Questions about bootlegs (clarification time)

[U2girl]

So there's audience recordings, soundboard recordings, and ALD recordings.

Right?

BUT:

- what is the ALD recording and how does it differ from a soundboard or audience recording?

- technically, are generally soundboard recordings best or could it be, say, that a person in the heart could also get a very high quality recording?

- how do people get away with audience recordings anyway? Doesn't security check up everyone in the audience before the show? (and i'm guessing they don't just use some walkman-type of thing)

 

[Blue Room]

Soundboard - Directly off the mixing desk. This is generally the best quality you are going to get for a recording. Full mix of instruments and vocals.

IEM (internal ear moniter) - This is a version of a soundboard except it is the feed that the band members hear while they are playing. Hence it is not as full of a mix. For example, Bono's IEM the vocals are the most prominent thing in the mix.

ALD (assisted listening device) - This is a system used in N. America to assist the hearing impaired hear events at certain venues. The feed for these does come from the soundboard. However, the bass is generally lowered and the treble is brought up so the hearing impaired can hear the show better.

Video feed - this is a recording that is taken from the video feeds for U2's screen. Again this feed does come from the soundboard. However there is sometimes some degradation and hiss that results from the video sourcing.


Regarding audience recordings. Generally it depends on the type of equipment the taper is using and where they are located in the venue. Generally speaking for Elevation the best spot for taping was thought to be about 15 feet from the outside tip of the heart or further back by the mixing desk. Alot of the recordings done from inside the heart had a more muddy sound to them and crowd noise was sometimes a major problem.

Regarding getting the stuff in. Security really isnt looking for this stuff. They are more concerned about fishing out weapons and drugs. So, generally speaking it isnt that difficult to get the equipment in.

Regarding which is the best. IMO a good soundboard from any of the sources I mentioned I almost always prefer to an audience recording as you can hear exactly what the band is playing without any audience interference. There are some very high quality audience recordings though that are also excellent and I think a good collection has a mix of both types of audio. An excellent audience recording can give you more of a feel for what it was like to be there.

 

[U2girl]

Thanks for all that info!

 

[groovcat]

Soundboard - Directly off the mixing desk. This is generally the best quality you are going to get for a recording. Full mix of instruments and vocals.

I am curious - why are their different qualities of Soundboard recordings. Example: Miss Sarejevo its hard to hear Bono somtimes (Though he did have a cold) versus the Beautiful Night in Cleveland Elevation masterpiece? There are a couple of others I question the source even though on the packaging it says "Soundboard"

-lara

 

[Blue Room]

Depending on which version of the Sarajevo show you got depends on how good the quality is. You probebly have a copy that was taped directly from the FM broadcast. The entire first half of the show was broadcast by mistake in mono. So those versions are not very good. Also, in an FM broadcast you are going to lose some quality even though generally speaking most are still excellent.

Get the pre FM version, much better.

The Cleveland recording is an ALD feed. Thats why there isnt alot of bass but the treble and vocals are clearer and more prominant.