The sound
on all Tacet recordings is achieved by completely natural
means. The instruments or voices must have a good sound
of their own. And before (!) the recording is started,
the acoustic event must be as good as it can possibly
get.
Virtually
no devices or adjustments (filters, limiters, digital
echo etc.) are used which could alter the sound
synthetically. The art of the Tacet tonmeister (sound
engineer) is not to manipulate the sound event. The art
of the Tacet tonmeister is a tricky one: to listen to the
music - and do everything possible to develop it to its
best extent.
As,
however, a recording is impossible without the use of
electronic equipment, Tacet uses the very best equipment
on the market. The new developments are tested
personally. For example: the latest A/D converter,
further developments in dummy head stereophony, high
definition sound carrier formats, etc.....
But Tacet
also makes use of tried and tested older technology -
wherever this is clearly superior to the newer equipment.
For example, valve microphones are better for some
recordings than microphones developed more recently. But
what is quite new is the Tacet method of positioning the
microphones: that is an art in itself.
And
cutting is only done where the music permits it. Of
course one cannot normally hear arbitrary cuts, but many
recordings nowadays convey a somewhat disjointed
impression: as if the artist had concentrated more on the
details than on the whole. With all Tacet recordings one
notices that they sound as if they have come from one
mould. The liveliness of the recordings has been retained
- one of the aims of Tacet's recording policy.
The aim of
the composition is supported by the type of individual
recording technique. The performers' ideas are clarified.
For example: with an orchestral work by W. A. Mozart, as
a rule it does not make sense to emphasise the wind
instruments specifically with the aid of a large number
of microphones: the mixture of sounds - a decisive
component in Mozart's instrumentation - would get lost.
Different microphones are not used just for the fun of
it, but as the result of careful thought about each piece
of music and the best way of putting it across.
The Tacet
sound has been described as sensuous and subtle at the
same time. Anyone wishing to follow the thoughts behind
Tacet recording technique piece by piece can refer to the
Tacet Production no. 17: "The Microphone". The
"star" examples of sound, a variety of
old-fashioned valve microphones, are described in it in
detail.
But the
real audiophile (pleasing to the ear) recordings do not
rely on recording technology alone, but are dependent on
excellent musicians playing excellent recordings and
giving their very best. Tacet offers all this in plenty.
Ulrich
Oesterle