I've been thinking about this lately and I'd like to point out that it's not just artists and producers who make recordings. I'm happy to compare different high-end recording of Haydn Piano Trios or the various reissues of, say, Exile on Main Street. I don't use tone controls for anything like that. I also listen, though, to plenty of music that was not professionally released or was dubiously mixed; consider the incredible collection of Grateful Dead audience recordings on Archive. Some of those are gnarly and need some help. (I used to do a lot of Dead tape trading, speaking of a long time ago, and one of my Nak decks had pitch control, thank god; I got some doozies in the mail.) Also, recordings today can come from youtube or all kinds of social media, and many need some EQ assistance to be listenable. I bet many folks on 'Gon are just as qualified to "produce" a recording as the amateurs making recordings in their basements. And, as a couple people have said, what's the harm in listening to the sound you like?
I didn't mean to type that much! I've been looking at preamps lately and thinking about those ... knobs. (Balance control--I like that!)
I didn't mean to type that much! I've been looking at preamps lately and thinking about those ... knobs. (Balance control--I like that!)