I don’t know if we realize just how often music is part of what we do everyday, generally, completely out of our control. We are bombarded by every style of music as we wander through our daily schedules, whether it’s at work, in lunchrooms, stores, elevators, not to mention on the phone where, if you’re like me, you spend half your day on hold, being tranquilized by the supposed calming choices of music programmers. Restaurants attempt to add to your experience by filling the background with various stylings for the motif they’re attempting to create. Our cars now have some of the best sound systems that come as standard equipment to help us enjoy our travels. These powerful units now miniaturized have wonderful options that many people don’t ever attempt to try. Many years ago I traveled with a colleague to a meeting in her 2 year old VW car. The radio was on when I got in but sounded incredibly tinny, considering it was a Bauplunkt, at the time one of the most advanced providers of quality auto audio that came standard in VW’s. I asked her about it and she said that’s the way it had always been. I asked if I could attempt to adjust it and within pushing and turning a couple of small knobs, the whole inside of the car was suddenly transformed, filled by this deep full sound from multiple speakers, rather than the single one previously working. She was so thankful and from then on would tell me about great music she’d heard upon arrival at subsequent meetings. My brother Drew is a music nut like me but with more money than I to throw at his indulgences. His stereo at home is older now but substantial. One of his co-workers had been raving about the new mega dollar system he had at home and kept inviting Drew over to experience it’s capabilities. Drew apparently picked several cd’s from home that had unique sound experiences in them to try on his friends system and headed over. While on the way in his recently purchased, newer Volvo he put one of the cd’s on and was blown away with how much more detail he was hearing from the car stereo than his home system. There was a whole sub-bottom end that had been previously absent. Upon arriving at his audiophile friend’s home, Drew luckily didn’t mention this new finding thankfully because, upon playing the same tune on this very exclusive, expensive system, it too missed what he heard in his car’s sound system. Case in point that it’s not always the money spent that insures improved sound experiences. Movies can now make tons of money off soundtracks so it’s to their advantage to present to any audience the best in sound. Seeing a movie at one of the newer theatres a few years ago was always dramatically improved by the great sound heard, the subtle sounds lower that rattle your insides, being surrounded by sound to improve your experience. Cirque de Soleil in Las Vegas has raised the bar yet again. Each of the 2500 seats has a pair of speakers embedded in the headrest and three more facing you from the back of the seat in front. You are cocooned in your own bubble of perfect fidelity surround-sound. This technology is now becoming affordable for our home systems to improve viewing movies with surround sound in your home. Quality sound makes huge differences in live concerts too. Sting played Bluesfest in 2000 and they used the system he toured with that night. Nowhere was it too loud and throughout the LeBreton Flats, the clarity was unbelievable. The next night they were back to their usual sound system that limped by comparison. It’s good to see the past couple of years at Bluesfest in Ottawa have seen very improved sound. This isn’t only evident in large concerts. The subtle sound improvement added by my son Adam’s skills and gear, even in our 40 seat house concerts enables hearing all the lyrics clearly yet hearing the finesse picking from the background players, only improving the entertainment experience. Good use of improved technology allows us all to enjoy so I’ll see you around, doing just that.
Upcoming is Valdy at: Westport, ON, Sun., June 3, United Church - this is a Great sounding room!! The event is part of a series of fundraisers for the park on Foley Mountain, which overlooks the highest point of the Rideau Canal system between Ottawa and Kingston. (613) 273-7781 Also check out the great line-up for Elphin Roots Fest, organized by Jenny Whiteley, Saturday June 30th. featuring Luther Wright and the Wrongs, Joey Wright, Dan Whiteley, Melwood Cutlery, and many more with some surprise guests. Tickets at Shadowfax.
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