Old Concert Goer Opinions

Snowman999

Snowman999

Active member
I've been to a lot of shows. No one ever sounds like the record.

I get these melodies are extremely simple. So, it shouldn't be hard to hit the correct notes. But, the tone, sound, everything sounds like the recorded version. Not just on this song, on all of their live songs. I spoke to the drummer before the show, and asked if it was a full band. He said no, just the three of them with backing tracks.

Is she singing live or with a backing track? If it's live live, that's pretty impressive. Or maybe there's autotune on her vocal, and that's why it's so close to the recorded version. It's strange to me, having been to as many shows as I have.

Recorded version


Live?
 
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Ok...

Yeah, very few bands actually come close to sounding like the album -- especially when they're three-pieces who dub in the studio (so Rush is excepted).

However, many larger bands (ELO, Toto) did a great job of recreating their studio sound live. That's because 1) there was not much processing being done in the studio (no auto-tune, for example) and 2) they were awesome musicians who knew their instruments and were capable of consistently bringing forth the Product.
 
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There are some singers who you can give any microphone to, and they sound like themselves on the releases. We all know that all mics can pop and bang, and even reproduce the hand noise some people create when they hold a mic, yet some singers just have great mic technique. Lionel Richie is my favourite example. You also get bands who have more players than you saw at the gig. Did Queen ‘cheat’ because they always had Spike Edney? Always a five piece, not four. When we bought our first X32 and discovered we could record every input, we offered the bands we did PA for the option for recording for extra money. Some then produced show CDs to sell at the gigs, and I stole one to have a listen and was surprised that it was really good. I took the credit of course for good mic choice, good placement etc, but soon realised many tracks were not the ones I’d recorded. I’m convinced that all that was live was the drums. As a bass player, I’ve auto tuned and repaired my playing quite often, and recognise the signs. I don’t object to fixing bum notes, or random noises, but re-recording the gig in their studios is a cheat too far?
 
Just two off the top - McCartney's Wings Over the World tour (1976) and Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon (1976). Both concerts sounded like I was sitting at home listening to vinyl with my headphones. They not only reproduced their studio performances, they got the acoustics of the arenas right. Other bands recreated their studio performances but the acoustics weren't managed as well, so there was a lot of "room" in their performances.
 
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spantini said:
Just two off the top - McCartney's Wings Over the World tour (1976) and Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon (1976). Both concerts sounded like I was sitting at home listening to vinyl with my headphones. They not only reproduced their studio performances, they got the acoustics of the arenas right. Other bands recreated their studio performances but the acoustics weren't managed as well, so there was a lot of "room" in their performances.
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I saw both of those concerts out here in LA and they were outstanding. Some others of the days were ELO, The Stones, Yes and Supertramp. Aside from being able to pull off the songs musically sound reinforcement is critical. I know PF at least at one point toured with their own sound system. I know this because the sound guy that did sound for us had purchased their older system. I would assume McCartney did the same.

Having been doing some decent size shows these last few years I can tell you the sound guys can make or break a show.

These days it's crazy...A polished sound company can get a band dialed in pretty quick...sitting out there FOH with their ipad..Love it.
 
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Snowman999 said:
I've been to a lot of shows. No one ever sounds like the record.

I get these melodies are extremely simple. So, it shouldn't be hard to hit the correct notes. But, the tone, sound, everything sounds like the recorded version. Not just on this song, on all of their live songs. I spoke to the drummer before the show, and asked if it was a full band. He said no, just the three of them with backing tracks.

Is she singing live or with a backing track? If it's live live, that's pretty impressive. Or maybe there's autotune on her vocal, and that's why it's so close to the recorded version. It's strange to me, having been to as many shows as I have.
Click to expand...
They definitely appear to be singing live but for certain there are backing tracks going on there with the bass lines and synth / keys ambient parts and probably some of the harmonies there to. For sure sounds fantastic.
 
I suspect no autotune, but lots of layered reverbs - it's audible on the very last note where she stops. she's got ears in, and I guss the other two have as well and the drummer's got the buttons. It works pretty well doesn't it!
 
Snowman999 said:
I've been to a lot of shows. No one ever sounds like the record.

I get these melodies are extremely simple. So, it shouldn't be hard to hit the correct notes. But, the tone, sound, everything sounds like the recorded version. Not just on this song, on all of their live songs. I spoke to the drummer before the show, and asked if it was a full band. He said no, just the three of them with backing tracks.

Is she singing live or with a backing track? If it's live live, that's pretty impressive. Or maybe there's autotune on her vocal, and that's why it's so close to the recorded version. It's strange to me, having been to as many shows as I have.
Click to expand...
She is singing with a track - guitarist is looping or playing with a track - lots of things going on there - sounds good though.
 
Band Maid sounds VERY close to their records. I've seen them live TWICE in past 9 months and they nail every song!

 
My band supported a chart band once, know for sitting down near Babylon, and the audience thought they sounded exactly like their greatest hits CD - note for note perfection, just like the CD - brilliant. There was a very simple reason for this, of course. We asked how many inputs on our PA we'd agreed to share with them, they needed. It was 3. Work it out for yourselves.
 
As far as the Babygirl album vs live performances comparison they're clearly not the same vocal performance. They're in different keys for one thing and there are nuances of the inflection that are different. The vocals are clearly coming off the board. There are singers who can deliver a quality performance live even without real-time pitch correction.
 
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