|
I think part of that was the transition to solid-state electronics, particularly in the mixing boards, along with the multitrack tape machines with of 8 then 16 tracks (which often meant narrower heads and somewhat reduced dynamic range). Geoff Emerick (engineer at Abbey Road Studios for most of the Beatles work) and Bob Ohlsson (mastering engineer at Motown in the 60s) have both written about the sonic degradation that occurred as their respective studios "upgraded" to more modern gear in the late 60s.
All this was leading away from live stereo recording using very careful microphone placement and the absolute need to get it right the first time. And, ultimately, to today's world of Beat Detective/Autotune/snap-to-grid/fix it in the mix...
I sometimes wish I could get my hands on some nice 1963 recording gear!
Cheers, Tim
|