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[tom eaton]

Jim Williams wrote on Thu, 25 June 2009 10:37

Ahh... reality, the ultimate audio gimmick. It's also the hardest thing to do. Anyone can manipulate audio. How many can convince you that you are sitting in front of live players? Go into any commercial facility and ask the chief AE, "can you make it sound just like what I hear when I play?" Prepare for many answers like, "I can this, I can that". You will not get a straight answer to that question. Why? Because they are not interested in what you want. The other reason is they are clueless in how to obtain those results.

I think every engineer who is still working is quite in tune with what their clients want.  The fact is you can't make it sound like the room it was in when you pump it into the room the listener is in.  It's that simple.

Much easier to get the sound the conductor hears than the sound a singer hears in their own head (a sound the engineer can not possibly experience).

I will say that if everyone had really decent to great playback situations at home it would change everything.  It'll never sound anything like a real music when you've got a little Bose split system consisting of four 3" drivers and a sub.  

John Dunlavy did some great experiments comparing live instruments playing with playback on his big Duns... there were certainly members of the audience who could not tell the difference.  It requires a superior playback system, not earbuds.

tom

[wwittman]

the bass amp has an 18" speaker and 4 12's.


so when the entire BAND has to come out of a 4" radio speaker, or iPod buds, there is NO SUCH THING as "reality"


the idea is to create a compelling, interesting, enticing, seductive ILLUSION

[breathe]

Okay, so maybe it wasn't a stupid question, but I think I was upset with my arrogance in regard to my own accomplishments.

I think this track is the highest 'fidelity' I've ever recorded, because I think I actually feel like I'm in the (tiny) room it was recorded in when I hear it.

http://www.post-consumer.com/zdrastvootie/song_5.mp3

That was recorded on 1/2" 16-track in 2002.  I've moved up in my recording technology, but I haven't been able to get to that same level of "thereness".  I think the best solution is to have massive amounts of bleed through from the guitars into the drum mics.

I think though that 'reality' as a working concept is very important for music production, because the experience of 'reality' is more lined with complexity and drama than any synthetic experience.  That being said, I've been practicing my "Thriller" dance moves for the last two days.  I hope this isn't another stupid late night post.

Nicholas

[breathe]

Another good one from the same period, same band.

http://www.post-consumer.com/resume/Z2_4.mp3

Nicholas

[breathe]

This is my 'lo-fi' Rudy van Gelder impersonation.

Nicholas

[breathe]

Stereo drums are stupid.  I don't know why I do it now.

Nicholas

[breathe]

Has anyone here used a Coles 4040 for drum overhead?  I was thinking I could go Beatles style and have that on the overhead and a Soundelux 195 on kick drum or a Microtech Gefell UMT-70.  I'm fucking tired of this stereo toms bullshit.  I just want a good solid mono drum sound.  

Nicholas

[breathe]

I have no friends in LA.  I'm moving to Austin.  I will lure my NW clientele to my studio with a nice place to sleep and lots of cheap recording.

Some bands in the 80's put out records every six months.  With the Internet now bands should be able to cut that in half.

Nicholas

[MagnetoSound]

McAllister wrote on Thu, 25 June 2009 18:20

I try to make whatever is inside of my head audible on the outside of my head.

What - squishy grey matter and earwax??

[Jeff Roberts]

wwittman wrote on Sat, 27 June 2009 01:01

the bass amp has an 18" speaker and 4 12's. so when the entire BAND has to come out of a 4" radio speaker, or iPod buds, there is NO SUCH THING as "reality" the idea is to create a compelling, interesting, enticing, seductive ILLUSION

What he said.

[Blas]

I'm with JJ!
Much of the music I record is to hype what they have.  If that's what they want, I'm game.  I enjoy creating soundscapes that sometimes almost seem magical.  It's fun.  Or when you mic up a drum kit and the drummer listens to playback and sez' 'wow, my drums never sounded so good'...that's a good day in the trenches.

Blas

[Hallams]

Hey Blas, i see where you'r coming from.....you got me thinking.
"He who has said the pen is mightier than the sword, has never been in a pen & sword fight!- me"

sort of like challenging someone to a duel and saying "here you take the pen , i'll grab the sword!"...