What is the difference between location and studio recording?

[Remoteness]

As far back as I can remember, I always looked at recording this way...

When I'm in the studio, I always try to make it sound like it's live, but when I'm out recording live, I always try to make it sound like it's the studio.

What's you bag?

Missing from live:

Guaranteed overdubbing
infanite retake capability
last min arrangement changes
Instument swapping (cymbals & snares)
the chance to take a break if is 'not happening'


Missing from the studio:

The performance to a live audience 'thrill'
Non radio friendly 'extended' arangements are possible.
Guest musicians jamming along

[Dave Martin]

When I've recorded live performances, I try to make the best document of the the performance that time and budget allows. ; in the studio I'm trying to get the best performance time and budget allows.

An example the "Live At The Station Inn" CD I did. Real Audio files are at: http://www.thetimejumpers.com/Music.html

[JayCrouch]

Recording In the studio:

Using the room and the room's gear to the best of your abilities, being creative and using gear in combinations to get the sounds that the artist desires.

Recording live:

Using the room, and what cards you are dealt to try to best caputre something that will provide a flexible mixdown (or just something that sounds like it did in the room that night) that can translate into an accurate representation of the music performed that night)

Last night I had to record a band opening up for a much larger label act, and did not have the time (nor consent) to perform splits off the shared stagebox. My buddy Alex and I ended up using a pair of Neumann tlm-170's in ORTF (all instrumental performances) run into one of the new Apogee Mini-Me's to 24-bit files. The larger act digged what we had going on and let us roll disk for the main set (in return for mailing a copy to the label). Suprising what a well placed pair of microphones can do. Every time I record like this, It makes me rethink the ways that most people mic things up in the studio, yet reminds me that you still need security in many of the "standard" methods of close micing....

[Steve Smith]

When doing a live record, I want the lister to feel like there were there, in a great seat, engulfed by what is happening on stage.. close your eyes and you are there type of thing..

In the studio, similar vibe, but you get to try to pick where you will transport the listener... if anywhere at all.

[Remoteness]

Originally posted by Steve Smith
When doing a live record, I want the lister to feel like there were there, in a great seat, engulfed by what is happening on stage.. close your eyes and you are there type of thing..

In the studio, similar vibe, but you get to try to pick where you will transport the listener... if anywhere at all.

I got a similar thing happening.

When I mix a live show, I do it as per the listener's perspective. Drummer's kit will have the ride on the left and hihat on the right (Right-handed drummers of course.) Most of the time, the rest of the band will be mixed as you see it. Just like the listener would see it if they were there. Of course, my imaginary listener is seating in the perfect center seat.

When I mix studio records, I do it as per the drummer's perspective. Meaning, overheads panned with hihat on the left side, ride on the right.

[Sugarite]

IMHO both live and studio recordings are after the same thing, reproducing an ideal live performance. (Is there any other possible objective?) Note I didn't say a traditional performance, I mean ideal, as in the product of a craftsman with the intent of representing an idea to perfection. If you don't have the idea, then there is nothing flowing through those cables. No two ideas are the same, and you can't represent two different ideas the same way.

I'd say the critical difference is that the studio is fully non-linear and live is fully linear. At any point any track can be replaced in the studio, and at no point can any track be replaced live. There are pros and cons to both, and different responsibilities to both.

The studio is like a batting cage, while live is like a full count with the bases loaded with the crowd literally on their feet. It's just as hard to play any position on that field as it is to make something really spectacular happen in a batting cage.

[astra]

You only get one shot at a Live show....

[Inky Goddess]

Originally posted by our Moderator
When I mix studio records, I do it as per the drummer's perspective. Meaning, overheads panned with hihat on the left side, ride on the right.

interesting. other AE's i know pan the drum kit from the audience's perspective in the studio. why do you prefer from the drummer's?

[Tim Halligan]

Originally posted by astra
You only get one shot at a Live show....

...just like driving a racing car.

Rule #1: Don't F@%k up.

...aah the wonders of adrenaline!

And for live television:

Rule #1A: F@%k art - just get it there!

Cheers,
Tim

ps. I've forgotten the other rules...and there aren't THAT many!

[Remoteness]

Originally posted by Inky Goddess
interesting. other AE's i know pan the drum kit from the audience's perspective in the studio. why do you prefer from the drummer's?

I'm a right handed "air" drummer... I like the sound to follow me around the (air) kit as I play them.

[Dave Martin]

Originally posted by Remoteness
I'm a right handed "air" drummer... I like the sound to follow me around the (air) kit as I play them.

That's as good a reason as I've heard yet.

[Remoteness]

Hey, I figured most folks are right handed "air" drummers. And would rather have the sound follow their motion...

Furthermore, they may have spent plenty of bread on their favorite headphones or speaker system -- They paid for the gear, why not give them the total experience.

Air Drummers do loose out when listening to one of my live show mixes. For me the audience perspective is key. What you see is what you hear. It's another mindset, but not bad when the audio is part of a visual experience.

[ClickTrackAudio]

Hey, guys....

I lurk here more than participate, but here's one I've gotta add 2c to...

My take on it is this:

When I record live, I want to capture the spirit that's going onstage in a way that allows myself (or the guy doing the mix) to put it together at a studio-esqe quality level that the average listener expects these days. You only get one shot at it, but that's where your creativity (and hopefully talent) comes in.

The biggest compliment I get is "It sounds so clean...but it feels like its live!"

[Remoteness]

You said it Clicky. Right on my man!