Re: [ARSCLIST] The lowly cable puller [was Re: [ARSCLIST] audio h elp]

["Copeland, Peter" <Peter.Copeland@xxxxx>]

Dear All,
    Please permit an English comment. In Britain we have *three* layers of
expertise :
(1) An "artistic" one (people who mix sounds, edit poor takes, and otherwise
make artistic judgements).
(2) A technical one (people who use soldering irons and do metalwork), and
(3) "Operators" (people who *know about* both, but whose expertise is
performing the button-pushing or fader-controlling at top speed and without
thinking, like driving a car).
    My comment is that I think the use of "engineer" on this listserv
confuses the three meanings of the word. I would respectfully like to
suggest we all make this clearer in future postings.
Peter Copeland

-----Original Message-----
From: Steven Smolian [mailto:smolians@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: 07 October 2003 22:52
To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] The lowly cable puller [was Re: [ARSCLIST] audio
help]

In my experience working with "regular" engineers, the issue has alway been
one of attitude as well as skill.

Good attitude involves the concept of being as true as possible to what the
original would have sounded like, and that's part experience, part musical
and aural sensitivity.

Bad attitude involves making it "better" so it contains the thumbprint of
the engineer.

Keeping the ego out of the audio is the botom wavy line.

I believe Miss Ryver's past postings to this site place her firmly in the
"good guys" group, sometimes enchanced with technical insights others had
not addressed.

Alyssa, please keep up the good work.

Steve Smolian

----- Original Message -----
From: "Alyssa Ryvers" <alyssa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2003 3:55 PM
Subject: [ARSCLIST] The lowly cable puller [was Re: [ARSCLIST] audio help]

> Gee, what to say!
>
> I'm glad we're regarded by some as good ground loop finders and cable
> pullers; I wonder if my dog would be a good truffle sniffer? Gotta try
> that sometime. She's pretty good with sheep, though.
>
> We are paid for our ears. I can simply hear things that others can't
> [consciously]. But let me tell you, there is a marked difference
> because people can hear the difference between where I put a microphone
> (for example) than where someone else does.
>
> Computers are tools. They do not replace ears and experience.
> Especially when you're dealing with material that you are likely to get
> the best audio quality from on the first pass - one would think then,
> that a heightened sense of hearing and an developed intuitive sense of
> sound and audio technology might be of value? Especially on Folkloric
> material where the living tradition is no longer in existence: seems
> critical in my opinion.
>
> Before one believes that all transfers are equal given _even_ the same
> equipment, one might consider comparisons. Certainly I can hear the
> difference.
>
> Miss. Ryvers
> www.fundamentallyhuman.com


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