This Both Frightened And Elated Me
author: Bradley Rourke
I'm a musician who enjoys home recording. Like many of us, I enjoy gear as much as the next guy. When things aren't sounding good, often my first instinct is to decide I need a new piece of gear.
I am currently preparing to go into the studio with my band (for the second time). This remarkable CD made me scared and nervous about these upcoming sessions . . . but ultimately elated me.
Why? Without giving away the punchline, by isolating each individual link in the signal chain, and allowing you to hear its effects, Steve Carr builds a very, very strong case for what we all know intellectually anyway: that it is the individual musical performance that matters most. Getting the best sound starts with doing the hard prep work and practice -- slapping a new mic on that guitar isn't going to cut it.
While I knew this intellectually, this CD showed it to me in my gut. So now I am fretting about my musicianship -- which is exactly what I ought to be doing beforehand!
Which brings me to why I am ultimately elated listening to this CD. This CD shows me that good sound is within the reach of anyone, so long as they are willing to put in the work to get the tunes right. The equipment required for good sound is within the reach of home recordists and the differences involved are well illustrated in this CD.
No doubt those with refined ears will hear things I did not. But what I DID hear is more than enough. I expect to return to this CD often as a training device on the engineer side -- and as a motivator on the musician side.
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Worthwile
author: Faisal
A very well thought out and executed concept. The results are interesting and useful, particularly to the amateur with intentions of buying new equipment.
One interesting note - I had to fight disappointment during the examples where no differences could be heard at all (although those instances might have been a result of my listening set up)!
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Demonstrates what is most important for good sound.
author: Bruce Bartlett
I don't want to prejudice other listeners of this CD by telling what I heard. But I will say that I was surprised and enlightened. This CD demonstrates what is most important for getting good sound in recordings. Is it the gear? The musicians and their instruments? You'll find out! Fascinating presentation.
What's more, the engineering that it took to produce this CD is first-rate. Very skillfully done.
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a must for the sound engineer or anyone doing home recording
author: Ignace Dhont
In a nutshell: great to hear what makes a real difference and what does not. This CD is worth it's weight in gold.
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