Recorded performances

[whistler]

Having enjoyed your contribution to several live performances I have been at I would be interested in your opinion on the following:

Do you feel that the accuracy with which a recording of a live gig reflects the quality of the performance is down to luck or skill.

What started me wondering about this is - I went to Ralph McTells 60th birthday concert in November and for me Spiral Staircase really took off and was special - I didn't  feel this came over in the recording of it I heard on the BBC and can't understand why.

Live is usually best for sure

[Maart]

Hi there

It's nearly always down to the recording engineer(s). Sometimes there can be a problem if for example the guitarist is too loud onstage, so he won't be in the outfront mix so much so if the recording is straight out of the mixing desk the mix will not be representative of what is heard in the hall.

Ralph's gig was, as far as I know, recorded to multitrack. The BBC prog I heard was probably mixed to a pretty sharp deadline, but as there is a DVD planned it's possible that the same performance will be remixed and as a result will sound completely different.

I felt that FC, while I was there, always sounded better live. This was because we usually recorded the music before we'd even learned it and it's not really till you get the music out on the road that you find out what you can do with it. I'm glad to see that this has changed now and most of the last FC album was gigged before the boys went in the studio.

Maart