OK...here's my Rant on recordings today......

7 DEADLY SINS OF MODERN RECORDINGS DONE AT HOME.

 (Or why does it not sound as warm as ....?)

For those who believe Digital is a cold medium and all older recordings sounded better...warmer...more emptional....fuller....( You would have thought this old chestnut was put to bed already, but I still hear people yak about it on a daily basis)

So..here goes....
1. MOST PEOPLE WHO RECORD TODAY ON PRO TOOLS OR WHATEVER DIGITAL MEDIUM ARE NOT ENGINEERS....they know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about acoustics and science and yadda yadda.
The old records were done by men and women who came up through the rank and file and learned the craft...many also were fluent in electronics.
2. MOST PEOPLE TODAY LISTEN WITH THIER EYES AND NOT THIER EARS. Shut off the fucking video monitor and listen instead of being like a deer locked onto the headlights...so what if a bass note and a kick note don't line up perfectly....how does it sound? Feel?
3. MOST RECORDINGS DONE TODAY ARE NOT DONE IN STUDIOS. They are done at home, on location, if you will, in places that are NOT acoustically treated, or tuned.
4. MOST PEOPLE TODAY DO NOT OWN THE TOOLS OUR FOREFATHERS USED.  Some do...how about a great mic locker...a microphone is like an ear, and they all hear and respond differently to the source(sound). Use the right tools for the right job and use those tools properly.
4. MOST RECORDINGS USE MAINLY DIRECT SOURCES FOR THE MAJORITY OF SOUND AND INSTRUMENTS INSTEAD OF MICING UP A LIVE INSTRUMENT.  Trust me, drum samples DO NOT sound the same as real drums and even if they do, they do not have a person playing it and adding their own personality and nuances. GOD IS IN THE DETAILS. A hammond sample, a piano sample, a bass sample, etc......these are samples...NOT the real thing!
5. MOST RECORDINGS THAT ARE MIC'D UP ARE DONE USING CLOSE MICING AND ONLY ONE MIC PATTERN!
Move the mic around...listen! Use your ears! Try mixing a project that has EVERY source 1 inch from the sound or just direct!! GOOD LUCK! How about using less mics on the drums? How about understanding that a Bass amp mic'd close is fairly useless because the sound wave on a bass signal needs to bloom! Back up the Friggin' mic about 4-8 feet and listen to it! Wow...you just warmed up your recording! Do the same with your drums and guitars...back up the mics...BINGO...WARMTH!
6. MOST MUSICIANS SPEND MORE TIME LEARNING TO RECORD THAN THEY PRACTICE THEIR INSTRUMENTS!
Then they setup a home recording thingy.....waste valuable years trying to understand why their recordings suck...etc. Should have just practiced more and spent more time writing and rewriting songs and leave the recordings to someone who really understands how to do it and HOW TO LISTEN TO WHAT YOU EXPECT FROM THE RECORDING... Like me.
7. MOST PEOPLE TODAY DON'T HAVE A CLUE ABOUT COMPRESSION OR DYNAMICS.
Please folks this is not the place for this one...suffice it to say it can take years to understand and be able to hear what compression in it's many forms does and how it can benefit your music. This is the same for many other dynamic processors and such.
  It's ok to record at home. It's ok to learn.  JUST DON'T BLAME THE TOOLS FOR THE OUTCOME.
By the way, I think we live in a wonderful time and the digital age is hear to stay and I love it. I think most people today should use their computer recording setup to write songs, practice, PRACTICE YOUR FUCKING SINGING SO I DON'T HAVE TO TUNE EVERY NOTE. I'm gonna go have a drink. Cheers.
Ron
PS
General Midi files are shit.