Recomend Some Albums Recorded with True Imaging.
I am looking for some recommendations of some albums recorded for true imaging. By that I mean a group of people playing acoustic instruments recorded
old school
with just two microphones. Not songs mixed from multiple tracks and balanced to give the impression they are playing in the center. I have recently been relistening to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Will the Circle be Unbroken". This is a raw recording where they found the best bluegrass and early county artists, sat them down in a studio, took one take, and (probably) recording them with just 2 microphones for stereo. No mixing and minimal processing. What they played in the room is exactly what you hear. The results for imaging is all I can say is wow. Even with a half decent system you can close your eyes and tell where ever instrument is playing from and where they are standing. And it is the first time I finally understood the phrase " the speakers disappear".
While my main preference is 70's progressive rock I don't think I will find it there. But Jazz, Bluegrass, Blues or Classical would be good. Any suggestions.
While my main preference is 70's progressive rock I don't think I will find it there. But Jazz, Bluegrass, Blues or Classical would be good. Any suggestions.
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Branford Marsalis – Renaissance
https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/1552597?sort=condition%2Cdesc&ev=rb He was very young, awesome even then tracks from a few recording dates, and a few live tracks |
Mingus Dynasty, Live at Montreux. Terrific Live Imaging. Mingus Dynasty is a rotating group of primarily Mingus Alumni. These are all Mingus Compositions, and, they have two bass players, one far left, one far right. (here’s stereo bass for you) Live recordings can be the best imaging, sometimes loud crowd noise ’ruins it’, here is non-disturbing, not loud crowd noise only at end of tracks. https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/1448034?sort=condition%2Cdesc&ev=rb ................................... Weird Imaging (wonderful music just don’t sit in ’focused’ listening position) Oscar Peterson, The Sound of the Trio (recorded live) https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/3596248?sort=condition%2Cdesc&ev=rb Drums Left, Bass Right, Piano Centered, should be great (as many OP Trio recordings are) But: Piano is recorded with high notes off to left of center, low notes right of center, it comes off as the largest, widest piano in the world. Then, a long drum solo, the engineer electronically moves the drummer to the center, keeping brush work left, and moving kick drum right. This from Verve ????? I was going to get rid of it, then I decided, ’get away from the weird imaging’, so I moved into far corner, and it is a terrific trio performance, one I will never part with. |
danvignau291 posts Your 'weak bass' comment is relevant to this current 'Tone Controls' Thread https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/toole-and-why-i-like-tone-controls your post "Imaging is usually executed by multi-miking. Old jazz standards from the 1960's and early 1970's are the best for my tastes. A mic on stage left, a mike on stage right, and often, a mike on the soloist. Unfortunately, the bass suffers on many of these mixes, because nearly anyone had a lot of power back then for good woofs. At least try to get analogue recordings. AVOID anything early on that brags about being purely digital". ............................................. It's not just smaller speakers, I have a pair of very efficient 15" woofers, from 1956, and often bass is recorded or purposely weak, then and now. Jazz Bass, for me, is the primary reason to have (and optionally use) an automatic 'loudness' contour for low volume listening. I yap about that in the thread I linked. |
A couple of CD's I have sound like what you are looking for. One is call "The Pizza Tapes". It is Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, and Tony Rice playing together in a home studio. It is a little raw but it is definitely live and unedited.The other I can think of is Townes Van Zant "Live at Old Quarter". It feels like you are sitting in the bar. Townes wasn't at his best, but I enjoy it. Al |
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