[Hollow Tree] 12/01/2007 10:13:00 PM
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Zeno Izen
Dec 1, 2007, 5:18:49 PM12/1/07
to Hollo...@googlegroups.com
The glaciers are melting. And when I say glaciers, I don't mean actual, literal glaciers; I mean something else entirely more vast, cool and unsympathetic--the record industry.
Yes, those stalwart champions of atavism at the various music conglomerates seem to be ever so gradually coming to terms with the inevitability of mp3 distribution. The process has been drawn out, of course, because the recorded-music industry can't wantonly enter new territory until they have proven to themselves with rock-solid conclusiveness that there is some kind of profitability in this new world.
And as these megalopolies experimented with DRM and such, the smaller mammals at their feet have filled the niches left unattended, proving for all to see that yes indeed, you can make money with the mp3 format.
So here we are. It looks like the mp3 is about to go mainstream.
The benefits of this trend are apparent enough, but what of the single-most important downside to the standardization of the mp3? The fact that they sound like hell.
When CDs first hit the market, all kinds of hyperbole was used to describe the sound. “Perfect,” “too good” and even “audio cocaine” were descriptions aimed at Compact Disc sound reproduction. But, little is said about the jangly aliasing at the high end of the mp3, that irritating digital distortion that never seems to go away no matter what you do to with your EQ sliders.
As things stand right now, mp3s are the perfect form for music distribution. They're light-weight, for one thing. And they sound just fine coming through small speakers such as those built into a laptop, or in earbuds or cheap computer speakers.
But run an mp3 through an ordinary stereo receiver to a decent pair of speakers and the inkly sizzle of the mp3 becomes unmistakable.
My fear is that with mp3s taking on an official status, we'll all develop a tolerance for this noise. No doubt there are many worse things going on in the world right now, but still it's unfortunate that we may be about to take a step backwards here. The adoption of CDs over vinyl and magnetic tape carried its own difficulties, for sure. The sound quality, though, was not worse in that case, only less “warm.”
Mp3s sound positively worse that Compact Discs. And despite the cultural revolutions that they have stimulated, they also diminish the listening experience. This is an unfortunate fact that we will have to endure for the foreseeable future.
Yes, those stalwart champions of atavism at the various music conglomerates seem to be ever so gradually coming to terms with the inevitability of mp3 distribution. The process has been drawn out, of course, because the recorded-music industry can't wantonly enter new territory until they have proven to themselves with rock-solid conclusiveness that there is some kind of profitability in this new world.
And as these megalopolies experimented with DRM and such, the smaller mammals at their feet have filled the niches left unattended, proving for all to see that yes indeed, you can make money with the mp3 format.
So here we are. It looks like the mp3 is about to go mainstream.
The benefits of this trend are apparent enough, but what of the single-most important downside to the standardization of the mp3? The fact that they sound like hell.
When CDs first hit the market, all kinds of hyperbole was used to describe the sound. “Perfect,” “too good” and even “audio cocaine” were descriptions aimed at Compact Disc sound reproduction. But, little is said about the jangly aliasing at the high end of the mp3, that irritating digital distortion that never seems to go away no matter what you do to with your EQ sliders.
As things stand right now, mp3s are the perfect form for music distribution. They're light-weight, for one thing. And they sound just fine coming through small speakers such as those built into a laptop, or in earbuds or cheap computer speakers.
But run an mp3 through an ordinary stereo receiver to a decent pair of speakers and the inkly sizzle of the mp3 becomes unmistakable.
My fear is that with mp3s taking on an official status, we'll all develop a tolerance for this noise. No doubt there are many worse things going on in the world right now, but still it's unfortunate that we may be about to take a step backwards here. The adoption of CDs over vinyl and magnetic tape carried its own difficulties, for sure. The sound quality, though, was not worse in that case, only less “warm.”
Mp3s sound positively worse that Compact Discs. And despite the cultural revolutions that they have stimulated, they also diminish the listening experience. This is an unfortunate fact that we will have to endure for the foreseeable future.
--
Posted By Zeno Izen to Hollow Tree at 12/01/2007 10:13:00 PM
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