In the last weeks before Christmas I have been listening to the previews of Hymn of the Month and the Regent Classic Tutorial videos. To speed up the process of review the files are sometimes ‘compressed’ by the various delivery systems in differing ways and I have been conscious for the first time of how this data reduction can degrade the quality of the reproduction I am listening to.
I have as well recently upgraded the speaker system attached to my PC and use an active set of speakers made by Logitech. They cost about £35.00 but really do deliver a good quality sound.
As we strive for and achieve, especially with ‘Physis’-based organs, an ever improving digital recreation of a pipe organ this experience spurred me on to ensure that as far as possible we lose very little of the original recorded quality in what ends up at your end of the internet connection.
As a result we have moved a lot of our previously published material to Vimeo where as I understand it the bit rates are allowed to be considerably higher than on YouTube. All future internet published video material will now be delivered on Vimeo.
If there is, as no doubt there will be, a better way of ensuring that these reach you with as little data reduction as possible before you listen to them then we will work out how to do that as well.
Being able to hear this does partly depend on what speakers or headphones you finally listen with. Take my tip and spoil yourself with a good set of speakers or headphones to add to your PC! You’ll then be able to hear our organs in all their glory.
If you’d like to watch our first edition of our hymn of the month for 2017 on Vimeo, click here to read the blog and watch the video.
Do tell us what you think!
I have had a passion for church organs since the tender age of 12. I own and run Viscount Organs with a close attention to the detail that musicians appreciate; and a clear understanding of the benefits of digital technology and keeping to the traditional and emotional elements of organ playing.
