A capella groups and studio recordings.

Why is it that so many a capella groups ruin their brilliance when they go into the studio?

The Bobs were always guilty of this with almost every album.... especially the later ones.

DVN has ruined pretty much every song they have when they try to do it in the studio... adding vocal effects... adding instruments... etc.
All stuff that detracts from what I love about the songs.

So, why do they do it?!

fruvous studio albums are great.� so are rockapella's.

well, the only rockapella album i have is the more recent one and i heard it right before seeing them in concert.� there's a lot of stuff on the CDs that they just can't do live due to over dubs and whatnot.� i don't see what the point is.

effects do not assist the voice in any way.� they just mask things.

i know nate digs on barbershop recordings (and some quartets do it as well) but the vast majority are real clean recordings in an effort to try and capture the true tonality of a voice.

fruvous acappella stuff doesn't have so much processing like chorus and reverb and whatnot as much as they have quite a lot of compression.� it's good for studio recordings, but it takes away the dynamic range which is sad.

�-= george =-

mmmm barbershop.� I need to join the local chorus now that I have moved.� I haven't even been to a meeting.�

Anyway, ya, really the only effects on barbershop recordings is a little reverb and some compression, depending on how much money you have.� Even LIVE, acapella groups use effects(Rockapella, Glad, etc. etc.) minus the natural acoustics of the facility.

SMATTS

Why do I always miss the second "P" in A capPella.

mentally challenged,

Smatts

'nuf sed is the same way. reverb added both live and in the studio. but nothing else except on two songs.... we've had two songs where we've added a pedal effect to a sustained part. also both live and in studio.

Actually, contrary to what norg said, I don't really dig on bbshop much at all... in fact, I don't really care for it.

But, that being said, I do respect the recordings they tend to make, as they are honest to the actual group's live performance.

Heh.
Fruvous does not an a cappella group make.

:)

I realize that this isn't really the point, but almost every artist that records loses something by entering the studio.� I generally prefer the cleaner sound from the studio takes for everyday listening, that way seeing a show is always an event. �The live experience as an enhancement of the studio release, as opposed to the live act losing brilliance on the recorded media.

It doesn't sound like it, but I'm a pessimist. :-)

It really depends on the artist and the song, I would say. I've seen (and heard) some live performances that blew the studio recordings out of the water, but others seemed like unsuccessful attempts to duplicate the studio versions. Live performances tend to be limited in terms of instruments and effects, but I suppose an a cappella group doesn't really need these things. So I guess I can see the original point about a cappella groups, but I wouldn't apply the same thing to artists in general.

It could simply be that I'm an oddball.� Most concerts I've attended have left me horribly disappointed, either with the performance itself or with the setlist.� I've pretty well given up on arena shows, and opt for shows where I have low expectations (local bar bands), first time concerts,�or festivals where the good more than counters the mediocre.

With regard to singer-songwriters, the studio can bring out the best and add effects that make the performance "better."� Overdubbed vocals (how could anyone harmonize with themselves on a stage?), guest vocalists (they could tour together, but it's not likely to happen), and studio musicians (Dar's albums have drummers, but I've never seen a drummer on her stage).� That doesn't mean that the live show is inferior, simply different.� It's like the mass of acoutic releases from mainstream acts in the late 80's... the different approach and arrangement was just different.� My preference in for the recorded version, simply because I think I'd burn out on an artist if all I heard were live recordings and concerts.� That's just an opinion.

I don't think that harmony translates very well onto recorded media.� Fr�vous sounds better live than recorded... so do the Nields, DVN, EFO... the list goes on.� My point is that each live performance is different and those little differences are what makes the live performance magical.� I have a GBS quote that sums it up perfectly: 'No two shows are the same, because the mistakes are different.� And that's when we'll give it up... when we finally do a perfect show.'

To close this on an 'a cappella' artist, DVN is fantastic live... but the three shows I've attended have all been exactly the same.� Maybe if I went to more shows I'd feel differently.� I don't own any DVN albums, and have no real intention of picking them up.� If their live shows are that similar, what's the point?� My expectations for their shows are going down (the 'been there, done that' mentality) and I've burnt out on them, because of the consistancy of the shows.

But like I said, I'm an oddball.

not so much of an oddball. i love dvn to death, but they have really gotta get some new songs and some new schtick. and fast.

if they keep doing the same thing over and over again, then they too shall become the barbershop quartets that they attempt not to be. :D

except that barbershop quartets actually come up with new schtick...

�-= george =-

Naw, I tend to agree.

The only a cappella group I ever saw regularly was the bobs.... because, like fruvous, there wasn't THAT much rehersed and repeated stuff.

DVN just doesn't "switch it up" enough for me to consider it worthwhile to see them live much.

But, that being said, I FAR prefer their live performances over their albums.

Also, a lot of what you said applies to bands in general.... not a cappella groups, which was the subject of the thread, so I won't address that... as it's a WHOLE other ball of wax.

:)

Lots of interesting opinions. I love a cappella though not so much b-shop. I have heard some stuff that had lots of effects added that I liked and some that I thought missed the mark. Probably on the same Nylons cd. But they tend to embrace technology live as well, with IMHO varying success.

Interesting how much can go into one song even if they mix it down to only four voices.� This�has a paragraph quoting Jay Graydon on what Manhattan Transfer went through laying down "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" (which I always thought was Barclay Square, but whatever).