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Rock Concerts through your rig?

Ok, guys. Having to been to a few concerts in my time going back to, what was it?, Woodstock and up to the present, I still cannot figure out a concert referent. Rock is electronic. Even the drums are miked up the wazoo. Everthing playing through oodles of amps, speakers, wires, relays the whole nine. What it natural about that? Well, maybe naturally electric? What does a naturally sounding miked drum supposed to sound like. Guitar? Percussion? You know what I'm talk'n about? What are the qualities of listening to your home rig playing a live concert, that you equate to a live concert other than ear bleed levels? At least when you're listening to acoustic music, you have (other than the room dynamics)nothing between your ears and the instrument. It would seem to me that spending mega bucks on a home rig to duplicate concert sound shouldn't be necessary. Or do you have to spend the $$ to attain those kind of spl levels to make it happen? Power cords, ICs, speaker cables? Is that necessary for the home concert quest? Hopefully some of you audiophools will know what I'm trying to ask. thanks in advance, warren :)
128x128warrenh
11 responses Add your response
madhf
170 posts
 
Rock Concerts Thru My Rig? Some simply amazing!!!
Most cases, I prefer dts surround sound some dolby digital is very good as well. Some of My Top liners:
Roy Orbison-Black and White Night
Genisis-Live at Wembely Stadium
Billy Idol-Story Tellers
Fleetwood Mac-The Dance
Dream Theater-Dark Side of the Moon
Moody Blues
The Who
The live at Montreux--series
The Live in Austin Texas series
and quite a few more!!
theo's avatar
theo
2,681 posts
 
Red Rocks, Moody Blues with Denver Symphany Orchestra, the only concert that I would say sounded great.
s7horton
1,077 posts
 
Rock concerts need nothing but SPL's to be reproduced at home. I can do that with a pair of 300 dollar cerwin vegas at best buy.

Even good audio, though, doesn't have to be outragiously expensive. You are paying for refinement that you don't need for rock concerts.
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
reference loudspeakers alow you to enjoy what's on the recording, nothing more or less. electric or not, its just a recording.
dgarretson
2,597 posts
 
I was reminded of the thrill of live at a recent NIN concert, where the grip of dynamics in the gut felt like a heart attack... no home system can pull this off. There are some well recorded rock concerts, tho it's tough to like the CD versions, as few digital front ends can crank it up without sounding flat and hard. You can often tell if you've arrived by the non-mechanical sound of clapping & the presence of differentiated, realist voices in the crowd. My fav live CDs are unplugged albums that combine acoustic instruments with added dynamics of clean amplification:

Pearl Jam "Benaroya Hall/Oct 22nd 2003"
Foo Fighters "Skin & Bones"
Nirvana Unplugged
EC Unplugged
Neil Young Unplugged

and all electric & all fantastic:

King Crimson "The Projects" (4 CDs)
Grateful Dead "Fillmore West 1969" (3 CDs)
musicslug
430 posts
 
paul allen (co-founder of microsoft) built a concert venue as part of the 'experience music project' (rock museum basically) which has amazing sound - I equate it to a gigantic high-end stereo. unfortunately the museum has been struggling and doesn't do much in the way of concerts. too bad, because otherwise I agree with the above posts: most rock shows sound pretty bad. the people who record shows know all too well that a recording taken from the floor is far inferior to one taken off the sound board.
240zracer
121 posts
 
I agree, but I have an exception. This is of course my opinion, but I have always been impressed by Neil Diamond's Hot August Night. I think they miked and mixed, or whatever, that concert very well, and did it years ago.
timrhu
2,779 posts
 
I don't go to rock concerts for the audio satisfaction. In fact I always wear ear plugs as I like to get as close as possible to the stage. Even at my age I enjoy the "groove" of the crowd moving with the music.
Wouldn't attempt to duplicate this at home in my listening room.
warrenh's avatar
warrenh OP
2,299 posts
 
That's just what I was thinking as far as bringing a concert into a house. I was thinking a pair of Kilpshorns, actually, a 100 watt anything, a decent cpd and chair to sit smack dab in the middle of those big babies. That would do it for me. I'd use lamp cord for speaker cable, as well.
bdgregory
1,712 posts
 
I agree with you both - I've been to very few (maybe zero) live performances where I was satisfied with the sound and acoustics. It makes no sense to try to duplicate live performances for the reasons you mention, but rather just try get a sense that the musicians are in the room and to get the energy level right .
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