Hi Nik and All,
Many thanks for that absolutely superb post. I have just one comment
in case it helps add weight to the points you raise:
There's a recognised phenomenon in acoustics called masking. It sounds
like common sense, but it actually goes further. When you hear two
sounds at the same time, and one is louder than the other, in most
cases, the quieter sound is actually not heard at all. This is partly
how MP3 and other file compression works, but the point here is that you
don't always know what you are missing, even when you think you do. I
agree with what you say about the actual acoustic characteristics of the
venues, or the ones I know anyway, but I should just like to emphasise
even more than you do the importance of quiet surroundings. I've been
astonished how little this is actually respected, and I applaud the
idea of re-playing points where there has been noticeable noise from
other courts or spectators.
I hope that makes sense, and deep respect again for all the work
you do in the B1 cause.
I haven't been able to play much this year but do hope to make the NTC
in October so look forward to seeing you and others then.
Best,
Peter
