WELCOME


April 2014 Issue 281


MEET THE TEAM


Editor – Jory MacKay jory.mackay@intentmedia.co.uk


Deputy Editor – Jake Young jake.young@intentmedia.co.uk


Managing Editor – Jo Ruddock jo.ruddock@intentmedia.co.uk


Sales Manager – Graham Kirk graham@gkirkmedia.com


Group Head of Design & Production – Adam Butler adam.butler@intentmedia.co.uk


Production Executive – Jason Dowie jason.dowie@intentmedia.co.uk


Designer – Jat Garcha jat.garcha@intentmedia.co.uk


Publisher – Steve Connolly steve.connolly@intentmedia.co.uk


Managing Director – Mark Burton mark.burton@intentmedia.co.uk


Press releases to: pressreleases@intentmedia.co.uk


© Intent Media 2014. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners.


Audio Media is published by Intent Media London, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London N1 8LN, England. Editorial tel +44 (0)20 7354 6002 Sales tel +44 (0)20 7354 6000


Audio Media ISSN number: ISSN 0960-7471 (Print)


Circulation & Subscription enquiries Tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6001 email: audiomedia.subscriptions@c-cms.com


Printed by Stephen & George, Wales


I HAD an argument recently with a friend of mine over the quality and merits of a certain film. While I commented on the plot and characterisation, his responses were either “Well [insert review aggregator site name] only gave it 56%”, or “[insert semi-famous film critic] said that the ending wasn’t believable”. These types of arguments seem to be happening more and more where our own criticisms become just a mere regurgitation of someone else’s thoughts, or worse, facts and figures from review aggregator sites. It seems to boil down to two fundamental issues. Firstly, a lack of confidence in our own opinions, and secondly, forgetting about the importance of the subjective experience. While


the first point is better suited to the realm of psychiatry (and I promise you, I’m no psychiatrist), this second point is one that rears its ugly head over and over in the world of sound. Whenever a new piece of kit is released we argue and


“As a magazine, we regularly have to walk that fine line between being strictly factual and being opinionated and subjective.”


fight online and in person, looking at facts and charts and sound bites from [insert famous producer] who only uses it in his/her studio instead of relying on our ears and deciding subjectively whether or not we personally like it. Just the other day I had the chance to sit down with Steven Slate, founder of Slate Digital and Slate Pro Audio, among other companies. His products continually put pressure on the status quo of the recording gear community and I asked him about the negative responses he receives after every product launch. He admitted that they don’t bother him as his main goal is to create tools that foster creativity while adding to the democratisation of the recording industry by bringing those tools to people at all levels. For Steven, it seems that the worth of the kit comes down to each individual’s subjective experience and what they are able to create with it – “If they can make better music with it, I’m happy”.


As a magazine, we regularly have to walk that fine line between being strictly factual and being opinionated and subjective. There’s a responsibility to not only report accurately on the facts and figures, but also to show how gear is being used in real life, because in the end that’s when these things truly shine. With the massive amounts of releases each month it’s sometimes hard to remember that every product has been made to address a certain issue we might face on a daily basis, not just to add to the coffers of manufacturers. While we are here as a resource and a knowledge base, it still has to be about your own subjective experience. So get out there and get your hands on some kit.


Jory MacKay, Editor


www.audiomedia.com


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