The Music or the Gear?
- Thread starter Audire
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Damn thats not a easy feat , some are just hard to please.
Tell me when you get there
That is an interesting distinction to me since I listen to a lot of Jazz that was recorded in a studio.
Obviously, the recording engineer is making a lot of decisions about how to capture the sound, and what he hears through the playback setup is his approximation of what is happening on the other side of the glass. As one well-known engineer has said, you wouldn't want to hear a drum set as it sounds live (you could confirm that with a saxophonist).
In the golden age of Jazz, it seems that many players wanted to do their thing (advancing the art) and make a living and were not concerned with listening to the playback (very broad generalization).
Whether live event or in the studio, we are hearing what the recording and mastering engineers tried to capture. They function as another musician. I agree that the sound is always different in these two settings (live/studio) and easily identifiable. Can you explain more what you want to hear from the studio setting?
My preference for live recording is probably more influenced by the musicians' ability to improvise than the recording technique. Yes, from the live performance you get what you get. The recording engineer can still play around with it. Anne Bison was talking at this years CAF. You only get one chance with her direct to disc album.
It depends on how much of a purist you are. Miles Davis had a reputation for assembling the best musicians, giving them the sheet music for the first time and that was it. The problem with studio recordings is the musicians often are not even playing in the same room or at the same time. Additionally, efforts are taken to defeat the rooms ambience. These probably have to be recreated or simulated.
Eva Cassidy recorded a lot of her music live at Blues Alley. Strange but the room does not even sound like that anymore.
In any recording I am looking for timbre, resolution and detail. I realize imaging is going to be the most artificial in most recordings. Hall ambience is going to suffer. You have to walk that fine line between ambience and echo. I appreciate those fine concert halls that were designed to be used without microphone/amplification.
It depends on how much of a purist you are. Miles Davis had a reputation for assembling the best musicians, giving them the sheet music for the first time and that was it. The problem with studio recordings is the musicians often are not even playing in the same room or at the same time. Additionally, efforts are taken to defeat the rooms ambience. These probably have to be recreated or simulated.
Eva Cassidy recorded a lot of her music live at Blues Alley. Strange but the room does not even sound like that anymore.
In any recording I am looking for timbre, resolution and detail. I realize imaging is going to be the most artificial in most recordings. Hall ambience is going to suffer. You have to walk that fine line between ambience and echo. I appreciate those fine concert halls that were designed to be used without microphone/amplification.
It's true that it's not for every LP so it is recording or engineer dependent, for sure. But like LPs from Songs:Ohia or some old reggae or the In The Mood For Love OST, I'm getting the four walls of the room. I also have a lot of LPs where you can really feel the presence of a guitar amp, which gives a really live sound to something that's recorded in the studio.... again I understand that it's engineer dependent. Also there's a difference between fingers on instruments that feel like they are in the room vs being in the room they were recorded in.
Wish I was better at describing it...
Wish I was better at describing it...
I have not thought about this deeply, but my initial reaction is that I would like:
"they are here" for girl with guitar and solo vocals and for chamber music
"I am there" for classical symphony orchestra performances, for live jazz musical performances and for live rock musical performances
"they are here" for girl with guitar and solo vocals and for chamber music
"I am there" for classical symphony orchestra performances, for live jazz musical performances and for live rock musical performances
That's interesting how tastes differ. I'm the exact opposite with this. It feels unreal to me when I've had speakers that did this, like Maggies. I think a lot of this is because I work tangentially to the music business and I've had that experience of being in the room and there's always reflections and external noise and I think that reality is what I respond to.
Most "girl with a guitar" type music is close miked and there is no real space to speak of, except for perhaps some artificially manipulated space. So, for those types of studio recordings, I find the "they are here" to be more appropriate than the "I am there" somewhat distant affair. An up close recording should produce and up close result upon playback.
Absolutely, the interaction with the audience always is unique and stretching out on a solo for however long without having to fit it on an album is a beneficial setting. And when the setup and recording allows, one can be transported to the venue. Of course, the musicians are primarily listening to each other and that happens in the studio too, even if it is through headphones. If that experience is well captured, then I can be transported by that recording too.
In a studio recording, any ambience is added. There may be natural ambience (often enhanced later) if the recording is made in different surroundings
100% I actually have been listening to and discovering more music as of late with noise canceling over ear headphones riding my mower as that occupies about 4 hours of a day.
Personal enjoyment of music is where you find it and the definition of an audiophile is also up for personal interpretation.
Without question however, not free of politics. If that were the case almost all music with lyrics would have to be deleted, especially the 60's lol.
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Chicken or the egg mentality would definitely put love of music first. But that wasn't the thread's question.
. I want to get lost in the music. So for me yes both.
The gear allows for a deepening appreciation and understanding. As this happened I've become a better listener. Allowing my "goal" to pursue total immersion. I always ask myself after changing the system "how does it make me feel?" Is there more sorrow or joy conveyed? Anger? Do I (dare I say it?) experience the artist's intent? I know that comes across a bit egotistical or at least self centered but I feel I'm there
. I want to get lost in the music. So for me yes both.Attachments
I enjoy both music and gear.
As I use Qobuz streaming through excellent Aurender N30, I am happy with casual listeing too.
As I use Qobuz streaming through excellent Aurender N30, I am happy with casual listeing too.
Iron Man and War Pigs, political as all get up, but the 60's were the boom of politics in music and it has never stopped with the worst of recent being Roger Waters last turd.
Anyhow for me its music first and equipment and tuning to make it better.
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