[Dixielandjazz] psuedo-live recording

[James Kashishian]

Someone mentioned hearing a band that was playing a club gig & recording
live.  They repeated the same song several times to get various takes on
tape.  In my opinion, this is a drag for the paying customers, and the
person that wrote about this session mentioned that.

For a live session, I recommend what we have done on our last 3
recordings, playing as normal gig as possible over a week long period,
recording everything.  It's the most natural way to get a live
recording, but will not be as "artistically correct" as a studio gig.

An in-between way of recording is to set up a nite in a club, house, or
recording studio with friends & family invited.  Therefore, your
audience is not a "paying customer", and you can do as many takes as you
like.  I know that Frank Sinatra recorded at least one album this way.

There is actually no way you can get something onto tape that is as
relaxed as a normal gig.  Plus  one never knows when "That Old Black
Magic" is going to hit;  where audience & band hit it off and everything
is just right.  So, being lucky enough to have a recorder running on the
night that happens can be rare.  (How 'bout the DJML member that
mentioned a magic nite that they thought had been recorded, and it
wasn't !!)

As an added thought, if anyone is thinking about a future recording
session, and someone says you should go direct to hard disk.......I ask,
why?  You don't plan to do any immediate editing, or pitch change, etc.,
or move any solos around, right there on the spot, do you?  

It has become all the rage to go direct to hard disk, when digital
linear tape (either a DAT for stereo, or Tascam DA88, 78 or 98 for 8
tracks on Hi8 tape, or Adat for 8 tracks on SVHS tape) is fine and much
cheaper.  Besides, this way you have a hard copy back-up of everything
that was recorded automatically!  

You can put several machines together for more tracks, if necessary.
Why go to hard disk, with it's inherent power problems (you should use
an on-line UPS to protect from dodgy house current)?  You can dump
digitally onto a hard disk later for editing, etc., if necessary.  The
above mentioned tape machines can be rented from a professional audio
supply house in any large city in the world.....even Madrid!

Jim