So much to learn. What we take as basic-assumptions regarding the operation of audio-equipment all had to be explained to us at some point. We now learn basic concepts such as ‘what to do with a microphone’ in a very informal, natural manner; early on, though, this was information best communicated /By Experts/ to /The Public/.
Beyond technical details like and ‘where to stick the mic’ and ‘editing the tape,’ there was also instruction regarding what kinds of sonic-event to capture. In these books, experts tell us not only ‘How-To-Use,’ but ‘When/Why-To-Use.’ In the image below, a tape-stock manufacturer of the era (Sarkes Tarzian, INC) delineates several fields of tape-recorder application that you may/may not have been aware of.
We are inundated with recording technologies today. Almost every cell phone has a video/audio recorder with performance that rivals the 8mm film cam/tape recorder technology that consumers first had access to in the 1950s. But before you capture the moment, perhaps it is best to ask yourself: why am I doing this? What benefit does it serve?
In the film LOST HIGHWAY, Bill Pullman’s character makes a remark that has always stuck with me. The remark can be heard in the trailer (see below), but here it is in text as well:
Ed: Do you own a video camera?
Renee Madison: No. Fred hates them.
Fred Madison: I like to remember things my own way.
Ed: What do you mean by that?
Fred Madison: How I remembered them. Not necessarily the way they happened.
Why do we remember?
What does the process of remembering do to our past experiences? How does it shape our future actions?
What is lost by subjugating memory to recording?
What kind of world are we building (via unheralded levels of self imposed ((Facebook)) and Government-Imposed ((Terrorists-already-having-won)) surveillance)?
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