Why Don't More People Into Music Reproduction At Home Play Around With Musical Instruments

I’m both an engineer and a performing musician, which is why it was natural that I live my life as an audiophile. I’ve been doing location recording for more than 40 years. My wife is a professional violinist here in the San Francisco area. The link I am showing here is of a concert her string quartet did last August with guest pianist, Carl Blake,  of the Dvoark Piano Quintet. It’s a gorgeous piece and one I feel worthy of being presented on any hi-end audio system.

Y’ll who just buy gear and tweak with it are missing out on half the fun by not engineering your own recording. The web page has links to all four movements in 24/96 resolution and you’re welcome to download them by right clicking the link. The photo on the page shows the ensemble and the microphones in an ORTF configuration, so you can see for yourself where everyone is sitting and then imagine that in your listening space.

Enjoy.

Temescal String Quartet - Dvorak Piano Quintet

I am wondering how similar any instrument played in your living room sounds compared to the same instrument in a completely different setting with different acoustics, with, likely, electronic sound equipment being used and the instrument played in conjunction with other instruments as part of a band. I agree listening to music may give you a frame of reference but I also think that what you hear "live" is not necessarily undistorted and is, likely, processed and otherwise tailored to the signature sound the band wants to present. I have gone to concerts and been amazed at how much worse the band sounds in person as compared to their recordings - in a word, I don’t think trying to replicate the sound of a live performance is always going to result in a pleasing experience in your listening room.

There is another approach I don't think anyone mentioned-
A friend some time ago brought over a Casio mini- keyboard with a bunch of different sounds you could choose to play. It was mainly a "one finger at a time" portable music machine for those with no talent but a desire to experiment. I admit getting a real kick out of playing it, and it was priced well under $100. Of course, you "might" want to get a 61, 76, or even an 88 key model after fiddling around with that device. Or not, Either way it was a lot of fun. Much later on I bought a Yamaha piano and found a teacher. Early on it was easy, but I soon found out (after 3-4 years) that it was impossible to play Bach, Mozart, etc. like it's supposed to be played. Who has five hours a day to get to the next level? But the Casio is still pretty cool and I highly recommend getting one instead of a video game. Or... an inexpensive classical guitar (nylon strings are easy on your fingers).

Part-II- To clarify my last entry a bit more, by getting an inexpensive classical guitar ($250), you can get chord charts and music books for "beginners" that show you how to play many, many popular songs. Can you sing on key? Then you can play and sing for many enjoyable hours without a great deal of innate ability or a natural gift. The next level is learning to use your thumb on the bass and your other fingers on the treble (Travis picking), or using a pick and learning to double-pick instead of just "strumming". 
The next level is being able to name every note on every string on every fret, and transpose a series of notes all the way up and down the neck instead of just the 1st five positions. Then pentatonic scales, arpeggios, and so on. But basic guitar is mostly fun, and back in the days of my youth you could be the life of the party by fooling around on a guitar (everyone had one back then). We called it jamming, and I played until my fingers got too sore to continue. Then you could appreciate what a group like The Doors were actually doing on a record. 

I tell people to get a great sounding ukulele (some inexpensive foreign made ones can be pretty damn good) if they want something to get going on...I have a Kamaka I bought in 1964 which led to a career as a musician (now there's piles of fancy guitars all over my house) and live sound technician. I don't know if this is connected to my home audio addiction, but I have worked with a few well regarded Jazz players who are also audio geeks...not many are, but so what?