Saiga - Discuss

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Dr Bunsen Honeydew
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#91 Re: Saiga - Discuss

Post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

"Decca used a 'Tree' which gave horrendous phase distortion on some stereo recordings" wrong again, this came after what I am referring to, and is part of the complication.
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#92 Re: Saiga - Discuss

Post by Nick »

Is cocaine detrimental to the recording process ? In terms of the creative process is both and asset and a hindrance , depending upon amount taken and how long the protagonists had been taking it. Oasis 3rd album is shite largely because of Cocaine , NWA Straight outa Compton , seminal album assisted by drug and alcohol use . There are numerous 70's rock stars this paradigm can be applied to . The absence of Cocaine use is of course why all Genesis albums are awesome*
Not questioning that assorted recreational drugs have helped the recording process, however, I cant think of any obvious example where cocaine made things better (other than giving a topic to write about if they get to the other side of its use).
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#93 Re: Saiga - Discuss

Post by IslandPink »

In the 70's as regards 'exceptions to the rule' I'm going to give a shout to John Wood at Sound Techniques, who made some of the nicest records I own, when working for the Island and Transatlantic artists. Great natural dynamics and acoustic space, and proper instrument tone. If there's any technical background on what he was doing there, I'd love to read it.
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Dave the bass
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#94 Re: Saiga - Discuss

Post by Dave the bass »

Rage Against The Machine, debut album.

1992 it was recorded in.

Sounds amazing. IS amazing.

Thread lock down :)
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Dr Bunsen Honeydew
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#95 Re: Saiga - Discuss

Post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

Dr Bunsen Honeydew wrote: Mon Feb 13, 2017 3:01 pm "Decca used a 'Tree' which gave horrendous phase distortion on some stereo recordings" wrong again, this came after what I am referring to, and is part of the complication.
Well it seems we are both right. The tree was used in large auditoriums for orchestras and Choirs. Fig8 was used in studio.
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Dave the bass
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#96 Re: Saiga - Discuss

Post by Dave the bass »

Curve ball...

Not all music requires microphones in the recording process.
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Thermionic Idler
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#97 Re: Saiga - Discuss

Post by Thermionic Idler »

Anyone know if they used the "Tree" for the Solti Ring - 1958 - 1967? Held up as the "Recording of the Century" (there's a great 1964 documentary where they filmed the recording of Gotterdammerung in the Sofiensaal). I don't recall anything mentioned in John Culshaw's book but that wasn't exactly heavy on the tech details.

I was led to believe the Decca Tree was responsible for the great sound on most Decca classical releases but I'm ready to be wrong about that - I just don't know for certain. I do know that on average, my Decca classical LP's have a better sound than the DG / EMI ones from the same era.
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DSJR
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#98 Re: Saiga - Discuss

Post by DSJR »

Decca made some great recordings of great performances. The Decca sound was, *I believe,* the result of the recording technique and on vinyl, the half speed cutting (they couldn't do it properly at standard speed I was told by a senior engineer of the time) and copious equalisation made to the cuts. One I did research with the help of my mastering engineer pal was Solti's Mahler 4 (purple vinyl label). I found the vinyl rather muffled yet the CD release was rather better to me. My pal got the master tapes and conformed the CD was transferred as the recording producer wanted but the vinyl had massive amounts of eq added as written on the tape boxes. Copying eq like this on the digital transfers didn't sound very good.

For a 'pop' idea from Decca for a 'straight' transfer, my pal and his boss did a two-disc set of Tom Jones hits, probably around twenty years ago now if you can find it. The tapes were shedding badly apparently and were 'done' just in time I was told, but I thought the *sound* on the released CD's very good.
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shane
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#99 Re: Saiga - Discuss

Post by shane »

Interesting stuff. The only time I ever tried live recording myself was a local choral society performing Faure's Requiem in a large church, using a simple crossed pair of half-decent Sony mics placed about 10' back from the front row of the choir feeding straight into a Revox A77. There was a lot wrong with it, not least the fact that the choir was awful, but the moment you pressed play, before anyone started singing, the walls of the listening room just disappeared, and you felt you were sitting in the church again. I've never experienced such a totally convincing reconstruction of an acoustic space on any commercial recording.
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#100 Re: Saiga - Discuss

Post by Tony Moore »

I once recorded selected songs of the choir that my Mum sang in, at their request. Previously they'd tried using a cassette deck but at that time I had the small Sony DAT recorder and it's fancy mike and so I volunteered.

That little machine was amazing, played back through headphones it was uncannily like being there. Far better than any "normal" recording, as you say. Not perfect by any means, too much echo, etc, but in terms of realism it was exactly like being sat in the audience.

At some later year the choir then had a professional crew come in and do a recording session...it was good, very much like what you'd expect, but didn't quite capture the feeling of being there the same.

edit:

Image

Not mine, a stock photo but that is the recorder and mike that I have. (although the machine long since gave in, the rotating head was never a great idea)
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#101 Re: Saiga - Discuss

Post by Tony Moore »

Wow, I really killed off _that_ discussion! :oops: :lol:
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#102 Re: Saiga - Discuss

Post by Nick »

Its the way you tell 'em. :-)
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