| Re: Orchestral Sound
Hypothesis: I think that if it were not for the advent of digital recording, our orchestras would have a different sound. I remember hearing the first ABQ digital recording--my, the trumpets were bright--much brighter than the previous recording!
The old analog process lost a lot of the "sizzle" in recording, and was a pretty good "analog" to what the listener in the hall heard. With close miking alone, the American trumpet sound has changed--to the point that Nikolaus Harnocourt said he "hated the American trumpet sound." (Creep!)
I think some of the "personality" of our playing is in the overtones, with the lower frequencies carrying less far. Studio players complained that Monette trumpets didn't "make it to the tape" (odd saying these days), another way of saying they didn't mike well.
Let's go back to putting the mike over the conductor's head like the early Reiner w/Chicago recordings (ok, maybe stereo), and we'll hear players' personalities coming out again. Maybe.
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