George Reisch

Sonic Qualia & "Scientific" Testing
Think Pieces
George Reisch  |  Jun 06, 2006  |  First Published: Nov 06, 1999
Mary is a scientist living in a distant galaxy. She and her fellow humanoids are just like us, but their knowledge is highly advanced. It's so advanced, they've solved the most daunting problem in science—understanding the brain and mind. They know everything scientifically possible to know about the brain's neurons, its architecture, and how consciousness, ideas, feelings, and memories occur. Perception and sensation are understood, too. Mary knows exactly how light and sound waves become colorful visions and beautiful melodies. On her planet, aspiring neurobiologists are out of luck. There's nothing more to aspire to.
Continue Reading >
The Greatest Pop Album? The Flaming Lips: The Soft Bulletin
Music and Recording FeaturesThink Pieces
George Reisch  |  May 07, 2006  |  First Published: Jan 07, 2000
Two scientists are racing for the good of all mankind—both of them working side by side, so determined, locked in heated battle for the cure that is the prize. It's so dangerous, but they're driven—theirs is to win, if it kills them. They're just human, with wives and children.
Continue Reading >
Audiophilia Nervosa
Think Pieces
George Reisch  |  Apr 09, 2006  |  First Published: Mar 09, 2000
I was lying on the therapeutic couch.
Continue Reading >
Digital Idealism vs Analog Realism
Think Pieces
George Reisch  |  Nov 06, 2005  |  First Published: May 06, 1999
"Digital is superior," proclaims Mr. Alberto Arebalos in February's "Letters." I'm glad that's settled. Still, I'm typing this ten feet from a wall lined with LPs, Don Patterson's Satisfaction! is spinning on the old Systemdek turntable, and my usually cold, drafty Chicago apartment seems like a summer night at the Green Mill Jazz Club. But I agree: digital is superior. What's wrong with me?
Continue Reading >
Home Theater vs Two-Channel Purism
Think Pieces
George Reisch  |  Aug 28, 2005  |  First Published: Nov 01, 1998
For all its excesses, high-quality audio is filled with purists. Some are committed to single-ended amplifiers, some to all-analog circuitry, to crossoverless speakers, or to recordings made with only two microphones. Purists seek simplicity in their quest for good sound. But how simple is it to scrub contacts, adjust tonearms, or meticulously clean discs before nearly every listening session? Maybe committed purists should just be committed.
Continue Reading >
The Public Wants What the Public Gets
Think Pieces
George Reisch  |  Aug 07, 2005  |  First Published: May 07, 1998
John Atkinson, you were right the first time ("Letters," Stereophile, December 1997, p.17, footnote 1): Jeremy Bentham is, indeed, the famous English philosopher and legal theorist whose mummified remains are preserved at the University of London. Sitting in a large glass display case, Bentham has been holding court since his death in 1832. As you noted, Bentham looks deceptively like a waxwork. But this is because his head, in fact, is made of wax. The original, rumor has it, suffered through one very macabre rugby game played long ago by mischievous students.
Continue Reading >
Turntables Wanted
Think Pieces
George Reisch  |  Jul 10, 2005  |  First Published: Sep 10, 1998
"Wanted: Linn Axis turntable or similar, 555-1234."
Continue Reading >
The Darwinian Audiophile
Think Pieces
George Reisch  |  Apr 03, 2005  |  First Published: Mar 03, 1998
Mojo Nixon sings, "Elvis is everywhere." My version is "Darwin is everywhere." Last Thanksgiving, as my extended family was gathered around the dinner table, my 11-year-old nephew abruptly reminded us that Darwin was there, too. Out of the blue, he broadcast the $64,000 question:
Continue Reading >
Audio Legends
Think Pieces
George Reisch  |  Jan 04, 2005  |  First Published: Nov 05, 1997
Everyone knows the story: Isaac Newton got hit on the head by an apple and suddenly discovered the physics of gravitation. Like the one about Archimedes discovering the basics of hydrostatics while taking a bath, this story turns up everywhere. Even Michael Stipe, in R.E.M.'s "Man in the Moon," sings "Newton got beaned by the apple good."
Continue Reading >
Vinyl & the Endless Ping-pong Match
Think Pieces
George Reisch  |  Nov 05, 2004  |  First Published: Sep 01, 1997
Here in Chicago the other day, I was on my way to an appliance store, so audio was the last thing on my mind. But, as if by some miraculous intervention (or just stupidity), I parked and went in the wrong store: "Why does this appliance store have bins and bins of CDs in it?" Realizing my mistake, I found the stoves and ranges I was looking for next door—but not before noticing bins and bins of used LPs behind all those CDs.
Continue Reading >

Pages

X