Re: [microsound]digital silence

[rebecca263 <rebecca263@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm not certain that you and I were reading the same posts now! You see,
what had started this thread, for me, was the fact that even when we record
from an "empty" file, there is a sound read when we play it back. I am
wanting to know if this sound is from the file itself, or from the cables,
inputs, programs, etc. that we use to record, perhaps even the power source?
I originally wondered about this because the sound is always different
whenever an "empty" file is recorded. At least, to my simple self, it seems
so.  I wasn't even thinking in terms of metaphysical, yuckyuck :) ! Let's
not get into enlightenment and zen yet, I'm still working on the physical
reality, that is, what actually comes out of the recording!! haha, and
besides, I'm a good little anti-meaning and enlightenment type of a girl!
Rebecca
Was my question unclear? I've just reread it and it seems that I'm being
straightforward in my question. Could you take a moment and reread it and
give me your opinion again, just on the physical? And thanks, everyone, for
letting this thread go on while I try to figure it all out!  I've been
around a while, but I'm still a beginner! :) Rebecca
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kenric McDowell" <kenric@xxxxxxxx>
To: "microsound" <microsound@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2000 5:39 PM
Subject: Re: [microsound]digital silence


> > "studying nothingness" that the constuct is devoid of sound? that the
empty
> > soundfile, although it seems to have a sound, actually doesn't? or that
the
> > construct has an inherent sound, and that is what we are "studying"?
thanks
>
> I'm saying that it's not going to give you much enlightenment either way:
> These types of experiments, sampling nothing, performing with an empty
> sampler, must fall in the lineage of Cage's interest in silence which
comes
> from zen. The richness of this practice of looking at nothing (or walls or
> whatever) is alluded to but cannot be fulfilled in these experiments
because
> what is revealed are not the limits of our perception or the impenetrable
> unity of reality but the structure of a digital file. There is a thread of
> hacker mysticism that makes zen-like metaphors for technical constructs
that
> are ultimately human/culturally born. We should be careful not to fall
into
> this trap.
>
> -km
>
>
>


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