Vinyl. Is it me? the producer? cartridge? Record?

Being a musician and one who has spent a fair amount of time behind a mixing console also, my ears might be a bit more sensitive than most.

I spent a lot of time trying to get things to sound unnatural during the 90's exploring the possibilities of studio outboard gear, and what that could add to the music that was tracked. I'm finding myself now retreating from those ideals and enjoy simpler cleaner recordings, and performances. When you add effects, or even EQ in post production, it changes the sonic landscape often to the point of things simply not sounding realistic. While most seem to like that.. I really don't anymore. I like to feel like the musicians are in the same room at the same time playing music that is truly interactive. I know this is something a lot of listeners are not going to be aware of, but if I hear dry vocals with a bunch or reverb on the drums or a flat sounding kit with a sax solo that sounds like it was recorded in a brick alley at 3 am... I find that quite uncomfortable.

In today's music, it's pretty much standard fair to drop all the tracks into a computer program like Pro Tools and then just fix everything, move all the drum hits to the nearest 8th or 16th note, and use pitch shifters to fix all the flaws in a solo or vocal performance. But it really doesn't sound right. Too homogenized for my tastes. I think it's killing the music and the industry in the long term.

The thing the young musicians are not getting is the creativity that comes from massive amounts of practice time.

Artists used to have to grind it out, and really get prepared for a session, and in that grind would come nuances and articulations that are simply not happening anymore due to modern studio practice. There is way too much "That's good enough" "we'll fix the rest" .. "Ok, let's move on to the next track". I'm just not hearing the lightening being bottled like it used to... especially with the instrumentalists.

The good players now sound too good, too unnatural it can become silly, like most of the contemporary jazz records. There is no realness, no heart in it anymore. Too much over production and manipulation.

Now getting back to recordings... the digital recordings are just that. Digital. I don't care what your arguments are or how many sampling "Ks" you boast, it will always come up short of a proper magnetic tape session. Then the playback issues... CD format, even Blueray disc, it just is what it is. Convenience over quality.

I agree, especially within the "Contemporary Jazz" ("smooth jazz) category. The studio albums are too clean and the playing and sound are sterile. However, if you hear many of these artists live you may change your mind about them. Many of them can really play, but are at the mercy of their producers in the studio.

I would love to see more live albums by these artists, where they are allowed to control their own performance.

I tend to enjoy mid to late 70s recordings...pre digital...pre pro tools...SOTA analogue multitrack...just before 80s hated drums and heavy reverberated...but still some quirky new wave/punk twists...anything at compass studios during this era is immaculate...early b52s, talk heads, etc.

No doubt, a lot of these jazz guys can play. We saw Jean Luc Ponty recenty in Oakland and it was a real clinic. But the records are really over produced. To me it's like the difference between a photograph and a great painting.

A little grit, grain and texture can make all the difference.

But even live albums are messed with digitally in the studio. The producers just don't stop there. If they have the tools to fix something, they will use them...and that is the problem. They really don't get the idea that sometimes less is more.

My ear is trained enough that I can still hear the punch in and outs.