Is the Live Music Reference Correct?


I've gone to a bunch of live concerts in the last year. (Jazz, Classical, Theatrical) Most of these performances were well done from the performance perspective. Unfortunately, each time I get up to leave I have had the same thought. I wish I could have heard the performance on my stereo. Why? Well the performances here in the Denver area are never performed in premo accoustic locations, the performers are beginning to be close mic'd with cordless mics, and the sound you hear is through speakers that don't usually approach mid-fi in quality. Add that to the talking people and the too loud production for even jazz and classic performances you get a sonic performance that is easily eclipsed by a standard quality CD.
I've been to great performances in good accoustic spaces that are truely magical, but the run of the mill average performance is not worth the tickets...or the gas to drive to it.
keis
keis: i agree, unhappily, that the great majority of classical and theatrical concerts in the denver area are ruined by poor acoustics. du has built some smaller venues that are wonderful, tho. and, we have some great sounding places for rock/jazz/folk and blues: red rocks, the fillmore, gothic, fiddler's green and swallow hill. HOB will open soon. now, if we could just arrange for a cross-country move of carnegie hall. -kelly
No. TAS exults live unamplified music instead of what we get from most live perfoemances, hard to find for the music I'd like to hear. The volume is always way too loud for me at most jazz and rock venues even though I listen at what I consider to be loud volume at home, usually in the 80-90 db range. I've taken my radio shack meter to some live amplified outdoor concerts, basically in the park type venues and recorded levels of close to 110 db in open air like twenty five feet away and these guys think it sounds good. I don't stay long. There is some merit to going home and listening to what you like on a quality system.
I have yet to find an experience that matches a live performance; caught Mark Knofler just last week and I'm still in awe. The reference for me? I wanna throw on "Love Over Gold" by Dire Straits, close my eyes, and feel like Mark's right there in my listening room, working his magic. If I have to pick between re-creating studio session or a live concert as a the ultmate goal, the over-mixed, over- miked studio stuff will get the thumbs down from me everytime (even the well done stuff doesn't capture the emotion and artistic value a live performance offers). Enjoy the music, Jeff