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Low fidelity or lo-fi describes a sound recording which contains technical flaws such as distortion, hum, or background noise, or limited frequency response. The term "low-fidelity" is used in contrast to the audiophile term high fidelity or "hi-fi", which refers to stereo equipment that very accurately reproduces music without harmonic distortion or unwanted frequency emphasis or resonance. The ideas of lo-fi are taken to extremes by the genre or "scene" of no fidelity, or no-fi. Some lower-budget recordings from the 1970s and 1980s have a "lo-fi" sound due to the limitations of the analog recording and processing techniques, which introduced unwanted artifacts such as distortion and phase problems. In some recordings, however, high fidelity recording is purposely avoided, or the artifacts such as simulated vinyl record crackles are deliberately retained or added in for aesthetic reasons.

Some unique aural qualities are available only with "low-tech" recording methods, such as recording on tape decks, or using analog sound processors (e.g., analog compressors or reverb units). The lo-fi aesthetic has even contributed to musical subgenres, such as the "lo-fi" subgenre of indie rock and a great deal of punk rock.^[1] Lo-fi techniques are espoused by some genres outside the indie rock world, particularly by certain heavy metal bands (especially within the sludge and black metal scenes), where the very low-quality of the recording has become a desirable quality, as it is associated with authenticity, as well as a "darker" sound or a "rebellion" against good production.

In digital audio, the term "lo-fi" usually refers to an audio file with a lower bit rate or sampling rate, and thus a lower sound quality. Such audio files may be offered on the internet because of their smaller file sizes and hence shorter download times. The term "lo-fi" has come to be used figuratively in other contexts, by analogy with lo-fi audio, usually to mean "low-tech", such as websites with very simple architecture or designed for users with low bandwidth connections; or the unauthorized use of Wi-fi wireless connections.

Lo-fi audio[link]

In general, "lo-fi" audio is any process that fails to achieve the accuracy and "transparency" that is the goal of hi-fi audio. The meaning of the term "lo-fi" has changed over time; in the 1970s vacuum tube equipment was considered the lower fidelity alternative to the new semiconductor solid state equipment, although some still consider valves the only "pure" way of listening to music. Low fidelity is often associated with cassette tape, although in reality many people simply do not notice the difference between this and CD quality, particularly with the advent of low-quality (lower quality than cassette) mp3 files. Some lower-budget recordings from the 1970s and 1980s have a "lo-fi" sound despite the best efforts of the musicians and the producers, due to the limitations of the analog recording and processing techniques, which introduced unwanted artifacts such as distortion and phase problems. In some recordings, high fidelity recording is avoided, or the artifacts are deliberately retained or added to all or part of the recording for artistic reasons. This decision is usually made by the record producer, but in some cases, band members are advocates of the "lo-fi" sound.

Some unique aural qualities are available only with "low-tech" recording methods, such as recording on tape decks, or using analog sound processors (e.g., analog compressors or reverb units). Some producers argue that the sound of an overdriven, high gain analog signal has a more pleasing sound than a high gain digital signal. Also, even though digital effects such as digital reverb may be a more accurate recreation of the reverb that occurs in a cathedral or large space, analog reverb has a distinctive sound that is associated with 1970s and 1980s recordings. Examples of deliberately lo-fi-type sounds in pop music can be traced to at least 1968, when the Monkees included sounds intended to mimic a 78-rpm record on the song "Magnolia Simms," contained in their album The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees; later that same year a portion of The Beatles' song "Honey Pie" included similar mimicry. More recent examples include vinyl crackles on compact discs, as on Portishead's album Dummy, and telephonic vocals on Craig David's track "Fill Me In" (though these two are not regarded as "lo-fi" bands). Several prominent Hip-Hop producers, such as DJ Premier,and RjD2 also favour retaining the Lo-Fidelity characteristics of the records they sample in order to achieve a hard, unpolished and "uncut" sound in their own music. The lo-fi aesthetic has even contributed to musical subgenres, such as the "lo-fi" subgenre of indie rock and punky styles such as digital hardcore.

Lo-fi techniques are espoused by some genres outside the indie rock world, particularly by black metal artists, where the very low-quality of the recording has become a desirable quality, said by fans to convey a rawness and depth of feeling otherwise unattainable. Some fans deliberately seek out extremely lo-fi concert bootlegs, such as the Dawn of the Black Hearts, which are of very low quality. DIY punk is also well noted for its trend toward lo-fi sound, produced for the most part on inexpensive four-track machines such as the Tascam, and copied from tape to tape on home recording equipment, degrading the quality still further. In DIY punk lo-fi is prized mainly because it indicates a rejection of the values of commercialism. No-fi takes the lo-fi and DIY aesthetic to extremes, or at least a different location on the sound spectrum. Fusing the disheveled, DIY and loose playing punk sound and the lo-fi recording style with unconventional playing and tuning of instruments, to not only create lo-fi recordings but also "lo-fi" playing and song structures.

Other meanings[link]

Website or web forum[link]

A "lo-fi" website can also be a website with very simple architecture or a website designed for users with low bandwidth connections. In general, it is a copy of the main website and often designed for people who have an old computer with/or a slower Internet connection (notably 56K connections). Users can often access the main website from a link at the bottom of the page. Usually advanced features and background images (e.g. Flash, ActiveX Objects, Images, Videos) are turned off or are replaced with textual representation. This allows the page to be loaded faster with less connection made to the server to load additional items on the page.

Wireless connectivity[link]

A "Lo-fi" wireless connection also refers to the process by which unprotected wireless (802.11) access points (AP's) are mapped and labeled for unrestricted use by anyone. A "lo-fi" site is first logged, then labeled or mapped so that another person with a (laptop) computer and a wireless network adapter can get onto the internet to retrieve websites, email, or otherwise use the provided internet connection without advance or prior authorization, and without any trace or fees. In general, access point wireless networking hardware come configured with "default" settings, and therefore are not protected against unauthorized use.

Many people install their new access points or wireless routers to their internet service provider modem, without changing these default security settings, making it possible for anyone with a properly configured system to connect to and use the provider's internet connectivity, with or without prior authorization. The name "Lo-Fi" is symbolic as an independent and "Low cost" (free except for the price of equipment) version of the "Wi-Fi" system, which was promulgated by the Wi-Fi Alliance [1], a non-profit organization with the goal of driving the adoption of a single worldwide-accepted standard for high-speed wireless local area networking.

See also[link]

• List of lo-fi bands
• Lo-fi photography

References[link]

Sophie Koh is a singer and songwriter based in Australia. In the Pop category.

Brief Biography[link]

Born in New Zealand, Sophie Koh grew up both there and in Singapore. After finishing university in Melbourne, Australia, she headed north to Darwin, where she won Triple J's Unearthed contest in 2003. Returning to Melbourne, she launched her debut album "All The Pretty Boys" in 2005. Sophie is regularly asked to play high profile events in Melbourne and around Australia. She released her follow-up album "All Shook Up" in 2008. Having learnt piano since age 6, Koh later spent two years majoring in classical piano at Melbourne Conservatory of Music. Koh is also a qualified optometrist and an official ambassador for Optometry Giving Sight's World Sight Day. Between 2005 and 2011 Sophie was managed by Tom Collins. She resides in Melbourne but is currently recording her 3rd album in Los Angeles with producer Brad Wood. The new album is due for release in July 2012.

Achievements[link]

Sophie Koh signed to the In-Fidelity Recordings label after winning Triple J's Unearthed Contest in 2003. In 2005 she appeared on rage on the ABC TV channel. She became a successful breakthrough female artist by reaching as high as #3 on Triple J's Net 50 and remaining in the chart for 8 consecutive weeks. Her single "Anywhere" from her debut album All The Pretty Boys has been played all over Australia on Triple J radio stations and scored a slot on rage playlists in successive weeks during July and August 2005.

In early 2005, Sophie Koh appeared on Australian TV show RockWiz performing her song Anywhere and then singing a duet with legendary Australian singer Jimmy Little. They performed a cover of The Turtles song, "Happy Together". In 2008, she appeared on Rockwiz again. This time, the male, counterpart musician was Steve Kilbey from Australian band, The Church. The song they performed together at the end of the show was a cover of The Go Betweens, "Streets of Your Town".

In August 2006, Sophie Koh and 2006 ARIA Female Artist of The Year Clare Bowditch performed together live on JJJ Radio in an outside broadcast from Darwin, Northern Territory. For the event,which was hosted by Robbie Buck and Jay, Clare and Sophie were known as the "Children of the Evolution House Band" and played a version of the T-Rex song as the theme for the day. Sophie also performed a live version of her song "Honey I will Buy You A Mercedes Benz".

She performed the national anthem live from Caulfield Raceway (Super Saturday) in March 2007. It was broadcast live on Channel 7, and syndicated on many other networks.

Sophie has supported acts such as The Eels, The Go-Betweens, Paul Kelly, Betchadupa, Pete Murray, Alex Lloyd, Paul Dempsey, Howie Day 2010 and Mick Thomas. She was the Go-Between's national support in 2006.

Sophie contributed a cover of the Split Enz song "Charlie" for the double platinum album She Will Have Her Way: The Songs Of Tim & Neil Finn;;. Tim Finn later called Sophie’s cover his favourite song on the album.

Sophie Koh's second album "All Shook Up" (produced by J Walker(Machine Translations)) was released in Australia on 9 August 2008. She toured around Australia in 2008 and 2009, playing all states and territories.

In 2008 Sophie won the category Best Female Artist in The Age EG 2008 Music Awards.^[1] In 2009 Sophie Koh appeared on Spicks and Specks, taking over co-hosting duties from Adam Hills for a section of the show. It was the most watched ABC TV show of the year to date^[2]

In 2009, Sophie had a cameo role on Neighbours. She appeared on the show performing live with her band in Charlie's Bar.^[3] Her current live band includes guitarist Tim Reid, D.Rogers on keys/synthesizer, Ivan Jakic on bass and Phil Collings on drums.

In 2011, Sophie is writing her third album with producer Brad Wood and musician Ben Lee in Los Angeles. She launched her new single 'Lo-Fi' in October. The Video clip for Lo-Fi was ABC RAGE 'Indie Clip of the Week' and InPress Street Mag's 'Clip of the Year 2011'. The Lo-Fi Clip also voted no. 29 in RAGE's Top 50 clips of 2011.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• All The Pretty Boys (2005)
• All Shook Up (2008)

EPs and singles[link]

• Anywhere (2005) #3 Triple J Net 50
• Silly Thing (2006) EP
• Objects In This Mirror (2008) single iTunes only
• Lo-Fi single (2011)
• I Understand ^{[disambiguation needed ]} single (2012)

Compilations[link]

• She Will Have Her Way - "Charlie" (2005)
• Like A Version 2 - "Creep"(Radiohead) (2006)
• Lazy Sunday - "Silly Thing" (2006)
• Acoustic 2 - "All The Pretty Boys" (2006)
• Rockwiz - Two For The Show with Jimmy Little- "Happy Together" (2006) - DVD

External links[link]

• Sophie Koh Official Site
• Sophie Koh clip on JTV 'Honey I Will Buy You A Mercedes Benz'
• Sophie Koh video clip on youtube 'Anywhere'
• Sophie Koh on myspace

References[link]

1. ^ http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/12/04/1228257228861.html
2. ^ http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/tvradio/2009/05/28/1243456660937.html
3. ^ http://perfectblend.net/news/spoiler/index2.htm