My band is at a crossroads.
We put out a studio CD last summer that we ended up being happy with. A local sound engineer with experience recording jazz-fusion groups and — believe it or not — experience recording vibes did a bang-up job and gave us a great sounding CD.
Since then, we’ve changed quite a bit and have added a guitar player that gives us more of an edge and our live shows have gotten more energetic. Folks have been telling us that we should do a live recording for our next CD so the energy of our live show will get captured and the CD will better represent us.
Like anything, there are pros and cons.
The studio CD is fabulous because you can sit down and craft the sound for each individual song once it has been recorded. The first go around, I was amazed at how much control we had over the sound of each drum in the drum-kit.
Also, since my group does a good amount of improvised soloing, the studio seems attractive because you can go back and do that solo over and over again until it’s just right.
The cons are that the studio is a controlled environment that can produce a rather sterile sounding end product that doesn’t capture the warm energy of the live show. All that sonic control comes at a cost, I fear.
The live recording has its pros and cons as well.
Ideally, it captures the live show and will make the listener want to see the group live. It can capture those unexpected moments of improvisational magic that often occur during a live show.
On the flip-side it can capture the moments when weird stuff happens onstage. Not only mess-ups but also unexpected things like someone close to the stage loudly talking to the band in the middle of a song. Hell, we played in Wilmington once and had a drunk guy actually get up on stage and hug our bass-player in the middle of a song. That would make for a hoot of a live recording!
Tell me your thoughts people. Tell me your thoughts…
This article appears in Aug 31 – Sep 6, 2010.
I think the key to a live album is that you have to really capture the essence of what makes your group popular with fans that come to shows. If you think about really good live albums (like AC/DC live for example – my personal vote for their best “album”), they work because the band captures that energy, sound, and excitement from a live show. Or in simplier terms, it has to be real. What several groups I know that have done live albums have done is to record several shows over a period of time and put together an album from that material. You can then “control” the sound a bit and make sure the best makes it to the public while still capturing the live sound. Best of luck my man!
an opinion….
well, a live recording doesn’t have to be a “live” recording in the sense of doing it in a noisy bar with beer bottles clanging in the trash cans…I’m a big fan of and many great albums have been produced from recording the band as a whole at once to achieve that natural flow and breath (remember RHCP’s Blood Sugar Sex Magik)…
Also considering the kind of band you guys are, a live recording showcasing your improv skills will pay off…make it a studio cd recoded live at once with everyone’s energy feeding one another. You can still go and add your overdubs but the original “live” energy will be captured forever.
just another opinion =)
Hi Eric, long time. If you tinker with a live recording too much, it’s not really live any more. Think of the “happy accidents” of brush calligraphy. You guys have tight composition and intuitive interplay which will not change regardless of the environment you’re playing in. To me, your crossroads is mostly about giving up the surety of the studio for something less certain, but no less accommodating to your talents. I say if you think it’s time, record live and let the tunes fall where they may.
Many thanks for all of the feedback folks. The band and I will be talking all of your points over at our next rehearsal.
All the best,
Eric Mullis,
Actual Proof
Eric, give me a shout (206) 369-3248 when you get a second. I own LUCID Jazz Lounge here in Seattle & our new focus is LIVE recording projects. As some of the guys above have mentioned there’s something special about the cohesive energy of the audience and the musician. Also, the room has to be right and the audience has to be there for the music. I’ve built an establishment where 85% of the audience is there for the music. Which is beautiful. And with our acoustic room treatment it gives for an amazing recording. Check out some our work.
http://www.lucidseattle.com click on LUCID Live Records. Be well man!
My problem with a “live recording” is that you have to take the bad with the good. I prefer to hear the music without the detractive sound of fans screaming and clapping, which I find as desirable as hearing car horns (that were not edited out) when watching a western. One compromise would be to record at the same venue as where you would perform, but in a rehearsel setting, which means without an audience and the extraneous noise that comes with it.
Doing a live studio album is the answer…. it gives you that warm, natural sound but with an element of control you don’t get at a concert with drunk people, lol