In praise of limitations

Where in the box excels is mixing recordings that were made with very few overdubs and no headphones '50s style. You do need a good arrangement or else it's a train wreck.

Back then the only faders ridden were vocals and solos. Little or no compression was required because the performers created their own dynamics in response to each other and did a better job of it than can ever be fabricated after the fact in a mix. Songs were recorded and mixed in less than an hour each. Jack Clement recorded and mixed "Whole Lotta' Shakin' Goin' On" by Jerry Lee Lewis in less than three minutes. Has anybody really made a better pop record?

Motown introduced punching in parts and vocal comping as we know it. We were the second to release records made 8 track after Atlantic and one of, if not the first to install a headphone system for musicians. We were very successful and the whole industry jumped on our methodology carrying it completely over the top. As a matter of 20/20 hindsight, the previous production methods had a lot going for them. The DAW actually solves most of its problems which were tape cost, editing, unpredictable dynamic range and the phase problems between the tracks of magnetic tape recorders. Digital technology also makes remote live recording and broadcasting affordable to everybody.

You know, I don't really agree with Bob. But, that stems from what we grew up with, I think. I don't think recordings prior to say 1975 are much worth listening to. And it wasn't the "musicians bringing their own dynamics" that negated the need for compressors--it was close mic'ing that exaggerates micro dynamics in a way that putting a mic feet further away smooths over. This was the need for compression--that and certain unnatural balances that people began to accept as a norm--kick drums were never the kind of consistent chest thump they were once they got their own mic and someone stuck an 1176 on the channel on the way in.

I've been thinking of this thread because I pulled my last tune's tracks into Logic on my little relatively underpowered MBAir. Cog in the Machine (see sig) is 38 tracks (if we are going to be old shcool and count a stereo track as 2) of 24/88.2 audio....being played back and mixed thus far without hiccup on my Air, which I do believe is a 1.8ghz i5 dual core. No external anything. I'm mixing it using the built in audio/headphone out. Now, part of my ability to do this is, as I've discussed here before--the Burl ADC it was tracked through taking away any need for "analog model" plug ins. I'm literally just using built in Logic stuff, which I might add, is the DAW with the best sounding built in plugs, IME/O. At least most complete and flexible.

So, I'd say my mission for digital agnostic'ism is complete. If I can mix and overdub on this little "nothingness" of a computer (silent, too I might add)....

Ha.

I think you take things a little personally. I've always cared what recordings sounded like. That wasn't intended as an indictment of the artists.

I agree with you on this.

I also don't intend to negate the artist and the music, which are both great.

I just find that listening to that old stuff reminds me of sitting in my grandparent's living room listening to an old tube radio.  it sounded like the music was coming from a little box in the corner of the room.  Bland.  Hard to make out vocals and individual instruments.

Now, even the smallest and worst speakers/earbuds sound FAR better and every bit of music is clear and intelligible and sounds like you are in the midst of the performance rather than listening to it from afar.

Honestly I don't care about dynamics and those things.  All I care about is that it sounds good.  How the engineer and mixer get to that point is irrelevant to me, other than being able to emulate it myself of course.

I agree that sound quality was lots better and may have even peaked in the mid '70s however performers still needed to be capable of doing it the old way without "fixes" in order to obtain enough financial backing to record. Close miking does not create the need for compression. In 1975 most studios only had 4 compressors! Dynamics come from the musicians' fingers responding to what they hear.

Digital technology allows us the best of both working methods.

I have imposed limitations on myself this album time around.

I am trying desperately to keep to that. Some days I get a little distracted by some new piece of something or other (Fab Filter Pro Q 2 is an example).

But I realise I am doing it, and then restore my system to get rid of the demo I just installed and mucked about with for a few hours, instead of getting on with the album... 8)

I am realising how much F#$(&*#^ ing about I actually do in the studio that has NOTHING to do with anything about making the album.

I decided on a working methodology, I picked a reverb plug in, a delay plug in, an EQ plug in, and thats pretty much it.(Oh, I am using trigger)

I am trying to get things right on the way in.

Honestly, I spend 99% of my time on arrangements .

I got two songs test mastered the other day, to try and cover a couple of bases, A) to decide which mastering engineer to go with and B) to see how the album will kind of sound. It was worthwhile money spent.




Because I am doing everything but the actual drum playing myself, it takes me forever.

Its a kind of self flagellation I reckon...8)

Next album, I am doing live with the band thats for sure.




I think @bob olhsson has a pretty good handle on it. Musicians playing together, writing together, specialists in each field, behind and in front of the glass.. thats the major difference.

cheers

Wiz

Even no compression on Kick and Base-Guitar?

Hi, my name's Robert and I love compression.....

Everyone, welcome Robert....


Just kidding but I truly love compression as a tone shaper. I can't imagine missing with 4 channels or, shudder to think none... yikes!

To be true I stopped playing live when they told me that the whole band gets 150 Euros per evening.
That is 12 years ago.
Pubs ask for music and they make a lot of cash with the show and musicians get 1,50 an hour??

Business has changed since those old days.
Many people show musicians open disrespect.
That came with the advent that MP3 music is for free.

IMO the reason why establishments don't pay is because music is tied to the heart of musicians, they want to play so badly that their willing to pay for it, this is an issue of self respect, in conjunction with divide and conquer capitalism(unions be damned). I used to play clubs 3-4 times a week in the early 90's, i made $6-800 a  week on top of my construction gig, i thought i was rich! Truth be told, that combined income matches what i do today, and that is a fucking joke, as a matter of fact, my wages went down since the crash of 2008, everything else has gone through the roof $! a bag/jar of edible chips and salsa costs $9 f-ing dollars!

sorry waaaaay OT 8)

Bob this is the problem with the arts in general, there is always somebody who will do it for free in hopes it will lead to great wealth and fame. The problem that escapes them is since somebody will do it for free ithere middle ground between them and wealth and fame is now nonexistent .