Samsung phone ad
While listening to a song ‘roo-ba-roo’ from Rang De Basanti on iTunes/HP laptop/iBall headphones, I hear a sound from the left and wonder who’s standing next to me. And then I realise that it’s a part of the track.
And then I remember the Aamir Khan spot for Samsung mobile phones - the one where he jumps around while listening to something on the headphones. And I wonder why Samsung, their agency and Aamir Khan (the perfectionist) is intent on selling a ‘feature’ that has been around for like decades now, and is dependent on the track rather than the hardware playing it. 3D surround sound effect on headphones in songs has been around since the times of Shaalimar (remember ‘mera pyaar shaalimar’?) and has been used to good effect by the likes of R. D. Burman, A. R. Rahman, Jatin Lalit to good effect. Those who are connoisseurs of good music and understand and use sound equipment have enjoyed surround sound ever since the mono recording system gave way to stereophonic.
Heck, I can remember some tracks from some 10 years ago where the sound appeared to come from inside my head when I’d play them on a portable tape player and headphones.
So do you think that a Sony Ericsson Walkman phone or an Apple iPod would not give you the surround sound experience that Samsung claims to give? Or that the said Samsung phone would give these effects on even a flatly recorded track? Maybe a K. L. Saigal song?
I like the wheel on the phone Aamir models though.
And then I remember the Aamir Khan spot for Samsung mobile phones - the one where he jumps around while listening to something on the headphones. And I wonder why Samsung, their agency and Aamir Khan (the perfectionist) is intent on selling a ‘feature’ that has been around for like decades now, and is dependent on the track rather than the hardware playing it. 3D surround sound effect on headphones in songs has been around since the times of Shaalimar (remember ‘mera pyaar shaalimar’?) and has been used to good effect by the likes of R. D. Burman, A. R. Rahman, Jatin Lalit to good effect. Those who are connoisseurs of good music and understand and use sound equipment have enjoyed surround sound ever since the mono recording system gave way to stereophonic.
Heck, I can remember some tracks from some 10 years ago where the sound appeared to come from inside my head when I’d play them on a portable tape player and headphones.
So do you think that a Sony Ericsson Walkman phone or an Apple iPod would not give you the surround sound experience that Samsung claims to give? Or that the said Samsung phone would give these effects on even a flatly recorded track? Maybe a K. L. Saigal song?
I like the wheel on the phone Aamir models though.
Labels: advertising, celebrity endorsement, music
posted by Hypnos @ 11:40 am
2 Comments:
At 31 July 2008 at 21:37 ,
Anonymous said...
hey hypnos...you are kinda right on the value proposition....its more ot do with the recording than the instrument is it ? I too wasnt moved with the so called innovative feature !
At 2 August 2008 at 13:19 ,
Hypnos said...
Hey don,
Yes ofcourse if you have planned and executed the recording of the track with 3D surround sound effects, then any decent 'true' stereophonic playback equipment would give you the desired effect. Which is the work of the people who made the track, and not in our control. And if your recording is 'flat' no iphone, sony walkman, aamir autographed samsung phone would be able to give you that effect.
If you pay attention to the recordings of RD Burman, Illayaraja, Rahman etc., you would notice this 'feature' already being present in many of their later tracks.
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