Stax vol 4 e brochure

Page 2

t all starts with a sound but the sound is not

yet a vibration from the air. It doesn't make

the eardrums vibrate. The sottnd makes
itselffelt inside the brain as it travels around the
neurons and synapses. either furtively or out in
the open, This sound for example awakens all
the five senses inside ofour body It allows the
listener to be in a different time and place. from
the moment the sound enters his or her
eardrttms. our sense of hearing is aroused. The
sound takes us away to a place that is serene, \We
can feel the soft grass under our feet and the
warmth ol'the sun on our skin. The whole field
is filled with the sweet stnell ofwild flowers. As
we explore further, we can also hear the trickling
from a stream near by and in the distance we see
the clouds turning gray. As the rain begins to fall
we can taste the salty raindrops on our lips. The
sound leaves us at peace. This is what a compos-
er sees itt his or her mind as they consider how
to deliver expressions to these images.
A piece acquires its character through the selec-
tion ofa particular key. This process is as
detailed as that ofatt architect when designing a

building. He or she think. tbout the overall

design and the structure. The composer explores
new sounds by combining different instruments.
The sound ofcreation. this is what the per,
former hears. He translates the notes into sound
in his head: in this sense the performer himself is
a listener. STAX ear speaker then continues the
process by converting this sound into vibrations
in the air. This has to be clone by means ofan
electrostatic method because we cannot afford to
lose even the smallest details. The smallest sound
may possess little volume. but it has an extreme»

ly important role to play in recreating the tonal

texturet he tonal quality ofa particular instru-
ment is determined by its content. as it gets
under way.

The question is. how to convert this instrument
into air vibrations? This has to do with quality
rather than quantity This is just one of the great
merits ofthe electrostatic method. This tnethod
allows the slightest nuance to be converted into
air vibrations without difficulty It goes without
saying that it is also able to trace the ultimate
degree: the echo content ofa sound as it dies
away in a concert hall. The transducer and elecv
trostatic speakers are extremely unusual. The
polymer film is as thin as several microns in
thickness (equivalent to air). is made to vibrate
by the drive power created by static electricity.
We are able to trace the struggles undergone by

the composer as he works on his piece.

The space inside

a composer's brain