The evolution of recording equipment and the home studio

[EtherealEntity]

Hi guys. Looking at the subforums, this seemed the most appropriate place to post this.

I'm currently preparing to write a dissertation based around the evolution of the home studio and it's impact on the recording industry.
One thing that has crossed my mind was how much further technology can actually go.

Take an old song from 50 years ago or what have you. In those days, I guess the sound of the latest records would've been considered perfect. Nowadays, technology has taken the sound of music so much further, and a production that (unintentionally) sounded like it was made in the '50s would be generally considered pretty damn awful.

In the modern day, it seems possible to get mighty close to industry standard recordings with a top notch home studio setup and a great amount of experience. (Atleast in my opinion. What do you think?)

I am aware there are various new technical developments coming around, but I was wondering how much further can the sound of a record really grow? It's come incredibly far in a century - maybe I'm narrow minded but I really can't imagine how it can improve further. There will always be new hardware and software in production, but how much better can it really get?

I think in the coming years one major leap in music will be the use of surround sound. I've seen a fair few 5.1 mixes being released recently, but do you think surround will become a standard rather than a bonus release? If so, when? This will bring about a large amount of new equipment, but I am struggling to think what further advancements can come around after that.

One thing I've always found myself dreaming while slowly preparing my home studio for the past 2 years has been "One day, I'll have X, Y, and Z, and then I'm done!" By this, I mean I'd feel fairly reluctant to spend on new equipment once I find something I am satisfied with - even when new releases come into play. I guess I would be somewhat frowned upon for this? Perhaps I would think differently if I had a larger income, but at the moment I'm somewhat of the mindset; "Why upgrade when X does what I want?"

Do you think there will soon be a point when one can rightfully sit down and think "There, my studio is finished". If one could make 'perfect' recordings with their current equipment, will technology actually advance the sound of music so much further that people would look and say "Jesus, your still using that? You sound so 2010!"

I am interested to see what your opinions are on this matter. Thanks for taking the time

 

[dintymoore]

There's a huge potential for growth.

The whole thing is to duplicate the human ear. The whole thing of computers was to duplicate a human brain. Cameras were to duplicate the eye. Cars were to duplicate horses. If there's a pattern with this it's that they are all robotics.

The sound of music today isn't really very good. The sound I heard 30 years ago with what was then top studio gear was way, way superior. Analog was really evolved by 1980. Digital is in it's infancy in 2009.

You still can't record a cymbal and have the playback come anywhere remotely close to what your ear hears.

And if you did, how would you get it to the people - on mp3's played through earbuds?

We are, to me, about where cars were in the 1920's, there's massive change comin' up in our lifetimes.

 

[Jim Lad]

If I was preparing a dissertation on the evolution of the home studio I doubt that I could get very far at all without giving mention to the addition of CD burners on home PCs and the resulting demise of the established recording industry.
My own opinion of course but the way I see it, giving consumers the ability to produce the exact same quality as the recording industry has been the very wedge that has loosened what was once a powerful grip on every aspect of the music industry. They dictated who got to record, what they got to record, where it sells, how much the artist gets and even bribed their way into controlling the airwaves. Thereby controlling what we got to hear.
This one tool, in the hands of the consumer has brought the industry to its knees.

I've seen a fair few 5.1 mixes being released recently, but do you think surround will become a standard rather than a bonus release? If so, when? This will bring about a large amount of new equipment, but I am struggling to think what further advancements can come around after that.

Someone asked about this yesterday. I have the equipment to record and produce surround sound but am assured that there is no consumer interest/expectation and would imagine that the development of home entertainment software will provide its own solution.

 

[nate_dennis]

"...your still using that? You sound so 2010!"

LOL I say (to be read "think") that all the time . . . and it's only 2009!!! I find it interesting that so much of modern technology gets used to try to emulate "obsolete" technologies. Think about amp modelers, tape emulators, spring/plate reverb plug ins, etc. Now, I'm not bashing people who use amp modelers/sims (I use one from time to time) but . . . why do so many people who preach the demise of analog recording use modern technology to emulate that which has met it's end? My point is to echo the sentiment that digital is in it's infancy. I may have my facts a bit off, but ..... the only recording medium that actually saw an increase in sales last year (and I believe a few years in a row actually) is vinyl. Why is that? Because after enough fast food, cotton candy, flavor of the minute, cookie cutter, line assembled (enough already???) "music" gets crammed down peoples throats they say "ENOUGH!!!! Give me something with substance." Digital isn't going away, but neither is analog.

As far as price goes, it really doesn't cost that much to get a decent analog-based home studio going. I'm not trying to cram analog down your (or anyone elses) throat, just saying that there is a viable alternative that can produce great results with character and beauty.

But you did make a very good point when you acknowledged that EXPERIENCE is hugely important. I don't have the experience to make great recordings, but I'm working on it. But so many kids these days think that with an M-Box and ProTools LE you can make a "hit" or "great" record with no practice. All digital has done has made the gear more compact and a bit more affordable. The ability to capture sound is still a learned art. Just my $.02


//end rant//