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Just walk into the studio and pop the fucking box open and look at it if you want to see if it is an ASIC.

http://yamahacommercialaudiosy...

Not a very good angle. I don't have any at home to take a pic.

You can forget about "these days" they've been making these for years. And yes, it is a huge market. BTW, FPGA is great for short runs, but when you're a major audio company selling large numbers of expensive units then ASIC is way cheaper. It isn't close.

And there are multiple companies with proprietary protocols in this space. They all use ASICs because microcontrollers are too slow, general purpose computing isn't responsive enough.

As to why, because incompatibility is brand lock. If it just pretends to be different but actually isn't, then plugging other machines in will work. Well, that is my cynical assumption. Also, in the case of Aviom (the one that is in almost every pro audio studio in the country) they use the ethernet physical protocol, and a proprietary daisy-chained network layer with redundancy. This allows for fairly robust behavior without any network administration required. You just plug the stuff in the same way you would with any other digital audio connection. And it shows up on the mixer in the intuitive place. Also, it stuffs a bunch of flags and crap into the packets. You can buy various controllers to remote manage stuff without learning networking, just how to stab buttons and spin rotary encoders. And there is a special switch that is also like a receiver and provides n digital audio outputs that can be selected from the 64 ethernet channels. So a standard studio setup you have maybe 8 individual monitor devices with ethernet, instrument in, headphones out with EQ, then a 16 port switch, then a 16 output receiver, which plugs into the mixing board. So you've actually got a dozen or so of those ASICs in each setup. And if you want to understand the network topology, just look at the cables. That is the topology.

In the end, why? Because you have one wire from each instrument position to the switch, and then only one wire from the switch to the sound shack. Then it goes back to one wire per track. That is actually a huge gain. If it required a network admin, or some kind of "computer guy," it would not be a gain.

http://www.prosoundweb.com/ima...
These things are ubiquitous. Sad but true. I preach standards at these guys all the time, and they laugh at me, "I already spent $10k on the Avioms, too late for that" ("Plus, everybody knows how to use them already")

The loudnesswar has killed virtually anything on a digital medium, [...] give us back the -12dB, then complain about our rooms.

Alan Parsons Shares Lessons Learned During Legendary Career (from 4 years ago):

But one of his biggest pieces of advice for students and anyone interested in recording now is not to join the loudness war.

"Record labels want their records to sound louder than everyone else's so they compress the s--t out of them," he says. "It's terribly sad and I hope you will support me in resisting this concept.

"If a song has dynamics and breathes then don't push it. If your record is quieter than someone else's then just turn it up with the volume knob!"

A: When they're full of shit!

That may well be. The majority [of consumers] are happy with MP3, but they donâ(TM)t know what they are missing.

Very little. 128kbps MP3 through earbuds off a phone or iPod is fine for the ambience most of us experience while commuting or driving. Rare tracks have audible artifacts artifacts at 320kbps but for the most part nobody can tell the difference in double listening blind tests. More interestingly, where there is a difference most pick the MP3.

Iâ(TM)m not sure vinyl is selling beyond audiophile purists

I'm sure it is, I'm not an audiophile and I'm under no illusions about the technical shortcommings of vinyl. I buy vinyl because I prefer the sound even with it's limited frequency response, distortion and surface noise.

Pro sound people have different expectations; they are only concerned that a piece of gear works and allows them to do their job

Misleading. Last I looked I had a rack full of external mic pres despite having 24 of them (that would allow me do my job) on my console.

Hi-fi people spend huge amounts of money for tiny improvements

Hi-fi people spend huge amounts of money for no improvement.

Oh yeah, I hate Pink Floyd!

This has screwed many in the live event industry because many of our wireless mics are now unable to be used. Everything from concerts, to hotels, production companies, theme parks, bars, clubs, are going to suffer.

Here is some discussion by my fellow audio engineers on the subject:
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/39317/2112/
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/39317/2112/
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/39629/2112/

This has screwed many in the live event industry because many of our wireless mics are now unable to be used. Everything from concerts, to hotels, production companies, theme parks, bars, clubs, are going to suffer.

Here is some discussion by my fellow audio engineers on the subject:
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/39317/2112/
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/39317/2112/
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/39629/2112/

This has screwed many in the live event industry because many of our wireless mics are now unable to be used. Everything from concerts, to hotels, production companies, theme parks, bars, clubs, are going to suffer.

Here is some discussion by my fellow audio engineers on the subject:
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/39317/2112/
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/39317/2112/
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/39629/2112/

See also this famous thread

The link points to where Steve Albini enters, the next few pages attempt to hammer the long term storage argument home. For those who can't be bothered to read it, SA's contention is that the cost of maintaining digital archives is prohibitively expensive when compared to the cost of storing tape.

"What you're missing is that it is those content creators who agreed to be paid the amounts they are."

Nice try, but wrong.

The RIAA members routinely cheat their artists who signed with them. It's one thing to pay pennies on millions they make from the sweat of other's brow, but even those few pennies are routinely cheated from artists.

Look here, naive one:
  http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2004/may/may4a_04 .html

Goodness, the RIAA is really sure about who is downloading music (which is impossible), but they can't be sure about who they owe royalties too. Goodness, their head must be in a tizzy!

Maybe not such a tizzy. When you are used to not paying anyone, just getting money, I guess even paying a few cents to artists really burns!

    http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/8218.cfm

Of course, maybe it's all a desire to make the world safe for full accountant employment:

    http://www.prosoundweb.com/studio/articles/royalti es/royalties.php

What wonderful people you defend! And clearly, they have no desire to do anything but stuck to stick to the contract. What just people they are. Just wonderful.

Sorry, I know this is getting off topic, but speaking of waste and such from Katrina, brought back to mind, this grill made from a log that I saw on another site.

http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/144661 /16385/0///200/#msg_144661

Why are you asking a question about digital recording on Slashdot when there are so many better places to ask?

Just a few links:

http://messageboard.tapeop.com/ (my favorite)
http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/
http://gearslutz.com/
http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/index.p hp

Don't know if any /.ers are familiar with the mixing console industry, but Midas are doing some pretty neat things with Embedded Linux on their new digital console (XL8).

I recall a few years ago reading about some engineers at MIT that had developed a sonic projection system that worked in a novel way. They exploited nonlinearities in the way that ultrasonic waves propogated through the air, so that by putting out just the right pattern of ultrasonic pulses the system would generate extremely colliminated audio-range frequencies at some distance from the "speaker", as in this system.

The advantage of this is that you can get very directed sound from a small speaker. Usually to get narrow beamspread waves you need a source that is at least many times the wavelength. Middle A has a wavelength of about two feet, requiring a unweildy (to say the least) speaker to get aimable sound.

Anyway, it appears from the limited information that I've seen that LRAD is the same system, weaponized. Does anybody know if this is in fact the case?

Thad Beier

The loan isn't neccessarily the bad part though, it is how they spend the money like water which causes the problems. There is a long diary posted a while back of an engineers experience recording a major album (turned into a book, so it is kind of an ad, but there is still A LOT on the website). Some of the stuff in there was just ludicrous, the amount of money wasted was incredible.

FYI: I can't remember if this is explained in the article but, Alsihad is Protools, a lot of the old school sound engineers hate it so they call it that (as in - alls I had was this crappy program instead of a tape machine).

Since selling digital music requires no manufacturing and only moderate amounts of hosting and bandwidth, the ongoing costs should be as minimal as the initial production costs.

Anyone who tells you they can't make money selling you digital music at $0.50 each is lying. Movies cost between 10-100 times as much to make as any album of music, yet the studios all recoup their costs (including manufacturing and distribution) from a measly $20 charge.

you should read this:
http://www.prosoundweb.com/recording/mm/
if you don't believe things like that happens...

If you HATE working in a Cube Farm, under an Adminisphere, and want to work for yourself, what are your other choices?

In all seriousness, maybe you just hate working? Or maybe it customers ? They're easy to hate no matter the field you're in.

I still love computers, I've just decided I'm done with other people's computers.

Photographer... funny you mention that...

Requirements For Using Wireless Systems On TV Channels

Taking The Stealth Approach

The Bottom Line: Legal Use of Wireless Microphones

The Future of Wireless Part 1: The Challenges Ahead

The Future of Wireless Part 2: Meeting the Challenges

Enjoy

-Mikey P

Requirements For Using Wireless Systems On TV Channels

Taking The Stealth Approach

The Bottom Line: Legal Use of Wireless Microphones

The Future of Wireless Part 1: The Challenges Ahead

The Future of Wireless Part 2: Meeting the Challenges

Enjoy

-Mikey P

Requirements For Using Wireless Systems On TV Channels

Taking The Stealth Approach

The Bottom Line: Legal Use of Wireless Microphones

The Future of Wireless Part 1: The Challenges Ahead

The Future of Wireless Part 2: Meeting the Challenges

Enjoy

-Mikey P

Requirements For Using Wireless Systems On TV Channels

Taking The Stealth Approach

The Bottom Line: Legal Use of Wireless Microphones

The Future of Wireless Part 1: The Challenges Ahead

The Future of Wireless Part 2: Meeting the Challenges

Enjoy

-Mikey P

Requirements For Using Wireless Systems On TV Channels

Taking The Stealth Approach

The Bottom Line: Legal Use of Wireless Microphones

The Future of Wireless Part 1: The Challenges Ahead

The Future of Wireless Part 2: Meeting the Challenges

Enjoy

-Mikey P

Check these Infinite Baffle designs, especially this one.

IB is actually the most simple and cheap DIY solution if you have an appropriate pair of rooms. Also, it gives the best bass sound reproduction, better than the usual box/horn designs.

A great DIY/Pro horn subwoofer design is the LAB subwoofer. "A bit" big, but with great sensitivy.

I wonder if this could be applied to cars...

This has already been done. I read an article once stating that VW would release a car with a system that would record engine/exhaust noise and output the negative waves of that noise through a speaker mounted underneath the vehicle...although now it seems they've chosen an easier, cheaper approach!! :-)

I agree with you 100%. The complete and utter lack of musicianship in almost all of today's popluar music disgusts me. Espically when there are lots of really talented bands out there that get no recognition.

ProSoundWeb has a series of articles written by a professional recording engineer working with a newly signed band with very little talent. I have no idea if anything written in these articles is true, but much of it would not surprise me. Check out Progged Radio for some great independent bands. (I'm in no way affiliated with Progged Radio, just an avid listener.)

There you go: The renegade Lance chronicles.

Everything is linked to from the page I pointed to earlier.

Here's a related read. It's long, but very entertaining. Of special interest is the hilarious account of how the drum tracks for an entire album were edited at great expense, because the drummer couldn't play the drums to save his life.

"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash

Of course you're not looking for music criticism on /., but I don't think your lack of orders has anything to do with MP3 availability.

I only heard one track -- "Drop of a Hat". The song was interesting but it's crying out for some engineering work and a producer, as implied above. A few simple recording and mixing techniques would render the tune much more listenable. For me at least, it was hard to hear through the mix to decide if I even liked the song or not.

It's cool you're trying to promote your work this way, but I get the feeling you have a "build it and they will come" kind of attitude. I don't think that approach is going to work in music -- online or off.

think I'm full of it? Go post on some of the pro audio newsgroups, or check the forums at www.prosoundworld.com. Heck, even ask around on some of the home theater groups. Or ask the folks at FOH magazine. People that make their bread & butter dealing with sound. People who have real equipment that can accurately measure system response. People who do real research.

I believe you mean prosoundweb.com, specifically, the Live Audio Board. Prosoundworld.com does not exist.

Yeah, O'Reilly is a real trooper with these copyrights. Maybe one of these days, the company will start assigning copyrights to the authors instead of hoarding them for itself. Presumably the texts are works for hire.

If a piece of work is classifiable as "work for hire," then the publishing company owns the copyright. See this article and a summary of the relevant law. Recently musicians have found their work falling under an expanded clause.

Their glossary of terms has the full definition:

Alsihad: A recording platform that is used to destroy music in general. It makes musicians lazy and sounds like crap too. Some express their unabashed love for Alsihad, these are typically Alsihah (ones who operate Alsihad). Those that express a lack of enjoyment for Alsihad are typically Luddites (those that shun the forward advancement of technology). While Luddites and Alsihah can be best of friends, the more vocal ones are typically at odds with each other, and can't understand what the hell the other is thinking about.

Alsihah: One who operates Alsihad.

It's apparantly called that because if you don't have anything better to record with, it's "All's I Had".

-S

Wait, except for the fact that it doesn't actually replace the 2" in most cases. Even when major recordings use PT, they usually record to analog tape FIRST, then dump to PT to edit. (This seems to be slowly changing, as the resolution gets better - 24 bit has made a major difference

In some cases with majors, I will bet that the cost of having the engineer edit the crap takes they got into something useable far outwieghed the gear savings, and may well have cost more than the former industry standard - send the guy that can't play on vacation for a week, and have a session guy do it..)

In my mind, the major contribution of PT (and similar digital recording products, none so much as the humble ADAT) have allowed is for the quality of non-major label recordings to go up by giving project studios the ability to produce decent-sounding product without driving themselves bankrupt.

For good audio recording conversation at all levels - including Mixerman's hilarious Bitch Slap story that explains a lot of why some recordings cost a ridiculous amount of money, try The Recpit.

"Alsihad is a very popular brand of recording software and hardware
that uses a computer for editing takes. It is a very intricate program,
and it requires a trained expert to operate it, called an Alsihah."

I don't doubt that making CDs cost the big companies a great deal. Read Mixerman's diaries to see why.

The music industry has inherited from the movie industry a fetish for "technical" (studio) perfection. "Smithers, fly in that mastering engineer from New York to work on those two tracks." The level of waste is mind-numbing. It is a culture that conceals the scarcity of creative ability in the companies represented by the RIAA.

One can spend millions of dollars to produce an album which will probably be a commercial failure. One could also have handed Lennon a guitar and turned on the cassette recorder. Then you'd have something worth buying.

Also, check out the Mixerman Diaries, documenting the attempted recording of an L.A. "bidding-war" band. $2 Million advance; big name producer; dumb-ass drummer. Hilarious stuff.

If you're at all curious about the recording process of a Major-label band, it's a must-read.

No, I haven't read the story yet :)

I came across this the other week, it's a long but very good read. I honestly don't know how true it is, but I read it all anyway :)

It's the story of a guy who's mixing a band for a big label, and his trials and tribulations.

The Daily Adventures of Mixerman.

The story is a compelling account of what it's like to record an album in the studio, from the recording engineer's perspective. vgrep for "Alsihad"[1] for a strong indictment of ProTools' guarantee to suck the life out of good music through the magic of digital editing. Apparently it makes editing easier, but not better.

Plus, it looks like musicians generally don't spend any time editing their music in the studio anyway (that's the recording engineer's job). So it's not like a lack of ProTools is cutting into their valuable "focusing on their music" time, or anything. Presumably, those musicians who cared enough, and had clout enough, to edit their own albums, would prefer to produce higher-quality music, not necessarily faster, cheaper music.

Perhaps this is all different in the electronic music genres, where the life of the track comes from places other than the musicians heartfelt manual playing of their analog instrument.

Finally, consider this congruent argument: "People said the same thing about VHS. Now everybody and their grandma is using it. Why?" (Hint: not because it turned out to be the superior format.)

Yeah, but is he dumber than Cotton?