Okay, Blue Bear, I'm not a home recordist, but don't worry I haven't taken offense, this is the homerecording.com board
I am a freelance engineer and have worked in this manner for a while and love it! The idea of isolation wore me out, I hated the feeling of studios, it was so hospital like! I love the feeling of being in a huge open space, and with some gobos, sheets, blankets and various other "acoustic" material you can achieve any sound you want.
But of course I swear by tape, so that sort of puts me in a different situation than most these days.
This is really a concept I stole from Daniel Lanois. He started making records this way in the late 70s/early 80s. This is how U2s "Unforgettable Fire" was recorded. A genius album if you ask me.
I have even used this type of setup to mix, and to my surprise it worked out great. I still like the advantages of using an acoustically controlled environment, but if it comes down to cash, I'd do it again.
The reason I started working in this manner was because of something Eddie Kramer told me: "If you want a great drum sound and you don't have a multi-million dollar studio, set up your drums in the largest space you can find and throw up some mics." I mean, the guy did record Led Zep. outside with the Stone's Mobile truck (plane's soaring overhead and all).
This is also a great way to record your band if you don't have a bunch of money, you can get together some basic gear, borrow some gear from friends and rent the rest from someplace like Dream Hire, and for about $2,000 you can have a damn nice setup and track an album over the span of a week. And you can usually find a space to record in that isn't being used, just check with your city.
Anyone else have anything to say about this subject, it's something that really intrigues me.
Later,
musik