Stitched in time

One of the easiest ways to identify the quality of a product, is to evaluate the craftsmanship used to make it.  Clothing is no exception to this rule.  This is one of the things that sets apart a tailored garment from one straight off of the shelf.  Bespoke Tailors go to great lengths to ensure their product is the highest of quality, and one of the ways that shows through is in the stitching used throughout the garment.  The same rings true in audio tailoring, as each component used in a recording must meet a certain standard, in order to achieve a high quality final product.  You might say the audio must be stitched together in perfect time.  Let’s take a moment to appreciate the parallels between the stitching of a custom garment, and the stitching of a custom recording.



Consider for a moment, what is involved in stitching a seam in a custom fit pair of pants or a beautiful dress.  The tailor needs the correct type of needle, one that is meant for the thread and fabric that is being used, and must determine the proper stitch pattern needed to achieve the desired look.  The needle(s) in an audio recording are the instruments or voices being used to bring it to life.  Think about it…Mozart’s instrumentation list never included electric guitars or harmonicas.  Rather, his classical pieces used the tools necessary for that sound, such as violins, cellos, and horns.  In The Audio Tailor studio we make choices in much the same fashion.  The combinations that lead to that custom sound are carefully chosen every time.   

Whether in the hand of a tailor or in a machine, from the needle flows the thread used to make the stitching.  The thread itself can say a lot about a garment.  What the thread is made of, or what color it is in relation to the fabric can really add a unique flair to the design.  The same rings true for audio.  The sound of an instrument and the frequency that it emits, allows it to sit in its unique spot in a mix.  Of course, when considering the human voice, it may be the best comparison to the thread of a garment.  Each one is custom, and produces a waveform that is all its own.   

Speaking of waveforms, though they represent the actual sound that is being made, and are thus the heart of audio, we would be remiss to not point out their similarity to the stitch of custom clothes.  Think about the motion of the head of an electric sewing machine…how fast it goes up and down (the frequency) determines how that stitch looks and holds the fabric together.  The waveform of a sound, as shown in the inset image, likewise determines what that final audio product sounds like.  

It’s simply amazing how these disciplines parallel each other in so many ways.  It is a privilege to be able to bring the art of a Tailor to the world of audio and give our clients a custom fit.

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