Recording the old way....

[Roland]

Originally Posted by wwittman

Roland, I didn't misunderstand you

I just think you're wrong! <g>

it's NOT only for "the best of the best"

it's for almost EVERYONE, except perhaps the worst of the worst.
and as i tried to say, does it MATTER how you record the worst of the worst?

if you REALLY do a great job you can bring them up to only "terrible"?


my point is that thsoe great techniques (and great gear in a great room) make ANYONE sound better... and what usually happens makes anyone sound worse.

Ok, William, maybe I am reading you wrong, my only point is that 4 mics on a kit requires a player that a) has a good sound, b) can balance themselves, c) plays with some dynamics.

In fairness there are three problems today, (I'll continue about drums as that is the obvious one). Few players play with dynamics, hell the records they have been bought up with don't have them, this doesn't lead to players whom are sympathetic to producing a balances sound on their kit. Go back to the 50's & 60's thos players had too as their was no engineer to "balance" for them. Modern kits don't sound like the old vintage ones so mostly need more skill to balance them. Because of the nature of music today and recording to click's, drum editing etc, ovedubbing almost everything seperately the skills being developed are different. IMHO there will always be great musicians in all genres, but the balance shifts, today it is heavily loaded towards the solo vocal thing.

Maybe I come across as advocating multimiking, seperate overdub style recording, I hope not, as I myself tend to work much more minimal than that and live. Glyn as you say (and I agree) is a great engineer, however I have seen people that go the "no more than 4 mics on a kit ever" route and come a cropper. There are songs and artists who's records are selling very well, (who's albums sound ok) but live are frankly rubbish. We all know about sessions where ghosts have had to be bought it and it's not that uncommon. I agree with your point that a great recording of a terrible player will elevate that player to just terrible, but I have seen him recorded, layered with samples edited to time and comming out like a well oiled drum machine, not ideal, but I suggest better than the original live result.

All this being said, their are also plenty of albums out there recorded by the analy minimalist engineers that aren't great because the bare bones technique didn't cover the bands shortfalls. In the words of the producers "nobody's interested in a flop".

Regards


Roland

[Nagrywacz]

I think it is possible to recreate the sound of 70's 80's in modern recording.
I mixed Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin cover album this year using Pro tools and some outboard compressors and Neve preamps. The band wanted me to make modern drums sound and closer (in your face) mix but everything else was like original. Here is the link with some mp3 samples:

http://www.merlin.com.pl/frontend/towar/457495

[BrianK]

How's this - I bet it fits in with your original concept:

I like working in the style of this era (whatever it is...)

Record with the main band in the room, at least three people.
No click track, no headphones.
Set up for less than one hour.
Record takes to tape, keeping only complete ones worth considering, and listening back every few takes for progress or not.
Keep one of the takes (almost always within first 5). Then overdub or double instruments as needed.
Later on, cut vocals in a seperate session, without a lot of people around.

Record 3-8 songs per day, overdub as many in another day, cut vocals about as fast.
Mix 2 to 3 a day, master in one session.

[Nagrywacz]

Originally Posted by BrianK

How's this - I bet it fits in with your original concept:

I like working in the style of this era (whatever it is...)

Record with the main band in the room, at least three people.
No click track, no headphones.
Set up for less than one hour.
Record takes to tape, keeping only complete ones worth considering, and listening back every few takes for progress or not.
Keep one of the takes (almost always within first 5). Then overdub or double instruments as needed.
Later on, cut vocals in a seperate session, without a lot of people around.

Record 3-8 songs per day, overdub as many in another day, cut vocals about as fast.
Mix 2 to 3 a day, master in one session.

Yes that is my way of recording. I like when it is LIVE. I like when it is natural