Throw away all your high end kit.....

orange · 28th April 2006

Just watching TOTP2 on uktvG2 and it's a Beatles special.

They showed that clip of Macca doing yesterday at the Royal Variety Performance (1965 ?). Just him and that Epiphone Texan with a string section somewhere offstage.

Macca's my least favourite Beatle but it's still an amazing experience to watch and listen. Just some random mic in front of him and the guitar. Let's be honest, they could have recorded him from the next room with a dictaphone using a beancan and string microphone and it would still have sounded superior to anything I'm ever gonna capture on tape.

As a contrast the next song was some modern pile of sh*t by Sting...loads of cash, loads of equipment but very little actual talent in evidence.

and the moral of that story ?

si

ArcCirDude · 28th April 2006

Uh.... You're a Sting hater that can't capture anything on tape?

max cooper · 28th April 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by orange

and the moral of that story ?

Now, more than ever, we should be trying to raise Lennon.

I agree, though.

About the recording/talent thing, and about Sting.

Hey, I dug the first two Police albums. It's not like I was trying to dislike Sting.

Then he goes from Quadrophenia to The Bride, Baron Munchausen and Dune?

The DVD "Bring on the Night" is almost watchable just for Omar Hakim, though.

orange · 28th April 2006

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Qq5dr8JLk

plus I agree with with everything you say about Sting

First two Police albums are great...what happened.

Plus Omar Hakim is sensational on that video.

Kiwiburger · 29th April 2006

I would also argue that Macca's latest album, with big budget high end stuff, also sounds dead and uninspiring.

But it's nothing to do with gear - it's how it's used.

The high end stuff of today tends to be cheaper versions of what was available in the 1950's, 60's and 70's. So don't say that gear wasn't important.

I've got plenty of recordings of Lennon and Macca using their cheap home recorders, and they suck big time.

But I think the real moral of this story is ...

You like what you like.

phelbin · 29th April 2006

I have become convinced that Sting is, in fact, a robot...the "Stingbot 3000." He's a song-writing machine...so we should expect him to convey any human emotion with his singing!

Anyway...I can't help but be excited to see other engineers who don't like Sting.

Kestral · 29th April 2006

Yes, Sting is not The Beatles, and yes, Sting is a pompous ass but Message in a Bottle, We'll Be Together, Why Should I Cry For You, Everything She Does Is Magic, Every Breath You Take, that's some brilliant work there. Most artists will spend a lifetime and never create one piece of music that comes close to any of these.

You gotta give credit where it's due.

JP11 · 29th April 2006

I think the moral is that gear isn't all that important...and I think it's a good one...

I know that I think about it way too much, and I think about the "recording" way way way too much, instead of the music....

I know that these recording sites have made me way too obsessive about all this recording stuff....

everyone always says that it's just tools and it's all about the performance and the music, but while saying that, flipping out about one preamp or another as if it mattered in any significant way....

the other moral involving Sting...I agree too that somewhere along the line...the pop music world has become a bit too plastic, a bit too pristine, a bit too fake, a bit too calculated...a bit too much like a perfectly done forgettable product...all the Ts have been crossed, but who cares....

young Sting may have been a fake too, but at least there was some rawness to it....some life...because he is/was extremely talented, a great singer, he's a far FAR superior songwriter to anyone out now...and The Police as a band had energy and personality and originality on top of the fact that they were actually really good....and the earlier recordings embraced that instead of editing and polishing it out...

espasonico · 29th April 2006

It´s not fair to compare Sting with Macca and even less to compare modern Sting to 60´s Macca.

I think Bring on the Night is great !!

De chromium cob · 29th April 2006

I hope I wasn't the only one that had to look up what the hell a 'Macca' was.... I got from the context it was a Beatle, but you don't hear that nickname here in the states....At least I hadn't. Live and learn, live and learn....

Apparently that's also what some Australians call McDonald's as well!

eyesore · 29th April 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArcCirDude

Uh.... You're a Sting hater that can't capture anything on tape?

Yep, and don't hire Orange as a result. You can send some of that useless 'high end kit' to us instead of throwing it away, Orange.

This place is like the Twilight Zone. I amaze my friends by having them read threads such as this.

It was good at least to see ArcCirDude displaying some sanity.

vernier · 29th April 2006

Quote:

I think the moral is that gear isn't all that important...and I think it's a good one...

Quote:

But it's nothing to do with gear - it's how it's used.

Come-on, the gear is part of it! ..like on "Yesterday", Telefunken mic and pre ..helps make the song sound wonderful. And McCartney's bass, sounds better than Stings. I think it's partly the equipment.

sardi · 29th April 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by De chromium cob

Apparently that's also what some Australians call McDonald's as well!

Not some, ALL!! You dont hear anyone over here call it Micky Dee's. HAHAHAHA!!

Kiwiburger · 29th April 2006

Mack attack!

Kestral · 29th April 2006

The moral is true, gear doesn't matter...

...once you have a big Neve board and a hugh rack of 1176's, LA2A's, Fairchilds, Distressors, Transient Designers, Pro Tools HD, Apogee/Lavry converters, U47's, Royer 121's

dtucker · 29th April 2006

I was lost on the "macca" thing for a while there, too. So, are you comparing him to a bird? ;-)

And I totally disagree with the Sting haters. He may be part of the pop machine now, but he still is an extremely talented writer/musician.

Kiwiburger · 29th April 2006

Beatles fans have called McCartney "Macca" for decades. I didn't think that was so obscure ...

JP11 · 30th April 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiwiburger

Beatles fans have called McCartney "Macca" for decades. I didn't think that was so obscure ...

I an't sure, but I'm pretty sure that it was that Lennon guy who called him that...you can hear him say it in various demos..."are you ready...Macca"

EDIT: googling about...McCartney's brother, in his book apparently, says Paul was called Macca in school....

also...Macca is a common nickname for anyone with a Mc-type name....

ahhh trivia about ancient old guys....love it!!

JP11 · 30th April 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by vernier

Come-on, the gear is part of it! ..like on "Yesterday", Telefunken mic and pre ..helps make the song sound wonderful. And McCartney's bass, sounds better than Stings. I think it's partly the equipment.

It's the obsessing that I'm referring to...I don't think they obessed too much gear-wise...the musicians or the engineers...McCartney picked the Hofner because he could afford it and it looked okay upside down, for example...no doubt they obsessed somewhat, usually in a creative way I think, but probably not nearly what many do now, A/Bing everything in sight for minute differences...it seems nuts when you think about the impact that what they did had....

sedohr · 30th April 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by dtucker

I was lost on the "macca" thing for a while there, too.

And whats the thing with that "Sting"-thing, I mean, isn´t his name Gordon ?

De chromium cob · 30th April 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiwiburger

Beatles fans have called McCartney "Macca" for decades. I didn't think that was so obscure ...

I don't know where your from because you feel you should keep your location secret for some reason, but where I'm from (New York and now North Carolina) I've never heard anyone called 'Macca'. From what I read its common in England, parts of Europe and Australia.

chrispick · 30th April 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by De chromium cob

I don't know where your from because you feel you should keep your location secret for some reason, but where I'm from (New York and now North Carolina) I've never heard anyone called 'Macca'. From what I read its common in England, parts of Europe and Australia.

I live in So. California. I've heard a lot of people refer to McCartney as "Macca." Seems to me many Beatles fans know the moniker.

Myself, I'm not to keen on nicknames so I just say McCartney.

hitherto · 30th April 2006

Pauls my favorite Beatle, and I dig Sing as a Policeman (earlier is better), and I would have to say that Sing is a better bass player, maybe not technically but in terms of writing bass lines Sting takes the cake, IMHO.

28th April 2006	#1
orange Lives for gear Joined: Jul 2004 Location: London Posts: 1,688 Thread Starter	Throw away all your high end kit..... Just watching TOTP2 on uktvG2 and it's a Beatles special. They showed that clip of Macca doing yesterday at the Royal Variety Performance (1965 ?). Just him and that Epiphone Texan with a string section somewhere offstage. Macca's my least favourite Beatle but it's still an amazing experience to watch and listen. Just some random mic in front of him and the guitar. Let's be honest, they could have recorded him from the next room with a dictaphone using a beancan and string microphone and it would still have sounded superior to anything I'm ever gonna capture on tape. As a contrast the next song was some modern pile of sh*t by Sting...loads of cash, loads of equipment but very little actual talent in evidence. and the moral of that story ? si

28th April 2006	#2
ArcCirDude Lives for gear Joined: May 2005 Location: Nesna, Norway Posts: 1,175	The Moral? Uh.... You're a Sting hater that can't capture anything on tape?

29th April 2006	#10
De chromium cob Lives for gear Joined: Feb 2003 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 3,659	I hope I wasn't the only one that had to look up what the hell a 'Macca' was.... I got from the context it was a Beatle, but you don't hear that nickname here in the states....At least I hadn't. Live and learn, live and learn.... Apparently that's also what some Australians call McDonald's as well! __________________ "I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives." Tolstoy

29th April 2006	#16
dtucker Gear maniac Joined: Mar 2005 Location: NYC Posts: 275	I was lost on the "macca" thing for a while there, too. So, are you comparing him to a bird? ;-) And I totally disagree with the Sting haters. He may be part of the pop machine now, but he still is an extremely talented writer/musician. __________________ BC - "Sweet Jesus, that's smooth! Good work, Ted!"

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29th April 2006	#5
Kiwiburger Lives for gear Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 4,075	I would also argue that Macca's latest album, with big budget high end stuff, also sounds dead and uninspiring. But it's nothing to do with gear - it's how it's used. The high end stuff of today tends to be cheaper versions of what was available in the 1950's, 60's and 70's. So don't say that gear wasn't important. I've got plenty of recordings of Lennon and Macca using their cheap home recorders, and they suck big time. But I think the real moral of this story is ... You like what you like.

29th April 2006	#6
phelbin Gear addict Joined: Mar 2006 Location: Redding, CA Posts: 355	I have become convinced that Sting is, in fact, a robot...the "Stingbot 3000." He's a song-writing machine...so we should expect him to convey any human emotion with his singing! Anyway...I can't help but be excited to see other engineers who don't like Sting.

29th April 2006	#7
Kestral Lives for gear Joined: May 2004 Location: The Lost Moon of Poosh Posts: 1,759	Yes, Sting is not The Beatles, and yes, Sting is a pompous ass but Message in a Bottle, We'll Be Together, Why Should I Cry For You, Everything She Does Is Magic, Every Breath You Take, that's some brilliant work there. Most artists will spend a lifetime and never create one piece of music that comes close to any of these. You gotta give credit where it's due.

29th April 2006	#8
JP11 Banned Joined: Jun 2005 Posts: 3,306	I think the moral is that gear isn't all that important...and I think it's a good one... I know that I think about it way too much, and I think about the "recording" way way way too much, instead of the music.... I know that these recording sites have made me way too obsessive about all this recording stuff.... everyone always says that it's just tools and it's all about the performance and the music, but while saying that, flipping out about one preamp or another as if it mattered in any significant way.... the other moral involving Sting...I agree too that somewhere along the line...the pop music world has become a bit too plastic, a bit too pristine, a bit too fake, a bit too calculated...a bit too much like a perfectly done forgettable product...all the Ts have been crossed, but who cares.... young Sting may have been a fake too, but at least there was some rawness to it....some life...because he is/was extremely talented, a great singer, he's a far FAR superior songwriter to anyone out now...and The Police as a band had energy and personality and originality on top of the fact that they were actually really good....and the earlier recordings embraced that instead of editing and polishing it out...

29th April 2006	#9
espasonico Lives for gear Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 663	It´s not fair to compare Sting with Macca and even less to compare modern Sting to 60´s Macca. I think Bring on the Night is great !!

30th April 2006	#23
hitherto Lives for gear Joined: Sep 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 2,772	Pauls my favorite Beatle, and I dig Sing as a Policeman (earlier is better), and I would have to say that Sing is a better bass player, maybe not technically but in terms of writing bass lines Sting takes the cake, IMHO.

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