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The PRoBLeM with PRaT (2nd Try)

To paraphrase others below, equipment does not have PraT. Musicians do.

As a musician, I know the difference between rhythm and tempo. Tempo is the rate at which the primary pulses of the music occur. A rhythm is a particular arrangement of sounds and silences relative to a given tempo.

In audio-speak, “Pace” seems to be roughly equivalent to tempo, and “timing” seems to be related to how well the equipment reproduces the performer’s rhythmic precision or lack thereof. “Rhythm” then, may be a kind of generality that includes both. This is fine as long as everyone is speaking the same language. However, those who use the term “PRaT” should be aware that the terms “rhythm” and “tempo” have very specific, objective meanings in music.

I can understand how one piece of equipment might make the rhythmic element of music more pronounced by clearly producing transients and may reproduce the “timing” more accurately by keeping a steady speed. I suppose its okay to say the equipment has “PraT” because it does a good job of reproducing these rhythmic qualities of the performance. But isn’t it sort of like saying, “my amp has a very expressive vibrato,” just because it reproduces that quality in a recording of Maria Callas?

IMHO we get into trouble when we start attributing things to the equipment that should be attributed to the performer, or the reverse.


Sam

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