Gracenote Consulting, Inc.

--Consultants in Acoustics & Audio Visual Technology

About \ Why Music Matters

Why Music Matters

We've been there.....

Our experience, expertise and insight to the design process is due in a large part to our involvement in music. Our founding principal is an accomplished jazz musician, composer and arranger with extensive roots in professional music at all levels.

Over 30 years of professional musical and compositional experience cannot be underestimated when applied to the finer points of audio systems design. It is this type of experience, coupled with a technical ability that is second to none that makes Gracenote Consulting truly "uniquely qualified". The insight of a musician's perspective.....from the orchestra pit to the stage, the rack room to the mix position, provides a level of design quality that cannot be documented on a spec sheet. The musician's instinct is unique above all others in the ability to hear, to perceive a proper sound stage, understand musical imaging, proper dynamics and the process of translating acoustic sounds to an electro-acoustical environment. This experience is the foundation of Gracenote Consulting.

Speech Intelligibility

Music and speech are entirely different things. Instead of compromise, Gracenote systems are designed to provide maximum performance for both. In addition, special attention is given to vocal material to ensure that intelligibility is maximized for vocal performance as well as the spoken word. We take great care to ensure that system performance is not compromised or weighted for either speech or musical applications.

Music Reinforcement

Some think that designing systems for musical reinforcement or reproduction is the easiest of all system design work. At Gracenote, we believe that systems designed for accurate reinforcement of musical performance are among the most challenging designs. This perspective allows us to provide world-class musical systems designed not only for reinforcement, but to accurately bring the acoustic experience of live music to every seat.

Acoustical Enhancement

In applications where acoustical challenges mandate aggressive acoustical treatment, acoustical enhancement systems are often required. Historically, these types of systems have been expensive and poorly designed. When conditions are favorable, we will recommend the consideration of acoustical enhancement systems for performance venues to maximize musical impact and to allow a high degree of control of the listening space. Gracenote Consulting has extensive experience and insight to the proper use of electro-acoustical enhancement for highly enjoyable listening.

Articulation

Some things you just can't document on a spec sheet and articulation is certainly one of these fine subtleties. The detail of a musical performance, from the gliss of a viola's bow to the shake of a jazz vocal phrase are critical to the quality of musical performance. Poorly designed systems often prevent such detail from reaching every seat, creating a mediocre listening experience. At Gracenote, we know music....perhaps better than anything else. And we have the expertise and technological solutions to ensure that musical detail is not lost to bad design.

Clarity

Clarity is a term that is used in many contexts. It is used to qualify intelligibility, describe the process of retention and as a general term for "sound quality". All of these factors, regardless of the label, contribute to the overall performance quality of music reinforced by electro-acoustical systems. At Gracenote, we strive to provide "clarity" on all levels. We believe that the subtle, fine detail of reinforced audio is of the utmost importance. We think that detail is what provides the listener a listening experience that goes well beyond good coverage, adequate SPL and accepted standards for frequency response.

Alignment & Equalization

Equalization is a hot topic among most audio professionals. In spite of the many standards that exist for system level equalization, systems are still poorly tuned. Based on the subjective review of thousands of sound systems, it seems to us that the age old topic of "what is good EQ" is still a mystery. At Gracenote we have a comprehensive process of system equalization and alignment that ensures maximum performance and more importantly, solid musical performance.

Speech as an Instrument

For markets where speech is the prime consideration, our musical experience plays an even larger role. We believe that speech...pure speech should be treated just like a fine violin or a world-class piano. Speech is an acoustical audio source with intelligibility and coherence at the mercy of the electro-acoustical environment. From the pulpit to the paging microphone, speech is of prime importance and the best systems for reinforcing speech benefit from the heart, soul and ears of a true musician.