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Milli Vanilli

Pithecanthropus wrote:

Daddyo wrote:

1's and 0's, what a way to record.

I'd have to disagree. Yes, I understand the "warmth" of analogue recording, but in my experience, digital is a "take saver."

For example, yesterday I was in the studio doing Xmas music for a friend's forthcoming CD, I kind of futzed the last chord of one of the songs. All I had to do was play that chord again, cleanly, and the engineer can paste it in place of the bad one. We didn't have to re-record the entire track, which we would have had to do if we'd been recording to tape.

On my band's first CD the other guitarist played a G when he was supposed to play an F, we didn't notice it until days after we recorded the basic track. Rather than gather all the musicians together again, or even make him come in again, we were able to digitally lower the chord a whole step -- making for a pretty gnarly sounding F, but saving time and effort.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the value of digital, I have a 16 track digital studio in my shop. I have been involved in analog and digital recording for a long time, it does save a lot of time and effort but it is not only about the "warmth", there is more to it.
For me "live" recording is the best, whether in a studio or on a stage. Live recording creates it's own set of problems (which can be overcome) but the energy generated in this setting makes the best records. Some of the best music ever recorded was done by Rudy Van Gelder, some of it in his parents living room, no 1's and 0's used, and I am sure multiple takes did happen. When you listen to these recordings you can hear the minor mistakes that are always present but that is music. Today there are no minor flaws, everything is perfect.
Not long ago I participated in a "recording session" where I never even met some of the musicians - strange concept for me even now. I don't like this record, it seems cold.
I apologize if I started to rant but I love looking into the bass players eyes and silently agreeing to go somewhere with the music that wasn't scripted but just happened, this doesn't happen as much in todays recordings.

Last edited by Daddyo (2009-11-04 1:12 pm)

Yeah, but can you look into his eyes and decide that because the sax player is so stinking hot at that moment that you are going to extend the song so that the sax player can continue his hotness for another six measures - or twenty?

mrreet2001 wrote:

Daddyo wrote:

Yeah, but can you look into his eyes and decide that because the sax player is so stinking hot at that moment that you are going to extend the song so that the sax player can continue his hotness for another six measures - or twenty?

can I look into his eyes? .. no ... can we extend the song ... yes.

I know you can, through the magic of 1's and 0's. It ain't the same.

All but our first jazz record have been recorded live, and that one is kinda sterile.

For the rock/pop/folk band we always try to get the bass, guitars, keyboards & drums playing together and then add the vocals, solos and any "sweetenings" later.

For the aforementioned Xmas CD, we played arrangements. We still did the bass, drums, guitar & keys together -- several takes until we felt it was right, but the horns simply didn't have to be there, and I'm glad because I'd hate to have to do a track over a couple of times because one of the trumpet players had a clam.

I agree though that too much "modern" music is completely polished and perfected. Hell, listen to Carole King's Tapestry and you hear noise and errors all over the place, but the emotion of the music carries. Now-a-days you won't hear the creak of a chair, the click of a stick, or even the shape of the room because everything is so digitized.

Don't even get me started on loops.

Chickenhawk wrote:

what's wrong with loops?

I don't consider decoupage to be art and I don't consider loops to be music.

That's my gut reaction.

I understand that there are bajillions of shades of gray and that loops can be used effectively, but to me they're soul-less.

I've played around with Garage Band, and it's fun, but I'd never use loops in my own music.

But don't worry, I'm typically ±20 years behind the times music-wise, I might change my mind in 2029.