About
Free floating ideas and complaints.
I started this website because, in addition to a strong interest in music and audio technology, I was disappointed by what I saw in the media. I don't just mean esoteric voodoo bogus claims, but all the nonsense, including what we occasionally get from academic papers or engineering sources. Besides, I had some ideas (I don't see anyone else making what I have in mind so I have to do it... myself.)
I like to walk new paths, discover new methods, but also having both feet on the ground. I have an engineering degree and informal musical background, but we know there are some things money can't buy...
Thank to the internet (forums, blogs, YouTube) it's getting harder and harder to find a structured, coherent view about a topic. The game is rigged, as it looks like a vicious circle of attention stealing, following of authorities and generated repetitive content (million times repeated claims and lies, though sometimes you can't skip repeating yourself, I understand that).
There is another vicious circle: science requires certain skills that must be learned "somehow". There are too many ways in which human thinking can go wrong, and very few roads lead to the truth. Understanding what constitutes a real argument (the ability to recognize flawed arguments, understanding the difference between weak arguments and strong conclusive arguments) is a key point in science. Or how to solve complex problems by breaking down to simple steps. Or how to identify different types of problems and find the right tool (Does the issue require a new test, measurement, mathematical deduction or reinterpretation of the problem? Or source of the problem is an incorrect definition, too much simplification, bad questioning...?).
As I see it, there is still too much confusion surrounding ABX testing. And the problem is that a lot of nonsense comes not just from layman but from experts (looks like a mutually reinforcing process). I'm not opposed to blind tests, but I'm opposed to the idea that sighted tests are the source of all problems and blind tests are the way out of any kind of craziness. Moreover, searching for the truth with double blind tests and/or statistical methods is a hopeless endeavour. Statistical methods are a poor substitute for logic, reason and experimental methods. I believe that any problem must be understood in such depth that ABX testing (the "weakest link") can be omitted. Also, the way the data is organized is more important than any data analysis framework.
Fun with YouTube
This tricky YouTube playlist is my brainchild, though more sophisticated versions also exist. Almost 400 songs at one place, composed by real musicians and played on real instruments. Rock, acoustic smooth jazz, Bo Burnham go well together in this playlist.
Click on the image to load the playlist
The logic behind the player is very simple: recommended videos are randomly picked until a video is selected, then the algorithm switches to searching for related videos for the next few clicks.
Csaba Horváth
Only music
Latest articles:
Sound reproduction, audio measurements & fidelity: the 10 basic rules
Lossy audio compression: principles, methods, misconceptions 🔊 🎧
Speaker Driver Simulation With Room Response (online simulator)
