Best way to "experience" prog.
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Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
Forum Description: Discuss specific prog bands and their members or a specific sub-genre
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22735
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Topic: Best way to "experience" prog.
Posted By: Rust
Subject: Best way to "experience" prog.
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 19:22
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What are your favorite ways of listening to prog to get the fullest and best listening experience possible?
First of all, I say "experience" because when you listen to prog and enjoy to the fullest, it is indeed more than just a listen, but an experience.
I would say for me to have the best listening experience I put my small computer speakers, (with perfect sound quality), right up to my ears while lying down, turn the volume about halfway up, (Don't need it to loud since speakers are on my ears.) and close my eyes.
Headphones, I feel, take away from the experience because the speakers on them are usually small and the sound maybe loud, but it isn't full.
I don't want to focus to much on this, but it goes without saying that marijuana also leads to a great music listening experience.
Bike riding while listening is great too, but I would not consider it a true experience.
Also, being in a good mood makes the musical experience much better also. When I'm sad or depressed music becomes annoying sometimes.
Please share how you get the most you can out of music. What techniques do you use?How/when do you listen?
 ------------- We got to pump the stuff to make us tough from the heart Its astart What we need is awareness we cant get careless Mental self defensive fitness Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be |
Replies:
Posted By: MustShaveBeard
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 19:32
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I usually don't liksten to anything during the day, but then at night comes a music explosion (Actually I prefer to do most things at night) ------------- Your life or your lupins!!! |
Posted By: andYouandI45
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 19:34
| i bought myself a nice pair of $20.00 headphones. Put them on light an incent (maybe something else) and im set |
Posted By: Rust
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 19:39
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^I think you may be talking about the headphones I had in mind. Are they Sony, and fit around your ear preety comfortably, and are big? Those are the ones I had in mind.
I have tried those kind out and they are great for keeping sound in the headphone so others can't hear, and they really give you a much fuller sound than the kind of headphones that go in the ear. They arn't as dangerous for your hearing as the one's that go in the ear either.
 ------------- We got to pump the stuff to make us tough from the heart Its astart What we need is awareness we cant get careless Mental self defensive fitness Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be |
Posted By: lightbulb_son
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 19:46
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I like laying in a comftorable position with these great headphones i have on. a few extra effects i like are a little incense and a little alcohol. i also love to listen to music when it's raining.
you can't use the incense for all styles of music, but for most prog it works great.
------------- When the world is sick Can't no one be well But I dreamt we were all beautiful and strong 
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Posted By: Rust
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 19:56
Good idea, I never thought about incence, I'll have to try it. 
------------- We got to pump the stuff to make us tough from the heart Its astart What we need is awareness we cant get careless Mental self defensive fitness Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be |
Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 19:58
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I totally agree that one must experience a piece to appreciate it. A while back I was listening to Octavarium *the song* full blast w/ surround sound headphones, and it was amazing. I could even hear the flute soloist taking breaths! Too bad those headphones broke. Also, what's fun is listening to an album for the first time all the way thru w/ the lights out and doing nothing else, preferably by a band that uses a lot of effects/sounds. I'm so gonna do that with Delirium Cordia when my friend burns it for me.
------------- 
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Posted By: Azrael
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 20:09
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if you have a pair of decent headphones it is much better that listening with speakers, you hear all the seperation in the music, i love it. its good to listen in the dark and really focus on all of it that you can. i listen to music as much as i can fit in a day, it is my escape from the real world. (its also good to have your EQ set up, for me thats high lows and highs and low mids) ------------- Procrastination paralyzing me Wanting me dead These obsessions that keep haunting me Won't leave my head |
Posted By: MattNYR
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 20:54
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I have a BOSE speaker system for my iPod that is excellent. This isn't better for prog than any other style, but it's still awesome. ------------- [IMG]http://www.highergroundmusic.com/i/artists/umforiste.gif"> |
Posted By: DeepPhreeze
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 21:02
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In the dark, stoned (so as to pick out every tiny little detail), with headphones on. Or on my 5.1 if I have the DTS version. |
Posted By: Rust
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 21:06
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Can you explain what DTS means, please? ------------- We got to pump the stuff to make us tough from the heart Its astart What we need is awareness we cant get careless Mental self defensive fitness Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be |
Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 21:08
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I prefer headphones. More detail and tighter sound than without. ------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! |
Posted By: Abalaea4
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 21:14
| Headphones,cigars and a litlle alcohol usually but it depends by the album. |
Posted By: thai_prog_fan
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 21:25
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I don't like a headphone because I feel I'm confined when listening to music. Instead, I have a good audio system with record and CD players as sources to listen to my favorite albums. I think if you want to appreciate prog music, you should listen to it as much as possible. ------------- Thai Prog Fan |
Posted By: Arsillus
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 21:37
| For me, it depends on what type of music. With prog I like headphones, but with rock and jazz, I prefer a stereo. |
Posted By: Speakerfish
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 21:59
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Walking along side the highway, watching life go by and the beautiful views along the way. And getting a drink at 7-11. Really sets the mood for me. ------------- Dissonance; subtle harmonic dissonance Contemplating and completing the negative space Romantic symphonies left on the floodplains |
Posted By: DeepPhreeze
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 22:03
DTS is the expanded form of stereo --- think of it as stereo, but with 2 more speakers and a subwoofer (or woofer) added. And instead of just playing the same sounds over 2 speakers (ie, front-left is the same as rear-left, front-right is the same as rear-right) each speaker has its own independent signal stream. In a word, it's surround sound; recording studios in Britain used to mostly be quadrophonic when they recorded (4 magnetic reels). By pulling out the old reels and digitizing them into one single data stripe, we can have the music played back the way it was intended. You'd be amazed the detail you can pick out. It's better than vinyl when it comes to overall sound force, and with about 99.99999% as much fidelity. It goes under the names 'DVD-Audio' and 'Super Audio CD', though it's just like Beta vs VHS; this time around it's going to be DVD-Audio that wins. Pink Floyd in 5.1 is the most amazing thing ever. Imagine On The Run but instead of just hearing the helicoptors go side to side they FLY RIGHT PAST YOU. |
Rust wrote:Posted By: Zoso
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 22:33
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I like to lie in bed, sometimes under the influence of various
substances, and just close my eyes and listen to the music. Insences
are great too. I find that when I listen to music when I'm really high,
it becomes a much more visual thing, and I can close my eyes and just
let the coolest sh*t come to me.
-------------  |
Posted By: chamberry
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 22:38
You're in for a treat. ------------- 
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Posted By: Rust
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 22:46
Very, very interesting.
 Could you tell me if you can get any album/song in this "Super Audio CD" form? Or are only "famous" newer albums made in this form?
Also, not that I do it
 , but can you download music in this "Super Audio" form too?------------- We got to pump the stuff to make us tough from the heart Its astart What we need is awareness we cant get careless Mental self defensive fitness Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be |
Posted By: chamberry
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 22:50
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I really like to listen to musi with headphones and enjoy the view of nature or just liying in bed. I had one of the best listening experience today actually. I was hearing Godspeed with one of the most interesting (girl) friend I know. It was her first time and she loved it. Every time some movement in the music happens she told me what she visualised and what she think they ment to say or to express. A very intelligent and interesting person she is indeed. And I always liked to listen to Godspeed with a female friend so I kind of liked it more too since she is also cute  -------------
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Posted By: Rust
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 22:55
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^Music is a little better when your listening with someon else, unfortunetly for me I don't know to many people willing to even try out my music, much less listen to it more than once.
------------- We got to pump the stuff to make us tough from the heart Its astart What we need is awareness we cant get careless Mental self defensive fitness Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be |
Posted By: chamberry
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 23:15
^ Keep trying, there's one for everyone . Besides, I don't think she likes me. Whe're just close friends.
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Posted By: DeepPhreeze
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 23:21
Unless I'm stoned, I can't stand just sitting around meditating to music. I like to get up and walk around. I'll put on some Yes or RUSH and walk around my town; I especially love to sit down next to Woodbridge's North Lake and gaze out over the water with spacey music going. BTW, DTS albums are easy to find online. Go to Mininova.org and have a BitTorrent client ready. Search for terms like 'nrg', 'dts'... or even SACD. After a while you'll figure out specifically what to look for. The files are pretty big (300-700mb), so I hope you have broadband :) Unless you can't find a regular DTS version of an album, don't mess with upmixes. It just means it'll be stereo spread over 4 speakers. Download (you'll want both) Winamp + 'DTS' plugin AND Foobar2000. If you end up with a '.nrg' file, rename it to '.wav' or '.dts'. If the '.wav' file doesn't play in Winamp (or is nothing but static), rename it to '.dts' and play it in Foobar2000. There should be new media players specifically for DTS format in the next few months. A 4-speaker or greater system is necessary. There aren't a LOT of albums in DTS, but Pink Floyd has a few, Yes has some, David Bowie... The ones I have; Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here - Dark Side of the Moon - The Wall David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust George Harrison - All Things Must Pass Yes - Close to the Edge I'm currently looking for "Fragile" by Yes and "In Absentia" or "Lightbulb Sun" by Porcupine Tree. Enjoy! :) |
Posted By: Barla
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 23:43
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Some bands (or albums) I enjoy more with headphones, or without them. But I love to listen to music when it's raining or when my parents aren't in home |
......... FULL VOLUME, MAN !! 
Posted By: SirPsycho388
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 23:45
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I enjoy listening to PROG - or any other music that usually comes across conceptual or chill - in a couple different ways.
Sometimes when i get a new CD i'll go into my room, close the door, and put it on my stereo while following along with the lyrics in the CD booklet. But sometimes this takes too much thought, it depends on my mood.
Lighting some incense, some other stuff, and just laying down on my bed and letting the music swallow me is another amazing way to listen to music... usually conceptual stories or really chill stuff.
Driving down country roads on a sunny Spring day also makes music amazing! I live in a suburban/rural area in NJ and this is my favorite time of year because I can drive down long roads alongside winding rivers and let the music hit me in different ways as I take in the constantly changing scenery.
Headphones also make prog a great experience since you can hear all the stuff that's going on. Prog is usually layer with tons of instruments and colors that you sometimes miss while listening to regular stereo speakers.
I also play the drums, and I love playing along to CDs with headphones on... I usually find that I can get inside the music if I'm actually performing it. If I'm playing to a live album (like Yessongs, Exit...Stage Left, or Live Scenes From NY) I almost forget where I am and I feel like I'm literally in a stadium performing this amazing music.
***Such good experiences with music... I can't complain  ------------- Strangers passing in the street by chance two separate glances meet and I am you and what I see is me. And do I take you by the hand and lead you through the land and help me understand the best I can |
Posted By: Barla
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 23:48
Sometimes I show my music to my friends, but not everyone is interested on it .....
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Posted By: Rust
Date Posted: May 02 2006 at 23:56
I'm good friends with this one girl who most likely only likes me as a friend, even though I really like her. I'm deciding to just keep the friendship and not let her know how I feel, who knows, she may turn out to like prog, and in that case I'll be thankful I atleast have someone to listen to music with.
What's left of my brain is really starting to get boring
 , sooner or later I'm gonna need someone else to jam out with.------------- We got to pump the stuff to make us tough from the heart Its astart What we need is awareness we cant get careless Mental self defensive fitness Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be |
Posted By: Abstrakt
Date Posted: May 03 2006 at 02:13
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In Your Mp3 when you are on a long walk
In Your Cd Player when you fall asleep
In your computer when the night falls
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Posted By: oracus
Date Posted: May 03 2006 at 05:24
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-When i have a shower i like listen something like GG,
-When im going to sleep i like something like Godspeed (This band is breathtaking sound experiance) -When im running i like something like Rush -When im full of energy i like something heave like Symphony X -When i like to dance nude in the dark i like COMUS!!! -When i am in my car i like something like PFM ETC  ------------- 
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Posted By: Azrael
Date Posted: May 03 2006 at 06:40
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i guess i am lucky that i have a group of friends who all listen to prog, one of which introduced me to it. we all listen to similar stuff so we meet up and exchange music, thats a good way to listen to it, with a group of friends
------------- Procrastination paralyzing me Wanting me dead These obsessions that keep haunting me Won't leave my head |
Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: May 03 2006 at 06:53
My favourite ways:
27. Nude on the sofa (personal experience) ------------- 
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Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: May 03 2006 at 10:26
I tend to prefer listening to prog - or any music - through my big 'Tannoy' speakers. I have a good pair of Senheiser headphones which sound great, but I just dont like the feel of headhones, and sometimes I cant sit still when listening to music, I have to stand up or pace about. Yeah, I know it's wierd isn't it... 
I'll never forget the first time I heard Ozric Tentacles, Yes, Pink Floyd and Genesis when completely stoned. It was a fantastic experience, but it's not one I've ever recaptured as I've got older; certainly not to the same extent. I usually listen to music with a clear head these days, and I love it just as much. Favourite times for prog appreciation are first thing in the morning, and last thing at night. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: mystic fred
Date Posted: May 03 2006 at 11:15
i wouldn't do that mate, you'll damage your hearing. get a decent hi fi with decent speakers at the end of the room to feel the music properly without injuring your ears. -------------  Prog Archives Tour Van 
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Posted By: Firepuck
Date Posted: May 03 2006 at 11:25
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^ agreed, get further away from the speakers.
I won't let my daughter use an mp3 player because I'm afraid she'll damage her ears. I am trying to educate her on the inherent dangers of headphones. ------------- Kryten : "'Pub'? Ah yes, A meeting place where humans attempt to achieve advanced states of mental incompetence by the repeated consumption of fermented vegetable drinks." |
Posted By: Rosescar
Date Posted: May 03 2006 at 11:38
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My iPod sorta broke down - which isn't that much of a bad thing because I listened WAY too much (though not at high volume). I'm like that philospher (Aristotle I think) who'd only philosophise when he was walking. I like listening to headphones when I'm walking. Car CD-player when I'm in the car. CD-player when I'm in my room. No alcohol or anything else. Never did dope anyway. ------------- http://www.soundclick.com/rosescar/ - My music! "THE AUDIENCE WERE generally drugged. (In Holland, always)." - Robert Fripp |
Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: May 03 2006 at 13:17
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Aurally, for me.
Headphones are good, and it really helps if it's 1973-75 or so, this kind of music is new and exciting to you, you're me, and you're lying stoned in the dark in your bedroom.
 If time travel and identity exchange are unavailable, however, try experiencing prog via a stereo or live performance -- intoxicants/mind-altering substances optional!
------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: ____VdGG____
Date Posted: May 03 2006 at 13:24
It depends on what kind of music I'm listening to. If I'm listening to something with alot of lyrics I prefer to listen to it without headphones so I can sing and air-guitar to it 
But my favorite way to listen to music is with my large headphones outside in the middle of the night while I walk somewhere (late enough that I can walk down the middle of a street w/o getting run over) Some musical experiences are greatly enhanced by the use of DR  S, especially the likes of CAN, Ash Ra Tempel, and HAWKWIND. To a lesser extent Yes and KC (especially the Talking Drum and Gates of Delerium) can also be slightly more enjoyable than usual.
Amazing music truly meant for headphones anywhere, any time (more so at night) though is Godspeed You Black Emperor, hands down  ------------- Iron throated monsters are forcing the screams; Mind and machinery box-press our dreams |
Posted By: Wilcey
Date Posted: May 03 2006 at 14:53
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My favourite way to EXPERIENCE prog....well that was the old, old Marquee club in London, nothing comes close to those nights, mid '80's with the world of discovery at your feet (and a lot of spilt beer too if memory serves!) and some great prog on the stage!
But Prog is either for the car, or the beach, or the lounge........the kitchen is strictly the Bee Gee's domain! (ever try to beat eggs to some of those prog time sigs???  )
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Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: May 03 2006 at 14:57
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I work at home so I Blast while I work. Sometimes I`ll stop and contemplate a particularily intricate passage by Gentle Giant or King Crimson. Since I listen to most of my music on vinyl I`ll also glance over and watch the record going around. Also, I always position the album cover within reach so I can look at it at the same time. I also have coloured lights in my den which go great at night with afew beers and the headphones turned up to ELEVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
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Posted By: chamberry
Date Posted: May 03 2006 at 16:05
Same thing happens to me. She likes me as a friend but I like her for something a little bit more than a friend. I don't really know what happened that I started giving her some examples of what music I like since her taste for music is in a comercial view ex: Green Day, No doubt and others. She was curious to what music I listen to. So I gave her one headphone and started listening to Godspeed's Mother F*cker=redeemer and it just clicked. She loved it and I enjoyed it a lot.  -------------
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Posted By: Marwin
Date Posted: May 06 2006 at 09:08
| My favourite way is to listen to prog on vinyl while lying on a bed in a dark room with all unnecessary clothing removed and enjoying some fine beer |
Posted By: DeepPhreeze
Date Posted: May 06 2006 at 10:17
You smoke pot but you cast a shadow on LSD? Haha  Anybody else seeing a trend here? The people that listen to primarily 70's prog in the psychedelic/art-rock genres are STONERS  I'll make a new topic called 'favorite stoned album'. We can keep this thread sober maybe. |
Posted By: Minkia
Date Posted: May 08 2006 at 18:55
| A biftah is definitely a must to experience prog rock, man. |