2. amps-preamps
  3. 191161-150037

Is Recording quality the real culprit?

We spend Thousands on trying to improve the sound of what we listen to. But isn’t it really more of a problem that we can’t really overcome, eg. Recording quality? It’s so frustrating to have a really nice system and then to be at the mercy of some guy who just didn’t spend the time to do things better when things were being recorded.

Fortunately many artists make sure things are done well, but so many just don’t make it happen.

It can sound really good but just doesn’t have that Great quality we desire.

So why are we wasting our time spending so much money on audio equipment?

emergingsoul
immatthewj
2,088 posts
 

It may sound crappy, but it's still a good musical performance.

Okay, but if you don't care what it sounds like, why spend the $ for good equipment?

bigtwin's avatar
bigtwin
1,206 posts
 

Let's be honest.  Who else had to google the definition of "gestalt"? 🤣  But has the point been missed?  An engineer piles everything into the center or worse, takes a trio and places two instruments in each other's lap, right in the center and pins the third in the middle of the left speaker.  The entire right side of the sound-stage is empty.  I don't believe any system can improve these issues in recordings.  I often wonder, didn't the artist listen to the final mix before it was shipped? 

curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
4,781 posts
 

I have some recordings that were made using just one, stereo microphone that sound fantastic.  I also have some albums that were recorded with just a few microphones that everything is just plain off and I can’t get a listenable image of a singer or an instrument.  

ibmjunkman's avatar
ibmjunkman
244 posts
 

Your Can't Polish A Turd
 

But you can.

 

https://youtu.be/yiJ9fy1qSFI

wolf_garcia
6,711 posts
 

Conversely, a sub par recording can't kill great music. 

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