No idea where to post this.
It's Saturday at 3:30 and I'm listening to Shostakovitch's Lady MacBeth opera from a PBS FM station in the web. (Pretty nice.)
And I'm thinking I bet I could always tell a fresh live (or near-live recording, like I'm hearing) of an opera from a regular "stale" recording.
Clearly there are coughs and noises as a tip-off. But footsteps have a reality much better than commercial recordings. I think? So clear. Great spatial location. Just wonderful.
My speakers are crystal-clear electrostatics.
My imagination or does a mountain of interposed processing hurt the sound on commercial releases?
Ben
It's Saturday at 3:30 and I'm listening to Shostakovitch's Lady MacBeth opera from a PBS FM station in the web. (Pretty nice.)
And I'm thinking I bet I could always tell a fresh live (or near-live recording, like I'm hearing) of an opera from a regular "stale" recording.
Clearly there are coughs and noises as a tip-off. But footsteps have a reality much better than commercial recordings. I think? So clear. Great spatial location. Just wonderful.
My speakers are crystal-clear electrostatics.
My imagination or does a mountain of interposed processing hurt the sound on commercial releases?
Ben
Last edited:
Every sound is sharper - voices. Esp noticeable today with "rough" comical sounds from lower brass instruments in the pit. So some mics must be pretty close, even if not so up-close and standing still like recordings.
BTW, Covent Garden by way of WFMT Chicago to WNED Buffalo to Toronto....
BTW, Covent Garden by way of WFMT Chicago to WNED Buffalo to Toronto....
I tend to like the live recordings better. Radio France and Radio Netherlands do excellent live broadcasts and recordings. In my experience there is less post production on live recordings than on studio creations.
Depends. I've got one or two live opera recordings that sound terrible.
Look for for Pavarotti & Sutherland, La Traviata, cond Bonynge, recorded live at the NY Met, 1970, for a resounding example. An historic event for sure but horrible from an audio point of view.
Whenever I can, I get recordings made by BIS (not necessarily live). For my money they get closest to the sound heard live in the hall.
Look for for Pavarotti & Sutherland, La Traviata, cond Bonynge, recorded live at the NY Met, 1970, for a resounding example. An historic event for sure but horrible from an audio point of view.
Whenever I can, I get recordings made by BIS (not necessarily live). For my money they get closest to the sound heard live in the hall.
I love some Youtube home and gig vids of young talented musicians. Joy of playing and even dynamics are much better than on "records"
Check eg. Chloe Chua, Morgan James, Allison Young, Stepanie Jones, The Petersens, even John Fogerty!
Check eg. Chloe Chua, Morgan James, Allison Young, Stepanie Jones, The Petersens, even John Fogerty!
Last edited:
Depends what you mean by 'live'; as well as live radio broadcasts, many recordings in the 78 era were 'live' in the sense that overdubbing wasn't possible. So some music wasn't recorded with an audience, but in that sense was still 'live'.
Unfortunately, the only live opera recordings I have are pretty ropey: the worst is a 1952 La Traviata with Maria Callas which sounds thin and weedy; the best a 'Carmen' from 1973 conducted by Georg Solti with the late Shirley Verrett as Carmen. It sounds OK, albeit a bit muffled on the vocals, but has great atmosphere, even has the occasional flub. I suspect it's a grey area recording, so hasn't been tampered with as much as a mainstream release. Years ago, you could get a complete live Ring Cycle LP set from Murray Hill Records, where the prompter was the only really clear voice on the set!
Our ABC Classic FM often does live orchestral and opera broadcasts and they always sound good: there's definitely an atmosphere or buzz about them. Plus coughs of course.
As for live pop/rock albums, that's sometimes a bit of a joke as many (most?) are massaged and overdubbed after recording. That's not possible with some live recordings such as Hendrix, of course as the artist(s) has passed away.
Some albums are even partially 'fake live', with applause added to studio tracks - I won't name them as someone will probably sue me...
Geoff
Unfortunately, the only live opera recordings I have are pretty ropey: the worst is a 1952 La Traviata with Maria Callas which sounds thin and weedy; the best a 'Carmen' from 1973 conducted by Georg Solti with the late Shirley Verrett as Carmen. It sounds OK, albeit a bit muffled on the vocals, but has great atmosphere, even has the occasional flub. I suspect it's a grey area recording, so hasn't been tampered with as much as a mainstream release. Years ago, you could get a complete live Ring Cycle LP set from Murray Hill Records, where the prompter was the only really clear voice on the set!
Our ABC Classic FM often does live orchestral and opera broadcasts and they always sound good: there's definitely an atmosphere or buzz about them. Plus coughs of course.
As for live pop/rock albums, that's sometimes a bit of a joke as many (most?) are massaged and overdubbed after recording. That's not possible with some live recordings such as Hendrix, of course as the artist(s) has passed away.
Some albums are even partially 'fake live', with applause added to studio tracks - I won't name them as someone will probably sue me...
Geoff
C'mon folks, just why are you posting for our critical attention recordings (OK, live ones) of amplified instruments? Crap in, crap out.
I made a recoding of a cow bell. (Please no jokes about "more cowbell".) While few musical compositions if enduring status use the cow bell, it does provide a wide range freq compass and very intense percussive transients. Details of the recording are at the link below.
I can't seem to upload it to this thread, but you can find it at:
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/cowbell.341203/#post-5878278
B.
I made a recoding of a cow bell. (Please no jokes about "more cowbell".) While few musical compositions if enduring status use the cow bell, it does provide a wide range freq compass and very intense percussive transients. Details of the recording are at the link below.
I can't seem to upload it to this thread, but you can find it at:
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/cowbell.341203/#post-5878278
B.
