Question: recording live musicians / clipped audio

[Tony Hardie-Bick]

The Dong wrote:
> Martin Naef wrote:
>> Well, every technology has its place. But modern tube gear is designed 
>> to add character, with noise-free operation and huge dynamic range not 
>> typically among the top priorities of the design specs.
> 
> The 'tube sound' recording gear misses the point entirely and is 
> marketing BS. Tubes in a good circuit do not have a -sound- and can have 
> a very high dynamic range indeed. Easily as good as SS. Plus there is 
> generally less in the signal path and little sign of AD/DA.

Not sure I'd agree with the "tube sound misses the point" comment, Mr 
Dong. Much as I don't buy into that gear, being hyped and such, I can 
say for sure that I like something about tube distortion (or maybe I 
should say the interaction between a transfer function and the 
fluctuation dynamics of thermionic noise).

Sure, a good tube circuit can be close to or maybe better than solid 
state. But either way, you need your slide rule to calculate various 
bits, including component cost... and you hit issues of component 
tolerance, thermal factors, signal range (ie, precise definition of 
equipment purpose), and so, we are back to the high end...

Well designed tube gear is still fantastic, but I'm releaved that one 
can obtain increasingly good quality AD converters. I'm not sure, if I 
was needing to record classical music, I'd say it was ever going to be 
easy. But worth it, sure.

I wonder if anybody'll read this post this far in, but, I'll put in a 
mention for the recordings of Beethoven's Late Quartets by the Busch 
Quartet. These were recorded in the '30s and 40's direct to disk. The 
playing is incredible. Noise hasn't been removed from the recent CD 
versions, and it is in mono. I now prefer this over really fine 
performances of the same material by the Italian Quartet (Quartetto 
Italiano...). At this level, noise etc really gets forgotten about, and 
the music cannot be silenced.

Tony (HB)