The “They are here” vs “You are there” sound topic

The overtone structures created by instruments have an enormous influence on their individual and signature timbres. Those overtones obviously don’t stop at 800Hz. The nature of the crossover plays a huge role in the loudspeaker’s ability to recreate both the fundamental tones and their overtones. Superior drivers make the design of the x/o an easier task.

In one of his Tech Talk Tuesday videos, Danny Richie (GR Research) shows the on and off axis response of individual drivers and complete loudspeakers, and demonstrates how improving the off axis response (often via the x/o, the design of which Danny is an expert) affects the loudspeaker’s total in room response, in both the amplitude and temporal domains.

Do yourself a huge favor and watch the videos!

@tomic601, for years I too thought the Basement Tapes were recorded on a Revox A77 (perhaps because that is what is pictured on the front cover of the official LP release ;-). But in his book Testimony, Robbie Robertson lists the recording equipment Garth Hudson used in the basement of Big Pink all throughout 1967:

- A half dozen Norelco mics (dictation mics?!).

- A couple of "little" Altec mixers.

- An Ampex 2-channel/4-track stereo reel-to-reel recorder (consumer, not pro), running at either 7.5 or 3.75 ips.

- Two speakers for playback listening.

- Headphones on which Garth set mic levels.

Thank God for Garth Hudson!

The two most effective ways to create the "You Are There" experience are:

1- Binaural recording and playback (headphones only).

2- A surround sound system that uses the rear channels for hall ambience. That ambience can be discrete (recorded with separate mics on separate channels) or simulated (as with the Hafler out-of-phase matrix).

Very few recordings are made with the thought of recreating the sound of the performance venue, with the listener feeling he or she is in that venue. Besides, the sound inside recording studios is very unlike performance venues.