[sdiy] Should I repair my Fostex, or should I go HD recording?

[Rude 66]

yeah, it's up there. i just watched this documentary the other week ion the
making and history of Smile.. and the way it finally came together and was
played live in london. superb! brian wilson is a genius.. anyone who can
write things like 'good vibrations' is..

.r./



----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Grenader" <peter at buzzclick-music.com>
To: <WeAreAs1 at aol.com>; <rude66 at xs4all.nl>; <synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>
Sent: Monday, December 27, 2004 2:45 AM
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Should I repair my Fostex, or should I go HD recording?


> Hey -  you forgot to mention Brain Wilson's (was: Beach Boys but they
> COMPLETELY screwed up by passing on it) album SMILE.  Just retracked
> completely and released (finally) after a 35 year postponement.  Had this
> jewel come out when it was supposed to (1967) it would have put a huge
tink
> in Sgt. Peps' armor (not that that album isn't equally as brilliant..but
> SMLE is scary good).
>
> You guys think I'm totally nuts right?  I mean, the Beach Boys? Just
listen
> to it.  Brain Wilson is arguably the best pop producer ever and an
> incredible songwriter.  This thing did the Thick As a Brick segway to the
> next tune deal eight years before J. Tull did plus not only was it tracked
> analog (this year), Wilson insisted in using a tube board to do it.
>
> - P
>
> WeAreAs1 at aol.com wrote:
>
> >
> > In a message dated 12/26/04 11:00:59 AM, rude66 at xs4all.nl writes:
> >
> > << heh.. read the beatles' studio sessions books. sgt pepper and the
white
> >
> > album were made on 4 tracks (or maybe the latter with 8) and include
> >
> > enormous amounts of overdubs. >>
> >
> > First, let me preface by saying that I think Sgt. Pepper is still the
> > greatest record ever made.  Period.
> >
> > However, if you listen to it with a critical ear, you will eventually
have to
> > agree that Sgt. Pepper is an extremely lo-fi record.  You can really
hear all
> > that sludgy tape-bouncing noise buildup and loss of clarity -- mostly on
the
> > basic track sounds (drums, bass, etc.).  Since the vocals were usually
the
> > last thing committed to tape, they usually did not go through any tape
> > transfers,
> > and do not usually display any apparent generational loss.  Also, with a
few
> > exceptions (such as "She's Leaving Home"), it's a very densely mixed and
> > orchestrated record.  The sonic density helps to mask some of the crappy
> > sounding
> > tracks.  Additionally, in general, the lead vocals on Sgt. Pepper are
mixed
> > WAY
> > out in front, more so than on most rock and pop records of the day.
Since
> > most of the vocal tracks are first generation, your ear tends to hear
that
> > vocal
> > recording quality as the general tonality of the record, but it's not.
Just
> > try to ignore the lead vocal parts and listen to just the drums, bass,
and
> > rhythm guitars.  You may be very surprised.
> >
> > That having been said, I'll say once again what I always say:  Records
are
> > not about equipment or even about the recording process.  They are about
SONGS
> > and PERFORMANCES.  In the case of Sgt. Pepper, the greatest band in the
world
> > simply wrote some of the best songs they ever wrote, performed them
extremely
> > well, and pulled out all the stops with regard to creativity in the
studio.
> > It
> > matters not that the recording quality is relatively lo-fi.
> >
> > For another example of an incredibly GREAT record that was incredibly
poorly
> > recorded, look no further than Bob Dylan's classic "Like A Rolling
Stone".
> > Actually, look no further than the very first sound heard on the record,
which
> > happens to be a single snare drum hit on beat 4, just before the band
comes
> > in.
> > That snare drum sounds like a wet cardboard box being hit with a piece
of
> > meat, possible a turkey leg.  It doesn't get any better later on,
either.
> > Nevertheless, that record is one of rock's great works of art, and
arguably
> > one of
> > Dylan's very best.
> >
> > Oh, and how about Little Richard's incredible "Tutti Frutti"?  The lead
vocal
> > is recorded so hot and distorted that it may as well have been recorded
> > through a Z-Vex Fuzz Factory (it sounds like tape distortion to me..).
Did
> > that
> > stop it from being one of the greatest rock records ever made?  No, that
> > distorted vocal probably actually helped it achieve that status!
> >
> > The inverse is true, also.  That is, one can make incredibly beautiful
(or
> > incredibly horrible) recordings on high quality modern digital
equipment.
> > It's
> > never about the gear -- It's all about THE SONGS, baby.  You want to
make a
> > better recording?  Write a better song.
> >
>
>