Technology. Do we make better recordings?

[ThatGuitarGuy]

I was listening to some ZAO CDs. I just got their new CD because of a pre-order and it was recording with Steve Albini; he uses all analog technology.

I then listened to ZAO's "Funeral of God" which is their only polished sounded CD. It was obvious that things were triggered, compressed to all high hell, in pro tools, etc...it was like night and day it was so wierd. The new CD sounded ALIVE! The Funeral of God had this terrible sterile sound that I just couldn't hear until I got their new CD. It was truly wierd.

 

[GeertSamuel]

I was listening to some ZAO CDs. I just got their new CD because of a pre-order and it was recording with Steve Albini; he uses all analog technology.

I then listened to ZAO's "Funeral of God" which is their only polished sounded CD. It was obvious that things were triggered, compressed to all high hell, in pro tools, etc...it was like night and day it was so wierd. The new CD sounded ALIVE! The Funeral of God had this terrible sterile sound that I just couldn't hear until I got their new CD. It was truly wierd.

Yeah, I heard the new song Physian Heal Thyself and one other, both great songs, indeed they sound just natural...
I'm not liking it that much..but nothing triggered or compressed the hell out of it...it's weird but good

 

[GeertSamuel]

I was listening to some ZAO CDs. I just got their new CD because of a pre-order and it was recording with Steve Albini; he uses all analog technology.

I then listened to ZAO's "Funeral of God" which is their only polished sounded CD. It was obvious that things were triggered, compressed to all high hell, in pro tools, etc...it was like night and day it was so wierd. The new CD sounded ALIVE! The Funeral of God had this terrible sterile sound that I just couldn't hear until I got their new CD. It was truly wierd.

Yeah, I heard the new song Physian Heal Thyself and one other, both great songs, indeed they sound just natural...
I'm not liking it that much..but nothing triggered or compressed the hell out of it...it's weird but a job well done if there aiming for that sound

 

[ThatGuitarGuy]

yeah...they go for the "ZAO Raw sound." If you've heard their earlier CD's its just RAW.

Metallica could learn something from Zao lol...dont use trash cans!!

But even if they put more into it sounding "cleaner," I think it would still sound more "alive" so to speak. I think its the whole analog thing. I'm torn now haha. Digital is so nice to use, and really clears things up like crazy, but analog just sounds so good. It's like having a tube amp instead of a solid state amp.

I hope the plug ins to give that analog feel are as good...I'll use em when I actually get better.

Oh and FYI, the songs that are up don't sound as good as the actual CD because its compressed and crappy on Myspace and Purevolume. It is a lot better on the CD, but still has that really raw sound.

 

[SPLASTiK]

I still think the intro solo to Pink Floyd's song "Wish You Were Here" is one of the best sounding recordings I've ever heard. I still can't believe it was released in 1975, over 30 years ago.

That said, I don't think technology has attributed to better recordings per se.
Cheaper, and easier to make records, yeah. But because of that there's a lot of shitty sounding albums as well.

It's all about the guy using the tools in front of him IMO.

 

[moose209]

I still think the intro solo to Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here album is one of the best sounding recordings I've ever heard. I still can't believe it was released in 1975, over 30 years ago.
.

Hell yeah an awful lot of pink floyd's shit does sound great - especially things like wish you were here and most of meddle.

A wise man said to me the other day "Modern music - namely modern metal is like fake titties - the intentions are right but the feel is all wrong"

That being said the dissemination of distribution and and greater availablity of technology to us who are fiscally challenged can mean only one thing - greater creativity. However I do find that the now copious amounts of material available at good and even great standards means there is more shit to wade through before you find a diamond in the gruff.

It is both a great advantage and great dissadvantage.

 

[Barth]

I think that technology has made recording music more accessible to more people. Most of the small bands are happy with a mediocre production because they aren't going to be able to afford to record in a studio like Andy's for instance.
But in the overall picture I think thanks to technology the recording for home users is way more available and a lot more talent is shown and revealed...

The advantage for the small bands is huge. And for the single oneman projects who can make his album with DFH in his bedroom. But a lot these low budget products also come on the market as a official release. Resulting in a overdose of releases.
A friend of mine who works for a large metal magazine: “Man, I have never had albums wich sound as bad as the last 3- 4 years! Drummer butcher is rythmbox man! I’m listening to machines these days!”

My opinion is that it’s all sound more or less the same coz it’s made the same way on Dwstations. Like someone wrote here in this tread:

The main problem with Andy is that everybody is copying him!

He introduced clear and tight recordings in metal. Most us of are copying him. I do also for some projects. Bands sound the same, coz they have the same references. The ultimate Andy mixes! When you enter the studio everyone can use the same gear, soundreplace, reamp everything to sound like their favorites. Prefabsound! With the Scott Burns recordings we also had to wait for the vocals to reconize the band!

In the early days you recorded with you’re own gear. A guy spread some microphones around the room and then the recording started. The vocals and leads dubbed. It was almost live compared to whats done these days. I must admit that a lot of mucisians played on “safe”. When a mistake was made, the whole recording had to be done all over again. The result, you had you’re own sound!
I record sometimes still to analog. Only dubbed the vocals in and rythmguitars. Leads done live. People who seen them on stage: “These guys sounded great, just like the album!” I bet there are a lot of you who never made recordings with real drums!

For the pro’s who make a living out of this, its hard. A lot of recording made on a budget level. So less work in the prostudio wich has also a lot over overheadcosts.

So better recordings? Nah, more of the same I think.
Do Andy’s recordings sound now better than DHDW?
He has a lot of new stuff since then! No! So it’s up to the man who records it.
Would like to hear a real liverecording of Andy tough! The man is great and I think he can make a great recording without all the computerstuff.
Different, OK. But still great!

And again, everyone.
Thankx for shearing!!
Peace!

 

[thefyn]

I still think the intro solo to Pink Floyd's song "Wish You Were Here" is one of the best sounding recordings I've ever heard. I still can't believe it was released in 1975, over 30 years ago.

That said, I don't think technology has attributed to better recordings per se.
Cheaper, and easier to make records, yeah. But because of that there's a lot of shitty sounding albums as well.

It's all about the guy using the tools in front of him IMO.

RE the Wish You Were Here comment. Massive studio talent of the musicians aside...What mics were used? I remember seeing video footage of them in the studio and the whole place looked gold plated. I bet the mics they were using cost more than an average bog standard pro studio today!

But that album is just a work of art production wise. I think that is what happens when the studio is state of the art, the producers are at the top of their game and the band is about as gelled and pro as you can get. When everything is in place that is when you get the magic.

With us in our situation...It is uaually a one man show. We record, play and pretty much do the whole thing ourselves and it is just not possible to hit the highs of the mega band platauex of recording alone. Our gear is more advanced but it always seems to be one guy in control when it has to be a group effort.

I NEED HELP!!!! (Oh ..and a decent fkn drummer!)

 

[thefyn]

BTW...Has anyone heard ACDC's new album? Talk about stripped down. There is no reverb on ANYTHING. nada...They got some balls> Good job they are big uns!