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Recording quality...

A lot of time here is spent discussing equipment, which is to be expected.  But even the best gear will not mask a lousy recording.  Let's face it, some labels use better recording equipment, microphone placement, mixing and so on to create stunning sound.  Other labels just don't sound as good.  

Case in point...when I purchase a recording, I'm looking for a recording date within the last five years.  I realize that some classic recordings took place years ago recorded with analog equipment, but it will still sound old on anything modern you play it on.  I'm not a big fan of remastering either.  Look, I realize that we can't bring back Miles Davis or get Pink Floyd back together to do a modern recording, but imagine if we could.

Once, when I was a kid, I was lucky enough to witness a live recording session in a real studio.  This was in the late 60s, when real musicians played real instruments.  They used these gigantic Scully tape machines with inch-thick Ampex 456 tape running at fast speed and a mixing board, which was the most modern recording equipment of the time.  Today, that equipment belongs in a museum, considering the modern tools that recording engineers have now.  

My point here is that great equipment is nice, but paired with a recent recording using modern tools, the sound is so much better.  Just my humble opinion.  What say you to this?
mikeydee

Showing 1 response by sevs

sevs
301 posts
 
@tomcy6 I totally relate to what you are saying but let me respectfully disagree with one point. We all are listening to our favorite tunes through the gear we care to afford, only time and our personal "audio gurus" can slooowly change our ways. However, when someone posts a question, it (sometimes) means that this person is ready to listen to something different than "you r good, please continue". 
Steven Wilson remix (using ProTools, I would guess) of Aqualung sounds better (but different) than the original. How did that happen? What they called "juicy" compression in 70-ies now degraded to CDs and LPs sounding the same through hi-end and car stereos. 
My answer to the original question: check your favorite (best sounding) albums at Dynamic Range Database. What do you see? 
I remember myself falling for the "general knowledge" (in early 90-ies) that any CDs without DDD stamp are not worth buying. I wish there was a place, like what we got here and at Steve Hoffman site, to kick me in the butt!.. so that I would start Listening...
One more sentence of "old man's rambling": it was the best day of my life when I listened to Brahms symphonies under Bohm on my hi-end rig, but I still prefer BeeGees through my boombox, the way I remember them when I was a kid. Go figure!

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