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Audio
Resolutions
When I listen to recordings,
the thing that almost always gives away amateur efforts is the overuse of
reverb. Reverb as an abused effect has lead to the degradation of more
recordings than I care (or am able) to list. When I sat down to think about
why this is, only one answer came to my mind: insecurity.
We’re all insecure (yes, even artists). And we use different means to hide
this fact. Small dogs bark loud, middle-aged men drive fast sports cars and
musicians give everything a healthy lacquer of reverb. Like dogs and
middle-aged men, a musician’s desire to appear larger than life isn’t
necessarily a bad thing. However, a façade doesn’t change the integrity of a
structure…only temporarily hides it.
Regardless of how one chooses to record, the point is to communicate a
message through sound. If audio is not well recorded, no amount of
processing can make it good. An analogy I like to use is cooking. Salt can
do a lot to bring out the flavor of a well-cooked meal. But no amount of
spice can make bad food taste good.
A new year is upon us. And about this time most people start putting
together a list of resolutions. Well go ahead, scribble away: 99% of us
won’t make it past March. But if you’re musician and are really looking for
a resolution to make a difference in your recordings, I’ve got a challenge
for you: quit abusing technology.
Here’s why: I believe most music is more interesting when it’s not
“perfect,” or technically manipulated to smooth out all the rough edges.
A
great musician once told me “all I have to offer are my mistakes.” I believe
that’s true. How one chooses to overcome his/her limitations is historically
one of the great aspects that draw people to art. If this element is
removed, a lot of potential for human communication is missing.
© 2002 Paul Abbott. |
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