Well...I don't think that's really the point of what we do with music and audio.
If we all just focused on what the average listener hears or likes to hear...we should just stop all this recording stuff right now.
That's like saying why are people wasting their money on a BMW when a $15k compact gets them from point A to B the same as the BMW...etc.
We can go on and on with many other examples of higher quality/price VS lower, and where a lot of people would opt for the higher quality/price if they could, because it's worthwhile to them...so I don't know why that doesn't apply to audio, and I fail to see the relevance of "no one notices that I used a $59 mic".
IMO, we can't compare what we do and why... with that which the general public hears, sees and understands.
I don't know where other people work from...but I don't look at this as simply trying to reduce everything down to the lowest/cheapest common denominator.
It's like once a month this similar discussion gets churned up in the home rec world...some sort of indirect (or even direct) denial of anything that costs more than a few hundred bucks, as being hyped and unnecessary, or something like that...and it's always coming from the point of low/no budget perspectives, which is a self-serving argument.
Everyone would buy a Neve console...IF...they won the lottery...but because they can only afford a $59 USB mic...then the need for expensive, high-end gear is all just a myth for the most part.
It's also very Darwinian. Most old people and those with poor vision can't see your posts. And that eliminates us from the discussion.
I do not have a lot of money to throw around. I have to do the best I can with my budget. As long as it meets my standards then I am happy to spend less money than trying to 'improve' it by spending more. The dirty little truth is that after not much money all you get is different not better by spending more.
Fortunately I do not care when people put down my stuff as being too cheap. I get results with it. I am happy. They need to fix their own problems not try to feel superior because they spend more money.
All of that out of the way -- This is an awfully good time to be involved in this stuff. There is some seriously decent *and* freakishly cheap gear out there. There are $400 mics that compete with $4000 mics. There are $300 preamps that compete with $3000 preamps. IF you have the listening skills - and a monitoring chain that is accurate and consistent enough to utilize those skills - in a space that's accurate and consistent enough to utilize that monitoring chain - you can do a whole lot with nearly nothing. Or you can spend a bunch of money on kick-ass hand-made boutique gear and do even a little more.
Right...the argument isn't against buying/using inexpensive gear...there's some good stuff out there...and a deal is a deal.
I love when I get something really good for really cheap.
I just find the very often the arguments against buying/using higher-end gear are mostly made by folks who simply can't afford to go that route, so they feel better if they can dismiss any need or value in it.
We dismiss the need for really expensive gear because it adds no special value over moderately priced gear when it comes to sound quality.
You may or may not get some features making it easier to use, or you may or may not get more reliability, but mostly you get some fancy name
plate that you can show off and brag about that adds no value sonically.
Right...OK.
It's all about paying thousands for fancy name plates.
It's that kind of blanket bias that smacks more of trolling for effect...than having any merit based in reality.
It basically implies that all studio pros are liars, and they have all intentionally agreed to mislead recording newbs to get them to buy expensive name plates.
The funniest thing is that most of the people who can't afford the high-end gear, and who dismiss it...have never actually used it with any regularity (since they can't afford it)...yet they are so absolutely full of opinions about it!
We dismiss the need for really expensive gear because it adds no special value over moderately priced gear when it comes to sound quality.
You may or may not get some features making it easier to use, or you may or may not get more reliability, but mostly you get some fancy name
plate that you can show off and brag about that adds no value sonically.
Who's 'we' when you talk about dismissive?
While your statement might be true for some, it doesn't apply universally.
If one is doing it for a living, clients expect proffessional results. They expect proffessional gear. Proffessional gear comes with a fancy nameplate, and clients expect that. It instills some confidence and can make ir break you getting the job over someone else.
For pleasure and hobby, fancy nameplates are not needed, but I'll bet 95% still drool over them in private.
For pleasure and hobby, fancy nameplates are not needed, but I'll bet 95% still drool over them in private.
many people drool over the fancy name plates. then most of us realise that we have limited budgets and many things competing for that money.
Ah...so then it's exactly like I've been saying.
This isn't about the gear...it's about the lack of money to afford the high-end gear...and the curiosity how much others can afford to spend on it.
My 15 year old chevy runs fine and is reliable. Do I need a new BMW or some fancy SUV to go get groceries or go to the dentist? All I would do is end paying a lot more personal property taxes.
Anyway...once again I ask why is this thread in the Newbies forum...?