Re: LAL recording techniques

["Michael D. Mullins" <mullins@ecn.purdue.edu>]

   I have to question what has been said so far about the way "Live At Leeds" 
was recorded.  It is true that the recording was taken straight from the 
board, but I seriously doubt that the instruments were run straight into the
board.  The amps were miked, and the mikes run into the board.  That's how it's
primarily done today, and I have to assume it was the standard then, even more
so.  I'm not sure that amplifiers then even had "line outs" or if direct boxes 
even existed (could someone comment on this?).  And I believe it's a generally 
accepted rule that guitars run straight into a board generally sound like crap;
close miking of the amp itself, as can be seen on Pete's speaker cabs in the
wide-angle picture of the stage in the LAL booklet, gives a much fuller sound.
And part of that is because of the fact that external mikes will pick up more
of the natural reverberation and ambiance of the room.   
   Now, how much of the "ambiance" of the hall that we hear in LAL is what was
picked up by the external mikes, and how much was "added" by additional area
mikes, is an open question.  But I will say that vocal mikes, at the front of
the stage, tend to pick up more crowd noise, and such, than you might figure.
Despends, a lot, I suppose, on how loud the fans are screaming....
   Anyways, my point is, there were a lot more external mikes recording things
than just the vocal mikes.  And they would have picked up a lot of the sound
in the hall, even >without< a phalanx of speakers ringing the theatre, shooting
sound directly back at the stage, which apparently was the case.  


                                                            M.M.