For those who actually want to record stuff in high quality and share them without conditions or drama or posting a sample then refusing to release the whole thing, here’s how to start.

Get mics like these. I’d recommend Cardioid or Hyper-Cardioid mics, for example:
[soundprofessionals.com]

Get a solid state recorder like this: [www.amazon.com]

Get a battery box to power the mics: [soundprofessionals.com]

Connect these together, get the mics up as high as possible, about 20 feet away from a speaker and about 6 inches apart and record in WAV format, Stereo. Record at a moderate level (you can boost the volume later).

There you go. You have a high quality recording at relatively affordable cost, miles better/different level than an iPhone or internal mic recording, and you can share it with everyone.

Stop hoarders and gatekeepers deciding what fans can hear based on where the wind may blow at any given moment.

even more important than technical equipment:

1. don't get caught
2. keep away from people who are a. talking all the time, b. singing along, c. clapping their hands, d. spilling their beer over you mics…



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-07-14 16:17 by slewan.

3. Prepare that people like rskinno will wreck all your beautiful recordings with their "remasters" even if you explicitly asked not to

.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2024-07-14 18:08 by EddieByword.

Quote
StonedRambler
3. Prepare that people like rskinno will wreck all your beautiful recordings with their "remasters" even if you explicitly asked not to

That's only if you intend to release. Can always just keep to yourself. Either way.

Additionally, there's a great message board at www.taperssection.com focused on the taping hobby. Like any message board, it has its characters, but everybody there is into taping live music.

I'll agree with the original post, which is light in specifics. Many folks struggle with the idea of sneaking in gear and spending their time at a show fiddling with gear as opposed to rocking out. And yes, it is WORK, but does get easier. Plenty of tapers make high quality pulls with rigs at about ~$400, which can be done pretty easily as long as you know your own gear.

So many YouTube videos of live performances yet live albums don't sell as much.

And obviously sound way better.

Quote
GasLightStreet
So many YouTube videos of live performances yet live albums don't sell as much.

And obviously sound way better.

Cell phones have made it easy for folks to pull a decent recording with little-no effort. After all, they already have a cell phone. A grade C- recording with a phone is acceptable for most folks considering the small investment. It used to be if you didn't have some basic gear, you weren't getting a quality recording.

Kind of a progression of investment vs quality:

0 investment, poor-average quality - Cell phone

Small investment, average quality - internal mics on recorder (assumes basic levels and gear handling)

Moderate investment, good quality - mid-range external mics to recording device

High investment, good-excellent quality - expensive external mics, IEM receivers, etc.

Very simplistic analysis of course, a lot more goes into it. A huge factor goes into location or use of gear. I know a taper who has great DPA mics, runs it into a Nagra recorder at 24/192khz, wants the best of the best in recording. And then he puts his mics under his flannel shirt on his pockets, which just cooks the high-end and creates a lot of rustling noises. I'd much rather than a taper in the same seat with the Sound Pro mics you mentioned laced up in a hat. So the gear doesn't always make the taper, and cell phones + internal mics can often be a gateway to better gear.

2022, I think, I saw something online - I think I actually looked up 'best phone for recording live music' - and there were some that whatever phone makers had put some effort into getting better sound and, ohhhh, I think even some musicians had chimed in and agreed that they sounded better.

I don't remember any details specifically but I think some of the phones were able to record in stereo and, of course, playback would be in stereo, although would sound better connected to some kind of sound system.

There's certainly the aspect of 'oh look, a live video of 456 from last night' and... like me, many can't get to the show or any show on the tour, it beats not hearing anything that you wish you could've seen/heard (like the Stones at Jazz Fest). And maybe only 5000 people watch it (I usually don't remember to look to see how many), which is hardly anything, I know, but for one little moment. And if there's multiple videos of the same song, it's kinda easy to see if it's nose bleeds or floor, etc and there's a middle ground of what will sound decent.

Some capture the sound of the stadium (like some of the AC/DC Wembley 2024 videos) and it sounds pretty much what it truly sounds like, all boomy, that big bottom end of the kick drum, and having experienced that boomy sound before, you're able to understand it.

I love it when people say "You can't judge a show on a cell phone recording" - well, bad playing, awful singing, wrong notes and screw ups can't be denied when you can hear them in a cell phone video even though I "wasn't there".

Which means the good stuff is coming through just fine as well.

Kinda like people that say 'You buy those sandwiches at Winn Dixie? They're on white bread!' and... a lot of people in S Louisiana buy white bread, whether it's called French baguette, Wonderbread or Bunny Bread.

Quote
GasLightStreet
I love it when people say "You can't judge a show on a cell phone recording" - well, bad playing, awful singing, wrong notes and screw ups can't be denied when you can hear them in a cell phone video even though I "wasn't there".

Which means the good stuff is coming through just fine as well.

I agree on this. The shows that felt good in presence to me (Berlin 2022 for example) do still seem good on the recordings. The shows that felt weaker (Hamburg 2017) are also like that on the recording.

this may be a stupid question but please humour me

when we talk about cell phones having poor sound quality compared to to proper equipment we mean modern not vintage equipment right

because this to me




sounds better then this (not the performance obviously)






Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2024-07-15 01:25 by ProfessorWolf.

Cell phone quality has generally gotten better. The overblown mono audio for most phones of 4+ years ago has gotten a lot better. That said, it is still the bottom tier of the general sound quality, and a basic stereo recording with internal mics would likely be better. Also I've noticed that iPhones (which most people record on) has a soft compressor to level things out...which is not good for concert recording. Much better to do any sort of compression on post.

So yes, cell phones have gotten better, but I still consider them the lowest tier in terms of quality rigs.

Of course, a good location with a cell phone can beat a top-tier rig in a shitty location.

A taper in the sweet spot with a nice digital recorder with internal microphones can get a recording superior to someone with external mics and all the rest sitting in a bad location.

And those internal mics will not have any phase issues.
External mics 6 inches apart can very well have phase issues depending on how they're configured/pointing.

The sweet spot is pretty much the most important thing.

Quote
ProfessorWolf
this may be a stupid question but please humour me

when we talk about cell phones having poor sound quality compared to to proper equipment we mean modern not vintage equipment right

because this to me




sounds better then this (not the performance obviously)

I don't pay too much attention to the equipment that people are using to make their youtube videos.
But much of it does sound pretty wonderful.
Nice stereo sound, tons of low end. Everything pretty crisp.

Only thing wrong with it is it's lossy.

These videos are mostly being made from pretty close, from some pretty sweet spots. There you go.

Hope you're working on another of your compilations. That Orlando show construction was pretty great.

not blind, was blindmansbluff, is acetboy

Quote
StonedRambler
3. Prepare that people like rskinno will wreck all your beautiful recordings with their "remasters" even if you explicitly asked not to

Oh man, if you plan on releasing your recordings with a laundry list of requests to pretend you have some sort of control or doing it for praise or for the same 3 people on a random message board to constantly kiss your ass then maybe you should stay a passive consumer.

Quote
blindman
A taper in the sweet spot with a nice digital recorder with internal microphones can get a recording superior to someone with external mics and all the rest sitting in a bad location.

And those internal mics will not have any phase issues.
External mics 6 inches apart can very well have phase issues depending on how they're configured/pointing.

The sweet spot is pretty much the most important thing.

Maybe..... A set of high end mics (Schoeps, DPA, Neumann, Gefell, AKG for example)in the sweet spot will still be better. There are lots of technique factors that will make up for gear deficiencies. To make the best recordings, use the best gear, in the best location with the proper technique and/or use multiple iem receivers.

No Stone Unturned talks a good story but where are his results? The test is to record multiple configurations side by side and compare results. A good chef can make a cheap cut of beef taste good and a bad cook can make a good cut of beef taste like a shoe sole but give that good chef that same cut of beef and the meal with be amazing unless you are a vegetarian.

The one point I agree with is getting more people to a tually try and do it. If more people tried there would be more sources out there. Some good, some bad. People complaining about the last of sources should try and do it themselves.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2024-07-15 23:13 by daspyknows.

Quote

Hope you're working on another of your compilations. That Orlando show construction was pretty great.

not blind, was blindmansbluff, is acetboy

i am but i'm gonna wait until a about a month or so after the tour to see if more good lossless sources are shared

i don't wanna release my frankenstein things just for it to take attention away from a much better recording

but yeah if there are shows without good recordings available i'll do something for those and share it

i'm currently working on vancouver

Quote
ProfessorWolf

Quote

Hope you're working on another of your compilations. That Orlando show construction was pretty great.

not blind, was blindmansbluff, is acetboy

i am but i'm gonna wait until a about a month or so after the tour to see if more good lossless sources are shared

i don't wanna release my frankenstein things just for it to take attention away from a much better recording

but yeah if there are shows without good recordings available i'll do something for those and share it

i'm currently working on vancouver

I like that plan! Kudos.

Quote
senecastj

Quote
ProfessorWolf

Quote

Hope you're working on another of your compilations. That Orlando show construction was pretty great.

not blind, was blindmansbluff, is acetboy

i am but i'm gonna wait until a about a month or so after the tour to see if more good lossless sources are shared

i don't wanna release my frankenstein things just for it to take attention away from a much better recording

but yeah if there are shows without good recordings available i'll do something for those and share it

i'm currently working on vancouver

I like that plan! Kudos.

thanks i was gonna share more sooner

but i thought (and maybe something you or dapsy posted put it in my head) that some taper maybe waiting until a month or two after the tour to share there recordings to avoid being bootlegged

and if that's the case i'd rather not take away attention from those recordings for my best out of a bad situation matrixes

so i'll just wait until september or october i think that a reasonable amount of time for the tapers to share after the tour

Quote
daspyknows
No Stone Unturned talks a good story but where are his results?

Unlike you I don’t need my name attached to my recordings.
My ‘results’ make you look like an amateur. You’ve done some average audience recordings but because you’ve got a big mouth and an ego, you think you’re some kind of elite taper authority and play gatekeeper games on forums like this.

Stones fans need to stop playing games with these people.

Check out the Inglewood recording that was posted the other day without some massive ego trip. How refreshing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-07-16 10:33 by no stone unturned.

Quote
Dan

Quote
StonedRambler
3. Prepare that people like rskinno will wreck all your beautiful recordings with their "remasters" even if you explicitly asked not to

Oh man, if you plan on releasing your recordings with a laundry list of requests to pretend you have some sort of control or doing it for praise or for the same 3 people on a random message board to constantly kiss your ass then maybe you should stay a passive consumer.

You don't seem to get it at all. There are excellent tapers that don't share their recordings anymore because their recordings get butchered. I'm not one of them, I'm one the consumer side of things and find it quite sad



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-07-16 13:55 by StonedRambler.

Quote
no stone unturned

Quote
daspyknows
No Stone Unturned talks a good story but where are his results?

Unlike you I don’t need my name attached to my recordings.
My ‘results’ make you look like an amateur. You’ve done some average audience recordings but because you’ve got a big mouth and an ego, you think you’re some kind of elite taper authority and play gatekeeper games on forums like this.

Stones fans need to stop playing games with these people.

Check out the Inglewood recording that was posted the other day without some massive ego trip. How refreshing.

So you talk but don't deliver. Not even Stones, but any band. Saw your pile of gear. Doesn't look like it gets used much. The Inglewood recording posted sounds ok. Nothing special. It's not yours either.

Quote
daspyknows

Quote
no stone unturned

Quote
daspyknows
No Stone Unturned talks a good story but where are his results?

Unlike you I don’t need my name attached to my recordings.
My ‘results’ make you look like an amateur. You’ve done some average audience recordings but because you’ve got a big mouth and an ego, you think you’re some kind of elite taper authority and play gatekeeper games on forums like this.

Stones fans need to stop playing games with these people.

Check out the Inglewood recording that was posted the other day without some massive ego trip. How refreshing.

So you talk but don't deliver. Not even Stones, but any band. Saw your pile of gear. Doesn't look like it gets used much. The Inglewood recording posted sounds ok. Nothing special. It's not yours either.

His troll gimmick is kinda funny. Be a taper (or fake it, no evidence either way), accuse other people of having egos and general chicanery, while throwing out a bunch of goofy stuff themselves. A mirror would be more helpful if every accusation is just a confession.

In any case, who not get back to the thread topic. I'm open to talking shop about taping advice and tips for folks interested.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-07-16 18:17 by senecastj.

Agree completely. It's all about making the best sounding recordings. That is subjective to a point. In my opinion the joint projects we are doing mixing the multiple iem feeds with a good audience mixed in makes the best projects. Those don't happen often but luckily we will have 3 this tour.

That's good taping advice!

But how dare you share a version of Monkey Man and Midnight Rambler with your name on it.. it would be so refreshing if you would share all your work and don’t attach your name to it..Lol

Stop, who makes the best recording, every Rolling Stones recording is important to us
via YT nice the one who made a recording of the tour. Don't beat yourselves up, we just like
we only like the Rolling Stones, bad or good recordings we love them all.

Why argue about the last tour. Are you as old as them (Mick Jagger)? One day they won't give a concert anymore !!!

Quote
StonedRambler

Quote
Dan

Quote
StonedRambler
3. Prepare that people like rskinno will wreck all your beautiful recordings with their "remasters" even if you explicitly asked not to

Oh man, if you plan on releasing your recordings with a laundry list of requests to pretend you have some sort of control or doing it for praise or for the same 3 people on a random message board to constantly kiss your ass then maybe you should stay a passive consumer.

You don't seem to get it at all. There are excellent tapers that don't share their recordings anymore because their recordings get butchered. I'm not one of them, I'm one the consumer side of things and find it quite sad

You don't get it either. One or two clowns on a message board don't speak for all tapers. Let them bleat and cry or share or not share their recordings, I have more than enough to listen to around here.

Quote
Dan

Quote
StonedRambler

Quote
Dan

Quote
StonedRambler
3. Prepare that people like rskinno will wreck all your beautiful recordings with their "remasters" even if you explicitly asked not to

Oh man, if you plan on releasing your recordings with a laundry list of requests to pretend you have some sort of control or doing it for praise or for the same 3 people on a random message board to constantly kiss your ass then maybe you should stay a passive consumer.

You don't seem to get it at all. There are excellent tapers that don't share their recordings anymore because their recordings get butchered. I'm not one of them, I'm one the consumer side of things and find it quite sad

You don't get it either. One or two clowns on a message board don't speak for all tapers. Let them bleat and cry or share or not share their recordings, I have more than enough to listen to around here.

You actually record so of course you have more than enough. So do I. You don't care what happens after release but many of us do. To each his own in that regard. Luke I have said this is predominantly a Rolling Stones issue. There are many bands that I have recording more than the Stones where none of this goes on and everything is shared with fans and in many cases the bands.

Man !!! Stop it

The applause for the Rolling Stones is bigger than for other bands ?

Quote
Dan

Quote
StonedRambler

Quote
Dan

Quote
StonedRambler
3. Prepare that people like rskinno will wreck all your beautiful recordings with their "remasters" even if you explicitly asked not to

Oh man, if you plan on releasing your recordings with a laundry list of requests to pretend you have some sort of control or doing it for praise or for the same 3 people on a random message board to constantly kiss your ass then maybe you should stay a passive consumer.

You don't seem to get it at all. There are excellent tapers that don't share their recordings anymore because their recordings get butchered. I'm not one of them, I'm one the consumer side of things and find it quite sad

You don't get it either. One or two clowns on a message board don't speak for all tapers. Let them bleat and cry or share or not share their recordings, I have more than enough to listen to around here.

I think there's both. Some tapers are holding stuff back for variety of reasons, which can be a result of actions of others or just personal opinions. No shame in that. Other tapers, such as Dan, aren't bothered by other folks, and that's cool too.

I know a bunch of folks that have no issues with their stuff out in the wild, but just don't have the motivation to give out publicly.

I'll echo daspyknows point--the more tapers the better. Increases chances of quality recordings being accessible. Then encourage free distribution as opposed to supporting bootleggers.