What I don't get...

[Animeniax]

It's a video chat site where you randomly video chat with someone for as long as you like or immediately pass them and move on to the next random chat. In the news report expose, the reporter moved from chat to chat, and one of the chats was a guy standing in his birthday suit.

It's all the rage on the internet.

[XanBcoo]

I'd love to chat with a dog. I've never heard of chatroulette though....

Here's the Daily Show segment Animeniax mentioned: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/th...--chatroulette

It's good for a laugh, but at least half of the matches will give you some guy either rubbing his crotch, or out and out masturbating. The people who stuck around for a conversation with my dog were really nice though.

[darkshadow]

Haha that was pretty good.

[Animeniax]

The entire "reporters on chatroulette" thing reminded me of when Jane Pauley (another well known news mouthpiece) did a segment about the internet way back around 1995. She was giddy with excitement, calling herself a newbie and using some other n00b tech jargon. I hate pop media.

[Buffalobiian]

When I run my teeth itch. I think it's more the lower front gums, and it tends to happen after exerting myself a bit, such as a short sprint.

I haven't been able to find an answer. Anybody else have this Run'n Itch Syndrome?

[Sapphire]

Hah - I accidentally emailed my dad the following rant:

If people can admit that psychosis exists why can't they admit ADD exists? The inability to pay attention - is that really so hard to believe? Not saying that it's not over-diagnosed - it certainly is. But people who write off an entire issue as laziness... just seems ignorant to me.

-------------

Anyway - ADD. I do believe it exists, but I believe this disorder can be overcome by a majority of people afflicted by it (even if the people actually afflicted by it are only a small fraction of those diagnosed) with sheer will. Your thoughts?

[fahoumh]

Hah - I accidentally emailed my dad the following rant:

If people can admit that psychosis exists why can't they admit ADD exists? The inability to pay attention - is that really so hard to believe? Not saying that it's not over-diagnosed - it certainly is. But people who write off an entire issue as laziness... just seems ignorant to me.

-------------

Anyway - ADD. I do believe it exists, but I believe this disorder can be overcome by a majority of people afflicted by it (even if the people actually afflicted by it are only a small fraction of those diagnosed) with sheer will. Your thoughts?

This reminds me of an episode of South Park: Sit down and study!

[Buffalobiian]

I don't get the point of "equaliser pre-sets" you have on music players.

If a certain genre was to typically have certain frequencies boosted/weakened, then wouldn't it be done in the recording studio already?

To me, equalisers' only real point is to counter any deviations your sound equipment or room acoustics would have, in order to achieve a flat output response.

Presets won't let you do that.

Are they just a gimmick, or do they actually have a proper use?

[Animeniax]

I think equalizers are for the artsy-fartsy musical types who pretend they can actually tell the difference with the slightest changes in music. It's similar to TVs advertising 16 million color reproduction when the human eye can't see even a small fraction of that. I suppose it lets people feel special like they have some uncommon ability.

[Xelbair]

And guys who can tell the difference(even the slightest) hate equalizers because they usually ruin the music..

[Ryllharu]

Sometimes they work well for talk radio. I can turn the volume down on the stations that use weaker power, which normally make me crank the volume to hear it in my poorly sound-insulated car with its noisy winter tires.

That's about all the presets are good for.

...and sometimes they make the station even more tinny, or worse, even painful on the ears during volume spikes.

[Kraco]

It seems to me that between real speakers (stuff sounds as intended) and headphones with the obviously reduced bass output, a preset equalizer trying to compensate for that might be useful.

At least that's what I've been using a preset equalizer setting for ages on my mini hifi stereo system to which my computer is connected. Since I use 99% of time headphones, not speakers. Though I have somewhat decent German headphones, not some made in China bubbles, so I might be slightly off topic considering Bill's original question (if he meant portable mp3 players and such).

[Buffalobiian]

It seems to me that between real speakers (stuff sounds as intended) and headphones with the obviously reduced bass output, a preset equalizer trying to compensate for that might be useful.

At least that's what I've been using a preset equalizer setting for ages on my mini hifi stereo system to which my computer is connected. Since I use 99% of time headphones, not speakers. Though I have somewhat decent German headphones, not some made in China bubbles, so I might be slightly off topic considering Bill's original question (if he meant portable mp3 players and such).

I meant any media player, such as portable ones (ipods), and software ones (WMP).

@real speakers: equalisers are supposed to be used when real speakers are in use as well to compensate for room acoustics, standing waves and such in this case. That would be via special tuning, and not selecting a preset.

As for turning up the bass when wearing headphones to compensate, that would be similar to the example above about compensating for the inconsistent frequency response of your equipment. Only difference is that "lacking bass" is such a general feature of open circumaural headsets that a "bass boost" preset will probably do the job nicely.

edit: oh, DS mentioned this.

The reason why the studio doesn't do this themselves, is because not everyone has speakers with drivers that can produce the extra range reasonably distortion free, in fact, most people don't. Also like I said, what gains are preferable is entirely subjective.

So studios don't generally equalise the record?

Also decent phones and even some of the in-ear earbuds definitly benefit from a "bass-boost" setting.

Wouldn't you expect better cans to produce more accurately and therefore reduce any beneficial effect presets would have?

I used to do the treble boost like Ryll on radios to hear voices better.. I guess that's one usefulness I can agree with.

[Kraco]

Wouldn't you expect better cans to produce more accurately and therefore reduce any beneficial effect presets would have?

Since it's a physical limitation of small items trying to reproduce low sounds, I'd say higher quality equipment has better chances of benefitting from any equalization, like DS also kind of said when he mentioned poor equipment can't handle it. The worst cheap earbuds can't produce anything one would call, with any honesty, bass sounds. They won't much benefit from sound shaping either.

You will never get amazing bass from small things unless somebody invents something Nobel worthy...

[Animeniax]

Since it's a physical limitation of small items trying to reproduce low sounds, I'd say higher quality equipment has better chances of benefitting from any equalization, like DS also kind of said when he mentioned poor equipment can't handle it. The worst cheap earbuds can't produce anything one would call, with any honesty, bass sounds. They won't much benefit from sound shaping either.

You will never get amazing bass from small things unless somebody invents something Nobel worthy...

Check out some of the higher end Shure and Ultimate Ears ear buds, they reproduce bass and everything else at a very high level, but you get what you pay for. I had a pair of $180 UEs and they failed after 1.5 years. Since Logitech bought the company, there's only a 1 year warranty on them.

[darkshadow]

Wouldn't you expect better cans to produce more accurately and therefore reduce any beneficial effect presets would have?

Basically what Kraco said ^

So studios don't generally equalise the record?

Nope, they actually record it with certain settings from the get go and after that they tweak it here and there, but more often then not, they just raise the dB of everything (making it louder).

[Animeniax]

Is there a term whereby a person fulfills more racial stereotypes to spite people who judge him based on his race?

Alternatively, is there such a thing as "racial guilt" whereby someone is ashamed of stereotypes of their race so they purposefully behave in ways to contradict those stereotypes (like when I over-tip to compensate for the stereotype that Asians do not tip)?

[XanBcoo]

Alternatively, is there such a thing as "racial guilt" whereby someone is ashamed of stereotypes of their race so they purposefully behave in ways to contradict those stereotypes (like when I over-tip to compensate for the stereotype that Asians do not tip)?

I know people who do something similar to this. One of my closest friends has specifically told me that he knows that there are a lot of negative stereotypes about black men and that he consciously tries to do his best to comport himself respectfully around everyone so that he can properly represent himself.

I don't know that there's a term for it.

[darkshadow]

Indeed, if you are wearing some decent cans, some preset can actually improve your experience, which is entirely subjective ofcourse. You should try increase clarity without gaining too much distortion (to be noticable). Also decent phones and even some of the in-ear earbuds definitly benefit from a "bass-boost" setting.

The reason why the studio doesn't do this themselves, is because not everyone has speakers with drivers that can produce the extra range reasonably distortion free, in fact, most people don't. Also like I said, what gains are preferable is entirely subjective.

[Death BOO Z]

finally, a chance to employ my knowledge, thousands of dollars finally being put to good use.

first of all, it's a sign of being high on the 'self monitoring' scale.
case A might be a case of self-handicapping. creating a chance to blame racism for failure to achieve success. alternatively, Sasha-Baron-Cohen.
both cases can be caused by priming someone to notice racial stereotypes.



I thought I had more, but no