Remeber when U2 use to record in spaces that enhanced their music

[Jdelbove]

Remember when U2 was all about finding the right spaces to record in that would enhance and refledt their sound. Does it annoy anyone else that U2 record now with no space in their production and sound like everything on the radio. Like if you listen to their first few albums and all the way up till Actung Baby you can hear the space in their music. If you watch The Making of the Unfrogetable Fire they talk about how they needed to find the right space that would reflect their music.

With Pop and especily the last two albums U2 have realy lost that space which created such great atmophere for their music. Now their recording is lowd, crisp and clean, there is no depth to the sound anymore. I dont know if they are just following new recording trends or have consiously chosen to record like this. But I miss the murky atmospher in their music that recording in somthing like a ball room gives as oposed to recording in a sound proof studio. I dont know if they have made the choice to move to a more studio polished sound or if its just another way of them jumbing onto current trends unfortunately while loosing some of the character their recordings once had or maybe it just fit the production of the last two albums.

Do u think U2 will return to form on the new album and utilize their recording space as an instrument on their new album as they one did before?

 

[pacemaker]

Well, if they actually recorded parts of the album in Morocco, it looks like the space they rented would lend itself to some cool atmospherics and acoustics. Although, I guess we don't have any definite answer yet as to whether any of that material is album-worthy, or just demo/idea stuff.

 

[Moser]

The current Inteference.com buzz....

Negativity.

Anyway, Pop was fantastic.

 

[theFly51]

Anyway, Pop was fantastic.

 

[jay canseco]

No matter how spacious their recordings of the new album are, the mastering process will crush all the dynamics out of it. That is the way things are done today.

 

[Jdelbove]

Yes Pop is very brave but I am talking about the sound of space absent on recent U2 material. Do u guys think that this has been intentional and this is how U2 wanted to sound or are they just giving in to current trends in the recording industry meaning closed in loud up front and small

 

[Bean Skidds]

No matter how spacious their recordings of the new album are, the mastering process will crush all the dynamics out of it. That is the way things are done today.

Unfortunately this is the correct answer. Its all about compression and limiters these days. The days of CDs with a wide dynamic range are gone. U2 could record there next album in the grand canyon and it would have no ambience, thanks to the butchering, errr I mean mastering that would follow. I saw a graph recently of the average dynamic range of CD recordings from the late 80's up until today. It has been a steady decrease over time, to the point where there is virtually no dynamic range left on many cds today. Totally brickwalled. What this means to a listener is everything is cranked up to 10, there is no depth or feeling of spaciousness. All instruments are in your face, and your ears fatigue very quickly as a result. This is why many audiophiles actually collect the earliest CD pressings.

Back when CDs were first released in the 80s, there was virtually no limiting or compression added. Just straight transfer from analog to digital. Some of these transfers were not done very well due to the early technology and higher gen source tapes used, but those CDs had beautiful dynamic range. And the ones that were transferred well are actually highly sought after collector's items now.

There are some mastering engineers trying to get back to those days of nice dynamic range. Steve Hoffman is one, I recommend his music forums for more info

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/index.php


Also, specialty companies like Mobile Fidelity who make the expensive gold CDs use no compression or limiting. They just use a little bit of EQ normaly. This is why people are willing to shell out 25 bucks for those gold cds. On a good stereo system, they really do sound way better.

 

[DreamOutLoud13]

Well, if they actually recorded parts of the album in Morocco, it looks like the space they rented would lend itself to some cool atmospherics and acoustics. Although, I guess we don't have any definite answer yet as to whether any of that material is album-worthy, or just demo/idea stuff.

In Morocco, they recorded in an open courtyard thingy (the correct term is riad) and I recall someone (Bono, Eno?) saying that the birds in the rafters could be heard singing on some of the recordings.

This is why many audiophiles actually collect the earliest CD pressings.

Good god. I first read that as pedophiles, and I was like "What?!"

 

[thelaj]

I think the claustrophobic sound really suits Pop, but not the last two records.

 

[BVS]

Yes Pop is very brave but I am talking about the sound of space absent on recent U2 material. Do u guys think that this has been intentional and this is how U2 wanted to sound or are they just giving in to current trends in the recording industry meaning closed in loud up front and small

I think it really started with AB, they were proud that the album was dense and the albums have become moreso since then to the point where Bomb is almost like a brick wall... It really has nothing to do with where they are recording.

 

[david]

no, things like that don't annoy me.

 

[Jdelbove]

AB still had that murky feel to it now u go to HTDAAB its insane like everything is so in your face there is no difference in Bono's vocals. When he whispers or when he is belting it out its all the same volume I cant stand it when I go back and listen to their older stuff.

Are U2 aware of this and do they care. Do u guys think that they prefere the compressed sound or are they just staying up with modern recording trens. It seemed like before U2 was the oposite of compressed recording and they felt very strongly about it. What happened?

 

[BVS]

It seemed like before U2 was the oposite of compressed recording and they felt very strongly about it. What happened?

Where has U2 ever mentioned they were strongly against it?

 

[chrissybaby]

it simply blows my mind that on playback of HTDAAB they all nodded and said "yeah that sounds perfect".

There is audible clipping on a few songs, such as Crumbs... That is unforgivable. it actually sounds like a faulty product!

 

[BVS]

There is audible clipping on a few songs, such as Crumbs... That is unforgivable. it actually sounds like a faulty product!

Really? Where?

 

[chrissybaby]

Really? Where?

the start of crumbs, it's well documented that this song in particular was guilty of the loudness war...

 

[BVS]

the start of crumbs, it's well documented that this song in particular was guilty of the loudness war...

Yeah yeah, I gotcha...

I was thinking something else when you said 'clipping', nevermind.

 

[BVS]

I think we're losing dynamics in recording because the way we listen to music is changing. iPods, mp3s, computers... Very little time is spent just listening to music in a room with a quality system anymore. So much is lost on an iPod.

 

[bonocomet]

^ this is so true I miss my old stereo system

 

[Liesje]

I always thought recording in random places was kinda cheesy, but I've never recorded anything but a "BOOMCHA!" for the Interference Discotheque cover, so....

 

[Jdelbove]

if you watch the unfrogetable fire documentary u hear adam i think talk about how they had to find the right kind of room to record in that would suit their sound.

I just dont know how they got from their to HTDAAB I know its been a long time but its not like they frogot the way their eariler albums sounded and how they were recorded it must be an intentional thing Im thinking not so much about recording trends and technology

 

[BVS]

if you watch the unfrogetable fire documentary u hear adam i think talk about how they had to find the right kind of room to record in that would suit their sound.

I just dont know how they got from their to HTDAAB I know its been a long time but its not like they frogot the way their eariler albums sounded and how they were recorded it must be an intentional thing Im thinking not so much about recording trends and technology

You keep ignoring the fact that it's not where or how they record. It's how they are mixing.

 

[kingofsorrow]

The current Inteference.com buzz....

Negativity.

Anyway, Pop was fantastic.

the current answer to "the buzz"....

Mediocrity.

anyway Pop could have been fantastic.
















p.s this post is my 666th.