Digital has Killed Music both Recorded media and HI-Fi

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Sorry to look narrow-minded, but I'm curious why you seem to think all this compression, equalization, processing etc. is a good thing. There's also this to consider:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war

It's a different genre. Harpsichords have limited dynamic range. Does that make Bach's music inferior to Beethoven?

In modern pop music production the quality of sound is controlled with a degree of nuance that would have been impossible with previous technology. It is what it is, the next thing. An extremely refined commercial product.

[71 dB]

It's a different genre. Harpsichords have limited dynamic range. Does that make Bach's music inferior to Beethoven?

In modern pop music production the quality of sound is controlled with a degree of nuance that would have been impossible with previous technology. It is what it is, the next thing. An extremely refined commercial product.

Good post!  0:)

[Elgarian Redux]

The technology can have serious impacts. It has often been said on rock forums that the introduction of digital synthesisers around 1980 led to over reliance on the preset sounds rather than spending a lot of time creating sounds with the use of patch cords and so on. Later on the introduction of computer based sequencing and mixing encouraged rigid adherence to precise four beat bars and made it far too easy to repeat loops endlessly.

Yes of course. But my point is that there have always been different methods of making bad art. New technology, in itself, is neutral. It's the use we make of it that determines whether it enriches our lives or diminishes them.

[Florestan]

Harpsichords have limited dynamic range. Does that make Bach's music inferior to Beethoven?

Not if played on a piano. 

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

The technology can have serious impacts. It has often been said on rock forums that the introduction of digital synthesisers around 1980 led to over reliance on the preset sounds rather than spending a lot of time creating sounds with the use of patch cords and so on. Later on the introduction of computer based sequencing and mixing encouraged rigid adherence to precise four beat bars and made it far too easy to repeat loops endlessly.

One thing I miss in synthetic pop is the slight irregularity in the beat that can be introduced by a real drummer (Bernard Perdie, Stewart Copeland), but the availability of new techniques doesn't mean you can't have a real drummer, just that there are alternatives.

Yes of course. But my point is that there have always been different methods of making bad art. New technology, in itself, is neutral. It's the use we make of it that determines whether it enriches our lives or diminishes them.

Exactly right.

[EddieRUKiddingVarese]

At least you were playing an actual guitar and had someone singing Eddie, not just dragging samples around on a grid .

Good point two Dogs, have I undermined my own argumen, no probably not lol

[steve ridgway]

Digital hasn't killed any music, on the contrary, there is much more music available now for domestic consumption than at any time in the past --- for which I can't be grateful enough.

It's possible, though, that ALL recorded media, starting with the earliest radio broadcasts, LPs and cassettes, have killed domestic music-making --- an unintended but nonetheless very bad consequence.

I'm amazed to see the size of some of these classical box sets with hundreds of CDs . I guess the record companies have immense back catalogues that they're now happy to make a smaller profit from. Might this though reduce the sales of new recordings? Buying large boxes would seem a much more economical way for a newcomer to explore the field.

[EddieRUKiddingVarese]

imagine them in vinyl

[71 dB]

I'm amazed to see the size of some of these classical box sets with hundreds of CDs . I guess the record companies have immense back catalogues that they're now happy to make a smaller profit from. Might this though reduce the sales of new recordings? Buying large boxes would seem a much more economical way for a newcomer to explore the field.

There are large boxes only for the best known composers, so exploring more obscure stuff means individual discs... ...if they exists that is..

[EddieRUKiddingVarese]

 i did a test run on this rig yesterday playing the track below- apparently I broke house rules and gave the wife a headache lol (Rules she plays no Celine and I play no Frank Zappa - apparently the Boogle Woogie waltz(weather report) cover by Ayers Rock sounds too much like Zappa (I thought I had found a loop hole lol  after 10 minutes of blast vol- Boogle Woogie waltz the high vol test was over and the next track Gimme Shelter was at much reduced vol - wife had turned it down). Re blind test - given i have only spent a total of $400 Oz bucks including amps and speakers(were free) on this setup (my 2nd system) if anything bad happens I really don't care lol

https://youtu.be/0VAK4Iq72hI

[Sydney Nova Scotia]

Jeez man are you brave or stupid..........

[EddieRUKiddingVarese]

Ill keep asking because no one had defined what is "good" or "bad" music further than their own personal taste.

[steve ridgway]

Ill keep asking because no one had defined what is "good" or "bad" music further than their own personal taste.

In line with the Universe as a whole I'd say something expressing creativity and adding to the variety of what's already there.