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Am I Becoming An Audiophile - Part 1

Daddy Bone

Daddy Bone

Well-Known Member
About a month ago, I had a touch of insomnia. So I decided to play a record, listening through the headphones. I selected a recent purchase, heard it only once before. It's E. Power Biggs playing Bach on the pedal harpsichord (Columbia Masterworks M25764). As I'm settling down and getting into the music, I hear something very strange. It was kind of a "thunk" sound, like the washing machine makes when it turns on the pump to drain out the spent suds. I thought, "What was that?" I checked the washing machine. It's off. I listened very carefully. Maybe a neighbor was up late. I hear nothing.

Back to my headphones. Then I heard it again. Did it come from my headphones? What was it? I kept listening. It took me a while to figure it out. It was the harpsichord! The pedal harpsichord has pedals, like an organ. Some of the pedals play bass notes. But some of them change the sound of the instrument. I was hearing the inside mechanism of the pedal harpsichord when E. Power Biggs is stomping on those pedals. As I listened closer, I could even hear some other squeaking sounds, when he starts playing faster. Maybe a little WD40 would help. I was impressed my old headphones (Grado SR60) were able to pick up these subtle mechanical sounds.

The next day I put on another E. Power Biggs record. One I've had for year. He's playing Scott Joplin tunes on... you guessed it, a pedal harpsichord (Columbia Masterworks M32495). This time I'm listening through the speakers and I can hear that same squeaking sound of moving parts in the instrument. Wow! I've heard this record many times, but never noticed the squeaking sound before. I didn't notice the "thunk" sound on this record. Maybe if I listen to it with the headphones.

I suppose the recording engineer does everything he can to quiet those mechanical sounds. I'm thinking of a classical guitar player, who slides his hand up the neck quickly and the strings make a squeaking sound. The listener might hear it at first, but after a while becomes desensitized. Is this what it means to become an audiophile? Did I just revive some old silver faced stereo gear from the 70's so I can hear the imperfections of performance that some recording engineer was not able to masque with clever studio techniques?
 
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Listen to an Errol Garner album sometime :)

Those noises are part of the performance, as they're made by the instrument.
Listen to even a good guitarist -- you'll hear his (or her) fingers on the strings.

The "problem" you're having is close-miking (nowadays, sometimes ultra-close). It's not what you'd hear from the center of the house in a concert, that's true.
Try some other recordings/performances if it distracts you.
 
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Sometimes I believe it is the state of mind that you're in. If you're relaxed and ready to listen, you'll notice things like this.

Got a lot on your mind and not concentrating on the music more for background noise, these things are missed.
 
Personally, I like this kind of stuff, it doesn't bother me at all. I refer to these as happy accidents. When it gets me out of my chair and turning the volume up and down, I call that a bonus!
Mhardy6647 is right, those background noises are part of the performance. It helps to build an image in my mind while listening.
I recently bought Suzanne Ciani's "Buchla 200 Concerts" LP recorded in 1975 at Phil Niblock's loft, you can hear cars and buses driving by the building during the performance which actually adds dimension to this mono recording.
So from one audiophile to another, enjoy those happy accidents! It's what makes it music.
 
mhardy6647 said:
Listen to an Errol Garner album sometime :)

Those noises are part of the performance, as they're made by the instrument.
Listen to even a good guitarist -- you'll hear his (or her) fingers on the strings.

The "problem" you're having is close-miking (nowadays, sometimes ultra-close). It's not what you'd hear from the center of the house in a concert, that's true.
Try some other recordings/performances if it distracts you.
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It's also a hallmark of great studio condenser mics. Not being dynamic mics they hear much like your ears do.Sounds like a great recording to me, without even hearing it. ;-)
 
FOH Engineer said:
It's also a hallmark of great studio condenser mics. Not being dynamic mics they hear much like your ears do.Sounds like a great recording to me, without even hearing it. ;-)
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In my limited experience, anything by E Power Biggs is a great recording. He is definitely a name to look out for when looking for organ works.
 
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FOH Engineer said:
I will seek out his work tomorow...sounds like a similar cat to Roger Kellaway
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This one is worth seeking out. I believe it's from around 1975. According to the sleeve notes, the Freiburg Cathedral is unique in that all four of its organs can be played at simultaneously from what must be a monster 10 manual console. There is a quadrophonic version of this LP which puts each organ in its own corner, although mine is stereo.
 
KevinJS said:
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This one is worth seeking out. I believe it's from around 1975. According to the sleeve notes, the Freiburg Cathedral is unique in that all four of its organs can be played at simultaneously from what must be a monster 10 manual console. There is a quadrophonic version of this LP which puts each organ in its own corner, although mine is stereo.
Click to expand...
Wow in quad!!!
 
The best example of these items discussed that I have is a solo all acoustic album by Stephen Stills called Stills Alone containing Tree Top Flyer among others..The isolation and clarity in the recordings is fabulous...it sounds to me like piezo guitar pickups combined with condenser mics...and he plays guitar solos , solo, allowing the guitar to really breath in the recording...this one's hard to find but worth it...
 
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FWIW -- to hear some other examples of very empathetically :) recorded acoustic guitar (where the resonances and decay are really nicely rendered), give a listen to Bruce Cockburn's album Christmas -- a quick and cogent example is the closing track: a quick take of Handel's melody Joy to the World.
This doesn't quite do it justice, but it's good enough (if memory serves) to illustrate how beautifully recorded this album is. Seek out the recording in full resolution.


The fact that Cockburn's an excellent guitarist doesn't hurt, either :)

here's another good'n:

 
Just wanted to say my dad was an E Power Biggs fan and loved to show off his stereo with some Biggs organ music. I remember him talking about that church with the 4 organs. Not many guys can play something like that and do it well.

+1 for Bruce Cockburn too. I was thinking of some of his guitar neck squeakies while reading the thread.
 
Yah....

I'm up late due to anxiety caused insomnia and have noticed the same thing; it's funny how background noise from multiple sources is more apparent late at night. Some vocalists just have to bump the mic or slide their feet.
 
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