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Conference hips::uk_audioo

Title:	You get surface noise in real life too
Notice:	Let's be conformist
Moderator:	GOVT02::BARKER

Created:	Thu Jul 28 1988
Last Modified:	Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	550
Total number of notes:	3847

337.0. "Recording techniques" by SEDOAS::STEPHEN_I () Mon Jan 20 1992 10:22

	I am interested in finding out some information about recording 
	techniques.  I have just read an article about Reference Records
	and the way they record music.  In the article there was a brief
	outline of the way the microphones were placed and what type of
	microphone they were.  They didn't use as many microphones as I 
	had exepected and they used mostly omidirectional mikes.

	In this setup, I can understand why when I listen to the music 
	at home I can 'picture' the various instruments and place their 
	positions relative to each other.

	So far so good !

	What happens when a band records a track in a recording studio
	using multi-track equipment.  In this case, the base and drums 
	may be recording, then the melody and the vocals on the top of 
	that.  Its then mixed together to produce the final stereo version
	that I buy and play at home.  In this second environment, does the 
	producer/engineer build the instruments/voices into a realistic 
	soundstage or is it all just mixed together into a mishmash of
	noise ?

	any help would be appreciated.

	Iain.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
337.1	QUEEN are the masters of the Multi-Track song	SUBURB::TAYLORG	RIP: Freddie Mercury 24-Nov-1991	`Mon Jan 20 1992 10:47`	10
	re-1 You must be talking about QUEEN! They are the best example of this complex multi-tracking of both the vocals & instriments. Bhohemian Rhapsody (Sp?) is a classic example of this. Grant
337.2	and the rest...	SEDOAS::STEPHEN_I		`Mon Jan 20 1992 13:37`	5
	I meant most rock bands. Anything that isn't recorded live i.e. all the instruments at once. Iain.
337.3	'Scuse the interjection, but...	HEWIE::CHRIS	My plant, Eric, OD'd on Grendel and Baby Bio	`Mon Jan 20 1992 15:18`	17
	Sorry to deviate slightly from the basenote, but can one of you enlighten me as to what is so special about a Calrec Ambisonic Microphone please?!! It's been mentioned several times in UK_MUSIC with regard to The Cowboy Junkies album, The Trinity Session, which was recorded in a church with the aforementioned mike. BTW, I've never heard a CD with so much (dare I say it and mean it like someone else would mean it?!!! =;) ) er... depth*. It really is atmospheric. The album was apparently recorded live, so how was it done with such clarity and each part of the band standing out as if they had been recorded seperately? Chris.
337.4		SUBURB::SCREENER	Robert Screene, UK Finance EUC	`Mon Jan 20 1992 18:29`	23
	Sad but true, On most studio mixing desks each instrument is recorded in mono and there is a balance for each track between the left and right channels. This merely adjusts the volume between the two speakers giving a false position in the soundstage. Aparently only the drum kit escapes this and os recorded in stereo. The real ambience is given to a stereo recording by the time delay between the two channels, so an instrument is head by one ear slightly before another hinting at reflections from walls. A new recording/mixing process called Q-Sound attempts to add such things at carefully selected frequencies with some complex algorithms. A relatively low cost for this box an license over that of extra mikes and tracks on each recorder. An example of this process is Sting's Soul Cages album. I still don't think is it a substitute for a decent 'real' stereo mix. Robert.