Are their any musicians in the house???

[Robin]

I was just wondering...
Do any of you play an instrument? Are their any musicians on our, "ML Owners Club" web-site? This thought occured to me, during a recent tread, regarding Subwoofers and Bass sounds in HT. I am really curious as to how many of you play an instrument? What instrument do you play? How long have you played? Did your expirences help you choose ML equipment, and / or assist you in developing your Home Theater, or to become interested in stereo equipment / Audiophile, type stuff in general?

As for me, I play the organ, piano and Classical, Accustic and Electric Guitar. I've played the piano since I was eight. I taught myself the guitar, since I was fourteen. I played a, 'Vox Jaugar' organ, in a Rock n' Roll band, for a while, when I was in Junior High school. I really enjoy playing the guitar, latley. I play for my own enjoyment, mostly. It's just another interest or hobby, I enjoy. I don't play as a profession or anything but, I think, it has helped me appreciate musical sound more. Live music gives me another perspective, along with my interest in audio equipment HT. Playing music has influenced what kind of sound I enjoy most and the musical sounds, I perfer and like to hear. I think, my exspirences in playing music have ultimatly played apart, as to why, I choose ML speakers for my HT.

 

[Jeff Zaret]

Robin,

I think there are quite a few musicians in the bunch. I would imagine there are some that are or were more serious musicians at one time. I also think there are some that play great "air guitar" too.

I majored in music the first time around in college and just settled for a AA in music and I should have gotten my BA but didn't but I have two other degrees that just do not personally mean as much. I did play in rock bands and a lot of jazz in college and post college. I just play for my own enjoyment now. I am one of those geeks that can read music as well as play. I do have what is referred to as "relative" pitch which means that I can distinguish and/or recognize notes and tell you what they are. It was much better when I was younger but those things fade with age and not being active.

Having said all of that, I still play guitar and electric bass when I want to have some fun. My piano skills have almost fallen off the keyboard altogether. Singing is now reserved for the car, LOL.

Well enough history because there is more anyway.

I hope this helps and BTW I starting playing guitar in 1962.

Jeff

 

[Sky Saw]

Hi Robin, I was a tenured professional orchestral musician (viola) for almost 15 years in a Canadian orchestra, as well as an active chamber musician and freelancer. Music was my life, as I would come home from rehearsal or a concert and put music on the stereo. However, it's a tough gig, emotionally and physically - I read a study once that showed that North American orchestral musicians have lower job satisfaction than prison guards! I figured that if the thing I loved more than any other interest (music) was not bringing me what I wanted, then it was probably taking away from it, so I changed careers.

Having perfect pitch, an intimate understanding of where instruments are supposed to be in the recording, and listening to acoustic instruments in performance spaces on a daily basis are probably the three most useful things that for me carry over to audio listening. I don't know how many times I've spent 10 seconds listening to a dealer's $40k setup only to tell them that their right/left channels are mixed up. I guess it's not so easy to tell when not listening to classical music.

The perfect pitch thing is what I think really drew me to MLs. When the timbre is just right (maybe it's a distortion thing, I don''t know), it's somehow so much easier and faster to identify the pitch and hear tiny details of intonation. I have never heard another kind of speaker give the immediate sense of identification that I get from MLs. The other thing is how deep you can hear into complicated music. When you really know an orchestral piece well, it's so easy on MLs to hear inner musical details.

I think there are also drawbacks from having a background like mine. As you have suggested, having played violin and viola for almost 30 years, I am much more sensitive to that spectrum of sound than I am to the lower frequencies. I am really picky about the sound of voices and most stringed instruments, but not so much with bass heavy stuff like double bass, bass guitar, etc. That's probably another reason why I love MLs so much - they are great in the mids. Also, HT just doesn't cut it for me. Maybe it enhances the sound of a 9mm ouzi, but it seems to detract from music reproduction for me.

Oops, sorry for the long post - thanks for staying with me!

 

[Sky Saw]

I do have what is referred to as "relative" pitch which means that I can distinguish and/or recognize notes and tell you what they are.

Hi Jeff, I just read your post. Relative pitch is the ability to identify a certain pitch, given another pitch - that's what makes it relative.

You describe yourself as having perfect pitch, which is the ability to identify a pitch using no prior referent. Perfect pitch is much more rare, so I think you should go with using that term instead

 

[DTB300]

Singing is now reserved for the car, LOL.

What no Bathroom Shower performances ???!?!?!?!

Dan

 

[DTB300]

Having perfect pitch, an intimate understanding of where instruments are supposed to be in the recording, and listening to acoustic instruments in performance spaces on a daily basis are probably the three most useful things that for me carry over to audio listening.

What a great advantage to getting things setup correctly for your listening position than to be a seasoned musician. Never could seem to sit long enough as a youngster to learn to play an instrument. Too busy playing sports.

But in case anyone is interested....I am a "newbie" in regards to Classical music (right now Baroque is probably my favorite) and I did not know the layout of instruments in an orchestra. I actually went to see the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center last year to experience a live classical piece. It was a great experience that I will probably do again.

Anyways, here is a link to a site that will show you where the instruments are located.

http://www.newmusic.co.za/sample/index.htm

Just click on an instrument and a diagram will come up to show you where they are located.

 

[Jeff Zaret]

SkySaw,
Yes you are right. I am tired and a bit off today. Anyway, my pitch recognition is not as "sharp" as it used to be and that is because I do not play as much as I like.

I agree about hearing a recording and in a few seconds telling someone it is wrong. A piano drives me crazy when it is recorded backwards.

Dan,

The shower performances are all yours pal I do not want to take away any of your thunder!!

Jeff

 

[Robin]

Jeff and DTB300

You guys sing in the shower... I forgot to say, that I love to sing, whilest accompaning myself on the guitar or piano. I was in a church choir for a couple of years, it was a great experiance. It was wonderful to sing in a large group with altos, tentors and bass singers. I sing tenor/bass, both in and out of the shower. I am concidering re-joining the choir, of the church, we just started attending. I guess, I miss the commrodery and musicality of sing in a large group.


SkySaw and Jeff

Wow.... Perfect Pitch, that is amazing. What a gift. You both have really had a life time appreciating music... I met a piano tuner two years ago that had perfect pitch. He tuned my piano by ear, and then checked his work with a complete set of tuning forks. He was spot on with each note. It was facinating watching him work.

It is great to hear SkySaw's perspective on the mid range musicality of ML's. I agree, ML's reproduce the translucent clarity of strings with a dept and sweetness that is truely unparalled.

 

[SugarMedia]

Robin-

I have played the trumpet for 14 or so years. My wife plays Piano & Guitar... not as much as I would like though. Her Brother plays flute, Piano & Guitar. And my father-in-law can just about play anything, and he is also a Conductor here in Warsaw.

They all are extremely impressed with my ML speakers.

Cheers from Prague! (on vacation again)

 

[EricE]

Not a musician myself but I have a few friends that play in orchestras and live bands and they are extremely impressed with ML speakers to the point where they have bought them too.

One friend I have (drummer by nature) has been helping to master a CD for a up and coming singer that has various styles of music in her CD. He says that the ML's can cut through all the layers of the mix much better than even the studio where the mastering is taking place. He has taken the demo CD and has found mistakes that were missed in the mix.

 

[pat17]

I used to play the organs... electronic ones indeed. I just tried it once on a real 16ft one... it was quite difficult but unforgettable!!