PlatinumProd

I love studio pics! They make me want more stuff. Yeah! Gotta hate that! Can I get my next item by the missus?

I really found myself digging the Violinaires and listened to the whole album I found on my subscription service. .. Which album did you listen to? Wilson Pickett was one of the early singers of Violinaires. Robert Blair and Pickett moved to Detroit about the same time, as teenagers. That was the Motown heyday, and even the gospel groups were treated like celebrities back then. Quartet Gospel is an interesting blend of faith and belief, fame and fortune ... very interesting.

... Now, counter that to DVDs with WAY too much dynamic range - traffic noise and explosions at full throttle while dialogue is so quiet you have to strain to hear it. After much frustration I finally patched an Alesis Nanocomp between the DVD player and my stereo, which made the experience much more tolerable. I did a similar patch for my parents TV and now the commercials no longer blast at them and they love it. Right! I HATE that! I have to turn up to hear the conversations and turn down for commercials and loud action scenes. I'd LOVE for video production to learn about compression.

Man! I met a kindred spirit in blue2blue, I see! naterz, I don't knock your 3cents the way that you put it. I know plenty musicians that do what you describe as an innovation, and I'm cool with that, even if I'm not always with it. What I'm talking about is every time I hear groups that I go to hear live to hear their HARMONY, their warmth, vibrant vocalizations, I am so dissappointed to hear nothing but a wall of sound from the background vocals when I buy their latest CD's. I like to hear individual voices blending. The garbage I hear now is computer-generated or effect-swamped muck that demonstrates NO talent with the singers ... just electronic gimmickry on the part of the engineers or keyboard musicians. I just wanted to hear some views and I appreciate you giving yours. I didn't do my spiel just to hear "ah, yes" men ... though I tremendously enjoyed seeing some folk still like to hear real singing and real music, too.

... stacking vocals: Hi, George - I wanted to comment on your article about compression, and how it's unchecked use is ruining dynamics on CD's. "A Recording Engineer's Plea for Dynamic Range" http://georgegraham.com/compress.html I agree with you 100%. You also noted you are not sure why there is a trend to do this (I am forced to do it when I master a CD out of my home studio.) Let me offer my observation. I feel, this has become the standard by which other engineers, promoters, producers, even many radio stations and now the artist (indoctrinated by "experts" who advocate this artificial loudness) judge our mastered work by. So, to survive, we must hand over a finished product to an artist or his/her producer that meets this "Production Quality" or "Polished" standard. Unless the CD is super-compressed and very loud, your work is considered to be substandard and amateurish (unless it is for Classical Music, which is the only genre where I've noticed the quietest lows and the loudest highs are expected to be discerned). I hate it! Let me share with you another rampant, recording industry practice that I loathe with a passion, yet am forced to practice because of artist and industry expectations. I would like your opinion on this: Vocal Stacking. I grew up as a boy listening to a unique group (black gospel) called The Violinaires. They sang very high falsetto's and utilized a very wide dynamic range to their harmonies. The lead singer had a keen, squally, yet soulful lead that contrasted wonderfully with their sound (aurally picture a soulful David Lee Roth). That background was amazing! You could hear each singer, the 1st and 2nd tenor and the baritone, as if they were individual soloists themselves, blending their unique sound canvass. Now, no matter how talented a vocal background is, they are buried by layer upon layer of their own voices, and with what is, to me, an unacceptable amount of effects

If I'm close mic'ing all the drums, I have absolutely no problem with EQ'ing the Overheads to cut out some of the snare. Only if you are Triangular mic'ing should you be concerned about that, IMO. But then, try seeing how high you can raise the overheads from the kit ... that works nicely for me. If it's still too much, I school the drummer ..