Uh, okay.
I think we've all heard the stories about the engineer who won a grammy using nothing but sm57's. I've also heard the one about the Beatie Boys using super-cheap mics on their drums in order to get that dirty sound they were looking for.
Trent Reznor has been known to do a lot of his recordings at home using pro tools. Matthew Sweet has been known to record some of his drum tracks in mono - using just one microphone in front of the set.
Just the other week, I was looking for a particular effect on the vocals, but wasn't sure what I was looking for. As I bent over to change the bag in my waste basket, I was kinda' singing under my breath, and realized "this is it!" The sound reflections from my voice sounded great coming from this trash can.
Later on, I actually recorded a vocal track that I absolutely love using two microphones: One pointed at my face, and the other one placed inside the waste basket I was singing in to. I could spend $5,000 on an effects processor, and would never be able to duplicate that sound.
Although this example is a little extreme, I would have to be awfully careful in who I selected, were I to use a professional. Pink Floyd is actually a GREAT example, and I'm glad you brought them up. In their early days, Alan Parsons used an awful lot of more primitive micing techniques and wasn't afraid to experiment. Probably all the drugs they were doing.
But seriously, you would be surprized at how they recorded some of their stuff. In StarWars, the sound of the "blasters" actually came from someone "plucking" a telephone cable outdoors.
My point is that the artist is creative, and sometimes I believe the engineer can get a little caught up in the technical side of things. It is a creative process, and should be viewed as such. If you think a $100 ART will give you a better sound for a particular application, then don't be afraid to use it over your $5,000 Manley. If you want to get a real thin and noisy-sounding vocal or percussion on a particular track, then might I recommend leaving the dust cover on your U87 and opting instead for a fine array of $10 microphones at your local radio shack?
I'm not sure what we're even arguing about . . . or even if we're arguing at all. But don't forget who your audience is. Recording Engineers and audiophiles make up only a small percentage of our total population. And, ironically, they don't tend to buy many records ! ! ! Any artist who looks at this group as their target audience will not make much of a living.
Getting back to the point: Remember, this "challenge" or whatever is supposed to be fun. It's a gentlemen's bet, and I'm taking it with a light heart. What fun would it be if we didn't allow forum regulars to participate in the voting? So I say booooo to your idea. Two words for you: no fun. Oh well, every party has a pooper, I guess.
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