Ground


  • How To Play in a Rock Band, Part One: Introduction

    “Iโ€™ve decided to start a new series. Even if youโ€™re not a musician, perhaps itโ€™ll give some insight into the nitty-gritty of the art of music-making, or inform your listening the next time you sit in front of your stereo, or just provide some entertainment and perhaps a life lesson or two.

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  • The 1985 Effect

    In the ever-evolving landscape of hip-hop, a phenomenon reverberates with unwavering resonance – “The 1985 Effect.” This term is harvested from the seeds of J. Cole’s candid song “1985 (Intro to ‘The Fall Off’),” where wisdom intertwines with rhythm, creating a narrative that pierces the fabric of contemporary hip-hop culture. The song paints an authentic…

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  • Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Rock’s Overlooked Matriarch

    Beginnings in the Delta Cotton Plant, Arkansas, 1915: Nestled amidst a sea of cotton fields, this town, where the Mississippi Delta begins its stretch, bore witness to the birth of Rosetta Nubin. It wasn’t just any place; the Delta was the cradle of American music, a melting pot of African rhythms, field hollers, and church…

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  • Klipsch, Klipsch, Boom! The Explosive Brilliance of Paul W. Klipsch

    The Roaring Twenties was not just a decade of economic prosperity and cultural explosion; it was also an age of technological marvels. And even amidst this transformative era, Klipsch’s feats stood out. The 15-year-old, from the confines of his makeshift workspace, constructed a radio receiver. This was not just any youthful experiment; it was a…

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  • Where did my music go? Signal loss, Pt 2

    Life is full of noise. Donโ€™t you want less of it from your system?

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  • Interview with an audio trailblazer: Norman Varney, on room acoustics, Pt 2

    โ€œLet’s talk about common things like modal resonances, early reflections, reverberation times, ambient noise, and signal-to-noise ratio […]โ€ โ€œLet’s talk about common things like modal resonances, early reflections, reverberation times, ambient noise, and signal-to-noise ratio,โ€ said Norman. “These are important issues because they greatly affect the listening experience.

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  • Make your system sound better NOW, Part 3

    One of the most critical factors for getting audio components to perform their best is to supply them with the cleanest possible power. The power you get from your electrical outlet is often polluted and noisy […]

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  • PS Audioโ€™s aspen FR30โ€”a reference loudspeaker 50 years in the making

    Look at PS Audioโ€™s new state-of-the-art loudspeaker, the aspen FR30, and I think youโ€™ll agreeโ€”it looks impressive. Itโ€™s big, full range, elegantly shaped, looks sturdy, comes with planar diaphragms and unique options to adjust the sound for a particular room, and overall gives the impression that itโ€™ll sound spectacular. Most intriguingly to me, and I…

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