robingreen wrote on Tue, 14 February 2006 10:53 |
please Marcel... no more dulness. be precise.
we are not talking about kurt, but about the way Albini works on vocals. It's obvious that Kurt's voice sounds better in "in utero" than in "nevermind", and kurt did not changed his voice. because of the producer. so does anyone knows some albini's vocal chain? or a way to obtain a similar result?
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Yes, the production value of 'in utero' is very different from 'nevermind'. That wasn't really my point.
Albini's often stated approach to recording is to (totally paraphrasing, apologies) make an accurate portrayal of the way a band sounds. The more you attempt to do this, rather than relying on artificial production techniques, the more emphasis will be placed on the performance and the performer(s).
My point is, I believe that what you are responding to when you say that Kurt Cobain's voice 'sounds better' when recorded by Albini has way more to do with Kurt Cobain's voice than Albini's vocal chain. Delivery, timbre, emotional content, communication, that kind of stuff. I really believe it is Kurt Cobain that sounds so good.
Do I know of a way to obtain a similar result? I know the theory. Listen to what you are going to record, with your own ears, before you record it. Listen to it again as you record it, and again when you play it back. Does it sound the same? If it's different, how is it different? Beyond the obvious things like frequency fidelity and dynamics, is it conveying the important parts of what the performer(s) wanted it to convey? Now backtrack and see how the decisions you made while recording may have impacted the outcome. Make adjustments and evaluate their effectiveness.
I would be willing to bet that Steve Albini could tell you exactly what vocal chain he used on this record if he were interested in doing so. If he does not specifically remember, I bet he or someone working for him took very detailed and, yes, precise, notes.
Sorry if this is dull.
Best, Marcel