brettworks

“Sound is a complex, immaterial phenomenon. It is not what it seems. […]

“Sound is the impression of a thing (an object) which happens to exist independently from it; it’s free from the presence of the object that is perceived as its cause. Sound is a by-product of almost any action, though it is neither the action itself nor any of its contributory elements. To say the sound of a guitar is a ‘guitar’ is the same as saying a tightly fitted bolt is a ‘spanner’. Sound is an immaterial metonym.” (8)

“Sound barely exists as a phenomenon, unlike material objects which have to be physically negotiated to avoid painful collisions. Sound is a ghost, a mischievous spirit; it will give you away when you wish to remain undetected; it will protect you from danger (when you hear before you see an approaching threat).”

“Everyone’s a (music) critic and everyone’s a sound engineer. This is because almost everyone has a lifelong, unfaltering relationship with the phenomenon, sound.” (24)

“Approach sound engineering phenomenologically. Sound, after all, is a phenomenon. Don’t analyse the effect, experience the phenomenon. And play with the experience. Learn to play the mixing desk as though it is a musical instrument. You are there to paint with the air. To build, to carve air and manipulate waves of it, for an audience; a listening, feeling audience.” (93)

“The engineer controls the various sound levels of each instrument and how they are balanced, just as the conductor instructs the various sections of an orchestra. But, not only does the engineer manipulate the level of an instrument, they also identify specific frequencies within that sound, improving the fabric of the soul of every object in the overall mix. The big picture.” (106)