Klarinet Archive - Posting 000686.txt from 1997/11

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Digital Recordings.
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 18:35:05 -0500

At 10:13 AM 11/19/97 +0100, Fabien Gelenne wrote:
>I'd like to add that I attended a very interesting demonstration 2 years
>ago:
>a small band was playing a piece while being recorded with 2 mics on a
>DAT. Then the microphones were replaced with loudspeakers and the piece
>played again this way:
>
>The band played one bar, then the loudspeakers one bar, then the band
>and so on. Therefore the comparison was made very easy and I was very
>impressed:
>
>The Charleston (amongst other percussive sounds) was not perfect. The
>piano just seemed like from another brand: I mean the real piano sound
>and the "fake" one sounded equally real, just a bit different. Whereas
>vibes and clarinet were totally perfect.
>
>That is why I think that we can set up a list of "usual most limiting
>factors" in which the Analog to Digital conversion will not come to the
>top. Personnally I would start it this way:
>
>1. The room
>2. The loudspeakers
>3. Microphones, recording and mixing procedures (mics location)
>4. amplifier
>
>But it is still very approximative...
>
You have correctly identified the main problems with the demonstration. If
you really want to test the recording process, try this:

Sit in a separate room and listen, using the microphones, amplifiers,
mixers, and loudspeakers, to the live band performing, a digital recording
of the same piece, and an analog recording of the same piece, both as
performed by the same group in the same place with the same equipment,
simultaneously if possible, and switch back and forth between these.
Distortions caused by the mics, amplifiers, room, etc., are thus cancelled
out. The differences that remain are due to the recording process.

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.