GuitarMikeB wrote:Planetguy wrote:GuitarMikeB wrote:I question the 'sterile' comment, though - how the sound comes out is much more a factor of HOW it was recorded (ie miking, room treatment) than how it is played or whether it is recorded one track at a time.
well, as to sounding sterile.....for me it's not the "sound" that's lacking as much as it is the PLAYING, chemistry, and the hookup that often suffers.
That makes sense, but its not the recording method then, its the player(s). I've seen bands like that, playing live!
I think it is the method of recording. The proper method for the genre should be considered. The close miked Multi-tracked sound became the norm for pop&rock during the 70s and ever since. It worked well for those and similar styles. But it really sucked to hear jazz records made that way. I don't think it caught on much for "classical" type records either, though they are out there.
It's not the players. With jazz, it is the spontaneous nature of the style of music. If the drummer records his track first, he will not hear the sax player .. even if you had the sax playing as a scratch track while the drummer records, the sax solo will be different each time ... unless you have very unimaginative players.
With classical, or even old rock&roll, there is "something in the air" .. a sort of spiritual happening when several good musicians play live, the subtle communications taking place between them that cannot directly be recorded by a microphone, but influences and shapes the feel and SOUND of the music in a very noticeable way.
For other types of musicians and music .. you would never miss what wasn't there to begin with.