A final farewell

     The time has finally come for me to introduce a blog entry topic for the last time. I know, I know; it’s a terrible day indeed. Hopefully you guys aren’t too sad to read what I have to say next. Over the past couple of months I’ve taken you guys on an epic journey through audio recording and playback devices from the early yet-still-in-use turntable to the most recent practice of using digital technology to play music. Every music playing device has its pros and cons which hopefully I’ve gone over in enough detail to make sure that when the time comes for you guys to buy audio equipment you’ll know what to look for. 

     Essentially the point of this blog was to give me an excuse to write about what I’m passionate about, and to hopefully impress upon you guys that same passion. I’m a strong believer that music is not just a collection of various frequency sound waves being played by an oscillating plastic or cardboard cone, but a way to express feelings and sentiments. This is why I’m always listening to music, whether it be at home surrounded by a 10 speaker array or at school with my headphones on during French class. 

     As I mentioned in my introduction, music is the language of the world. It’s what unites us and helps us understand each other. Doesn’t matter if you play music on a crappy iPhone’s speaker or a 1920 phonograph, it’s the same stuff through and through. I hope you guys enjoyed reading my blog. I know I really enjoyed writing it. If you have any questions feel free                                                                                                                                                      to ask them in the comment section or at school, but I guess                                                                                                                                                     that’s it for now. Have a great time writing your research                                                                                                                                                             essays. Good bye. 




(In the event of a mistake, please inform me)



http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SpAQ_XWwY4g/TqIXAkmKvhI/AAAAAAAAMTg/81b4GHDvmJU/s1600/SoundOfMusic_189Pyxurz.jpg

My bread and butter

     Welcome again! This is my second to last blog entry and I’ve decided to simply take this opportunity to discuss audio in general. There won’t be any recording devices discussed today. My goal is to make audiophiles out of at least a few of my readers.

     An audiophile is someone who absolutely enjoys listening to only the highest quality audio available, using high quality speakers and an expensive pre-amp. Now although the setup I have is nowhere near high quality, I still consider myself an audiophile because if I had the money I would definitely go all out. Many people are contented to listen to decent to low quality audio, whether it be from music or videos. I know I mentioned this in one of my earlier posts but it’s worth mentioning again. The difference good quality makes over bad quality is so explicit that a well-trained ear can easily hear this difference. I cringe when I think of all the people who are subjecting their ears to awful audio. My passion for audio is literally that strong.

     If you still don’t think the difference is worth the added effort of acquiring good audio, I propose a challenge. If you have iTunes, find a low quality audio file, anything under 200kbps should work. Listen to that song and then find the same song on YouTube. Make sure it’s a relatively recent song so that the YouTube video’s audio quality is high. Automatically you should be able to hear a difference between the video and the bad iTunes song. The clarity will be much better on the video. If you guys have any questions feel free to post them in the comments section and I’ll try helping out. Hopefully this post will convince you guys that quality makes a difference. Bye!!

http://www.ultimaguitar.com/Aric3[1].6_1.jpg

http://www.mydancesource.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Audio-Equipment-2.jpg

(In the event of a mistake, please inform me)

Contraband and such

     If I told you to roll up music, would you be able to? In the past literally rolling up music was something that was done quite often to smuggle music during the forties and fifties in Russia. When the Soviets were in power they tried oppressing the Russian people by taking away all that was fun, which included music. The solution to this problem was actually incredibly clever; anyone who didn’t mind risking their job or schooling for a music fix would steal, or find someone to steal, X-Ray sheets from hospitals. Records would then be pressed into them using old refurbished presses. This method produced very low quality music but at least it worked. Also, the records could be rolled up and hid into ones sleeve, stumping the law officials. 

     This dedication to music is something that really illustrates just how important music is to many people. I for one hardly go one day without listening to music for at least an hour. This is entering a completely different domain in the whole music thing so I’ll get back to music playing and recording devices. 

     

Other than illegal music reproduction in Russia I can’t really think of other instances of contraband involving music production. There are obviously the cases of teens rebelling against their parents by listening to explicit music such as the Eminem and/or the Kanye West but I’m sure we've all done something like that. I guess I’ll leave you guys with a little challenge. Comment a little story explaining your ingenious solution to overcoming the banning of music by parents or other people. Next blog entry will discuss my personal audio setup and then after that I’ll wrap it all up for good. Good day to you!

(In the event of a mistake, please inform me)

http://eclectix.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/8f5aa838485179d295c7db4385ab1a4c_vice_630x420.jpg

Digital Audio

     iPods, Mp3 players, cellphones, these are all devices which play digital audio. It is the most popular method of storing and playing music but it is something that has to be done properly to fully enjoy the sound of music. Many people are satisfied with the perfectly decent sound of an average bitrate song being played on Apple ear buds. There is nothing wrong with that but for those who want the best (audiophiles, in this situation) I offer a few tips.

      You may have noticed I used a little known word; bitrate. In music this is used to measure how much information is being played every second, measured in kilobits. The higher the bitrate, the better the sound will be. Now I could go into great detail about the different types of audio compression and file types but it’s not that important. The most important thing to look for in music is what I mentioned above, the bitrate. Anything lower than 200 kbps (kilobits per second) will sound slightly distorted when played on good speakers. A bitrate of 128 kbps or lower is something to avoid at all costs. The sound is terrible and it makes for an unpleasant listening experience. This is the bitrate that the popular Youtube-mp3.org website converts all audio files to, regardless of the original quality. Many people have gotten used to that low quality “music” but for anyone who listens to higher quality audio, the difference is easier to spot than a turtle trying to pass as a sea lion.

I think I just threw up a bit

      The very best audio out there comes in a lossless file. This means that nothing has been compressed, unlike mp3’s. When I acquire music I always look for Flac, M4a or Wave files. These are all lossless encoding formats that boast bitrates ranging from 800 to well over 1000 kbps. The sound is flawless and well worth the added size of the file. If those formats are too hard to find, I’ll look for mp3’s with bitrates of 320 kbps or slightly lower. These aren’t as good as lossless formats but the difference is very subtle and often unnoticeable.

     

It's like music to my ears

You may be asking yourself where to find these types of audio. Since the highest quality stuff that iTunes sells is encoded in their own custom made format, called M4a,

Dat bitrate tho

the music you buy can only be played on Apple devices and some phones. The easiest way, then, to acquire high quality music is to wait for it to fall off the back of the truck. I won’t                                               explain this. Goodnight.



(In the event of a mistake, please inform me)




http://johnorgan21.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/mic-vintage-blue1.jpg

0111010101110111011011110111010001101101001110000000110100001010

     I’ve finally run out of excuses to delay the writing of this blog entry any longer. The time has come to explain binary or die trying. Before I begin I’d just like to state that I don’t actually fully understand the stuff myself; I can explain what it is pretty well but that’s about as far as my knowledge extends to. Furthermore, the reason I’m explaining binary is because it really ties into digital audio which I will discuss in a future blog.

                                                                   I can delay no more, here goes nothing!

      In case my title wasn’t explicit enough, binary is comprised of ones and zeroes. The only difference between the standard way of counting and the binaric version (yes I just made up a word) is the numerical amount it takes to “fill up” a “slot”. What I mean is for normal counting, the first “slot” is filled once the number nine is reached. The nine is then replace by a zero and the following “slot” is replaced by a one. We continue doing so until we reach the number ninety-nine. The third “slot” will then come in play as we replace the two nines with zeroes and the third slot gains a one. This continues infinitely. Still following me? When it comes to binary things change a little. Instead of having to reach nine or ninety-nine or nine-hundred and ninety-nine before adding another “slot”, the number that needs to be reached is one. That’s right, one. Once we surpass that number the one turns into a zero and we open a new “slot” by adding a one. When we continue counting we keep adding ones starting with the right “slot” and moving towards the left. A zero becomes a one and vice-versa. It’s a lot easier to understand with a visual representation. The first column will be regular numbers followed by their irregular binary counterparts.

0=0       Understandable.

1=1          Easy.

2=10       Hein?

Pardon the watermark

3=11        Why?

4=100     Pourquoi?

5=101      Come again?

6=110      wut.

7=111        k.

8=1000   oh

So on and so forth.

     These numbers keep climbing in that same manner. You may be wondering what the use of binary is. Essentially it’s the language of computers. Everything that has to do with technology nowadays is comprised of those ones and zeroes. Images, text documents, webpages, audios, everything. Instead of being something tangible and material like the grooves of a record or the frames on a video-cassette, most of what we care about today is represented by those two digits. That is why I felt the need to explain binary. It makes explaining digital audio a lot easier and may also come up in my seminar. I hope what I’ve said makes sense. If it doesn’t just let me know and I’ll try harder.

(In the event of a mistake, please inform me)

http://www.johngarvens.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/binary-Language.jpg

http://mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Neil-deGrasse-Tyson-GIF-2.gif

KitKat time

     I was originally planning on writing about binary for this blog post but I still have a lot of research to do before I understand it properly. Instead I’ll discuss the CD, or as no one refers to it as anymore, the compact disc. I would now take the time to explain how a compact disc works, but if I’m to be completely honest, I know less about this subject than what I do about binary. Seeing as I’m not the type of person to regurgitate what the Internet has taught me without first understanding it, I’ve decided to simply ramble on about CD's.

      I’ve never really been a fan of the CD. When I was young it was the cassette that had the spotlight. The CD was present in my life for only a short period of time because mp3 players soon took over. A CD is a decent way of listening to music but it has quite a few flaws. As a stand-alone audio source, the compact disc is terrible. The size and shape make it impossible for compact players to be developed. Furthermore, a CD is generally costs more than digital music, and, as I’ll discuss later, digital music is very versatile. In today’s age a CD is only useful for those who cannot connect an iPod or phone to their stereo.

Only the coolest of cats could rock one
of these

     If I ever figure out how a CD works, I’ll be sure to write about it. Basically, what I’m confused about is the fact that a light bounced off of a piece of reflective plastic and metal can be interpreted into two simultaneous tracks of music. Makes you wonder about DVD’s, am I right?  

      Well that’s pretty much it for now. I decided to keep it short as I’m sure many blogs will be posted by many people tonight. Next up will be either binary or mp3 players.

(In the event of a mistake, please inform me)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD_player

http://amichael6801.wikispaces.com/History+of++Music+1990-2010

An attractive package

     I don’t know about you guys, but I would have loved to have been born a decade early. ‘Why?’ you ask. Because mixtapes, my friend. I’m sure we’ve all had the chance to play a cassette or two but sadly CD’s took over before any of us reached our teenage years. We now have to rely on good looks or smooth plays to woo our intended target instead of using pure music-editing genius. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think making a mixtape is easy, to the contrary; it is probably very difficult. For someone who sucks at talking to anyone of the opposite sex, however, simply handing over an assortment of songs arranged in a playlist is the easier way out.

     Other than being a good way to express ones feelings to a crush, cassettes do have actual benefits. The audio quality is nearly on-par with that of a CD, and although tapes do tend to deteriorate over time, they are easily manipulated. That is to say; it’s relatively easy to record and re-record on a cassette. Furthermore, compared to their older brother [the 8-track (named so because they had enough storage for about 8 songs)] the cassette is far more advanced. Tapes didn't skip every time your vehicle encountered a small bump or mild gust of wind and they were also a fraction of the size.

     The cassette we know and love today has gone through quite a few changes since its development in the thirties. These early designs were very primitive so I’ll stick to explaining the function of the "modern" tape.

     The magnetic tape is really just a thin plastic band coated in a ferromagnetic material such as ferric oxide. All this fancy talk basically means that the tape will “remember” the nature of a magnetic field it comes in contact with. It is just a simple matter of using one or two (mono or stereo) electromagnets to write on said tape. This process is more easily understood if one knows of binary and the functioning of magnets and speakers (explained in my next few blogs).

     I believe that’s all I can really say about cassettes. They were fun while they lasted but figuring out how to put them in the darn player was always a hassle. CD’s are definitely easier to use and more                                                                                  practical, as I discuss later. Good day.

(In the event of a mistake, please inform me)

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/audio-music/cassette.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_Cassette

http://mixtapedc.com/images/mixtape_main.jpg

http://www.photo-dictionary.com/photofiles/list/2285/2990audio_cassette.jpg

http://www.goner-records.com/images/CassettePlayer.jpg

'round and 'round she goes

Heads-up: There are two different uses of the word record in this blog. Ruh-cord, meaning to capture and wreck-erd, meaning vinyl disk. To avoid confusion please read carefully.

     As I sit here, listening to a piece of plastic being scratched by a diamond, I think to myself; “Could this music get any better?” My stereo is half-decent, the cables I’m using are not high-fidelity, and the albums are old. These drawbacks are the only things preventing me from answering my question with a “Yes”. What I do have right, though, is the source of my music.

     In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m using a turntable to play my music. Despite the many flaws of this system; the lack of portability, the size of the records and the “annoying” crackle, the record player will forever be my favorite audio playing device. As I've already mentioned, my set-up has many flaws yet it is still a joy to listen to.

Over 50 million albums sold

I've never been able to pin-point why I love listening to vinyl so much. It could be the fact that it is literally a chunk of diamond (or other hard mineral) being dragged in microscopic grooves cut in a circular piece of hard plastic that then vibrates in such a way to create sound. It could also be because stereo sound (two separate tracks of sound being played at the same time) is possible with a single record. Something else that intrigues me is the fact that electricity is not even needed to play records. You can actually hear the needle vibrating without any amplification required. But perhaps the most attractive element vinyl has is the sound quality. As I will get around to explaining in a future blog, most digital music is compressed, meaning that its quality is diminished. Records, on the other hand, are not compressed (unless you count the fact that the vinyl is literally compressed to make the grooves haha!) Essentially, what the artist records is what you hear every time you play a record. This fidelity is why records are a favourite for avid music listeners, hipsters, or just people looking to hear something new in old favourites.

     If you've got the money (or an older relative willing to part with their baby) I highly suggest acquiring a turntable and some records. The change will make all other music sound terrible and you'll wonder how you ever managed to enjoy music without it. 

     Sadly that's it for now. I know how you guys love reading my blogs. Expect another one soon though, I shan't be gone long. 

Anyone wishing to receive actual historical facts on this subject should either research it themselves or request it and, if the demand is high enough, I may write another blog on the topic.

(In the event of a mistake, please inform me)

http://www.wallpapervortex.com/wallpaper-22902_1_other_music_record_player.html#.Uyt29vldVJs

http://www.timesunion.com/entertainment/article/LPs-turn-65-Top-selling-vinyl-records-of-all-time-4605208.php#photo-4796329

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3b/Dark_Side_of_the_Moon.png

It’s been around longer than you would expect

      Before I jump into this blog entry I’d like to inform you guys that I will avoid using dates and boring info. If you’d like to read something containing those things I suggest searching the Web. What I will include, though, are my opinions; that is primarily what you will be reading.

       Let us now begin. Before I even start writing about recording devices I would like to discuss music and its influence before it could be captured. I never really thought of the fact that it’s only until recently that music could be played back at will. iPods haven't always been found in everyone’s pocket. Music, however, could be found in pockets. It appeared in the shape of flutes carved out of bone. These flutes can be dated to as early as 38,000 B.C.

A 32,000 year-old bone flute from Dordogne, France. 

       So we've established that music has been around for a very long time. Music recordings, though, have only been around for just over 150 years. An audio recording device that could also play back sound appeared about 20 years later. It’s clear that for a very long time the only available music was live. Some may consider this to be a plus because it would force anyone who enjoys music to attend concerts or play it themselves, but I would rather have my iPod. The convenience is irresistible.

Mozart, a total stud

      Once the primitive audio recording and playback methods were perfected, music became a lot more accessible for everyone. Many people could not afford a phonograph or many records but that soon changed. Mass production brought the price down considerably allowing families to fill their houses with hits by Al Jolson or Ben Selvin.

     Despite the fact that many great artists lived long before their works could ever be recorded, I believe the music industry did not take-off until music could be properly recorded, distributed and played. I will be discussing the earliest of these methods and devices in my next blog post. Stay tuned.

(In the event of a mistake, please inform me)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music#History

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_sound_recording

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1920_in_music
http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/97/101097-004-94F5878D.jpg
http://mythicworldtours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/mozart1.jpg

A word of welcome!

Velkommen, bienvenue, welcome! Although these words may sound and look different, they mean the exact same thing. It has been said (by others and myself) that verbal communication is the major barrier preventing a united world. There are simply too many languages currently being spoken for any sort of master language to develop.

       On the other side of the spectrum, away from linguistics and towards the fun stuff, we do find a global language. No matter where you go in the world, whether it be a small town outside of Shanghai or the great city of Boston, music remains the same. The style will vary, and so will the language in which the songs are sung, but the way in which it is written will not. That is what really captured my interest in music. It is something that billions of people can share and love together. What I’m really restricting my blog topic to, however, is the manner in which audio (I’ll be concentrating mostly on music) has been, and is, recorded and played back.

Binary jokes are fun

     The various methods that I will be discussing are extremely ingenious and deserve to be awed. Until recently I’ve never given it much thought. It’s probably safe to assume that most of you guys have taken music for granted as well. It is when we think of what music really is, though, that one cannot help but wonder how it can be captured and stored almost indefinitely. I hope to convey my fascination of audio and music on to you guys so that every time you plug in your headphones to an iPod or raise the volume of your car stereo you realise that you’re listening to a bunch of ones and zeroes (keep reading and that sentence will make sense).

You'll be hearing from me in a few hours. Until then, happy blogging!

(In the event of a mistake, please inform me)

http://www.linguisticsociety.org/content/how-many-languages-are-there-world

http://www.wikihow.com/Say-Welcome-in-Different-Languages

http://www.personal.psu.edu/afr3/blogs/SIOW/audio-sound-waves-img1%5B1%5D.jpg

http://rmhighercomputing.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/binary.png