does not break down even when the listener is aware of it. While McGurk's study was confined to speech, I wonder if all the graphic information we are processing when mixing music on a DAW is not having some effects on our aural perception. Or maybe the visuals provide overload and simply distract us from listening at our best. Maybe I'll do a thesis on this one day.
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Sourcing splicing tape

21/6/2010

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After a bit of a search as to where to buy 1/4" splicing tape, I ordered some from <http://www.tracertek.com/tape-restoration-and-repair>. There are other places in the USA and UK that sell it but they won't ship overseas.
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It Might Get Loud

19/6/2010

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I watched this film recently. 3 great guitarists spanning 3 generations, and a movie that didn't just feature gratuitous guitar solos. Well worth a look. Strangely, none of them (Jack White, The Edge, Jimmy Page) mention Hendrix.
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Archiving woes

14/6/2010

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A very cold winter's day yesterday, so I decided to dub an old HiFi VCR tape into ProTools. This tape was a backup of several projects recorded in my commercial studio in the 80s and early 90s. At the time everything was recorded to 2 track analogue tape on a Otari MX5050-BII machine. The HiFi VCR (the top model Mitsubishi Black Diamond) seemed like the best way to backup stereo masters. 
Yesterday I found that there is some distortion on the playback. It sounds like some sort of noise modulation and is quite apparent when there is a quieter passage, or sudden level change. There is, of course, the lo-fi longitudinal track, but then the highs disappear and there is a noticeable hiss. The problem could be the tape, but more likely it is the playback machine. The $2000 Black Diamond is sadly gone, and I suspect the $200 VCR DVD combos left are not nearly as good with tracking.
As if the analogue tape shedding problem wasn't enough...
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Power drinks

6/6/2010

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Three men walked into a bar, each ordered a DB. 'That'll be twice the normal price' the bartender said. So the men quickly downed the beers, and pushed three empty glasses toward the bartender. 'Half price, I think you mean' said one of the men, as he put half the normal price on the counter. Having quenched their thirst, the men departed, but not before leaving a tip of 0.01029996 of the full price.
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a bug

5/6/2010

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I upgraded from Fuzzmeasure 2 to 3 and it seems to have a bug. No plot is generated if a single sweep is used for the test. It will work if the average is set to 2 or more. Not such a big thing, as each doubling of sweep count improves the S/N by 3dB. 
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new speakers for MAINZ classroom

4/6/2010

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The time has come to get something better. I am currently interested in the Yamaha HS80M model. The price seems too good to be true as I was looking at the Genelec 8050A which are over $5000 fro a pair. Several pro reviewers say they are comparable...worth investigating with a good control room, a reference CD, and a good pair of ears.
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    Author

    Richard Hallum
    NZCE, MMusTech, Dip Tch (Ter).
    memberships: APRA, AES, 
    NZ Acoustical Society, ALMA.

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