Re: [ARSCLIST] A fundamental Flaw: Was Sampling Theory (was Fred Layn's post on the Studer list re: Quantegy)

["Steven C. Barr" <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steven Smolian" <smolians@xxxxxxxxx>
> We are speaking of live musicians performing on acoustical instruments in
an
> acoustical environment.  When recording, we are not attempting to capture
> the concert experience.  By artfully placing the microphones and enhancing
> the results by further processing, we are trying to create an audio
> imitation of that experience to be reproduced in an area of much smaller
> cubic volume in which playback is accomplished through speakers, not
> headphones.
>
> Sitting on the stage- i.e., inside the acoustical distribution device, one
> hears high frequencises directly instead of in the way the shell
disperses,
> delays and destroys a portion of the upper part of the audible spectrum
when
> delivering sound to the audience.
>
> The engineer has to decide where in the hall his "listener" is seated as
his
> focal point. First row, with its wider than deep sound stage is different
> from 12 rows back is different from the balcony, lower (audio) level, much
> less directional but more even distribution of the spectrum.
>
> A basic flaw in the way classical records are made is that the conductor
or
> his surrogate has approval of the finished product.  He is used to hearing
> from yet another physical position, one that exagerates the spread of the
> instruments.  If he is not kept under control, we get the acoustical
diorama
> of the "shaded dogs" and "living presence" records, as unrealistic in
their
> way as ping-pong stereo or 14' wide pianos, though a far more pleasent
> listening experience, especially to those of us who fantasy-conduct with
the
> record.
>
> There may be something positive to be said for mono.
And the situation is even worse for "pop" recordings! In most cases, these
are
made by recording each musician separately...sometimes even on different
dates...
and then reassembling these recorded separate performances through
engineering
wizardry to approximate the sound of the musicians playing as a band!

Done this way, any illusion of placement is created solely by the engineers
and the producer, and has nothing to do with any recorded configuration of
the players.

I doubt that details like phase coherency are even considered as an
afterthought!

Steven C. Barr