From: chrisc@gold.gvg.tek.com (Chris Christensen)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
Subject: Re: pro vs. audiophile tastes was Re: Klipschorns
Date: 9 Apr 92 20:32:29 GMT
Organization: Grass Valley Group, Grass Valley, CA

In article <11336@ksr.com> kenyee@ksr.com (Ken Yee) writes:
>chrisc@gold.gvg.tek.com (Chris Christensen) writes:

>>So am I a ProAudiophile?   NOT!!!! Damn I wish it was Friday......:-)

>  Interesting...so I can infer that Pro's are fussier than audiophiles
>  since they are more critical?

No inference intended or implied, and fussy doesn't fit the modes of
the sound engineers that I know!  And critical isn't the work that I
would use to describe what I have to do.

It's more like the pro golfer vs the duffer?  The golf pro has to have a
high level of concentration and trains for it.  The duffer may be a
really good golfer, better than most but still not PGA material....
That also doesn't imply that audiophiles don't train themselves to
listen critically.  But that training is much different than listening
and building a mix.

When I am mixing a live show for instance,  I have to listen to the
overall balance of the band, where the vocals set in that mix, the
lead that is coming up and what I have to do with that,   the balance
of the drum kit and it's level in the overall mix, and not forget
about the rest of the band.  All while I am closely watching the band
to see where they are going with a song,  what song they may be
getting ready to do, if the musicians are happy with the monitor
mix.....

And I have to do all this at the same time, constantly switching
priorities for the part that I have to attend to.  Oh and I haven't
even touched EQ'ing instruments.

Oh and when I am talking about mixing live I'm talking mixing bands
that I haven't even seen or heard before, the fair/festival trail.
Mixing on the fly, no sound checks and no rehearsal!

>  So what do pro's have for home equipment?  Enough to make audiophiles
>  drool?

I can only speak for myself.  Before I had a studio in the house I
didn't critically listen to music at home.  And I only do it in the
studio at home.

I perfer to sit back and enjoy a movie at home,  yes I use a Hi-Fi
stereo VCR and I have stereo in the living room but I listen to be
entertained,  I like it when a mix is good and I will occasionally
comment if a mix is bad,  but I won't waste the time and let it get me
down!  If I am listening to a tape in the car it's on a stock deck and
on little speakers that don't sound very good.  But I'm not listening
critically!

I will tollerate bad sound and not let it get me down because good
sound is hard to find!

I am sure that this isn't what you expected but when you mix a good band
on a good sounding 2500 watt PA it's hard to sit in front of some
little speakers and listen to music.  It's not the same!

BTW good music and a good mix will sound good on crap!  It will sound
better on good equipmend, but if it doesn't sell to the masses it
won't continue......

-- 
Chris Christensen                  The opinions I express are my own,
chrisc@gold.gvg.tek.com            and sometimes they are wrong!
916-478-3419 FAX 916-478-3887      After all, I AM only human.