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Old May 12th, 2008, 05:34 AM   #10 (permalink)
maestrovert
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong View Post
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...
Quote:
Originally Posted by byrdbrain View Post
Many producers suddenly felt the need to isolate/separate every single instrument and sound. That sort of thing can kill the vibe when overdone.
yup !
i agree with your theory Professor, "wannabes with little experience behind the board....", an' the responses quoted above are part of the reason why....

But as i recall, "old school engineers" for the most part didn't like rock n' roll at all, an' weren't always -shall we say- doin' their best, an' even if the studio/tracking work was up to snuff, the mastering engineer(s) could still botch it up for ya....

Still, i'm amazed at how good Jimi Hendrix' "Axis:Bold As Love" sounds even today....
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