Electronic music recorded like a live band

Can anybody think of some examples of electronic music recorded live in a studio. No direct-in’s just music played through speakers and amps. I’m curious.

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Its an art on itself to record live-music played through speakers…
but i am sure you can find info about it on the interwebs…
in reality though… If i think about it… compare the following 2 things on the interwebs: Underworld playing live, recorded by a fan in the public… and underworld, playing live, broadcasted by some tv-station and then added on youtube… the diffrence between the two are VERY BIG :smiley:

So is it possible… absolutely… but would i do it myself? neh…
if i would record my own sets that i wanna share as a musical production… i would grab the tape-output on my mixer…
it would just sound better… as i dont have all the gear to record “the room i am playing in” …

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Maybe some of PVT’s stuff? Though they’re more of a 50/50 mix of live instruments and electronics.

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is it appropriate here to mention-reamping? and even easier, cabinet and amp simulation?

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Much depends on the instrument itself and wether the amplifiers or speaker cabinets shall add character to the sound. As an example, if you play an Ondes-Martenot or a Trautonium, it would be the best to record with a microphone. But IMO most synths, samplers, and groove boxes are better recorded using a mixer first and record one or more channels to a recording device.

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Exactly, that’s what I meant by mentioning amps, cabinets, and sound character. It just takes having the equipment and a suited recording environment :wink:

Tycho sounds like a live band. I guess he sort of is, but definitely uses lots of synths.

SM57 the single best production tool for the money. Any speaker will do. Even headphones mic’d close

You just instantly get stuff you can’t in digital / line world. Plus some loss of control which always helps

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Justice have two amazing live album (and also probably a third on the way, since their last live hasn’t been released yet). Justice’s were definitely recorded live, and you can feel the influence of the room and the crowd on the overall sound.

Pretty sure Arthur Russel did that, a bit at least.

I don’t think you need good equipment, just lots of mics properly arranged and isolated…

Maybe one good mic. A variety of spaces to play in. doesn’t need to be a studio. You can make dead boxes to rec amps in. Popular for heavy guitar sounds…

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Have a look for a band called the bays , London based live electronic act though it seems they’ve stopped doing it

Revive time. Can you elaborate on this? I’m considering trying to re-record pre mastered material through a condenser mic in order to get a different vibe / feel. Wondering if anybody does any re-amping of their all electronic tracks. Curious to see how much the tone and frequencies are altered.

Not a direct response, but I know early Depeche Mode stuff was often synthesizers and drum machines run through guitar amplifiers, recorded with microphones. Certainly sounds nice. But obviously the same instruments sound great recorded direct as well. But you’ll definitely get a more ‘live’ sound with microphones and some sort of monitor/amplifier. A lot of frequencies would get cut out or bumped up depending on the microphone and amplification, and microphone distance would add a sort of natural ‘space’ that recording direct and using even subtle Reverb will never be able to emulate. I’ve always wanted to invest some money into this sort of recording, but I cannot justify the cost of such a method.

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One thing you should note is the a SM57 is a dynamic mic and has a limited frequency range. Most condensers are usually full spectrum. What type of mic were you planning on using? You’ll get a lot of different results depending on what polar pattern(s) the mic has, the distance between it and the speaker, your preamp, etc. Also, two mics can open up a huge amount of possibilities. Right now I’m experimenting with mid side recording which can give you great stereo recordings that translate very well to mono…

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I actually had two SM57 mics that I never used, found them at a Goodwill and sold them. Should have kept one. I do have an old MXL 990 condenser mic that I used many moons ago for vocals. I’m thinking of trying this technique out with it. I’ve even thought of just wedging it between two ear muffs on my DT 770 headphones and properly gain stage to see what might happen. Not that this method would be a replacement for what I’m doing now, just a tad more organic / experimental.

Edit - what type of music are you recording?

animal collective recording merriweather post pavilion

https://www.soundonsound.com/people/animal-collective-recording-merriweather-post-pavilion

haven’t read this in a while but i’m pretty sure they played their sounds on their samplers and synths coming out of amps

also that’s like…the best record ever made lmao

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What a great read about such an incredible album, thanks for sharing the link.

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