Videos of Acoustically-Coupled Audio Recordings
- Thread starter Ron Resnick
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This one still amuses me with Peter doing his best ‘ How to exit the aircraft in an emergency ‘ routine
Not necessarily. For example, I don't think you can hear some of the nasty little distortions that can be irritating in the room on a video. Also, a YT video only has so much resolution (otherwise we wouldn't need uncompressed high-end digital or analog), thus it may make a less resolving system sound relatively better than it is compared to a more resolving system over the same video medium, and upon hearing that lesser system in person the limits of resolution then may be disappointing.
Moiz audio state on their videos that they use a Pearl DS70 microphone (3750$) and a Zoom F8NPro recorder (1000$). This is a big step above phones and 100$ microphones, and not something Jo Schmo is likeky to purchase just to show off his system on YouTube.
Pearl Microphone Labs DS70
SURROUND MICROPHONE With two rectangular capsules and separate outputs for all four diaphragms, the DS 70 is arguably the most potent stereo microphone on the market. The Pearl DS 70 is a 4-channel, multi-pattern stereo and surround microphone.
www.proaudiodesign.com
Moiz audio state on their videos that they use a Pearl DS70 microphone (3750$) and a Zoom F8NPro recorder (1000$). This is a big step above phones and 100$ microphones, and not something Jo Schmo is likeky to purchase just to show off his system on YouTube.
Pearl Microphone Labs DS70
SURROUND MICROPHONE With two rectangular capsules and separate outputs for all four diaphragms, the DS 70 is arguably the most potent stereo microphone on the market. The Pearl DS 70 is a 4-channel, multi-pattern stereo and surround microphone.
it makes sense to highlight equipment sound because of recording equipment rather than playback equipment for manufacture and/or dealer. Does not help audiophile sharing and learning
Can you please use technical terms or math, or point us to reference material, that show that compressing audio to 256 kbps AAC can be used as an audio quality enhancer.
I have often used these simple phone system videos as tools to listen for what the equipment is doing. They help with things like speaker placement and room treatment. Also cartridge set up. I listen for overall balance and emphasis and energy projection. One can also listen for nuance and dynamics. You just know that some videos pop and sound natural and others sound flat and dull. It’s not about reproducing the sound of the system in the room but that’s an easy thing for the critics to try to claim and critique. I had to learn what to listen for over time and with practice. Videos are a convenience for when you can’t be there in person. They are not a substitute for the in room experience.
THat's a funny thing about the YT compression...it simply sounds better than other compression schemes from the likes of Vimeo etc. Don't ask me why but it is a clearly better sounding. Will you lose something? perhaps and perhaps that soemthign is unpleasant but I think that is the exception rather than the rule.
THey are better recordings that allow you to hear more of what the system is doing. It should be pretty self-evident and it is to most...just not you, who wants to normalize to the lowest common denominator. Yes, you can hear a lot with an iphone but it doen't give that accurate of a portrayal of what it actually sounded like in the room. Moiz recordings give you a very good impression of what it was like to be there...I know as I was in the room for some of his recordings.
Sweet microphone.Moiz audio state on their videos that they use a Pearl DS70 microphone (3750$) and a Zoom F8NPro recorder (1000$). This is a big step above phones and 100$ microphones, and not something Jo Schmo is likeky to purchase just to show off his system on YouTube.
Pearl Microphone Labs DS70
SURROUND MICROPHONE With two rectangular capsules and separate outputs for all four diaphragms, the DS 70 is arguably the most potent stereo microphone on the market. The Pearl DS 70 is a 4-channel, multi-pattern stereo and surround microphone.
You are right but when Moiz goes around and records lots of rooms then you can hear that not all of them sound so great and you get to hear pretty close to what it sounded like being there.Moiz audio state on their videos that they use a Pearl DS70 microphone (3750$) and a Zoom F8NPro recorder (1000$). This is a big step above phones and 100$ microphones, and not something Jo Schmo is likeky to purchase just to show off his system on YouTube.
Pearl Microphone Labs DS70
SURROUND MICROPHONE With two rectangular capsules and separate outputs for all four diaphragms, the DS 70 is arguably the most potent stereo microphone on the market. The Pearl DS 70 is a 4-channel, multi-pattern stereo and surround microphone.
I have discussed system videos offline with Tang, ddk and a few others for quite a while now. They are extremely adept at understanding the system and room through these iPhone videos. It is uncanny how these two guys get right to the essence of what a system is doing right or wrong through these videos. These types of descriptions are generally different from what is discussed in these threads. The focus is on what to listen for and the value is clear to them and I have learned a lot from discussing the videos with these two guys.
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Of course you can train your brain to hear through lots of stuff to extract differences between gear in recordings. But it sure is a lot easier to hear the differences when the recording is good.
I rarely listen to extract differences between gear in (and?) recordings. I listen to a system video in isolation to judge how natural it sounds compared to the real thing. Different purpose and different values.
I think I understand what Bonzo is talking about with the more professional videos not allowing you to tell what the equipment is doing, but I would appreciate it if he could elaborate.
you are right that YT makes things slightly more palatable than the recording is before uploading, or what you get on WhatsApp, but that shouldn’t in any way change an assessment of the overall sound.
Here is a recording of a more challenging track (first 2 minutes):
The WAV track of the recording: https://storage.googleapis.com/cloudplayer/samples/Beethoven.wav
My cat is meowing and trying to open a door in the background at the very beginning of the recording, and I did not have time for another take... interestingly, when i listen back to the recording with headphones from the same seating position, the location of the cat and door is very precise and i am practically fooled into thinking that my cat is asking for food again. But Beethoven is a little more subtle than a banging door...
Recording is of streaming of this track on Qobuz: https://open.qobuz.com/track/104023727
The recording volume is lower than when playing the track on Qobuz.
The difference between the YouTube version and the wav version is much less significant than the difference between the recording and playback from Qobuz.
The recording sounds ok, but listening to the track on Qobuz you can see that the music is "simplified" in the recording, it is less impactful. Listening on Qobuz you also get deeper bass (provided your headphones are up to the task).
Is the recording in and of itself enjoyeable ? I think so, but you tell me.
What is due to the recording, and what is due to the system? Which part of the system ? Only I can tell you that! I wonder how even seasoned YouTubers can come to any conclusions. Excesses can be identified fairly easily (ex: strong coloration), but the subtleties are lost.
How would the recording sound with a 3000$ microphone ? No idea. Hopefully better.
How would it sound with the build-in microphones of a phone ? Worse.
Does the recording sound like my system? Yes, and no. It is impossible to answer that question.
The bass may be rolled off a little on the recording, but the system itself is also limited in that department (due to the limitations of the speaker drivers, and room modes). The impact of the notes is of course better when listening to the system live, and there is more detail than on the recording. But i know there are areas where the system can be improved - isn't that true of every system ? What matters is limiting the flaws that would make the system unenjoyeable to listen to, and improving things to make it even more enjoyeable...
What do I learn from the recording? Even with all its limitations, it crystallizes things, and helps me confirm some "analytical" listening impressions. There is always room for improvement. That does not stop me from enjoying my system (and my music collection) tremendously. I often have to force myself to stop listening at the risk of blowing off everything else.
Would I learn something by listening to the same track recorded on someone else's system (with similar recording equipment) ? I have no idea, and I am not so sure that is really the point. I can listen to other systems live at shows, dealers, people's homes, and get a better idea of how they really sound than on a YouTube video. Having listened to a lot of systems live, I have a good idea as to what types of sound one can expect from various speakers/equipment. A YouTube video may simply get me curious, especially if it relates to a new "technology" or new designs that I have not yet heard live. It seems to me that the only thing we can expect from a YouTube video is whether the sound is "credible" - you can't expect too much from a recording.
What can others take out of this ? I have no idea. It may give a few people the curiosity to seek out further information and learn about alternative equipment and designs.
I’ll be recording the same track in a few weeks, after some further improvements are made, but that is a different topic
The WAV track of the recording: https://storage.googleapis.com/cloudplayer/samples/Beethoven.wav
My cat is meowing and trying to open a door in the background at the very beginning of the recording, and I did not have time for another take... interestingly, when i listen back to the recording with headphones from the same seating position, the location of the cat and door is very precise and i am practically fooled into thinking that my cat is asking for food again. But Beethoven is a little more subtle than a banging door...
Recording is of streaming of this track on Qobuz: https://open.qobuz.com/track/104023727
The recording volume is lower than when playing the track on Qobuz.
The difference between the YouTube version and the wav version is much less significant than the difference between the recording and playback from Qobuz.
The recording sounds ok, but listening to the track on Qobuz you can see that the music is "simplified" in the recording, it is less impactful. Listening on Qobuz you also get deeper bass (provided your headphones are up to the task).
Is the recording in and of itself enjoyeable ? I think so, but you tell me.
What is due to the recording, and what is due to the system? Which part of the system ? Only I can tell you that! I wonder how even seasoned YouTubers can come to any conclusions. Excesses can be identified fairly easily (ex: strong coloration), but the subtleties are lost.
How would the recording sound with a 3000$ microphone ? No idea. Hopefully better.
How would it sound with the build-in microphones of a phone ? Worse.
Does the recording sound like my system? Yes, and no. It is impossible to answer that question.
The bass may be rolled off a little on the recording, but the system itself is also limited in that department (due to the limitations of the speaker drivers, and room modes). The impact of the notes is of course better when listening to the system live, and there is more detail than on the recording. But i know there are areas where the system can be improved - isn't that true of every system ? What matters is limiting the flaws that would make the system unenjoyeable to listen to, and improving things to make it even more enjoyeable...
What do I learn from the recording? Even with all its limitations, it crystallizes things, and helps me confirm some "analytical" listening impressions. There is always room for improvement. That does not stop me from enjoying my system (and my music collection) tremendously. I often have to force myself to stop listening at the risk of blowing off everything else.
Would I learn something by listening to the same track recorded on someone else's system (with similar recording equipment) ? I have no idea, and I am not so sure that is really the point. I can listen to other systems live at shows, dealers, people's homes, and get a better idea of how they really sound than on a YouTube video. Having listened to a lot of systems live, I have a good idea as to what types of sound one can expect from various speakers/equipment. A YouTube video may simply get me curious, especially if it relates to a new "technology" or new designs that I have not yet heard live. It seems to me that the only thing we can expect from a YouTube video is whether the sound is "credible" - you can't expect too much from a recording.
What can others take out of this ? I have no idea. It may give a few people the curiosity to seek out further information and learn about alternative equipment and designs.
I’ll be recording the same track in a few weeks, after some further improvements are made, but that is a different topic
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