Why should we think of "what microphones heard " as a standard

Unless you know a way, then, of using a pair of "golden ears" in place of microphones, all the sound in any given recording is that captured by the mics, at least that of acoustic, non-purely electronic sources (keyboards primarily, though some guitarists and bassists plug straight into the board). How can it possibly be otherwise?! The best mics DO capture close to everything they "hear"; it is how they are employed in the attempt to capture the "space" the recording is made in that remains the most elusive. J. Gordon Holt considered THAT to be the major remaining failing of our recording and reproduction technique, the remaining obstacle to achieving the life-like reproduction of recorded music.

No need for golden ears, just good enough ears.
He is right, I think, but this is not the only failing. Close to everything means far from reality. Can't they make better microphones and other elements in the recording chain ? What keeps them ?

Let's not slide into tape/vinyl debate. As for Pink Floyd, DSOTM and WUWH are not good recordings, to put it mildly, whatever the reasons. If the very best microphones were made decades ago, what have they been doing ever since ?

@inna

I don’t want to hijack your thread really, but I honestly think you may be looking at the problem the wrong way.

Although I agree with bdp24’s post above, And that we, as you say, we only need good enough ears, I don’t think of this as a mic issue, but instead a "noise floor" issue and with all the sound benefits related to it. We don’t need better mics, we need a greatly reduced noise floor...and far better than most systems, for example, ever achieve...and even though at the same time we could turn around and say the same thing about the recording chain and it would be no less true.

All the hardware/wiring that could ever comprise a playback system though, whoever made it or however much or however little it costs, can only create a doorway for the signal to go through, that’s all. But, it will still be up to that signal to get through that doorway unscathed. Good luck with that. There is so much of the music signal, no matter what our source type, that is never even making it to the drivers, trust me...even under the best of circumstances. In fact, there ARE no best of circumstances, there never were...another myth IMV that deserves to be busted.

We would prefer to think of those loses that the signal encounters going through a system (Any system) as small. But, nothing could be further from the truth, I think. Once restored, I’ve found those loses to be staggering. And I think with proper amounts of noise floor reduction (passive, active or both), you will undeniably see A LOT more agreement between what the mic hears and what our (ordinary) ears hear...but, until and unless that happens, likely not.

And having lived with that difference under my roof for the last year or so to the degree I now have it, then what can I tell you about it and why should anyone care? Well...let’s start with that gulf that has Always existed between you and the performers...the ones you keep saying you are getting closer to, but never actually get there. What would you say if I told you that you can 100% erase that gulf - and do so WITHOUT relying on hyperbole. That And hearing everything the mic heard. That stuff (and more) is just for openers once you cross into the territory of what might be to gain by substantially reducing the noise floor. But, if you want the dope on all that, then you should go over to Alan Maher Designs (facebook) and go down that rabbit hole if you like, as I did. But, be prepared (in the long run, at least) to bring your wallet if you want to make the full run of it.

It’s a pretty cool time to be in this hobby at present. And the voices that have been calling on reducing the noise floor are becoming a little louder and more frequent. We see many threads on things like fuses, mats and other things that are finding new ways to take advantage of new materials like nano-carbon fiber, graphene, highly conductive ceramics and so forth that are becoming more available. I’ve been pretty optimistic for what the future of all that might yet bring for more people, both to the playback And to the recording side.

Regards