The space between us

[HapiCmpur]

So I'm listening to a lot of Steely Dan these days in an attempt to get accustomed to my mixing monitors and it's had a couple of effects on me. First, it's made me deeply depressed over the state of my own mixes; second, it has raised a question.

When listening to the Dan, especially through monitors, one can practically see the musicians standing in the stereo field. This isn't just a result of panning; there is actually a sense of open space and air between the apparent locations of each instrument. How dey do dat?

Can this sense of space only be achieved through the magic of stereo recording, or is it possible to take a single track and envelope it in airiness using some combination of reverb, delay, and voodoo?

 

[Massive Master]

Most of their tracks are mono - like anyone else's.

But the space is made by - "Space" - There's no substitute (including delays, reverbs, etc.) for the effect of distance.

One of a million reasons for having well-treated, good sounding rooms.

 

[HapiCmpur]

But the space is made by - "Space" - There's no substitute (including delays, reverbs, etc.) for the effect of distance.

Actual space, eh? How quaint.

I guess that means they're not close-miking on those mono tracks that sound really spacious then, right? Otherwise all you'd hear is the sound source without the room?

On many Steely Dan songs, the soundscape is so intimate and 3-dimensional that you feel like you could trip over Walter Becker's amp cable if you're not careful. And you feel like you can hear the exact distance between him and Donald Fagan's vocal mic, even though the two tracks were almost certainly not recorded at the same time. That just amazes me.