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RE: Which format would that be?

Your history list should also include introduction of Dolby compression which reduced audible noise at the expense of introducing various artifacts. IMO the introduction of this technology (and the associated use of multi-track tape instead of 2 or 3 channel) was the beginning of the end of good sound. It saved money (union scale musician fees) by making it unnecessary for the engineers to put the microphones at the right locations and get the right balance, as poor results could be made acceptable by "fixing in the mix". The key word here is "acceptable" rather than "excellent".

I really don't think Dolby (which really isn't compression, but more like an eq system) really made or broke any records.

More tracks on a tape machine was the tape machine makers filling demand by the record companies to push more product out at less time and less cost. Same with bigger and bigger consoles, and so on. The music business has always been about sales. It's never been about audiophiles' tender sensibilities.

Multitrack tape machines aren't inherently, bad though. There's no way Dark Side of the Moon could ever have been made with a 3-track Ampex 351.

I agree that there's nothing like good musicians that can balance themselves live. A lousy song with lousy musicians will never be good, even with 256 tracks. Nor does that fact make Pro Tools or any other computer-based recording/production system bad.

You can listen to Sinatra records from the 1950s through the 1980s. Major changes in recording technology over that time period, still great music.


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  • RE: Which format would that be? - perceptiveengineering 09/8/1217:18:49 09/8/12 (2)

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