AW: y2k7 mp3s

["Rainer Thelonius Balthasar Straschill" <rs@moinlabs.de>]

Hi Krispen,
 
regarding the y2k7 mp3s, you said:
"A few notes. Last year I recorded directly from the board and the
recordings sounded much more studio like and higher quality. This year, as
you saw, I was recording live from two condensor mics. Hence, don't expect
perfection on these.  On occasion, you can hear audience chatter, things
moving around in the back of the room, etc. But I did the best I could to
cut out dead air space and bring the recordings up to line level so they 
are
audible. They are a decent documentation of the event, but not CD worthy, 
in
my honest opnion."

This leads me to ask:

1. I understand that this year (compared to the years before), you
implemented a few changes to reduce workload for you. Was changing from FOH
to microphone recording one of those (and if so, how did this work out), or
what were the reasons for this step (e.g. wanting to experiment with the
microphones, wishes from artists,...) ?

2. The way you describe it, there seems to be a clear view that a FOH board
recording is by all means superior to a recoring using a stereo mic setup.
Did you base that view on your own experience, eperience of other artists 
or
recording engineers or just on concentrated thinking?

The reason I ask: While I wholeheartedly agree that for a setup like mine 
of
last year or yours (for yours even more than for mine), a board recording
(or even a recording inside of the laptop) is by far superior to a 
recording
done with microphones in the venue, unless documenting audience interaction
is by far more important to you than fidelity, this may be totally 
different
for other artists. E.g. for an artist that works a lot with acoustic
instruments and doesn't send all of it through the mains (a dummer who only
amplifies his bass drum), the microphone recording would be vastly 
superior.

Btw, I've heard good recordings (e.g. Ozric Tentacles - Live at the Middle
east 2005-03-17) done just with a pair of condensers and a proper recording
device, both of classical and very rock/dance-oriented audio sources. 

Any thoughts here?

        Rainer