mono-stereo
Sept 22, 2007 19:30:41 GMT
Post by aman on Sept 22, 2007 19:30:41 GMT
I have had my new Sennheiser HD650 a couple of days now and allthough they are Very much better than my old ones one thing remains: Mono recordings rule!!
Starting with some oldies like Deep Purple/Machine Head (remastred CD) the stereo spread kinda ruins it for me in headphones, guitar on one side and organ on one most of the time. Now I know a recording is an art-form in itself but it sure doesn´t sound like DP used to do live.
If I play Motorhead/ Ace of Spades (remastred CD) it´s very much better because they pretty much stay in the middle and most of the time just let some cymbals do the stereo-spread, this also means that they can keep up the heavy sound most of the record.
My favorite old rock-LP must be Dr. Feelgood/ Down by the Jetty
( LP) it is in mono and it rocks all the way, nothing that can disturb my concentration.
Same thing if I play jazz-recordings, it´s the mono ones that sounds best. I got CDs like Roy Eldridge/Nuts vol 1 and 2 and they are in glorious mono, real fun listening.
Now, don't tell me to simply press the mono-button on the amp because that won't work, it got to be recorded or at least mastered in mono to be good.
Maybe my liking have to do with growing up with just a mono-radio with an old Philips plastic turntable connected to it at home?
Maybe it´s because all my time spent at conserts and rehearsals with bands? My biggest problem is drums. I must say I never notice any stereo drums alive. If I´m in a big room they just have no spread and if I'm in a small room all I hear is CRABANG-BOM!!! In my mind a drum-kit is ONE instrument and should be recorded like that,at proper distans. I listen to North Mississippi Allstars / Shake Hands With Shorty as I write this and allthough it's one of my favorite modern blues records I just can't understand why it´s recorded like I'm sitting bent forward with my head among the tom-toms?
Maybe ,also, it's because I'm disturbed by the time-based effects used to make stereo spread like delay/chorus etc, often I find them out of rythm. Something that won´t be notised when you're in front of two speakers.
Mono is of course not always the best, records like Pink Floyd/ The Wall of course needs stereo. Maybe they get away with stereo because one doesn't listen to it as a live performance? Or maybe it´s because they know what they are doing?
I also feel that mono moves the sound a bit forward and I like that, must try the x-feed discussed in another thread soon.
I guess in the end it is all about WHERE the listener think he hears the artist. If one wants to feel like being in a live situation mono/narrow stereo is way to go, on the other hand if one accept a recording as simply a recording wide stero is super. Problem arises with music one have heard often live.
Think I´m gonna look for music recorded with just 2 microphones set up close at each other for both the artists and room ambience. Get back when I find it.
Starting with some oldies like Deep Purple/Machine Head (remastred CD) the stereo spread kinda ruins it for me in headphones, guitar on one side and organ on one most of the time. Now I know a recording is an art-form in itself but it sure doesn´t sound like DP used to do live.
If I play Motorhead/ Ace of Spades (remastred CD) it´s very much better because they pretty much stay in the middle and most of the time just let some cymbals do the stereo-spread, this also means that they can keep up the heavy sound most of the record.
My favorite old rock-LP must be Dr. Feelgood/ Down by the Jetty
( LP) it is in mono and it rocks all the way, nothing that can disturb my concentration.
Same thing if I play jazz-recordings, it´s the mono ones that sounds best. I got CDs like Roy Eldridge/Nuts vol 1 and 2 and they are in glorious mono, real fun listening.
Now, don't tell me to simply press the mono-button on the amp because that won't work, it got to be recorded or at least mastered in mono to be good.
Maybe my liking have to do with growing up with just a mono-radio with an old Philips plastic turntable connected to it at home?
Maybe it´s because all my time spent at conserts and rehearsals with bands? My biggest problem is drums. I must say I never notice any stereo drums alive. If I´m in a big room they just have no spread and if I'm in a small room all I hear is CRABANG-BOM!!! In my mind a drum-kit is ONE instrument and should be recorded like that,at proper distans. I listen to North Mississippi Allstars / Shake Hands With Shorty as I write this and allthough it's one of my favorite modern blues records I just can't understand why it´s recorded like I'm sitting bent forward with my head among the tom-toms?
Maybe ,also, it's because I'm disturbed by the time-based effects used to make stereo spread like delay/chorus etc, often I find them out of rythm. Something that won´t be notised when you're in front of two speakers.
Mono is of course not always the best, records like Pink Floyd/ The Wall of course needs stereo. Maybe they get away with stereo because one doesn't listen to it as a live performance? Or maybe it´s because they know what they are doing?
I also feel that mono moves the sound a bit forward and I like that, must try the x-feed discussed in another thread soon.
I guess in the end it is all about WHERE the listener think he hears the artist. If one wants to feel like being in a live situation mono/narrow stereo is way to go, on the other hand if one accept a recording as simply a recording wide stero is super. Problem arises with music one have heard often live.
Think I´m gonna look for music recorded with just 2 microphones set up close at each other for both the artists and room ambience. Get back when I find it.