I have been wanting to hold a guided listening session for quite some time now. My vision was to hold a session where people could gather to listen to a curated set of songs and focus on different aspects of mixes in an accessible manner. I would get to put away my analytical work mindset and cultivate the more emotional side of listening alongside my friends.

Equipment Setup

I believe that a great deal of emotional affect can be communicated by listening to a stereo mix in a basic listening room. My analytical work self says that a reverberant stereo paradigm is incredibly hard to reproduce in a plausible manner, and my musical self is okay with that!

Though I wanted attendees to focus on the listening experience more than the setup involved, setup was still quite involved. I had my JBL 4312As as the main pair of speakers. Its nominal frequency response goes down to 45Hz $\pm$ 3dB, so I brought out my Blue Sky Sub 12 to take over the low end with the crossover set at 80Hz.

Any amp with a decent power rating would have done fine for listening at regular volumes, but given that this event had an aesthetically driven component to it, I chose an amp with an enjoyable physical design. I went with the Hafler 9180.

David Hafler’s post-Dynaco amps usually involve exposed heatsinks and front panels with minimal controls. I have always opined that this design choice presents a pleasant interface to the equipment user and listeners.

I had a couple couches lined up one behind the other. The 2.1 setup sounded quite nice from the front, but the rear seats had noticeably less low end, probably due to a room node. To slightly reinforce the low end for the rear seats, I pulled out my d&b subs against the rear wall. These speakers are meant more for live sound, so they excel at output more than a flat response. I had them running very low and out of phase with the front sub – this seemed to do the trick in boosting the 50-80Hz range.

Playlist

As much as I wanted to show off my speakers, this event was held in the dark. Attendees were invited to close their eyes to listen to the songs in a more mindful manner.

In the spirit of keeping this event to be experienced in the moment, I have decided to withhold the actual song and artist from this post. Though, I am happy to share the song list if you would like to know!

Part 1: Innovative Mixes

This first part serves to grip at and stretch the emotions in several levels of listening abstraction. Tension gives way to somberness, to familiarity.

  1. A song from a London-based jazz group that begins with spoken word, while a warm synth ushers in a vamp. This serves as an introduction to the listening experience.
  2. A tense jazz song written by a trumpeter that begins with a strong sense of imbalance from a piano line teetering with chromatic motion. The song rises to an interlude with held piano and powerful brass, then gives way to a few rounds of solo. Tension all around.
  3. A Spanish vocal performance accompanied by a symphonic ensemble and jazz section. The timbre of the voice is incredibly detailed, and the sung melody contains effortless octave jumps. Around the height of the song, a piano solo with a dialed back accompaniment functions as a harmonic break, before ending solemnly with the voice.
  4. A mostly vocal performance that follows the theme of a loved soul throughout one’s life, described over the passing of a day. The lyrical theme of familiarity comes through. The voice is augmented with synthetic harmony that takes an organ-like timbre at times.
  5. A cover of a popular song written in the last decade, performed by a female singer with a legendary R&B group. By musical aesthetic, this song starts with familiarity yet gradually builds away as reharmonized elements are eased in with a small string section.

Part 2: Enjoyable Mixes

This second part does not follow a specific theme, but is rather a showcase of unique elements of production. All of these songs are taken from my playlist of noteworthy mixes. Songs 1-3 are mixed to sound more intimate, while songs 4-5 are more open.

  1. A song of frustration and spite, written by a recent artist that uses a kick element out of phase to give an in-the-head sensation. This contributes to the unease of the lyrics.
  2. A ballad-like song describing the last goodbye of a loved one amidst heartbreak. I personally enjoy the production style of this album, namely the tasteful use of saturated compression. Near the last chorus, there is a powerful snare hit that sits pleasantly in the mix.
  3. A melancholy song that mourns a life lost too soon. The song has a strong walking pace as the singer describes continuing with their own life while carrying the curious burden of what could have become. Spectrum-wise, the mix is dark, which lends to an intimate, detailed feeling appropriate for the subject.
  4. A blues-rock song with a driving cadence. One of my favorite mixes between bass, guitar, and supporting guitar.
  5. A more pensive song from the same songwriter as above. The lyrics outline a disillusionment with the world, yet a revival of a hopeful spirit. This song has long, open guitar lines and strong percussion, which makes the song feel anthem-like in quality.

Part 3: Finale

  • A single 12 minute song serves as the finale of the night: A live performance of a jazz standard played by a famous trio featuring a fingerstyle guitarist. The solo sections consist of an interplay between piano and guitar with sections for upright bass and drums, and the venue crowd was invited to participate by singing along to the piano melody. I consider this one of the most, captivating performances to experience, and a wonderful example of an audience’s integration into a recorded performance itself.

Cocktail Pairing

I wanted to hold this event with a cocktail that paired with the nature of a musical listening experience. Rather than the beverage being dominated by a single base flavor, it would be nice to make something with several flavors to be picked out by focusing the palate on each component. This nicely mirrors the act of picking out different components of mixes in a song.

Stable Diffusion

A light, balanced drink. Looked for mixed herbs and cacao on the tongue, grain on the nose, and a strong tea finish.

Ingredients

  • Dolin Genepy
  • Tonic water
  • Sparkling water
  • Honey syrup (1:1)
  • Saline solution (1:1)
  • Tea tinctures
    • I made two batches of these these using crumbled black tea leaves.
    • Neutral Maceration: 10g tea to 45g Everclear
    • Agave Maceration: 10g tea to 45g tequila

Recipe

  1. In a chilled glass, add 3oz sparkling water and 3oz tonic water
  2. Add 3/4oz genepy
  3. Add 3 drops saline
  4. Add 1 dropper’s worth of honey syrup
  5. Add one large block of ice and stir lightly until ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
  6. Finish with 1 dropper of neutral tea tincture and 2 drops of agave tea tincture, suspended on top.

Photos

The measurement amplifier had to come out
Afterparty