Comments on: Texture No.4 (Contrast and Frequency) http://www.moteldemoka.com/2007/03/30/texture-no4-contrast-and-frequency/ Indie MP3 blog mostly rock, pop, folk and electronic Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:11:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: nevsky http://www.moteldemoka.com/2007/03/30/texture-no4-contrast-and-frequency/#comment-19499 nevsky Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:29:58 +0000 http://www.moteldemoka.com/2007/03/30/texture-no4-contrast-and-frequency/#comment-19499 The myerz track is the awesomest. Good work! The myerz track is the awesomest. Good work!

]]> By: squashed http://www.moteldemoka.com/2007/03/30/texture-no4-contrast-and-frequency/#comment-17984 squashed Sat, 31 Mar 2007 21:58:07 +0000 http://www.moteldemoka.com/2007/03/30/texture-no4-contrast-and-frequency/#comment-17984 All arvo part choir works are using sustained voices at very near pitches that create strange harmonies. (his famous trick, tintinabulli) It creates all sorts of overtones. It sounded like soft rainbows, rippling all over. But the way mp3 compression works is eleminating "softer" sound that is presumed not audible compared to the louder "foreground". So it strips a lot of this overtones/harmonies/etc. But because we are talking about "human voices/choir" our ears are actually very sensitive to overtones. We pick it up immediately, as oppose to loud rock instruments or other non human voice overtones. so.. that's my best shot explanation at least. (either that or I need a new CD ripper. hah.) here is a diagram that might illustrate somewhat. in the "harmony" section, one can see combination of Main wave plus overtons, creating strange bumpy waves with big peaks and small one. Those sounds good to human ears. It creates complexity. But mp3 compression eleminate the smaller peaks. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_of_music ----- I love the Cantus in memory of Benjamin Britten and Tabula Rasa. How cool is that Alfred schnittke himself is sitting in the piano! I love how the piano sounds so weird...."booong...." everytime the violin finish a phrase. It always makes me want to shout...uhhhh. do it again, do it again.... Te Deum is still my favorite Arvo's recording. I think that was hist first album that got him wide fan. I listen to it for about 3 weeks. It was the only CD spinning on my CD player. heh. All arvo part choir works are using sustained voices at very near pitches that create strange harmonies. (his famous trick, tintinabulli)

It creates all sorts of overtones. It sounded like soft rainbows, rippling all over.

But the way mp3 compression works is eleminating “softer” sound that is presumed not audible compared to the louder “foreground”. So it strips a lot of this overtones/harmonies/etc.

But because we are talking about “human voices/choir” our ears are actually very sensitive to overtones. We pick it up immediately, as oppose to loud rock instruments or other non human voice overtones.

so.. that’s my best shot explanation at least. (either that or I need a new CD ripper. hah.)

here is a diagram that might illustrate somewhat.
in the “harmony” section, one can see combination of Main wave plus overtons, creating strange bumpy waves with big peaks and small one. Those sounds good to human ears. It creates complexity. But mp3 compression eleminate the smaller peaks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_of_music

—–

I love the Cantus in memory of Benjamin Britten and Tabula Rasa. How cool is that Alfred schnittke himself is sitting in the piano! I love how the piano sounds so weird….”booong….” everytime the violin finish a phrase. It always makes me want to shout…uhhhh. do it again, do it again….

Te Deum is still my favorite Arvo’s recording. I think that was hist first album that got him wide fan. I listen to it for about 3 weeks. It was the only CD spinning on my CD player. heh.

]]> By: mayumi http://www.moteldemoka.com/2007/03/30/texture-no4-contrast-and-frequency/#comment-17983 mayumi Sat, 31 Mar 2007 21:36:57 +0000 http://www.moteldemoka.com/2007/03/30/texture-no4-contrast-and-frequency/#comment-17983 you're so right, just dug out the tabula rasa cd. there is that sense of... texture, i suppose, that you don't get from mp3's. i'm not super finicky about stuff, and i can't say i'm an audiophile...but there is something about it. like it's a bit more tangible somehow. it's like the difference between the feel of film grain as opposed to a pixel. you can't see really see the difference, but somehow, you know. you’re so right, just dug out the tabula rasa cd. there is that sense of… texture, i suppose, that you don’t get from mp3’s. i’m not super finicky about stuff, and i can’t say i’m an audiophile…but there is something about it. like it’s a bit more tangible somehow.

it’s like the difference between the feel of film grain as opposed to a pixel. you can’t see really see the difference, but somehow, you know.

]]> By: Moka http://www.moteldemoka.com/2007/03/30/texture-no4-contrast-and-frequency/#comment-17936 Moka Sat, 31 Mar 2007 13:49:57 +0000 http://www.moteldemoka.com/2007/03/30/texture-no4-contrast-and-frequency/#comment-17936 love the transition and the concept of texture in each of these tracks. You're right - arvo part's physical cds with headphones is a very different experience, you need a very high quality mp3 to try and replicate this kind of music the way it needs to be listened to. the first time I heard arvo part was in mp3 format and although I loved it, it wasn't until a few years later that I finally got hold on one cd of him that I noticed how much his music is rendered with incredible intimacy and majestic detail. The difference on the sonic experience was astonishing, particulary with the pin-drop quiet passages that I never noticed before. love the transition and the concept of texture in each of these tracks. You’re right - arvo part’s physical cds with headphones is a very different experience, you need a very high quality mp3 to try and replicate this kind of music the way it needs to be listened to.

the first time I heard arvo part was in mp3 format and although I loved it, it wasn’t until a few years later that I finally got hold on one cd of him that I noticed how much his music is rendered with incredible intimacy and majestic detail. The difference on the sonic experience was astonishing, particulary with the pin-drop quiet passages that I never noticed before.

]]> By: chris_c http://www.moteldemoka.com/2007/03/30/texture-no4-contrast-and-frequency/#comment-17875 chris_c Sat, 31 Mar 2007 09:18:38 +0000 http://www.moteldemoka.com/2007/03/30/texture-no4-contrast-and-frequency/#comment-17875 love this (as ever), and thanks for numbering each track - makes it a lot easier to put together again! i'll see if i can find some pure sine waves to insert in the mix - seems like the way to go. always good to see some arvo in a mix! love this (as ever), and thanks for numbering each track - makes it a lot easier to put together again! i’ll see if i can find some pure sine waves to insert in the mix - seems like the way to go. always good to see some arvo in a mix!

]]> By: squashed http://www.moteldemoka.com/2007/03/30/texture-no4-contrast-and-frequency/#comment-17748 squashed Sat, 31 Mar 2007 00:53:43 +0000 http://www.moteldemoka.com/2007/03/30/texture-no4-contrast-and-frequency/#comment-17748 mayumi - I have small place and only small pair of monitor speakers. I will get kicked out if I play anything loudly. :D (not to mention weird music) So I use pre-amp + monitor headphone. Arvo Part. It's a problem, All classical recording has different loudness level since their range is far greater. Usually it's set to the loudest piece in the entire album. As a result softer pieces sounded "tiny" if ripped to mp3. I should have tweaked the loudness during ripping. but yeah. even louder, that arvo part piece will sound delicate. But on CD it truely magnificant. Btw, that album, sung by Hilliard ensamble is worth owning. very well executed. ---------- merz, takes me awhile, was kinda busy. plus this list is pretty odd. I had to smooth it out with posts before. I like the bass in skolopander. It's like a big engine breathing, very odd. sure. let's do it again. I am thinking we should do some sort of regular blog carnival. (maybe monthly or bi-monthly) It could be fun for mp3 blog. I'll ask around if people are interested. mayumi -
I have small place and only small pair of monitor speakers. I will get kicked out if I play anything loudly. :D (not to mention weird music) So I use pre-amp + monitor headphone.

Arvo Part. It’s a problem, All classical recording has different loudness level since their range is far greater. Usually it’s set to the loudest piece in the entire album. As a result softer pieces sounded “tiny” if ripped to mp3. I should have tweaked the loudness during ripping.

but yeah. even louder, that arvo part piece will sound delicate. But on CD it truely magnificant. Btw, that album, sung by Hilliard ensamble is worth owning. very well executed.

———-

merz,

takes me awhile, was kinda busy. plus this list is pretty odd. I had to smooth it out with posts before. I like the bass in skolopander. It’s like a big engine breathing, very odd.

sure. let’s do it again.

I am thinking we should do some sort of regular blog carnival. (maybe monthly or bi-monthly) It could be fun for mp3 blog. I’ll ask around if people are interested.

]]> By: merz http://www.moteldemoka.com/2007/03/30/texture-no4-contrast-and-frequency/#comment-17723 merz Fri, 30 Mar 2007 23:42:13 +0000 http://www.moteldemoka.com/2007/03/30/texture-no4-contrast-and-frequency/#comment-17723 Squashed, Excellent, I was thinking earlier you forgot about me and then I saw this post. Very nice mix, I especially like Signal Centrum, Skolopender and Orbital. Good overall flow working off the Tortoise track. We should do this again! Squashed, Excellent, I was thinking earlier you forgot about me and then I saw this post. Very nice mix, I especially like Signal Centrum, Skolopender and Orbital. Good overall flow working off the Tortoise track. We should do this again!

]]> By: mayumi http://www.moteldemoka.com/2007/03/30/texture-no4-contrast-and-frequency/#comment-17713 mayumi Fri, 30 Mar 2007 22:55:22 +0000 http://www.moteldemoka.com/2007/03/30/texture-no4-contrast-and-frequency/#comment-17713 me likey. wonder what speaker system you've got if you're serving arvo part after that first tune you dropped. me likey.

wonder what speaker system you’ve got if you’re serving arvo part after that first tune you dropped.

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