[Davesrose]

DSD is new to me, it's it a more efficient way of playing music?

I have visited the road where Patrick Moore lived and had I known then I could've knocked on his door as I heard he never turned anyone away who was interested in astronomy.

I think we should just think of DSD as being the format Sony pushed in the 2000s. It did happen in the age before blu-ray, so the other competing formats were DVD and DVD-Audio when it comes to surround tracks. Surround was one of the advantages. The other (and why I invested) was that there was new remasterings from old classical and jazz albums (ones that were on vinyl, but not CD). I haven't looked at all my SACDs to see what's out of print and what could be had now....but I do have one: Bach Toccatas with 4 organs. It went out of print with SACD, and to my knowledge, hasn't made it to streaming.

When it somes to some new services going on about DSD, I do shake my head....basically the only valid DSDs are the SACDs from albums that were out of print

 

[bigshot]

Also, DSD isn't editable, so most recordings released on SACD were edited, mixed and mastered as regular old PCM. It's all the same-same.

 

[gregorio]

I understand that he sees me as a challenger and feels he has to try to cut my legs off to build himself up.

And that’s the problem, what you “understand that I see” is wrong. In fact, it’s utterly BIZARRE that you could form any sort of understanding of “what I see” if your assertion: “I'm not reading anything he says.” were true!

What I actually see is a bunch of assertions, some of which are correct, some are sort of correct/debatable and some are incorrect. So respectively, I agree, debate or refute them when I choose. If an assertion contradicts one of my assertions, then it’s of course far more likely I’ll respond (agree, debate or refute it).

Clearly, you’ve just made up what you “understand”, presumably to protect/build-up your own ego!

It has nothing to do with the forum or me. It's a personality quirk.

It has everything to do with the forum. Unfortunately, you often appear to believe your personal opinion/experiences define what’s relevant in this forum and/or what the science/facts are, which of course is completely contrary to Science and therefore unacceptable to this subforum. Now that’s a personality quirk!

Everyone has a right to have a voice and opinion. He shouldn’t be attacking every single thing you say. And you shouldn’t have to defend every single thing you say.

Everyone does of course have “a right to voice an opinion” but also of course, this is the sound science forum. So if an opinion contradicts the facts/science then it’s absolutely fine to refute it and arguably it SHOULD be refuted! Then of course they do either have to defend their assertion/s, rationally, with evidence, or concede (overtly or tacitly) it was false.

You’re right of course that music is subjective, however, that doesn’t mean everything about music is entirely subjective, it’s based on certain objective facts/principles. If that were not the case then “Music Theory” would not and could not exist! We can of course have all sorts of varying valid opinions on how, where, when, to what effect and what we prefer/experience/feel towards the use of these principles/facts but we can’t simply change or contradict these principles/facts without following a somewhat scientific method/approach. Eg. We come up with a logical hypothesis that is accepted by consensus on the basis that it’s supported with (and doesn’t contradict existing facts/principles without) demonstrable and repeatable evidence/examples. This is why it’s called “Music Theory” and not just music conventions, ideas or opinions.
Unfortunately, bigshot simply made-up an assertion, that constrains “Form”, contradicts Music Theory and is disproved by various/numerous examples. His only supporting evidence so far has been his personal impression/interpretation of what others have said to him and the obviously false claim that his assertion is irrefutable except by a “truly great” musical artist. If someone asserts 1+1=3, you don’t need to be a “truly great” mathematician in order to refute it.

If our experience of the great musicians with whom we’ve worked/discussed music theory were the basis of who is correct, then it’s a fairly safe bet I have way more than bigshot. But of course, that would just be trying to refute a classic example of the “Appeal to Authority” fallacy with an equally fallacious appeal to more authority!

G

 

[gregorio]

another is Patrick Moore. I used to think he must've been like his character to play those parts so convincingly but I came to learn he was a very clever guy, and had enormous talent.

I have visited the road where Patrick Moore lived and had I known then I could've knocked on his door as I heard he never turned anyone away who was interested in astronomy.

I don’t think I ever visited his home but he did visit mine once. I met and worked with him a few times. I presume you know he was an enthusiastic amateur musician, unusually a Xylophanist. He wasn’t playing a part, he really was that “quirky”, very intelligent and a nice guy. I suspect if he had been a generation or so younger, he may have been diagnosed with mild Asperger’s or as high functioning on the autism spectrum. That just an impression though.

DSD is new to me, it's it a more efficient way of playing music?

Depends what you mean by efficient. When it was introduced in the late 1980’s, it was employed as an intermediate stage during conversion that was more efficient in the sense that it allowed cheaper and better reconstruction filters. However, it did have an inherent issue (although virtually always below audibility).

In the 1990’s Sony decided to make it a recordable format (rather than a transitory, intermediate stage) and renamed it DSD. By the mid 1990’s converter design had moved on to several bits as opposed to the 1bit of DSD, which solved that “inherent issue” but Sony continued with 1bit and brought out the SACD. Most of the information you come across about it is effectively false marketing. Although as SACDs and SACD players were quite expensive, non-rippable or portable, this allowed engineers to produce DSD recordings with more dynamic range and detail compared to other formats used in a much wider range of playback scenarios.

G

 

[Ryokan]

but we can’t simply change or contradict these principles/facts without following a somewhat scientific method/approach.

That's why I mentioned musicians (proper musicians in general not someone who has a Casio given to them for Christmas) were like mathematicians.

'What he meant by his “mathematicians” quote is something we’ll never know. Monk was notoriously puckish in interviews and to nearly anyone he didn’t know well; he could be uncommunicative especially as age and poorly-treated bipolar disorder affected him. But since I’m free to interpret his words as I choose, I’ll take it to mean something that gets at the heart of creativity within structure. In other words, music when it’s done right is something like math; math — both in and out of science — when it’s done right is something like jazz'.
M.R. Francis.

I don’t think I ever visited his home but he did visit mine once. I met and worked with him a few times. I presume you know he was an enthusiastic amateur musician, unusually a Xylophanist. He wasn’t playing a part, he really was that “quirky”, very intelligent and a nice guy.

You're very lucky. I know he was 'quirky' I used to watch him on the Sky At Night. He looks very gruff and a no nonsense kind of guy but is actually very friendly, quite possibly he was on the spectrum but I only know him from his television appearances, Brian May would be a good person to ask. Yes he played a few instruments including the piano. At the end of his garden was a street light which mysteriously kept blowing out.

 

[gregorio]

He looks very gruff and a no nonsense kind of guy but is actually very friendly …

Yes, he was friendly but also appeared very gruff. I did discuss astronomy with him a little, as I had a bit of an interest myself but I was very careful to phrase what I stated as questions, to avoid the potential of a “gruff” response but he was never gruff with me.

Brian May would be a good person to ask.

I haven’t spoken with Brian for 20 years or so, I’m not sure he’d even remember me.

Yes he played a few instruments including the piano.

I believe so, although he seemed to be most passionate about the Xylophone and that’s the only instrument I worked with him on.

G

 

[71 dB]

I haven’t spoken with Brian for 20 years or so, I’m not sure he’d even remember me.

G

I have a Tangerine Dream concert CD (Starmus - Sonic Universe 2011) where Brian May plays with TD. That's my "connection" to him!

 

[gregorio]

I have a Tangerine Dream concert CD (Starmus - Sonic Universe 2011) where Brian May plays with TD. That's my "connection" to him!

I met him a few times, once in a professional setting and we had quite a lengthy discussion about music history/theory on one occasion. I expected him to have a good knowledge of the theory/history of popular music genres but was very surprised at the depth of his knowledge of classical music history/theory. On another occasion we “ganged up” against Malcolm McLaren, although Brian was as inoffensive a person as you could meet, so it wasn’t an argument as such.

G

 

[Ryokan]

I haven’t spoken with Brian for 20 years or so, I’m not sure he’d even remember me.

Who are some of the most memorable (and famous) people you've met?

 

[71 dB]

I met him a few times, once in a professional setting and we had quite a lengthy discussion about music history/theory on one occasion. I expected him to have a good knowledge of the theory/history of popular music genres but was very surprised at the depth of his knowledge of classical music history/theory. On another occasion we “ganged up” against Malcolm McLaren, although Brian was as inoffensive a person as you could meet, so it wasn’t an argument as such.

G

What do you mean "ganged up" against?

 

[Ryokan]

Judging from some of Gregorio's posts they probably tied him to a chair and beat the soles of his feet with rubber hoses

 

[gregorio]

Who are some of the most memorable (and famous) people you've met?

That’s a tough one, there are many and the most memorable could be because they were so hugely famous, such as Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana or Margret Thatcher or sometimes it was because of the circumstances of our meeting, such as Joshua Bell, Artur Pizarro, Jose Carreras, Markus Stockhausen (and his father), Dave Gilmore or the President of Singapore. Sometimes it was memorable because I had a particular admiration for them previously, such as Leonard Bernstein, Elton John, Mstislav Rostropovich, Peter Gabriel, Tim Berners Lee, Freddie Mercury, Vangelis, James Galway, Sting, Georg Solti and others.

What do you mean "ganged up" against?

Malcolm was making some assertions about musicians, including Mozart. It was clear he didn’t really know much specifically about Mozart and was just generalising by applying assumptions based on his long experience of many other musicians. Brian and I effectively acted as a team (tag team), telling Malcolm some historical facts/events of Mozart’s life, agreeing with each other against Malcolm and explaining how exceptional Mozart was even compared to other exceptional musicians. It wasn’t as confrontational as it perhaps sounds.

G

 

[bigshot]

We should have a "Story Time" thread where people can post fun experiences and things they've heard about.

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

For those of you who have helped answer some of my questions in here, thank you! As it stands, I will never enter another Sound Science forum again.

I bid you all Adieu

 

[bigshot]

I bid you a cheese fondue!