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"Audiophile" quality hardware in the music industry.

A

Alan

Knob Twiddler
It's been a few years since I "cured" my audiophilia.. mainly due to the fact that I was getting more and more involved in the recording process and not just the listening.

Over that time it has become painfully obvious that while the audiophile would go to the Nth degree to eek out the best sound from their equipment.. most musicians could barely give a toss.

And those that could, seem to be severely limited by the amount of audiophile grade hardware available. Yes, there is an abundance of "high-end" gear available to the musician but when looked at in more detail.. most of it really does suck on how it's all put together.

The prime case in point here is the digital hardware used for multi-track recording. Even the likes of DAD, Apogee, SSL, Prism etc seem to be mere toys when compared to the gear we are used to. (I won't even mention just how crap the "industry standard" Protools hardware is.. oh.. I just did.)

So really, the question is.. When are the major audiophile companies going to realise there is a massive market just ripe for the taking?

I remember talking to Paul Stephenson of Naim when the new "classic" series was being released and I asked him why they bothered when the "olive" series was already so good. His answer was that it was either design new products or put 30 R&D staff out of work.. which I fully appreciate was the right move to keep the company going and evolving.

So, 7 years later and looking at what the likes of Naim and Linn have been up to.. Surely they must now be in the same situation again. Where can they possibly go from here?

As it happens, I don't live that far from Salisbury now.. Perhaps I should apply for a job. ;-)
 
Judgemental of me, I know, but I think someone who can spell Stephenson and audiophile should be able to spell eke. Know what I'm saying?
 
as an FYI, Protools 9 no longer requires dedicated hardware...
announced 4th Nov.
 
fox said:
as an FYI, Protools 9 no longer requires dedicated hardware...
announced 4th Nov.
Click to expand...

So I have read and it's no real surprise. I suspect they realised that the lack of core-audio / ASIO compatibility was losing them customers, especially at the lower end of the market. Whether it is enough to persuade people to ditch Logic or Cubase remains to be seen and at just under £500 it is still the most expensive out of the three.
 
Perhaps playback is simply harder to crack and pro gear isn't really as inferior as you might imagine for the purpose they are put to. Just consider how difficult and expensive it is to get a full-range speaker right (in all rooms, too) vs. a mic. I suppose the response of a mic can be corrected for any shortcomings with appropriate use of DSP whereas with a speaker one has to account for a whole range of factors that are very difficult if not impossible to control for.

A competent recording engineer can tell what the recorded signal will be like on a monitoring system he/she is familiar with, compensating for the deficiencies. As long as the recording chain is sorted, there is probably very little that better playback equipment means to an engineer.
 
Alan said:
The prime case in point here is the digital hardware used for multi-track recording. Even the likes of DAD, Apogee, SSL, Prism etc seem to be mere toys when compared to the gear we are used to.
Click to expand...

In what respect, exactly? The things that matter or the designer clothes and make-up?

I won't even mention just how crap the "industry standard" Protools hardware is..
Click to expand...

Actually the real drama is the software, although it has improved lately.
 
Alan said:
So really, the question is.. When are the major audiophile companies going to realise there is a massive market just ripe for the taking?
Click to expand...

You might be right, 2011 is going to be an interesting year for music systems.
 
My experience of pro-audio gear has usually been such as to bring home to me what overpriced outmoded tat a lot of so-called 'audiophile' equipment really is. The price of weird and wonderful hi-fi gear would be funny if it wasn't true.
 
pros use their ears to make judgements and arent taken by audiophile bullshit. Have you heard apogee or prism? or some pro active monitors? they are fantastic by and large.
 
I'm guessing Alan has. Has the Audio room sunk this low? Alan makes a proper post after years away and is greeted by assorted drivel.
 
To most of the user base, Alan is a newbie. It's only some dinosaurs who remember his earlier contributions to this and other forums.

It also seems to me that some people would best keep out of the audio room as they seem more interested in petty point scoring rather than positive contribution. Know what I'm saying, "Clara"?.
 
Markus S said:
To most of the user base, Alan is a newbie. It's only some dinosaurs who remember his earlier contributions to this and other forums.
Click to expand...
Indeed. In which case I'm interested to know more about Alan's experiences, given that many people (me included) have come to the conclusion that pro gear is typically fit for purpose, minus the snazzy box and associated price tag and so have found themselves drifting towards it at the expense of "hifi" brands.
 
IME pro equipment is designed to be highly revealing, whereas domestic HiFi aims for maximum enjoyment.
For my ears the former is far too fatiguing to live with.
 
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