I think that on average the "classical" musician is interested in quality recording because they have to use their ears more than in electrified music. I don't mean to be pejorative to non-classical musicians by any means. Those are different yet equally important skill sets that all of the above should cross over more often. Honestly, non orchestral musicians often strive for the actual musical implication more than the mroe technically proficient orchestral brethren.

What I mean is that blending a section of 14 first violins and 12 seconds and 12 violas and 8 cellos and 6 double basses requires a different kind of tonal awareness than non-orchestral music. Also, the average classical musician does work harder mastering his/her instrument of choice than 90% of the average non-classical musician.

As a result the orchestral musician maybe wants the best recording they can afford even if it is for their own archival purposes.

*CAVEAT* There is no corner on the market for self deception!!!

I have met many many classical musicians that were not up to the level they perceived themselves to be and quite frankly, wouldn't believe it even after they heard their own recording. Also, the orchestral musician still has to be taught how to go about the recording process and especially the bit that states: the number of takes is inversely proportional to the quality of the take.

There isn't a lot of work in the non major symphony recording business. I mostly do chamber society recordings as well as student audition CD's and some teacher's recitals. This would be exacerbated if I were in a bigger town since a larger college would normally have students recording recitals as part of their coursework. An exception to this was at Northwestern where you had to hire your own recording done for your degree recitals.

Just some quick thoughts in the middle of tuning pianos.

I think you'll find that most folks in the fine arts classical music field have spent years studying with individual teachers, going to universities, playing and civic orchestras, playing and regional orchestras, playing in state orchestras, touring Europe, all that stuff. So when they want a quality recording made of themselves, they'll generally seek out other professionals. But sometimes that doesn't quite work. I've posted this one before which I've always found very funny. When I was only around 15 years of age, I had already recorded operatic singers, concert violinist's because those were my parents. A friend of ours who was the principal harpsichordist of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and her husband was the principal bass player for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, wanted a recording of herself playing her custom built Dowd Harpsichord. At 15, even though I had recorded her already, live, she had inquired around to find who was the best recording engineer in Baltimore. So she went to George Massenburg's, ITI studio in Hunt Valley Maryland. She simply hated the recording. She hated the way it sounded. When I asked her if I could hear it, I plopped it on to my TEAC 7030 at 15 IPS. I already knew who George Massenburg was. He had recorded the Towson State Jazz Band featuring Hank Levy. It was awesome sounding through his custom-built, parametric equalizer console. Through which she also made her recording. And her beautiful baroque harpsichord sounded like a piece of rock 'n roll because he had miked it that way. So I told her, it was the best sounding rock 'n roll harpsichord of baroque music I'd ever heard. He might be a great engineer but he didn't know how to record a harpsichord. I knew better at 15 how to do that. He later went on to record Earth Wind & Fire, Linda Ronstadt, the Emotions, Little Feat but I still wondered if he ever figured out how to record Baroque harpsichord? He sure did know how to design some fine equipment but did he actually know how to sound design? Accuracy is one thing technique is something else. You can have technique with crappy equipment like I did or, you could have accuracy with poor technique.

Don't think about the equipment. Think about the technique.
Mx. Remy Ann David

Great story! Maybe George was just ahead of his time. I hope he got the gig recording Tori Amos' harpsichord through a Marshall amp.

I think my technique is solid and instincts are good. I was extremely satisfied with the results I got first time out of the gate doing a big jazz band. I had a sound in mind of what that kind of recording should sound like, and placed my mics accordingly. Whether or not I have the sensibilities for that style of music aside, the recording I got sounded EXACTLY like I wanted it to - which in the end is all I can shoot for. I'd welcome feedback from both of you, but it's not my project, so I wouldn't want to step on anyone's toes or post copyrighted material to give an example. [PM if interested] The big swing numbers sound are big and bouncy and with the moody jazz tunes you can imagine the black & white smoke filled scene that goes with the sound of a muted trumpet and brushes swirling on the snare.

It was done in an unfamiliar recording venue, with nothing more than a 20 minute pre-show soundcheck to make sure I was getting the levels I needed. I'd been in the auditorium before, but never recorded anything there. During mixdown I just had some questions about standard practices regarding the width of the stereo image, and panning the instruments to recreate their physical location on stage - which the folks here were very helpful with their advice.

The second go-round I was able to improve some of the spot solos just by a couple minor changes. (They brought me back for the next one, so I must be doing something right.)

I've actually never purchased a Tori Amos recording. I wasn't even aware that George Massenburg was her engineer? Funny, since Philip Brecher and myself recorded her first demo for her Methodist Minister father at our studio, Hallmark Films & Recordings, in Owings Mills, Maryland when she was just 14 years old and still known as Ellen Amos. Her father drove her 60 miles plus to our studios. Unfortunately, my copy of her first demo was lost when Phil's studio went up in flames some years ago. All I have left is from a contest for a song about Baltimore. We brought her together with a very talented, very young and very poor ghetto band from the heart of Baltimore city. I posted it here for you all to enjoy. [[url=http://[/URL]="http://soundcloud.c…"]Ellen Tori Amos Baltimore 1978 by user3139903 on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free[/]="http://soundcloud.c…"]Ellen Tori Amos Baltimore 1978 by user3139903 on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free[/] It's pretty amazing to hear her singing the lead & backup harmony vocals. She was also playing the piano my Yamaha C three. We were looking for another Earth Wind & Fire type band. While she was only 14 the other 14-year-old kid was playing the drums. Recorded on my custom console and tracked to our brand-new Ampex MM 1200-16. We only had a single 1176 & an EMT plate. She was fabulous, is fabulous. We wanted to produce her but Philip's dad wanted her father to pay for the sessions. We told Max this kid is going to be a superstar and we have an unbelievable opportunity here. But he was insistent and so, it never came to be. C'est la vie

Opportunity knocks but once
Mx. Remy Ann David