Sounding Off

I was shocked by Randy Lewis’ article on concert acoustics at Staples Center (“Acoustical Tuneup,” Feb. 10). The article is a thinly disguised ad for Staples Center, in which, as the article at least acknowledges, the L.A. Times is a founding partner. This acknowledgment, however, does little to mitigate my opinion of the piece.

I have subscribed to The Times since moving to L.A. 10 years ago, but I am now considering canceling my subscription, which I will certainly do if I see another article like this one.

Are the current economics of journalism such that a major paper has to get involved in non-news business ventures to stay afloat? Must that branching out compromise journalistic objectivity?

JOSHUA HIRSCH

Santa Monica

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Excellent article on Staples Center! I too had the misfortune to experience the lame sound quality of the Springsteen concert on the second night.

I am not an acoustician, but I make my living in sound engineering. The problem fundamentally is that the shape of the arena is not naturally conducive to good sound. Also, the same Band-Aid fixes that work for highly amplified concerts do not usually work for sporting events. New, more innovative approaches are necessary.

Today’s technology also gives us new options. There are now ways with digital signal processing to help optimize the intelligibility of sound systems. There are ways to synthesize excitement via sound manipulation in an arena. We do it all the time when we create soundtracks for motion pictures and TV.

The old technology and the new stuff can work in harmony to create the best of all worlds for most conditions. But someone needs to care enough and be passionate enough to make this acoustical situation better than “just good enough.”

Also, we know that a poor mixing job (read, human being pushing faders up and down) can ruin the presentation with even the best of systems. This is a major factor. Sometimes the journey from “roadie” to “mixer” is way too short!

JAY PALMER

Sylmar