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[Tam o' Shantie]

Have you ever noticed that most recordings these days (even the good ones) sound shit? Is it because of close miking or tacky production or both? Why does every recording up to 1980 sound great, and why does it actually sound like a real band? Does anybody know anywhere in the north east, or at the very least in scotland, that is genuinely capable of 'room' recordings, who will be able to put 3 mics on my drum kit and make it sound like a shit hot, soulful beast? i'm guessing that the studios who get comissioned to do 'big band' or classical recordings would know their shit when it came to this...any ideas?

[Larsen B]

Eek, equating soulfulness with specific recording techniques, wrong, wrong, wrong!

[Stripey]

Originally Posted by Larsen B

Eek, equating soulfulness with specific recording techniques, wrong, wrong, wrong!

yeh sound is gay just record everything dry it will be awesome i swear

Originally Posted by Stripey

yeh sound is gay just record everything dry it will be awesome i swear

Sir, your grammar has been appaling of late. (almost as bad as my spelling...)

And I think yer missing the point Larsen B was making, to be honest.

'Soulfullness' is not inherently linked to recording techiniques. Have you ever noticed the difference between dub recorded in the 70s and more modern stuff, the difference s incredible. The 70s stuff sounds far better, and it argably recorded more poorly.

Recording techiniques make an incredible difference to a piece of music, but not always in a clinical, technical way. WHich is why I love lo-fi.

I know this isn't quite what you were getting at, but you were being needlessly provocative, sir.

With regards to recording places, I've said it before and I'll say it again, but Mark Nicol knows how to record a band. If you let him know what you're after - and he's into it - you'll get what you want. He knew exactly what I wanted, even to the point where he did stuff that he knew I'd like, and was totally correct about it. A truly wonderful experience of recording, and one that I've yet to top.

[Tam o' Shantie]

Originally Posted by Steven Dedalus

Sir, your grammar has been appaling of late. (almost as bad as my spelling...)

And I think yer missing the point Larsen B was making, to be honest.

'Soulfullness' is not inherently linked to recording techiniques. Have you ever noticed the difference between dub recorded in the 70s and more modern stuff, the difference s incredible. The 70s stuff sounds far better, and it argably recorded more poorly.

Recording techiniques make an incredible difference to a piece of music, but not always in a clinical, technical way. WHich is why I love lo-fi.

I know this isn't quite what you were getting at, but you were being needlessly provocative, sir.

With regards to recording places, I've said it before and I'll say it again, but Mark Nicol knows how to record a band. If you let him know what you're after - and he's into it - you'll get what you want. He knew exactly what I wanted, even to the point where he did stuff that he knew I'd like, and was totally correct about it. A truly wonderful experience of recording, and one that I've yet to top.

OK can I rephrase my original question. I'm wanting a place with experience in recording music the traditional way, where not everything is close miked, dry and over processed in pro-tools. I happen to think that this is a SUPERIOR method of recording music, not a dated and obsolete one. I also think that this makes a more soulful and passionate sound, regardless of whether or not the subject is grunting like James Brown or laying down some 'hot funk licks'. Show me a studio where a guy can point 2 or 3 mics at a drumkit and give me an exciting sound that vaguely resembles a drum kit, and I'll be happy.

[Stripey]

Originally Posted by Steven Dedalus

And I think yer missing the point Larsen B was making, to be honest.

'Soulfullness' is not inherently linked to recording techiniques.

Nah I'm not missing the point. I wouldn't say all these great sounding records from the 70's were recorded poorly, just differently, there's nothing stopping anyone reproducing that sound now intentionally. Lofi is a term thats bandied about too often and IMO has become a byword for poor recording, as if using some ropey mics to make a heavily saturated mixdown on a C90 fourtrack somehow adds authenticity.
You seem to contradict yourself by saying that recording technique has nothing to do with soulfulness, but then going on to say that it makes an incredible difference and that's why you like lofi. My point is that that difference *can be* soulfulness...and it doesn't have to be a battered halfarsed mixdown or pristine digital audio.

[Jim Stax]

I agree with Steven... Mark Nicol can get a great drum sound! Recorded some drums for faffing about with and as I have mentioned elsewhere some of the beats I put down are on the new FOUND album. Ziggy and Tommy have done very little, if nothing, to the mix simply lifted beats straight into the tracks, after editing and chopping, but the sound is what Mark recorded. Near enough exactly how I want my drums to sound. He didn't use only three mic's though but we cared not a jot about spillage and left the mics relatively un-gated. Go to Ziggy Campbell's Myspace and listen to Reshaping if interested.

Nice track being played by a new artist Duffy. Produed by Bernard Butler. So far, and I have only heard it on the radio, I'm likeing the sound/production. Damn good track too...

[Jan Deal]

Try and get hold of Steve Albini, he knows how to record a drum kit properly.

[Tam o' Shantie]

any chances of getting some answers that relate to my original post?

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Tam o' Shantie

any chances of getting some answers that relate to my original post?

Steven and Jim gave you an answer that seemed to directly relate to your post.

Or did you mean to add "aside from exile" to it?