When I got started in publishing PRIMEDIA had yet to take over the world of niche or targeted media. I started at McMullen & Yee with Auto Sound & Security magazine in the mid-'90s. At that time, contributor Doug Newcomb was the editor of Car Audio and Electronics; and what would eventually wind up being Road Gear was still known as Car Stereo Review. A long time ago indeed, practically prehistoric days.
I remember the light table a few magazine staffs shared in the office and the variety of loupes we used to check out something we called "film." Years from now kids will wonder what that is, in the same way that young people today wonder what we mean by vinyl when we're talking about our old music collections. It's only been three or four years since we went completely digital, but it feels like forever.
When I think of the many hours we spent looking at film, trying to find the best exposed shot in the strip, I can't help but feel a little nostalgia. The only reason it was cool was because that's what we grew up thinking an editor was supposed to do. In terms of the process itself, picking your shots, cutting it up, pasting it onto a piece of paper, then preparing it for the art director - it was a real waste of time, especially if you consider the scanning time as well. Now you check your shots on a computer screen, choose what you want, then send them through a server. It's a lot easier and faster.
Editors and photographers all said that digital couldn't compare to film in terms of the quality of the image. Not the same warmth, they said. No one ever says that any more. And no one bothers with their old film cameras any more either. They make nice decorations for the home though.
This is not a parallel comparison, but there's a similar resistance among certain music lovers when it comes to surround sound recordings. I understand the feeling. Listening to a favorite record that's been mixed for 5.1 after years of playing it on a stereo system or through headphones is a little disconcerting. To hear the guitar from the back when you always heard it in front of you, panned right, seems like a betrayal of the music, a bastardization. But over time, at least for me, you learn to enjoy the favorite record in surround sound more each time you play it, even if in the end it never seems truly "right."
On the other hand, listening to new music in 5.1 can be a revelatory experience. Frankly, that's when you really appreciate the format. I remember at the last CES some noted producers, songwriters and artists gave their impression of working in DTS's 7.1 format. You might say they're biased, but their enthusiasm for it appeared to be definitely sincere. There is something to be said for sitting right in the middle of the music. It's viscerally amazing for your favorite movie, isn't it? It's just a matter of adjusting your attitude and finding the right material that has the right mix. To the left, you'll find a few old records now available in surround sound and a new BT disc. You may remember that he did the soundtrack for Monster. They're all worthwhile, and there certainly are a lot more discs out there for your new 5.1 system. And if you don't have surround sound in the car, check out the cars in this issue. They just might inspire you.
Ben Oh - Editor
Corrections: Our apologies for failing to point out that photographer Jim Breitung shot the September cover.