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Author Topic: Let's talk lo-fi music and it's influences on gear  (Read 2435 times)

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drfindley

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Re: Let's talk lo-fi music and it's influences on gear
« Reply #20 on: July 10, 2015, 08:49:08 PM »
First, lo-fi is a genre :)

Quote from: jacal01 on July 10, 2015, 05:13:02 PM
The problem I'm having with those album releases is that those CDs (all but De Stigjl) are being held in "joint custody" by my daughter (comes from my having sent my CD purchases to her for ostensively forwarding to me while I was living in Canada - long story).  Anyway, I'm kinda loathe to buy those particular CDs again, unless there's been a noteworthy remastering since then or I've really started missing hearing that album, so I tend to buy other releases by those groups subsequently, and it's been an admittedly hit or miss affair.   
I think you're hitting the problem you hit with any band, where the first few albums are stellar, but the follow-ons lose the drive, the purpose for why the band made music. Weezer, U2, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, REM, Coldplay, etc. have all lost it and are producing lack-luster music compared to their yesteryears. Perhaps one of the few bands somewhat avoiding this is Radiohead, where they've just chosen to be a different band each album (roughly).

Maybe your daughter can install a lovely ripping app and send you FLACs? :)
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jacal01

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Re: Let's talk lo-fi music and it's influences on gear
« Reply #21 on: July 10, 2015, 10:01:29 PM »
Strange as it seems, I'm not currently doing digital downloads.  There's something visceral and permanent about owning plastic, and I'm a collector by nature.  And there's a whole universe of recordings that are just not available in any format but Redbook CD.

A better paradigm would be for my daughter to rip the 'JC' CDs and give them back to me.  And truthfully she's done some already, it's just that there's still a whole slew of them lost in boxes since she's subsequently moved.  That and the fact that she's (waaay) in over her head already with family/social/vocation time commitments.  Matter of fact I only occasionally miss some of them, since I've got plenty of others to occupy my time.  And I've got some new ones coming in, to boot.  ;)

Yeah, I'm well aware of the band creative juices drying up phenomenon.  I read somewhere that the music industry is so demanding these days with group appearances, album release schedules, fast lane lifestyles, etc. that group artists' sponteneous creativity is consumed after only one or two album releases more so than ever.  I think that one of the secrets of the Beatles' great success was their ability to reinvent themselves with each new album.

I hope that 'lo-fi is a genre' comment wasn't directed to me. 
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anetode

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Re: Let's talk lo-fi music and it's influences on gear
« Reply #22 on: July 10, 2015, 10:28:51 PM »
Quote from: drfindley on July 10, 2015, 01:42:29 AM
Nothing quite like the HE-1K to soften that lo-fi sound :)

EQ down the lower treble a little and it's not bad  :P
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madaboutaudio

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Re: Let's talk lo-fi music and it's influences on gear
« Reply #23 on: July 10, 2015, 10:54:19 PM »
Speaking of low-fi....(or the worst song in the entire universe, makes Rebecca Black Friday sounds like angel singing in comparsion, even getting rick rolled doesn't feel as bad as this)

You have been warned. Play it at your own risk.  :vomit:
(click to show/hide)
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keanex

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Re: Let's talk lo-fi music and it's influences on gear
« Reply #24 on: July 10, 2015, 11:16:36 PM »
Well, that exists...
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drfindley

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Re: Let's talk lo-fi music and it's influences on gear
« Reply #25 on: July 11, 2015, 01:57:45 AM »
Quote from: jacal01 on July 10, 2015, 10:01:29 PM
I hope that 'lo-fi is a genre' comment wasn't directed to me. 
Nope :)

Good luck with the CDs, but yes. Old Grandaddy and all White Stripes are good things.
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LFF

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Re: Let's talk lo-fi music and it's influences on gear
« Reply #26 on: July 11, 2015, 02:42:22 AM »
Very interesting topic guys.


To me, it's extremely interesting how a genre like LoFi Rock can be so HiFi.


All of the White Stripes which I have heard from good sources are surprisingly very hifi and have tons of resolution.


The problem, as always, comes down to the damn mastering. Fortunately, if you own a turntable, you can completely verify this. Elephant was released in the UK on vinyl and it was mastered very well and it came directly from the master. Icky Thump was released on vinyl here in the US and it was mastered very, very well and it also came from the master tapes. Both of these vinyl releases completely outclass the CD's in terms of spatial placement, resolution, dynamics, detail, and overall sound quality.


Trust me - the genre LoFi doesn't really mean low quality sound.
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knerian

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Re: Let's talk lo-fi music and it's influences on gear
« Reply #27 on: July 11, 2015, 02:54:32 AM »
Quote from: drfindley on July 10, 2015, 01:42:29 AM
Nothing quite like the HE-1K to soften that lo-fi sound :)
I was just waiting for someone to say that.

HATER!
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drfindley

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Re: Let's talk lo-fi music and it's influences on gear
« Reply #28 on: July 11, 2015, 06:01:58 AM »
Quote from: LFF on July 11, 2015, 02:42:22 AM
All of the White Stripes which I have heard from good sources are surprisingly very hifi and have tons of resolution.

The problem, as always, comes down to the damn mastering. Fortunately, if you own a turntable, you can completely verify this. Elephant was released in the UK on vinyl and it was mastered very well and it came directly from the master. Icky Thump was released on vinyl here in the US and it was mastered very, very well and it also came from the master tapes. Both of these vinyl releases completely outclass the CD's in terms of spatial placement, resolution, dynamics, detail, and overall sound quality.

Actually, I picked up The White Stripes first three on vinyl because there was a limited release of analog to analog records. It's totally been worth it! Such great pressings. It's what's converted me to vinyl.
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1melomaniac

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Re: Let's talk lo-fi music and it's influences on gear
« Reply #29 on: July 12, 2015, 01:14:50 AM »
Quote from: LFF on July 11, 2015, 02:42:22 AM
To me, it's extremely interesting how a genre like LoFi Rock can be so HiFi.

But there is a retro flavor to it, which plays into skepticism about new tech (from loudness wars and digital representation to recording tech and - of course - sound production and reproduction). I was just browsing this history of recording by Bell Labs... http://www.stokowski.org/Development_of_Electrical_Recording.htm and what stands out to me is that the trade-off between quality and convenience is one thing, the trade-off between innovation and the familiarity of retro touches is another...
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