Alex Ross, writing for the New Yorker about John and Helen Meyer and their Constellation sound system:
There is something philosophically disquieting about the Meyers’ work, as there is in any digital makeover of reality. Both at Oliveto and at SoundBox, the Constellation process never seemed obviously fake or too good to be true, and yet I had a sense of being ensconced in an audio cocoon. In the concert setting, I missed the thrum of floorboards under my feet—the full physical tingle of reverberation. Traditionalists will insist that there is no substitute for a first-class hall, and they will be right. They should bear in mind, though, that technology has been retouching the sound image for centuries; instrument design, concert-hall architecture, and listening habits inculcated by listening to recordings have all shaped what we hear and how we hear it.
via The Photoshop of Sound – The New Yorker.
I’ve had some experience with sound equipment, both in live amplification and recording settings, and this seems like science fiction to me. The first part of the story details how it can be used to modify the acoustics of a restaurant, to the point where the next table over sounds distant enough to – not only – not be a distraction but also maintain a lively atmosphere. Apparently, these are also appearing in concert halls around the world.
I’d say that I’d love to hear one, but it’s possible that I already have and not realized it.
