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Comments about your point # 4

Posted by Mike K on December 10, 2010 at 21:29:42:
You wrote:

"4. The lack of realization in both the music and audio industries that digitized audio alters the perception of recorded music, and has hindered the natural enjoyment of music. The masses have not realized the perceptive hindrance, yet have been losing interest in music aside from what is socially relevant. And the subsequent loss of appreciation of both musical artistry and high-fidelity sound reproduction."

How does digitized audio alter the perception of recorded music?
If we grant that 30 ips master tape of a given recording is the most
realistic sounding format, then I personally find digital (SACD followed
by redbook) to sound superior to vinyl due to the myriad of problems
inherent in vinyl (rice krispies, wow/flutter, mistracking, etc., etc.).
And if you wish to maintain that digital audio alters our perception of
music, then what about vinyl and tape? Don't they alter our perception
of music in their own way also? No recording I've ever heard sounds
like a live performance (and in some cases I'm thankful for that), but
so what? We all know that.

And how has digital audio "...hindered the natural enjoyment of music"?
As above, we all know that no recording approaches the realism of a live
performance, so why is digital more at fault for "hindering our natural
enjoyment of music" than other formats? All formats have problems,
strengths, and limitations. Why is digital worse than vinyl in this
regard? And what is "natural enjoyment" anyway? If by "natural
enjoyment" you mean pleasure, I can assure you that I get lots of
pleasure from my digitized music.

"The masses have not realized the perceptive hindrance ...". The masses
are asses and do not care about perceptive hindrance. They care only
about the pop dreck that will fit on their ipods or play on their car
radio. Screw the masses. Trying to get the masses to appreciate real
music again will require a re-education effort starting in kindergarden,
and that isn't going to happen.

The masses have been "...losing interest in music aside from what is socially relevant ... ". When have the masses EVER been interested in
any music other than what's "socially relevant". 20 years ago? 40? 60?
100? 200? 500? I think the masses have NEVER cared about anything
but "socially relevant" (to them) music. So the fact that their
music is digital is irrelevant. The masses listened to pop dreck on
LPs and 78s, why can't they listen to it on CD or MP3?

" ...subsequent loss of appreciation of both musical artistry and high-fidelity sound reproduction." Do you really think the average person
listening to the latest pop dreck on his ipod or car radio has now, or
indeed EVER had, ANY appreciation of musical artistry or quality sound
reproduction? If you do, I think you are way overestimating the
musicial erudition of the average citizen. But even if you are correct,
how does digitization of music have anything to do with the perceived
(by you) loss of appreciation of artistry and reproduction?

In short, you are making out digital music to be somehow inherently evil,
and you've not one shred of evidence for your contention. I grant that
you may prefer vinyl to digital, and that's fine. I prefer digital.
Each of us can make a case for our pov, but that certainly does not make
one of us right and the other wrong. Lack of musical sophistication
in the population at large is no more due to digital music formats than
it is to vinyl or tape formats; it's due to the general educational level
(or lack thereof) of the populace in general.

MK