Watkins 's Techdirt Comments
Latest Comments (9)
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On the post: Sorry, There's No Silver Bullet Business Model For The Music Industry
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On the post: Sorry, There's No Silver Bullet Business Model For The Music Industry
Watkins ( profile ), 10 Mar, 2010 @ 11:32amSorry, editing problems with the above
"The qualities of lo-fi are usually achieved by either degrading the quality of the recorded audio, or using certain equipment. Recent uses of the phrase has led to it becoming a genre, although it still remains as an aesthetic in music recording practice. "
This is a choice made by the artist. Phil Spector used to mix recordings so things would sound good through a car radio, but that was a creative choice.
"You might be right. But merely because millions of people subjectively agree on the same thing, does not make it an objective truth. If that's the case, then the music of Aerosmith is of a high objective quality. And I cannot possibly accept that as being true."
You are confusing standards of music with standards of music reproduction. -
On the post: Sorry, There's No Silver Bullet Business Model For The Music Industry
Watkins ( profile ), 10 Mar, 2010 @ 11:27am"The qualities of lo-fi are usually achieved by either degrading the quality of the recorded audio, or using certain equipment. Recent uses of the phrase has led to it becoming a genre, although it still remains as an aesthetic in music recording practice. " This is a choice made by the artist. Phil Spector used to mix recordings so things would sound good through a car radio, but that was a creative choice. You might be right. But merely because millions of people subjectively agree on the same thing, does not make it an objective truth. If that's the case, then the music of Aerosmith is of a high objective quality. And I cannot possibly accept that as being true. You are confusing standards of music with standards of music reproduction.
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On the post: Sorry, There's No Silver Bullet Business Model For The Music Industry
Watkins ( profile ), 10 Mar, 2010 @ 11:08am"What you are doing is confusing quantity, the number of bits per second, with the the subjective value the music as to a person, which is quality.
No, I'm not. Fidelity to the artist's sound is the criterion of quality in music reproduction. The operative words are fidelity and reproduction. If the artist wants to monkey around and distort his sound, that's his prerogative. I just want my equipment to be able to faithfully reproduce his ultimate product. I may choose to jack up the treble because I'm old and deaf, but I would like that to be my choice and not imposed by the limitations of technology. This discussion could get long and involved, and I am by no means an expert; but I strongly doubt that there are very many consumers (not artists) who would choose bad reproduction over good reproduction all things being equal as long as they could tweak it to their preferences. -
On the post: Sorry, There's No Silver Bullet Business Model For The Music Industry
Watkins ( profile ), 10 Mar, 2010 @ 10:37amFish - What subjective views did I force on everyone? I agree that convenience often does and often should trump quality, but what is asinine it is to suggest that there isn't a loss in quality.
Wallow - Nicely put and sadly so! I still find it hard to believe that for the money spent on home AV systems, the average sound is relatively unpleasant and has not improved over the last few decades - unless you consider the a cheap subwoofer as a major improvement. -
On the post: Sorry, There's No Silver Bullet Business Model For The Music Industry
Watkins ( profile ), 10 Mar, 2010 @ 09:00am"Then, the 00s brought the latest maturation of the recording format, the mp3, with its near-infinite portability and an audio quality that can only really be contested by audio snobs."
Actually it can be contested by anyone with two ears and a decent stereo. What is amazing to me is how little the recording industry has done to promote decent sound. Yes, their product is more convenient; but No, it really doesn't sound much better than a good LP and is often worse. They coasted for 40 years without putting much money into improving the sound of the compact disc and the equipment that plays it. Now that the convenience factor is no longer in their favor, they have limited ability to promote the medium. They cooked and ate the goose that layed the golden egg. -
On the post: Sorry, There's No Silver Bullet Business Model For The Music Industry
Watkins ( profile ), 10 Mar, 2010 @ 08:59am"Then, the 00s brought the latest maturation of the recording format, the mp3, with its near-infinite portability and an audio quality that can only really be contested by audio snobs."
Actually it can be contested by anyone with two ears and a decent stereo. What is amazing to me is how little the recording industry has done to promote decent sound. Yes, their product is more convenient; but No, it really doesn't sound much better than a good LP and is often worse. They coasted for 40 years without putting much money into improving the sound of the compact disc and the equipment that plays it. Now that the convenience factor is no longer in their favor, they have limited ability to promote the medium. They cooked and ate the goose that layed the golden egg. -
On the post: Apple Blocks Google App From iPhone While Trying To Patent The Same Invention?
Watkins ( profile ), 07 Jan, 2010 @ 03:10pmRe: Apple copy? Never!
Invented them? - No ... they just recognized their value and built supremely useful and innovative implementations of of them.
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On the post: Antigua Starting To Get Angry With US Playing Games Over WTO Online Gambling Ruling
Watkins ( profile ), 23 May, 2007 @ 10:51amAntigua gambling.
Does anyone know the law here or what the exact charges were? Is it unconsitutional for the US to lesgislate the behavior of American citizens in foreign countries? EG, is it against US law for an American citizen to commit murder in a foreign country? How about pederasty? How about buying Cuban goods?
I give up.