A year ago I read this quote from self-proclaimed expert music biz blogger, Bob Lefsetz:

"We live in a lo-fi era. You can focus on sound quality, but most people can't hear it. There's a chance hi-fi is coming back, but do you really have to spend so much money recording what people can't hear?"
I kept thinking about it all year. I assume that in his mind he thinks every moment spent in the studio that is not a musician laying down fabulous performances is time spent by completely obsessed nerds trying to coax a little more fidelity and special, perfect sound out of some instrument. Swapping out over-priced microphones for no real reason or benefit at all. C'mon Bob, you've claimed to be in this biz long enough to know that's not true.
What takes time in the studio? Beyond the obvious setup time and simply getting everything ready to record a performance, a large part of anyone's time in the studio is spent helping a musician or vocalist work out their parts. Sure, a good musician can come in and lay something down in the right key that "works" in a given song, but most of the time these parts and performances can be refined, and that always takes time. Time spent comping vocals and suggesting notes to sing. Time spent finding the melodies and harmonies that can move a song forward. Time spent arranging a part so it has the most impact.
So what if people are listening on earbuds, via online streaming, or off MP3s. AM radio used to dominate the marketplace and was the key format in which people heard new music. Did the engineers back then decide to record everything to sound like crap since AM radio had such limited bandwidth and dynamics? No, they didn't. The argument that "if the end listening experience isn't full range enough then the recording process is being overvalued" has always been a joke. So is Bob saying that if someone heard a great new song via streaming and went out to buy a CD or vinyl copy and played it on a decent stereo, then they should have a crap listening experience? No one would agree to that.
Bob, we're not needlessly spending money chasing some audiophile fool's dream. We're making records. Real records.
-Larry Crane, Editor
Tape Op is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to the art of record making.
Or Learn More
MORE ENTRIES

BLOG
Ronan's Recording Show features Jerks Behind Tape Op mag
December 24, 2009
Our pal Ronan Chris Murphy does this cool "TV" show on his site, http://ronansrecordingshow.com, and the most recent one is with me and John Baccigalu...

BLOG
Vinyl Lives?
November 3, 2009
James Goss has interviewed many independent record store owners across the country to see how they stay in business and what they sell. Every month a ...

BLOG
MICS FEATURED IN THE BEATLES?: ROCK BAND? VIDEO GAME
October 26, 2009
So I just noticed an email in my inbox from a PR person with the headline: "XXXXX MICS FEATURED IN THE BEATLES?: ROCK BAND? VIDEO GAME". What's next? ...

BLOG
Damian Wagner and the Sound of the Earth?
October 21, 2009
Ina previous blog post, we saw the beginnings of this project. Damian Wagner was in issue 64 - here's a crazy project where he's amplifying the sound ...

BLOG
Meeting Your Maker
October 17, 2009
Well, not my maker but the man behind the baby that is our RND5088 console at Jackpot! I got to spend a little time (and a photoshoot) with Rupert Nev...

BLOG
This happens EVERY week
October 7, 2009
I didn't do this video. But the guy who did must be spying on me. You can replace the style of music with any style, but the conversation is the same....

BLOG
Nashville Recording Summit Nov. 13-15
October 7, 2009
Tape Op contributor, Chris Mara, has organized an amazing studio event coming up. I wanted to go but sessions have stopped me. If you can make it, thi...

BLOG
The solution, clearly, is more dissonance
October 2, 2009
It's not Idol, technically, but America's Got Talent and its dentally-impaired overseas cousin are still franchises helmed by Simon Cowell, who I thin...

BLOG
Bob Johnston live interview in Montreal October 2nd
September 30, 2009
Our pal Howard Bilerman will be interviewing legendary producer Bob Johnston in Montreal coming up. Should be a real hoot!