V-MODA M-100: Discussion/Feedback, Reviews, Pics, etc. - Page 443

In a somewhat related to the topic question, can anyone recommend me an amp to pair with these headphones and my iphone4/ipod classic. Until recently, I wasn't aware that amps existed and am now interested in finding one to improve sound quality when I finally get my hands on the headphones. I know a lot of people like the VAMP, but that's a little too rich for my blood. Thanks!

FiiO E11 for portable use; FiiO E17 if you want PC hookup and portable- IMO, best bang for the buck.  I have the E11 and love the sound as well as bass boost.

• Line out dock (LOD) to mini-jack/plug DAC/amps only bypass an iDevice's audio DAC (FiiO E17 for example). The external DAC/amp only acts as an amplifier at this point. These types of DAC/amps are generally priced at < $250
• LOD to USB DAC/amps bypass both an iDevices audio DAC and amp (Fostex HP-P1 for example). The external DAC/amp then does all of the audio processing. These types of DAC/amps are generally priced at the $500 point.

Call me insane, or a hater, or whatever, but I really don't particularly care for her.

Don't get me wrong, I have her debut album that came out last week, and I had been following her before that with her singles and such, but I just can't get into her. She's obviously very passionate about her violin and her music, but...

I dunno, I feel like she composes very samey-soundy violin pieces and then whoever produces the electronic portion just throws some very generic, very 'in' drum loops, synth waves, etc. I dunno. Just doesn't appeal to me.

Guess it's better than hearing Gangnam Style for the billionth time, though.

In a somewhat related to the topic question, can anyone recommend me an amp to pair with these headphones and my iphone4/ipod classic. Until recently, I wasn't aware that amps existed and am now interested in finding one to improve sound quality when I finally get my hands on the headphones. I know a lot of people like the VAMP, but that's a little too rich for my blood. Thanks!

Call me insane, or a hater, or whatever, but I really don't particularly care for her.

Don't get me wrong, I have her debut album that came out last week, and I had been following her before that with her singles and such, but I just can't get into her. She's obviously very passionate about her violin and her music, but...

I dunno, I feel like she composes very samey-soundy violin pieces and then whoever produces the electronic portion just throws some very generic, very 'in' drum loops, synth waves, etc. I dunno. Just doesn't appeal to me.

Guess it's better than hearing Gangnam Style for the billionth time, though.

Bonfire Madigan. <--She's the Queen.

I wanted to like that piece on principle for the reason you mentioned below (I tend to call classical/electronic pieces hybrids when they're successful).  It's also against my religion to discourage your enthusiasm for Lindsay Stirling, but if she wants to do dance floor moves that are not sui generis, I wish she'd collaborate with DJ Hidden, Enduser or even Bob Rifo (who's so hellbent on pretending to be a beat-mapped noise guitarist that people forget he's trained as a classical musician).

Unfortunately, the track she's playing to could have been recorded in the '80s and whoever is calling it dubstep should be relieved of their command.  That's a generic three-chord pad that could have come from any pop song and the drums are a straight two and four from the days when syncopation was illegal -- it doesn't matter that there's an eighth note triplet on the fourth quarter note of every fourth bar.  That has nothing to do with dubstep, nor do the rhythms she's playing.

Not that I've been paying attention to dubstep since 2009, but it would be nice if she'd actually collaborate with someone like Distance or Clubroot or even that Chavian master of kitsch, Caspa, with his resonance-filter-happy basslines that all sound like a baritone stutterer trying to pronounce the word what. Working with any of those people would take her out of her comfort zone and change her approach to soloing.

Older attempts at what I call hybrid include Murcof's albums (esp. Martes and Mexico), practically anything by Akira Rabelais, utp_ by Sakamoto and Alva Noto (with full orchestration for strings), 1-bit symphony by Tristan Perrich (especially if you buy the album in the format of a mini-synth shaped like a CD), Timber by Michael Gordon (acoustic percussion mimicking dub techno whether they know it or not), etc.  Anyone remember Ki-Oku, the album DJ Krush recorded with trumpeter Toshinori Kondo?  Very, very old, but at least it pushed the boundaries of the instrumentalist.  

I wanted to like that piece on principle for the reason you mentioned below.  It's also against my religion to discourage your enthusiasm for Lindsey Stirling, but if she wants to do dance floor moves that are not sui generic, I wish she'd collaborate with DJ Hidden, Enduser or even Bob Rifo (who's so hellbent on pretending to be a beat-mapped noise guitarist that people forget he's trained as a classical musician).

Unfortunately, the track she's playing to could have been recorded in the '80s and whoever is calling it dubstep should be relieved of their command.  That's a generic three-chord pad that could have come from any hoary Paul van Dyk or even Trevor Horn production and the drums are a straight two and four from the days when syncopation was illegal -- it doesn't matter that there's an eighth note triplet on the fourth quarter note of every fourth bar.  That has nothing to do with dubstep, nor do the rhythms she's playing over the track.

Not that I've been paying attention to dubstep since 2009, but it would be nice if she'd actually collaborate with someone like Distance or Clubroot or even that Chavian master of kitsch, Caspa, with his resonance-filter-happy basslines that all sound like a baritone stutterer trying to pronounce the word what. Working with any of those people would take her out of her comfort zone and change her approach to soloing.

I tend to call classical/electronic tracks hybrids when they're successful.  I don't expect anyone else to adopt the term, but it helps to explain the higher level of integration between the two styles which I find most interesting.

Older attempts at what I call hybrid include Murcof's albums (esp. Martes and Mexico), practically anything by Akira Rabelais, utp_ by Sakamoto and Alva Noto (with full orchestration for strings), 1-bit symphony by Tristan Perrich (especially if you buy the album in the format of a mini-synth shaped like a CD), Timber by Michael Gordon (acoustic percussion mimicking dub techno whether they know it or not), etc.  Anyone remember Ki-Oku, the album DJ Krush recorded with trumpeter Toshinori Kondo?  Very, very old, but at least it pushed the boundaries of the instrumentalist.  You might also listen to Eleventh Hour, the Arditti String Quartet's performances of compositions by Fred Frith.  We had to interview Frith last week and that gentleman knows how to orchestrate.  Someone else who knows what he's doing:  Matthew Herbert, who's trained as an arranger in addition to being an excellent engineer, house producer and DJ.

Two examples of hybrids that didn't work:  Someone else's generic orchestrations of IDM tracks by Aphex Twin, and The Bells, a fully symphonic album of classics by Jeff Mills, who's on deck throughout -- orchestrated by a hack who unfortunately didn't understand Mills' style at all. 

Yeah I wouldn't really call it a true dubstep song. I think people associate dubstep with the "wub wub wub" sounds.

Classical crossover is to "breaking the boundaries" between either modern and classical music as the M-100 is to "breaking the boundaries" between either the modern music listener or the audiophile.

^ just me thinking out loud again. XD

I wanted to like that piece on principle for the reason you mentioned below.  It's also against my religion to discourage your enthusiasm for Lindsey Stirling, but if she wants to do dance floor moves that are not sui generic, I wish she'd collaborate with DJ Hidden, Enduser or even Bob Rifo (who's so hellbent on pretending to be a beat-mapped noise guitarist that people forget he's trained as a classical musician).

Unfortunately, the track she's playing to could have been recorded in the '80s and whoever is calling it dubstep should be relieved of their command.  That's a generic three-chord pad that could have come from any hoary Paul van Dyk or even Trevor Horn production and the drums are a straight two and four from the days when syncopation was illegal -- it doesn't matter that there's an eighth note triplet on the fourth quarter note of every fourth bar.  That has nothing to do with dubstep, nor do the rhythms she's playing over the track.

Not that I've been paying attention to dubstep since 2009, but it would be nice if she'd actually collaborate with someone like Distance or Clubroot or even that Chavian master of kitsch, Caspa, with his resonance-filter-happy basslines that all sound like a baritone stutterer trying to pronounce the word what. Working with any of those people would take her out of her comfort zone and change her approach to soloing.

I tend to call classical/electronic tracks hybrids when they're successful.  I don't expect anyone else to adopt the term, but it helps to explain the higher level of integration between the two styles which I find most interesting.

Older attempts at what I call hybrid include Murcof's albums (esp. Martes and Mexico), practically anything by Akira Rabelais, utp_ by Sakamoto and Alva Noto (with full orchestration for strings), 1-bit symphony by Tristan Perrich (especially if you buy the album in the format of a mini-synth shaped like a CD), Timber by Michael Gordon (acoustic percussion mimicking dub techno whether they know it or not), etc.  Anyone remember Ki-Oku, the album DJ Krush recorded with trumpeter Toshinori Kondo?  Very, very old, but at least it pushed the boundaries of the instrumentalist.  You might also listen to Eleventh Hour, the Arditti String Quartet's performances of compositions by Fred Frith.  We had to interview Frith last week and that gentleman knows how to orchestrate.  Someone else who knows what he's doing:  Matthew Herbert, who's trained as an arranger in addition to being an excellent engineer, house producer and DJ.

Two examples of hybrids that didn't work:  Someone else's generic orchestrations of IDM tracks by Aphex Twin, and The Bells, a fully symphonic album of classics by Jeff Mills, who's on deck throughout -- orchestrated by a hack who unfortunately didn't understand Mills' style at all.