Eiron wrote:

I was listening to some Haydn the other evening. It sounded crap.
The soundstage was artificially wide with poor localization.
The vocals were muddled and lost in the orchestra.
Some very sour noises coming from somewhere - there was so much
reverberation that the previous few notes
must have been interfering with the current one.

After a small adjustment, things were perfect - I got up and took a seat
at the front.
That's the last time I arrive late at the cathedral and have to sit in
the back row.
Live music is alright but it's not like the real thing. :-)

As a long time fan of live music, though more usually in the folk
field, I have long felt that there is a problem. I have been to a
number of events where the sound at the venue has been pretty
appalling, but the radio recording of the same performance has
been excellent. One was Albion Band at Fleetwood a good while
ago; I stuck my head inside the control van during the set, and
it sounded great, inside the great domed hall it was just a mush.
There has to be something really ironic about having to go home
to be able to listen to a live event properly.

I once (and only once) went to see Equation at Leicester Phoenix.
I sat next to the sound desk, and didn't hear a single word of
lyric all night. I could only assume this was intentional.

Seth Lakeman, at Loughborough festival a few years ago, was
deafening, (but incomprehensible) though the rest of the
evening's performers were fine. I really like his CDs, but would
never want to see him live again.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.