本帖*后由 Stone654 于 2016-12-8 19:26 编辑
音色玄学及其它
Tom Hughes，翻译Stone654
各位音色发烧友们吉祥啊～欢迎来到“效果器学院”，本月我们的任务是做一些梳理工作，并分析一下老生常谈的音色影响因素这一兵家必争之地。但在开始之前，我们要消除一些读者对本栏目产生的疑问：本栏目并不是教你如何DIY的专栏。尽管我们收到的来信大多数都是赞扬肯定的，但教你如何制作和改装效果器从来都不是我们的目的。由于大多数读者都只是对音色比较挑剔的吉他手，绝大部分时间都在演出和练琴而不是在焊接，我们决定将栏目内容向他们的需求调整靠拢。至于那些对电子和DIY感兴趣的人，网上有很多资料可供查阅。我们在08年2月的文章中曾深入讨论过这个话题。好啦，让我们讨论一些与众不同的。。。玄学。
吉他手比其他器乐演奏者要迷信一些，容易掉进无底洞中。我们总是有一长串设备帮我们“召唤”正确的音色。我们用着幸运拨片，穿着幸运衣服，有着一套仪式般的热身流程，要求每晚都在舞台的同一侧演奏，甚至还给每一把吉他起名字。说真的，鼓手和键盘一般不干这事儿。
有些人极端地迷信，坚决抵制任何可能令我们出错的因素。有些人相信冥冥之中自有不可控力，畏惧损害音色音质的潜在因素，视一切可疑物品为洪水猛兽。现代吉他的历史充斥着玄学，后人又继续为其添砖加瓦。例子数不胜数，从Robert Johnson的Crossroads到Jimmy Page那黑魔法般的声音。不出所料，吉他手总是乐队里*像大仙儿的一个，要是一个吹双簧管的根本没这么事儿。
虽然大多数人没这么极端，但这是千真万确的。吉他手痴迷于对某一音色无止境的探索，坚信巧妙的硬件搭配才能产生梦幻般的音色。这也是你阅读本杂志的目的不是吗？进阶一点，我们开始关注各种精致的小玩意儿：真实旁通的奢华单块，符合人体工程学的踏板，高端的低电容连接线，1:1复刻的铝镍钴纯手工拾音器。这些只是我们嗜好的冰山一角， 但是真的对音色有什么影响吗？
电子工程师坚信不能被量化的东西是不存在的，但我们这些迷信的吉他手却祈求能有所不同，毕竟一种观点是我们听听出来不能被电子仪器测量的东西。此外，谁能说清镶金带银的人马涂装单块一定不会比朴素款的多一些诡异的声音特性呢？所有人都知道，一个里面画着外星人大脑袋的块儿听起来就是洋气一些。
当你讨论音色的时候，话题内涵也就这么多了。音色是十分主观的东西，这是它的特性。确实有很多因素能引起可以察觉的改变，也有一些并无卵用。你要提防的是类似《阿凡达》里面那种磁场一样的东西，别捡芝麻丢西瓜。不要对音色投入太大！昂贵的效果器并不意味着好的音色。
那电容和IC芯片又是怎么回事呢？Mike和我花了一整天用不同的方法测试Ibanez的Tube Screamers，听起来有区别吗？有的，只有一点，但是可以被察觉。排练时你的队友会注意到吗？可能吧，也可能不会。听众会察觉区别吗？八成不会。所以它为什么那么重要呢？虽然争论不会断，但有一点无可置疑：任何让你感到舒服的配置会让你演奏的更好。如果你对自己的音色感到开心满意，这种心情就会通过你的演奏传达出来，就是这么简单。
好啦，祝你有个好音色，也希望你能阅读下一期的文章。
原文：
Mojo, Superstition and Tone
Tom Hughes
June 17, 2009
Hey there, tone mongers! Welcome back to “Stomp School.” Our discussion this month is sure to raise a few hackles, as we examine an area steeped in fierce dissension and controversy regarding what does and doesn’t affect your tone. But before we get started, we just want to clarify a point of concern raised by a few readers about this column: “Stomp School” is not a DIY column. While the majority of feedback we’ve received has been positive, it was never our intention to explain how to build or modify your own effects pedals. Most of our readers prefer information geared toward the tone-conscious player who spends the majority of time gigging and practicing, not slinging solder—so we aim to structure our content accordingly. There are plenty of resources on the web for those interested in electronics and DIY effects. We covered this topic in depth in our February ’08 column. Okay, let’s talk about something a little more… supernatural.
More than most other musicians, we guitarists are a pretty superstitious lot. We’re prone to falling under the magical spell of mojo. Hooked on hoodoo, we have a seemingly endless array of gadgets and devices available to help us conjure just the right sounds. We use our lucky guitar picks, while wearing our lucky shoes or t-shirts. We perform ritualistic warm-up routines, and insist on playing on the same side of the stage every night. We even give names to our guitars. Seriously, drummers and keyboard players do not do this.
In a similar way, some of us can be highly suspicious, guarding against whatever may throw us off our game. Voodoo vexed, we feel susceptible to unseen forces that wreak havoc on our technique and tone, be it bad vibes, bad chili or simply something in the air. Gotta ward off that juju; keep the hellhounds off your trail. The history of modern guitar is rife with mythology and folklore that has helped foster this mentality. Numerous examples include everything from Robert Johnson’s crossroads encounter with the devil to the black magic dabbling of Jimmy Page. Not surprisingly, the guitarist is usually the one in the band most compelled to take on the role of the shaman or magus—thus the phrase “guitar wizardry.” Trust me, this stuff isn’t an issue to the average oboe player.
While the majority of us don’t take things quite to that extreme, this much is true—we guitarists are the most obsessed with the never-ending search for that one sound, the perfect combination of elements that will yield our ever-elusive Holy Grail tone. That is, after all, why you’re reading this magazine, isn’t it? And in our continuing quest, we often place a great deal of importance on the various and sundry musical curios we collect: über-boutique guitar pedals with fancy finishes and obligatory true bypass switching; super-sleek, ergonomically designed pedalboards; high-end, low-capacitance instrument cables; and custom-made pickups with Alnico magnets, hand wound to exact vintage specs. These are a few of our favorite things. But does any of it really make a difference?
An electrical engineer will insist that if it can’t be measured, it doesn’t exist. But we superstitious guitarists beg to differ. We hear things that can’t be detected with a mere digital multimeter. Besides, who’s to say that there aren’t some strange electromagnetic properties in the gold paint and pigmentation of the horsey-man graphic that makes it sound slightly better than the same pedal, sans horsey-man? And everyone knows, a pedal always sounds better when someone has drawn an alien head inside of it.
The bottom line is, when you’re talking tone, opinion is all there is. By its very nature, tone is essentially subjective. There are a good number of things that really do make a discernible difference, and few things that probably don’t. The main bit of mojo to be wary of is an element known as unobtainium. This describes what happens when the scarcity of a particular item effectively increases its perceived value. Don’t fall for it! A high price tag and long waiting list do not necessarily equal good tone.
What about certain electronic components, such as capacitors and IC chips? Analog Mike and I once spent an entire day A/B testing Ibanez Tube Screamers using different opamps. Was there a difference? Yes, there was, subtle but perceptible. Was it a difference your bandmates would notice at rehearsal? Maybe, maybe not. Is it a difference your audience will hear? Highly unlikely. So why is it important?
This topic could be debated endlessly. But there is at least one irrefutable reason why any of this should matter, and here it is: anything that makes you feel better inspires you to play better. If you’re happy with your tone and feel good about it, it’ll show through in your playing, simple as that.
So there you go. May the tone be with you. Until next time, keep on stompin’!
附：作者介绍
Tom Hughes
(a.k.a. Analog Tom) is the owner and proprietor of For Musicians Only (formusiciansonly.com) and author of Analog Man’s Guide To Vintage Effects. Questions or comments about this article can be sent to: stompschool@formusiciansonly.com.
Analog Man
(analogman.com) is one of the largest boutique effects manufacturers and retailers in the business, established by “Analog” Mike Piera in 1993. Mike can be reached at AnalogMike@aol.com.
