In article , Andy Evans
wrote:
'Slam' is an artificial effect that can be created by particular
amp/speaker combinations, whether on stage or on HiFi or both (recorded
amplified music). This artificial effect should not be confused with the
actual acoustic sound of a double bass, which doesn't have this dry,
thunky kind of 'slam', and is in fact slower and more resonant with a
more 'elastic' kind of envelope, if you see what I mean. Consequently
many who listen to amplified music like the effect, while those who
prefer acoustic music to sound natural would choose a more faithful form
of reproduction. Yes, guys, I am a double bass player doubling fretless.
Andy.

Unforunately, I am uncertain about the above for two reasons;

1) That you are essentially telling us that 'slam' is an 'artificial
effect', but then only tell us what it does *not* mean, and do not give any
explanation of how it sounds, or what causes it. Thus the above is not a
definition, but a comment on one thing it is not.

2) I still have the feeling that various people are using the term for
*different* things, yet may be assuming they all mean the same thing.

The second is the kind of problem that can arise when magazines, etc, use a
term without giving a clear and unambiguous definition. It means I may
think I know what the term means, but others might not agree. This then
acts as a bar to communication.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

I am uncertain about the above for two reasons;
1) That you are essentially telling us that 'slam' is an 'artificial effect',
but then only tell us what it does *not* mean,

If it's an artificial effect, does it need to be defined, or indeed can it be
defined?

2) I still have the feeling that various people are using the term for
*different* things

Agreed

the kind of problem that can arise when magazines, etc, use a term without
giving a clear and unambiguous definition.

Agreed. I don't use the term (and many others) for that reason. I do use words
like 'timbre' which are easier to check between the original acoustic source
and the reproduction of it. I'd welcome the day when reviewers attempt to
define useful terms rather than trying to invent undefinable terms.



=== Andy Evans ===
Visit our Website:- http://www.artsandmedia.com
Audio, music and health pages and interesting links.

I am uncertain about the above for two reasons;
1) That you are essentially telling us that 'slam' is an 'artificial effect',
but then only tell us what it does *not* mean,

If it's an artificial effect, does it need to be defined, or indeed can it be
defined?

2) I still have the feeling that various people are using the term for
*different* things

Agreed

the kind of problem that can arise when magazines, etc, use a term without
giving a clear and unambiguous definition.

Agreed. I don't use the term (and many others) for that reason. I do use words
like 'timbre' which are easier to check between the original acoustic source
and the reproduction of it. I'd welcome the day when reviewers attempt to
define useful terms rather than trying to invent undefinable terms.



=== Andy Evans ===
Visit our Website:- http://www.artsandmedia.com
Audio, music and health pages and interesting links.

In article , Andy Evans
wrote:
'Slam' is an artificial effect that can be created by particular
amp/speaker combinations, whether on stage or on HiFi or both (recorded
amplified music). This artificial effect should not be confused with the
actual acoustic sound of a double bass, which doesn't have this dry,
thunky kind of 'slam', and is in fact slower and more resonant with a
more 'elastic' kind of envelope, if you see what I mean. Consequently
many who listen to amplified music like the effect, while those who
prefer acoustic music to sound natural would choose a more faithful form
of reproduction. Yes, guys, I am a double bass player doubling fretless.
Andy.

Unforunately, I am uncertain about the above for two reasons;

1) That you are essentially telling us that 'slam' is an 'artificial
effect', but then only tell us what it does *not* mean, and do not give any
explanation of how it sounds, or what causes it. Thus the above is not a
definition, but a comment on one thing it is not.

2) I still have the feeling that various people are using the term for
*different* things, yet may be assuming they all mean the same thing.

The second is the kind of problem that can arise when magazines, etc, use a
term without giving a clear and unambiguous definition. It means I may
think I know what the term means, but others might not agree. This then
acts as a bar to communication.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

'Slam' is an artificial effect that can be created by particular amp/speaker
combinations, whether on stage or on HiFi or both (recorded amplified music).
This artificial effect should not be confused with the actual acoustic sound of
a double bass, which doesn't have this dry, thunky kind of 'slam', and is in
fact slower and more resonant with a more 'elastic' kind of envelope, if you
see what I mean. Consequently many who listen to amplified music like the
effect, while those who prefer acoustic music to sound natural would choose a
more faithful form of reproduction. Yes, guys, I am a double bass player
doubling fretless. Andy.

=== Andy Evans ===
Visit our Website:- http://www.artsandmedia.com
Audio, music and health pages and interesting links.

On Wed, 1 Oct 2003 17:00:42 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:

"The Old Fogey" wrote in message
. com...
Can anyone define 'Slam' in the context of audio power amps?


OK, I'll bite.....

I have to say I can never understand why people get so het up about the
common usage of subjective terms in the English language (in the context of
audio gear or anything else) - it's what our language is especially good at.
(Although I gather there are 11 different words for different types of fart
in the Arab world.... :-)

If anyone *doesn't* understand what's usually meant by simple phrases like
'slam', air', 'soundstaging', warmth', 'colour', 'tone', texture' etc. then
they must live in an isolated little world utterly devoid of poetry, imagery
and the like. Given that all such terms are in themselves fairly
meaningless, they are surely only used to convey abstract concepts in
attempt to convey an emotional response to a set of circumstances or a
personal (audio) experience. (Other than in the context of Sales BS, of
course, where all normal meaning is usually reversed for effect!)

Thus, I would tender:

'Slam', in the context of sounds obtained from an amplifier/speaker
combination (you need both) - if you ever heard it yourself, you would know
what it was.....






Handwaving were ne'er so lyrical. Unfortunately we are still no nearer
to a clue as to what Slam is...

d

_____________________________

http://www.pearce.uk.com

In article , Keith G
wrote:
[snip]

If anyone *doesn't* understand what's usually meant by simple phrases
like 'slam', air', 'soundstaging', warmth', 'colour', 'tone', texture'
etc. then they must live in an isolated little world utterly devoid of
poetry, imagery and the like.

[snip]


Thus, I would tender:

'Slam', in the context of sounds obtained from an amplifier/speaker
combination (you need both) - if you ever heard it yourself, you would
know what it was.....

Alas, I have two problems with the above... :-)

The first is that I am not sure what it means when someone says, for
example, that an *amplifier* has 'slam'. I may have an impression of what
a characteristic of a given *sound* I might call 'slam', but this is
referring to the sound, not the amplifier. Given the dependence upon the
nature of the signal being presented to the amp, and the effects of
speakers, room, etc, I am doubtful of how an amp can be said to have 'slam'
other than simply saying it has a given frequency response, or something
like that.

The second is that my own personl impression of what seems to be 'slam'
might be quite different to some-one else's.

Hence when used in a review, or similar, about an amp, I am not really sure
what it tells me beyond guessing the amp can provide the required power at
low frequencies to drive the speakers in use for the test waveforms
employed to sound as the reviewer might expect.

FWIW I've finally got around to adding a subwoofer to the living room
system (mainly for DVD) which uses LS3/5A's. This means I now get much
better low bass extension and this has a particularly noticable effect in
the 20-40 Hz range. I might then say that ensuring the 20-40Hz range is
present at the appropriate level now means I get more 'slam' than before
when listening to a soundtrack like LOTR or whatever. However I'm not sure
this is what reviewers mean, nor how it might telate to an amplifier beyond
saying it can reproduce LF satisfactorily...

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

In article , Keith G
wrote:
[snip]

If anyone *doesn't* understand what's usually meant by simple phrases
like 'slam', air', 'soundstaging', warmth', 'colour', 'tone', texture'
etc. then they must live in an isolated little world utterly devoid of
poetry, imagery and the like.

[snip]


Thus, I would tender:

'Slam', in the context of sounds obtained from an amplifier/speaker
combination (you need both) - if you ever heard it yourself, you would
know what it was.....

Alas, I have two problems with the above... :-)

The first is that I am not sure what it means when someone says, for
example, that an *amplifier* has 'slam'. I may have an impression of what
a characteristic of a given *sound* I might call 'slam', but this is
referring to the sound, not the amplifier. Given the dependence upon the
nature of the signal being presented to the amp, and the effects of
speakers, room, etc, I am doubtful of how an amp can be said to have 'slam'
other than simply saying it has a given frequency response, or something
like that.

The second is that my own personl impression of what seems to be 'slam'
might be quite different to some-one else's.

Hence when used in a review, or similar, about an amp, I am not really sure
what it tells me beyond guessing the amp can provide the required power at
low frequencies to drive the speakers in use for the test waveforms
employed to sound as the reviewer might expect.

FWIW I've finally got around to adding a subwoofer to the living room
system (mainly for DVD) which uses LS3/5A's. This means I now get much
better low bass extension and this has a particularly noticable effect in
the 20-40 Hz range. I might then say that ensuring the 20-40Hz range is
present at the appropriate level now means I get more 'slam' than before
when listening to a soundtrack like LOTR or whatever. However I'm not sure
this is what reviewers mean, nor how it might telate to an amplifier beyond
saying it can reproduce LF satisfactorily...

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

"The Old Fogey" wrote in message
om...
Can anyone define 'Slam' in the context of audio power amps?


OK, I'll bite.....

I have to say I can never understand why people get so het up about the
common usage of subjective terms in the English language (in the context of
audio gear or anything else) - it's what our language is especially good at.
(Although I gather there are 11 different words for different types of fart
in the Arab world.... :-)

If anyone *doesn't* understand what's usually meant by simple phrases like
'slam', air', 'soundstaging', warmth', 'colour', 'tone', texture' etc. then
they must live in an isolated little world utterly devoid of poetry, imagery
and the like. Given that all such terms are in themselves fairly
meaningless, they are surely only used to convey abstract concepts in
attempt to convey an emotional response to a set of circumstances or a
personal (audio) experience. (Other than in the context of Sales BS, of
course, where all normal meaning is usually reversed for effect!)

Thus, I would tender:

'Slam', in the context of sounds obtained from an amplifier/speaker
combination (you need both) - if you ever heard it yourself, you would know
what it was.....

more from the 'The Old Fogey school' of uk.rec.audio-ism:

Can anyone define 'Slam' in the context of audio power amps?

Roger.


Prob not what you were asking but I came accross SLAM as "Symmetrically
Loaded Acoustic Modules", thanks to the guys marketing cheap(ish) computer
speakers - the sort with 4 little satelites and a 6 inch sub driver.

--
Jim H jh
@333
.org