tape master from digital

I don't think the musicians and techies are separated on this at all.
Knowledgeable guitarists have been making a concious choice to use tube amps
over solid state ever since solid state came out. They have ears too.

Although I agree that there can be too much focus on the aural quality of
the music instead of the actual composition, I think choosing to work on a
"trademark sound" is a perfectly acceptable thing. I would also argue that
the Beatles used the studio as an instrument long before Eno "invented" the
idea. :)

Eric B.

Lookingglass...

Hi Eric...

I think we are addressing two different issues here. One being the sound of
the recording, and the other being the quality of the composition. I
personally do not believe that when recording a track, you can focus "too
much" on the aural quality... I mean that is what a 'recording' is... a
*sound* recording. Otherwise, we would just buy sheet music rather than a
CD/DVD audio recording. Even if it is just a 'demo', I would want it to
sound as good as possible for presentation... and to produce a recording
that is to be sold to the public for a profit (and to build a reputation
on), I would take the time to produce a quality (and certainly aurally
interesting) sound recording.

//=O

dave (...what would you think if I sang out of tune...)
Head (master) Cheerleader

Eric B....

Yeah, we are talking about two different things Dave. But in the end it is
the composition that really matters, the work. It isn't the outboard gear,
the clothes or the attitude. The rub is that the music buying public is used
to hearing everything slickly produced and sometimes the song can get lost.
People are getting used to hearing all the "realness" on lead vocals
autotuned out. It's no wonder gaffes like Ashlee Simpson on SNL happen. Real
singers can't compete with a machine, so more and more "live" shows use
pre-canned vocals.

Eric B.

Lookingglass...

I too believe that the composition of a song or musical work is the most
important part in the chain of 'musical events'... without a good song or a
good composition, there is no substance, despite all the production and
effects in the studio. I do this with my own 'compositions'... which
generally start out as improvisations on guitar or piano. If there is
nothing there in the beginning, there certainly can't be anything there at
the end... "garbage in, garbage out".

I was surprised recently, when I listened to the free CD that was put out by
MOJO to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Beatles REVOLVER. I greatly
anticipated listening to TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS... how could they possibly
represent THIS song...!?! It was stripped back to the basics... vocal and
guitar...that's it.
It was a powerful moment for me, as the song really 'leaped out' to me, with
NO effects at all...just chords and lyrics. It is easy to get caught up in
the original recording BECAUSE of the astonishing aural landscape of the
Beatle's ground-breaking recording... but the "proof of the pudding"... is
in the foundation... and this very simple version of TNK is striking in it's
ability to convey the 'message' WITHOUT the studio coming in between it and
the music.

I miss 'live' music... though I myself make use of the wonderful technology
now available to 'dilettante's like myself...

Eric B....

Eric B....

Danny Caccavo...

Yeah, I saw that! (or should I say, heard that, but only if I turned up
the level a bit...)

Eric B.

An example that comes to mind is an album like "Tapestry" by Carole King.
The piano sounds like an old upright, the production is minimal, she isn't
really that good of a singer yet the songs are unbelieveably catchy. It was
a smash album in it's day. I don't know that a similar album would be the
hit that "Tapestry" was, the record buying public has become too
sophisticated.

A lot of slick production can cover up a weak song (or artist) to a certain
point, but I don't think many of the hit songs of today could survive being
"Stripped down" to their core as you mentioned. Sad but true.

Eric B.

Lookingglass...

...Well... there you go... "cover up"... no matter how much covering up one
can do, a weak song is still a weak song... though it's still possible to be
a great production... all style and no substance.

dave (...it's all too much...)
Head (to toe) Cheerleader

Eric B.

//^{

dave (...until it sounds just like a symphony...)
Head (phones) Cheerleader

Slip Kid...

=======================

She's in the room wit' ya:

'Careless Love'
Madeleine Peyroux