Many good comments re old vs new recording equipment/techniques.
I think pjw’s premise concerns piano trios specifically. In fairness, I am not aware of any trio recordings by a major jazz piano artist that were done with all three players NOT playing together. There MAY be some degree of isolation between the players by way of baffles, but the preferred method is to play together at the same time and without overdubs. In those cases the issues of concern are excessive multi micing and arguably needless sound processing of one kind or another. So, one could say that this is a moot concern re the original question. However, it is true that with larger ensembles the players sometimes record their individual parts at different times; or some variation of that with possibly a solo being overdubbed at a different time. In pop music and even some of the overproduced “jazz” recordings (some CTI’s) it’s a different matter, with everything done piece meal.
Imo, artistically serious music ALWAYS suffers when the musicians do not play together. In any performance the visual cues that players give each other are very important musically as well as the overall musical cohesion and energy that is generated by being together. Some of that energy or musical vibrancy is always lost otherwise. With heavily produced pop music things are not as clearcut since heavy handed production values can be an essential part of the particular sound aesthetic that the producers or artist actually want. Some of Quincy Jones’ more recent projects come to mind; masterful and extremely creative use of recording tools....if one likes that aesthetic.
I do think, as jpw suggests that with modern equipment in the hands of a really great engineer and producer the POTENTIAL exists for superior sounding recordings. There is a great irony as concerns all this and is something that producers and engineers struggle with. Modern recording studios almost always have far more bells and whistles (electronic sound processing devices) than back in the day. Many engineers find it difficult to NOT use these tools which in the wrong hands often do no more than muck things up. Of course there are great engineers who take advantage of the technology when it will truly benefit and who don’t have the all too common attitude of “we’ll fix it in the mix”; as opposed to striving for best possible sound with minimal manipulation from the start.
I think pjw’s premise concerns piano trios specifically. In fairness, I am not aware of any trio recordings by a major jazz piano artist that were done with all three players NOT playing together. There MAY be some degree of isolation between the players by way of baffles, but the preferred method is to play together at the same time and without overdubs. In those cases the issues of concern are excessive multi micing and arguably needless sound processing of one kind or another. So, one could say that this is a moot concern re the original question. However, it is true that with larger ensembles the players sometimes record their individual parts at different times; or some variation of that with possibly a solo being overdubbed at a different time. In pop music and even some of the overproduced “jazz” recordings (some CTI’s) it’s a different matter, with everything done piece meal.
Imo, artistically serious music ALWAYS suffers when the musicians do not play together. In any performance the visual cues that players give each other are very important musically as well as the overall musical cohesion and energy that is generated by being together. Some of that energy or musical vibrancy is always lost otherwise. With heavily produced pop music things are not as clearcut since heavy handed production values can be an essential part of the particular sound aesthetic that the producers or artist actually want. Some of Quincy Jones’ more recent projects come to mind; masterful and extremely creative use of recording tools....if one likes that aesthetic.
I do think, as jpw suggests that with modern equipment in the hands of a really great engineer and producer the POTENTIAL exists for superior sounding recordings. There is a great irony as concerns all this and is something that producers and engineers struggle with. Modern recording studios almost always have far more bells and whistles (electronic sound processing devices) than back in the day. Many engineers find it difficult to NOT use these tools which in the wrong hands often do no more than muck things up. Of course there are great engineers who take advantage of the technology when it will truly benefit and who don’t have the all too common attitude of “we’ll fix it in the mix”; as opposed to striving for best possible sound with minimal manipulation from the start.