Today I'm excited to introduce a new series on the Ray Tubes blog: For the Love of Audio.
From the outside, the hi-fi industry is so highly polished that it can start to feel clinical. Audiophile products are showcased with beautiful product photography and elaborate product descriptions. I appreciate beautiful photography as much as the next person. But in an industry built on celebrating the artists behind the craft, it's easy to forget the makers behind the products.
That's a shame, because most of those makers pursue their passion with an effortlessly infectious enthusiasm that deserves to be shared. They each have their own stories, their own motivations for doing what they do, but what they all have in common is this: they care, obsessively and in detail, about the things they're making. The more of them I meet, the more I recognize the privilege of my position at Ray Tubes. It's allowed me to learn from legends of the industry and it's made me eager to share their experience with all of you.
Tube audio is part of a wider trend away from the digital world. More and more, we are turning to analog technologies of the past like film photography, vinyl, and 35mm movie projection in pursuit of warmth and emotional connection that is sometimes lacking in their digital counterparts. To reflect this, we've opted to forego photography in this series--each post will instead feature a hand-drawn illustration by artist and designer Izzy Cammareri.
We're starting this series to shine a spotlight on people we've worked with, and we're doing it not as journalists or influencers, but as peers. We want to hear about their cares and their passions. We want to learn how their perspective affects the things they make. Just for a moment, we want to pull back the curtain and reveal a glimpse of the actors behind the scenes.
Nelson
Posts in the For the Love of Audio series:
