<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV><DIV>On Mar 16, 2006, at 11:13 AM, Barbara Richmond wrote:</DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">It was my understanding<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">that the recordings can be manipulated--as long as the recording<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">tech/engineer/editor or whatever you want to call him/her has enough tone to<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">work with.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>For example, a bright piano can get toned down somewhat, but<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">it's not possible to work as easily with a mellow piano.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>Am I totally out<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">in left field here?</FONT></P> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR></DIV><DIV>From what little I know, digital audio editing can easily change the balancing of low/high frequency of the tone itself (after the attack). That's called EQ and will work on the entire wave envelope. I suppose there is software which can change the shape of the attack at every instance of a new note appearing, and depending on the signal size of that note. (Heck, software can correct poor intonation and make a late entrance be on time.) But once again, that's with all notes in the channel (and here there were 2 mics, hence 2 channels).</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Software can alter the acoustic response of the room itself working EQ and reverb. The more instruments are involved, the less obvious the results are</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>As to what the piano may have suffered because of number of mics and mic placement, balance with the orchestra and the nuances of tone heard with a mic at 5' instead of 20' would be the first things to suffer. With the mic set-up you describe, you're probably lucky with what the recording got, never mind how the piano (buried in among all the other instruments) may not have been properly represented.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Don't beat yourself up, Barbie. 2 mics, straight to stereo is the cheapest recording set-up available (short of a $29 hand-held cassette recorder in someone's lap in the 10th row). The pianist is a crucial factor, and polite though you are, you know this. You also know the "Big Dead Hall".</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">One observation I have is I think the recording industry has sort of skewed</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">our expectations of what we should hear at a live concert. I mean, how many</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">concerts have you gone to that you can hear the piano (with orchestra) the</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">way you can hear it in a recording?</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I agree. Live performance is to mixed audio what stage drama is to cinema, and what chicken factory broilers are to the organic free kind: a perversion of nature.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>(Speaking about perversion, I tried to reply privately last night but your ISP was blocking me "for abuse". I apologize for my comment about your mom's army boots.)</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Bill Ballard RPT</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">NH Chapter, P.T.G.</DIV><DIV><A href="mailto:wbps@vermontel.net">wbps@vermontel.net</A></DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN> </DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Reality is the first casualty of technology</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> ...........NPR Commentator Daniel Schorr</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">+++++++++++++++++++++</DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>