Music Recording Techniques: Then VS Now

Interviewer: Hello, my dear readers! If you have ever listened to music in front of your parents or grandparents – you must be acquainted with the dialogue, “This is not music! This is trash! An art form lost!” But we see that musical industry has made incredible technological advancements, so, how exactly are we losing the art form? Well, to talk on this issue I have decided to interview The Music Ghosts of the Past and the Present. Thank you for doing this, Ghosts!

The Music Ghost of the Past: Once upon a time, in a faraway land… okay not that far away, there was a scientist named Thomas Edison who invented a phonograph. Now, this was the most wonderful creation and it could do two things – record sounds and play them. Wonderful –

The Music Ghost of the Present: Ahem, it was scratchy and raw – the kind of music you’d dump if you hear right now!

The Music Ghost of the Past: Impatient lad. The music what you listen to could be called scratchy and raw. Even with the technological advancements you’re a lost cause. Anyways, mortal, listen to me as I tell you of the conical device –

The Music Ghost of the Present: With the most terrible treble –

The Music Ghost of the Past: Stop interrupting me, you crude child. Go back to your techno mixing. Well, ahem, as I was saying… Then there was a knight named Berliner who transformed the phonogram into a gramophone and music can be made using disks, instead of wax cylinders!

The Music Ghost of the Present: Now, it is an antique –

The Music Ghost of the Past: *continues forcefully* It was the first time that mass production of music took place and almost every house began to have a Gramophone.

The Music Ghost of the Present: Yeah, in monophonic sounds. Trust me, mortal, monophonic sounds are not cool.

The Music Ghost of the Past: Stereophonic sounds were not all that far away! In the 1930s, Stereophonic sounds were developed.

The Music Ghost of the Present: Finally, and a decade later, audio manipulation started. Phew, no more boring sounds.

The Music Ghost of the Past: It is not boring, child. It is an art form! Yes, you could add reverbs, delay the sounds, phasing effects and more… But don’t you think it is manipulation of talent?

The Music Ghost of the Present: It is growing up, getting in pace with the time. In 1955 multi-track recording started. So, you could record audio first and add lyrics later, or vice versa.

The Music Ghost of the Past: Someone did their homework. And three years later – the cassette was released. You could record any sound, anywhere!

The Music Ghost of the Present: But there was the hiss. The hiss in the background while you’d record.

The Music Ghost of the Past: It was resolved by the Dolby effect.

The Music Ghost of the Present: Then, in the 1970s came in the Digital Audio, which allowed the consumers to edit the various sounds you’d listen to. Making the consumers, the producers – that was my birth!

The Music Ghost of the Past: And the death of music as an art form.

The Music Ghost of the Present: It does no good to cling to the past and not move forward, old guy.

The Music Ghost of the Past: Ahem, truth is the truth, child. Autotune! Who knows what’s talent and what is autotune!

The Music Ghost of the Present: You have to embrace the changes, man. It is the only way. We might bring back the old sounds with the amazing studios we have.

*Interrupted by a stereophonic thunderclap sound so realistic that you could feel the vibrations*

The Music Ghost of the Future: Still talking? Well, let me show you, mortal what music is actually capable of.

Interviewer: Guys, I think we should…

The Music Ghost of the Future: *Winks* You chill out, mortal. We have a long conversation ahead.

Image Sources: [1], [2], [3], [4].