Live vs Recorded Sound

[Andrew McIntosh]

The thread started by Kollaps about getting his home feedback sound into a live situation has got me thinking about the problems getting one's sound right in a live situation.

There are some who argue what what they record and what they perform can be two totally different things. That's a valid argument to me, but not a popular one I think, and it becomes a bit more restrictive in terms of Power Electronics and other more disciplined genres.

What sort of problems do you have to begin with? Do you invest in a rehearsal space, amplifiers and so on to get a real sound? Do you rely on the venue's p.a. and if so, how difficult do you find it to replicate the sound you've worked on? How do you do it?

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I think the biggest problem is that if recording method is not... lets say "high fidelity", and major part of style of sound is caused by recording device, not the equipment one produces the sound.

For example doing 100% same at live and recording, but latter one is captured with walkman or loud input volume tape deck recording and few carefully placed microphones. Despite material itself may be the same, live could be drastically different from recording.

How to change situation that live is not just the playing live, but result of that recording. I used to do things like using 4-tracker instead regular mixer. To get blow-out gain distortion to everything. To use amps besides or instead of direct PA line.

Problem to me isn't that I wouldn't know how it could be done, but reality that live situations hardly ever allow to play without compromises.

Lately been rehearsing / testing out filter box for sound. Most of all live vocals, which often is one of the most difficult things to "get right" in live noise. Still some months time to tweak details and see what would bring best results.

[Kollaps]

I almost always try to recreate the sounds during a performance as that has a great aesthetic and theatrical value for the audience as opposed to simply triggering it from a sampler. The latter has always felt kind of lazy in my opinion; the skill in noise music in my eyes is making all the chaos work. Samplers reduce the risk of error and provide a degree of comfort that I'm not really interested in.

My band and I DO use a sampler/laptop but kind of have an unspoken/unwritten rule that we'll only use it for sounds that have been created in a DAW.

If I were performing solo or as a duo no doubt I'd change my tune rather quickly.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Problem is not about creating some type of sound live, but many kinds of sounds. If I was to perform material that is done with handful of pedals and shakerbox, certainly there is no need back it up with other things. But lets say if ones sound is build from other kind of sources what do not fit to suitcase. How to bring on stages such things as engines, piano, church organs, etc etc. Or to play with field recording from other ways than from backing tape or sampler. Same could be said about set that lasts 10 mins and is about one thing only. But if there is more.

I fully acknowledge necessity of aesthetic & theatrical value what Kollaps says. And I have admired for example some guys like Altar Of Flies actually playing with several meters long tape loops that run across the stage. But to bring actual tape loops on stage in my own case is utterly useless. If I was about to play sample of drilling sheet of metal, that's something what can be done actually live. If I was to play sample of recording of waves of lakes splashing against canoe, I know I will just have to do that. Can't "recreate" situation on stage. Then it's only choice whether you want to play material that can be done live, or material you'd wanted to, but can't. That's the moment of compromise I was talking about. Knowing that performing tracks "like they should", might become too much of relying on playback. This is of course reason why I personally tend to perform only "alternative versions" of released material, mixed together with things improvised on spot. And also in such cases, if size of suitcase is the limit, I can guarantee there is compromises toward studio situation.