[Dixielandjazz] Acoustics

[Steve barbone]

"Jim Kashishian" <jim at kashprod.com> wrote: (about acoustics)
> This is an interesting subject that I have mentioned to our pianist many
> times.  (He happily sends me on my way with some phrase or other that I
> can't mention here!)
> 
> If we are on a large stage in a fairly large auditorium with the drums to
> one side, the bass in the middle, and the acoustic (grand) piano to the
> other side of the bass...and, the two front men (me, included) standing
> equally between them in the front, we can often hear two different times
> going on behind us.
> 
> It is not a repeat of a beat, or anything so bad as that, but you just know
> that "it's not all together" behind you.  Cuts down on the possibility of
> that "magic drive" you get from the rhythm section when all is fine.
> 
> I try to explain to the pianist that, since he only wants his piano in his
> monitor, there is no way in hell he can play perfectly in time with the
> drummer (who has the whole mix), as he is hearing the drums after it goes up
> into the heavens & comes back.
> 
> He can't believe that the distance can make a difference, but I can easily
> hear (in my studio) 25 miliseconds of delay applied to the left speaker with
> no delay applied to the right one.  I just know that there is more than 25
> mS between the position of the piano to the drums & the piano on a large
> stage when you account for the area above (where all the scenery floats!).
> 
> Any comments from you "tech freaks" out there?

Perhaps that is why, on large separation set ups on many stages, the pros
will often be wearing earphones these days?

Or why in Stadium concerts, Super Bowl Half Time Shows, etc, the singers are
lip syncing to recorded performances? (and the band is faking playing also).

Ah show business. Soon "live" will be "dead", all in the name of "Art", and
we will become holistic caricatures of ourselves. ;-) VBG

As a practical matter, perhaps better to put the drums in the middle so that
piano and bass hear his time equally and play to it?

Cheers,
Steve  Barbone