The (un)Race to Compression and its effect on music

Music recording and reproduction technologies have come light years beyond where they were 100, 20, even 5 years ago.

But there is an underlying issue that is growing... The pervasiveness of "make the music louder through overall compression."

Music wave forms should look something like an earthquake measured on a seismograph. Different heights and valleys; different frequencies and different volumes...

But, as popular music is evolving, too much compression is now used in a great many recordings. The waveform of the sound of over-compressed sound looks like a Slinky(tm). There is a uniform peak height and almost a completely uniform set of rings. In real life, good sound has peaks, valleys, highs, lows, louds, softs, and nuance. In over-compressed sound, huge amounts of sound are clipped off above and below the soundwave to make the recording louder.

Be a part of the next evolution: make your recordings have depth and beautiful irregular soundwaves. Don't give in to the loudness and compression race - even if it means your music is quieter than the piece played before and after your music.

It's worth it to preserve ALL the sound you have.

We MUST trust the listener to know how to use their own volume knobs.

Still here!

I've not been actively writing lately... I'm still here. Stay tuned!

Building guitars again

I'm building (well, really re-building) guitars again. It feels good to smell the solder and hear something come to life with new sound. I learned how to do a nitrocellulose cherry-amber burst on a rescued Gibson Gothic Explorer... Sounds great. Looks OK... maybe not awesome, but looks OK.

I used some really great Burstbucker Pro (V AlNiCo) matched pair and real Gibson pots, switch, and jack to make things sound pretty darn awesome. I preserved the Gibson photo on the back of the headstock and the original black headstock face with the white-outlined Gibson logo.

I think it plays far better than my 1992 Explorer, and the sound is great, too!

More soon.

Let's talk about indie music again!

I'm back.

Jim Pearson

Still here!

I'm still here. Just busy.

I truly love music and the way it winds through our daily lives.

Kennon's band InterTwineD is doing nicely. On the springboard to greatness!

http://www.myspace.com/i-twined

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Vivid Peace and the Advent Of Art

Vivid Peace is growing to include many creative efforts - beyond music into many arts.

Stay tuned: The light is brighter.

Progressive music and the death of tradition

Catchy title, yes?

Actually, this short post is in contrast to the title.

Progressive music is not dead at all. It has just progressed. With sounds like Pink Floyd, Yes, (arguably) The Moody Blues, and so many other musical wonders of the world - it seems logical and even desirable for today's artists to continue the tradition: learn, experiment, make sounds and share them with the world.

Bend the boundaries of what Rock or Progressive or Pop is. Put some blues in your electronic sounds. Put some blues in your pop. Put some pop in your rock (not PopRocks, mind you!)

Listen...

Learn...

Blend...

Defy the edges...

Vivid Peace - A new Journey - and 2012 - Maya The Single

Things have been busy. I have a pair of new albums coming out, the second and third of The Blue Sun Project. The muses this time are Clio and Thalia. Clio will be out this fall, with Thalia coming out in the winter time.

And now: TADA! the new "band" name: Vivid Peace.

I'm leaving my Jimmy Bear Pearson persona behind and starting a new phase to my musical musings.

I've released a single from Clio through TuneCore: 2012 - Maya. This tune is my musical expression of following the Mayan calendar in a rhythmic and hypnotic roundabout, culminating in a gentle fade to the end.

Will 2012 be the end? I don't know. I'll tell you on the 22nd.

Please listen through iTunes, Rhapsody, eMusic and more.