As good as live?

[Wireworm5]

I believe a home system can almost simulate a live event 'the real thing' accurately. But this can only be acheived if the recording is of a very high quality.Even if the recording is good it is not likely that one can play their system at the same volume level as the live event without bothering the neighbors, thus the perceived difference.
There was a small band playing where I work. I really didn't have time to listen. But I noticed how the kick drum sounded so pronounced. When I got home I wanted to see if I could get that sound. I put on a recording of Terry Edmunds (blues rock) which is well recorded, and I heard them live at the bar a few years ago.With an adjustment to the sub I think I came pretty close to the real kick drum, but I have to admit it was still was lacking.
Some live events however are recorded well but the venue is no good and you can hear that in the recording.So I guess what I'm trying to say is that for a home system to sound almost as good as real instruments the recording needs to be done in a studio with the highest recording standards. Then and only then can it be accurately simulated on a home system.
Any thoughts?

 

[radiolee]

My thinking on live vs. recorded music

was solidified the last time I went to a CSO concert at Orchestra Hall, Chicago.

It was the first time in a while that I had gone to hear that band and I was eager to compare the experience to listening on my latest equipment, which by then had morphed into vacuum tube amps and high efficiency horn speaker systems. I closed my eyes and leaned back.

What struck me was this: In terms of frequency response, dynamic range and tonal characteristics I was rather amazed that my home system compared extremely favorably to what I was hearing from the first balcony. In other words, I expected more of a difference than what I heard.

As to be expected, the pronounced difference was in imaging of solo instruments and openess (for lack of a better word).

Ultimate conclusion: high fidelity reproduction has reached a very high state of refinement and the most overlooked element is the size and other characteristics of the listening room, and, to your point, the skill of the recording engineer. Studio music is recorded and mixed in small rooms in a controlled environment and as such often sounds better than a live recording over a two channel system.

Ultimately, it's all an illusion. Getting as close as possible is all the fun. Will it ever achieve total duplication? I doubt it, but my ears are shot anyway(!)

Cheers!

Lee

 

[House de Kris]

Interesting thoughts here. I feel a discussion of accuracy in general with respect to home audio systems would generate a lively discussion, but some other time. Initially I thought it strange to claim the best way to accurately reproduce a live event was through a studio album, but the intent of "accuracy" is as individual as each of us.

Just a couple weekends ago, I had an experience that supports the statements you make here. A friend had been assembling a system and had the speakers but no electronics, and invited me over, as long as I brought amps and crossovers. The speakers consisted of Unity Horns coupled with a dipole array of Lamda woofers and some Stryke subs. Basically a pair of Unitys and a dozen 15" drivers. The Unitys were operated from 300Hz up, with the Lamdas doing a couple octaves and the Strykes doing a couple octaves. The strange thing was that my friend was recommending a near-field positioning of the Unitys, which made me a bit nervous at first. I would never have thought of sitting a little past arm's length from a horn for serious listening.

Wouldn't you know, but the first and persistant thought I got when in the sweet spot was, "this is exactly the sound I would expect to hear if I spent money to hear this band (Fila Brazilla) play live in concert." We all (OK, some of us) strive to recreate that live sound in our homes, but this is truly the first time I could close my eyes and genuinely believe that I could be at the live performance.

Sitting close to horns and feeding them plenty of power can get the shear SPL part pretty easily. But I think the thing that struck me the most was the coherence of the sound from the Unitys which gave it a very "correct" feel. Plus the fact that no matter how loud we played them, they didn't seem to distort or sound distressed.