Don't Abandon Your Creative Dreams Because Of Luddites And Elitists..

.. it's exactly what they want you to do.

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When I was just 17, I applied to study a course in media production. Back in the 1990s here in Ireland, such courses were few and far between, and with growing demand for places, it was tough to get involved without a strong portfolio. The media industry here was also largely dominated by the upper middle class, which I very evidently did not belong to.

Having no money, only a basic 35mm stills camera and zero experience, I scraped together an OK photography portfolio in a couple of months, and gave the interview a shot. I knew I was up against it, but didn't expect it to be such a humiliating experience. This is because I had never until that point encountered a media elitist.

Looking back, I feel I showed plenty of potential. I had a lot of passion for my new hobby and demonstrated some creative flair, if I do say so myself. The course director however, seemed to take a bit too much pleasure in critiquing my work, scoffing at my modest camera, and essentially telling me I wasn't made of the right stuff. I'll never forget the feeling of absolute worthlessness leaving that interview. A couple of years later, I ended up studying radio and TV, but it would be 15 years before I picked up a stills camera again, such was the damage to any confidence in my photographic potential.

Since then, I've been around the block enough to have a much thicker skin, and indeed the advent of the internet has had a hugely democratizing effect on the media industry. The tools too, have changed. Increasingly affordable digital technology has largely replaced analogue in both the audio and visual production spheres.

And yet..

There still remains an "Old Guard" of sorts, hanging on to their cumbersome film cameras and "warm" analogue amplifiers like their lives depended on it. It would be funny if these cobwebbed old cronies didn't so fervently discourage those of us with slimmer wallets of perusing our creative dreams. Thankfully these types are a dying breed in the photography world, but in audio recording, they are unfortunately very prevalent. Spend any amount of time on the Gearslutz Pro Audio Community Forum and you'll see countless recommendations for outrageously expensive boutique recording equipment from Neumann, Neve and Sound Devices. Sure, this stuff is made of unicorn horns and hand crafted by extra terrestrials, but is it really, REALLY worth thousands of dollars more than the mass produced alternatives from the Far East? How convenient that sound quality is so often considered a subjective experience.

Pick a preamp ..

Back in 2012, SOS Magazine did a fantastic experiment. They made the same recording with a range of different pre-amplification kit, with a range of price tags, from hundreds to thousands.

The "preamp" stage in a recording chain is often described by audiophiles as the most important, and worth spending money on. The most odious of audio snobs will tell you not to bother making any recording with anything less than a preamp costing upwards of 2000 dollars, and that's before they tell you about the expensive microphone you'll also need.

The results spoke for themselves. There was little or no discernible difference in audio quality, both subjectively and objectively. If you're curious, please check out the article, which is still up on the SOS website, along with the audio examples:
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/pick-preamp-media

Of course, it wasn't enough to shut the elitists up, and they still love to pop in to pro-audio discussions online, to remind everyone how much money they should be spending to get "acceptable results". They are however, so much quieter on the many blind tests which have popped up online since that SOS article.

Gearslutz now has a dedicated section where people post blind tests comparing audio equipment and challenging the listener to pic their favorite. Usually there are few or no takers. As the thumbleweed drifts by, you might wonder if the same elitists might stick their necks out and discuss their favorite sounds without knowing what gear was used ... fat chance!

No boundaries. No limits. No excuses ..

We are living in a time of extraordinary opportunity for creative people. The elites have had their day. Nobody can stop you from educating yourself through the internet. With extremely powerful audio-visual recording technology in everyone's pocket, and professional grade equipment costing hundreds, not thousands, it is a dream come true for the aspiring digital creative, and a nightmare for the old-school hacks. Now the only deciding factor in anyone's creative success is hard work and sheer talent. Perhaps that's why they're so scared.