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In the Forum: Horn-Loaded Speakers
In the Thread: Bye-Bye, Fane

Post Subject: Departing from theoryPosted by oxric on: 4/21/2011

Romy the Cat wrote:

I guess your definition of “doing something different” would imply reading of 534 pages of BS from people who have no idea about Sound about advantages of LA-horn over tractrix…

Touché! Now you are referring to my mention in an earlier post to "long discourses" about the differences between the tractrix and Lecleach horns. I made that comment unthinkingly (maybe a slight measure of the irritation I felt when writing that post) as I do agree that there is a huge amount of BS out there and people seem to do what they do with very little rational behind their actions.

If you knew me - not that I think you care, and not that I myself care if you don't - you would know that I never approach anything as simplistically as you seem to suggest and my definition of "doing something different" implies something considerably different than what you seem to advocate through the changes that you make to your system on a fairly regular basis. It is not something that can be too easily described in a post but I will try, briefly.

I imagine a multichannel horn system is a bit like the various chess pieces in a game of chess, the 'noble game' and therefore maybe an appropriate metaphor. The pieces have differing attributes, functions, actual power, importance (importance and power don't coincide in chess) and for different players, depending on their playing strengths, the weighings of these different attributes will vary. I consider the king and queen to be the upperbass and midrange channels respectively, somewhat controversially one might say. Without the upperbass horn (the king) to anchor the whole system, it is a clear case of checkmate, game over whereas the midrange is where the whole magic and power of the system really resides, she is a prime determinant of the outcome of the game such is her power and dynamism. I would consider the bishop, the knight and the rook to be the upper frequencies channel (the voice of god that we can barely hear but informs our heart ), the mid-bass (he leads the charge for the lower channels, he defends and attacks although his services are not always required in equal measure) and the ULF (the solid foundation of the system) respectively. It is easy to extend the metaphor by analysing the pawns in terms of the peripheral elements that you do not dare neglect as they are truly "the soul of chess" (Philidor) but since brevity is what we seek, I will be brief...

When you start a game of chess or decide on building your multichannel horn system, you need to be mindful of the characteristics of the different pieces at your disposal but once you have opted to move a particular piece, your options are suddenly infinitely reduced - from that very first move! You can against an unseasoned player who has read all 534x10/\9 pages of analysis on the Ruy Lopez try the shock tactic of 2. f4, diverting him from his carefully regurgitated analysis, but at a certain level you are just inviting punishment and I doubt grandmaster David Bronstein (who nearly made the King's Gambit respectable again) would play it nowadays, even against you. Likewise with a horn system where a departure from the correct analysis may well feel exciting and to be praised, and will pay dividends in clubs or blitz chess, unless you are a modern Viswanathan Anand and can extend the current theoretical base, you are inviting punishment, and in all likelihood you end up not learning anything of value. Now I am no Viswanathan Anand and although I am happy to try to the best of my ability in due course to do something unique and purposeful, there is no need for me to depart from standard practice at this moment in time. So I try first of all to learn from a current master of multichannel horn systems, and if he thinks that I unthinkingly mimic his system, that's his prerogative, and I truly could not care less.

Doing something different implies for me doing something which has a tangible purpose, which extends the current state of the art and not doing something different for the sake of being different. One day maybe I will, and maybe in the many little details, the pawns which we do not talk about, but which are the soul of the game, I sow the seeds of a very different ending in my system. Time will tell.

Best regards
Rakesh

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