Jazz vocalists which may not be as real as we think/imagine
No, the onus is on you. This is how Diana Krall is actually recorded. BTW, Al Schmitt is a true heavy engineer. |
mozartfan, Vocal manipulation/enhancement began almost as soon as recording did. It’s now almost impossible to find a ’naked’ flat recording of the human voice in popular music. Every single vocal performance on record has been enhanced to some degree or another. Almost anyone you can think of would sound different (less impressive) if they stood before you and sang or spoke. Originally there was echo, double tracking, reverb etc but now there’s zillions of effects available digitally. Yet despite all of these ’advances’ some of the most lifelike vocal performances ever recorded come from the very earliest days. The 1950/60s in particular featured some fabulous vocal recordings from the likes of Sinatra, Nat Cole, Peggy Lee etc. Truly great recordings no doubt but many of them benefitted from the acoustics ( huge natural echo chamber) of the Capitol Studios in LA. ’One of Capitol Studios most unusual and coveted assets are the eight subterranean echo chambers. Located 30 feet underground, the trapezoidal rooms can be accessed by the studios and mastering rooms to add rich reverberation to a vocal. Each of the chambers has thick concrete walls and ceilings. Sound from the studio is sent to speakers in the echo chambers, which is then picked up by microphones and returned to the recording media. With speakers on one side and microphones on the other, the chambers can provide reverberation lasting up to 5 seconds.’ Dare we suggest that Frank, Nat and Peggy might not sound so good elsewhere? As for Diana Krall, she isn’t competing with them. She only has to be good enough for today, and that she obviously is. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_Studios |
Carmen McRae
Yeah now thats more how i perfer female performers to come across on records. Whereas Nina Simone was a bit too raw. talented, just not my taste. I just don't heard much tweeking in this recording. This is my point, Taht some modern records have taken mod gadgets a bit too far from Au Natural Here would make a great reference cd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qnyaZQELxk |
As for Diana Krall, she isn’t competing with them. She only has to be good enough for today, and that she obviously is
Well tahts helps explain why older Capitol records have such natural flare, And that Diana Krall can easily get away with her high tech modulated record. We live in high tech times and so its quite perfectly acceptable to have this technology employed in records quality. What happened was i was searching for a finely recorded jazz or country female voice as reference in mods/tweeks. I came across Sohie Milman on YT and added 2 of her cds as reference records. I thought they were acceptable as her voice does come across as natural, even though some tweeks may have been added, one can hardly tell, Then i dug out 2 Diana Krall cds,, and noted how different the 2 singers voice came across. That is what prompted this post. I also have jacnitha on order, I came across Jacnitha's voice from a YT vid showing off the Seas Bifrost, I felt this also might makea good reference, as i am interested in adding that speakera s a 2nd speaker. Now how modded is her record, I cam't tell via YT. But sure seems more natural, less modded. We'll see this week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgaUQO4lvII |
