Topic: What are your thoughts on trimming a recording?

[ButchAlmberg]

I have recently started using Mixcloud to get my recordings out to the public. That process in itself is lossy in that I am converting WAV to MP3. If I consider who is listening to these recordings, I think it is an acceptable trade-off. That said, I am torn by keeping the recording as is vs. trimming the quiet sections between songs. For example, I am working on some stuff from Lockn' right now. The Jefferson Airplane set has a few 70-80 second pauses between songs. Trimming some of that dead air is simple but I'm trying to find a balance between authenticity in the recording and listenability.

Thoughts?

[Sloan Simpson]

I do it occasionally, either for excessive dead air that kills the flow of the set (usually a case where I found the downtime annoying at the show itself), or if someone yells something really stupid, really loud, near the mics between songs, and the performer doesn't incorporate it into their own banter, I'll cut that. IMO whatever makes a recording more enjoyable to listen to is fair game.

The exception for me is if I know someone will need my audio for video, I'll leave it intact to save them grief in editing.

[dean]

I go back and forth on this.  The archivist in me says leave everything in.  The music listener in me says cut out anything that's not a song or stage banter directly relevant to the song.  The musicians I record seem to struggle with the same issue.

The older I get, the more I'm inclined to start cutting out dead space.  I just can't bring myself to do it yet.

The exception for me is if I know someone will need my audio for video, I'll leave it intact to save them grief in editing.

Indeed.

[rocksuitcase]

Interesting topic. the guys at Zapateers specifically request NO trimming. they will often combine two sources to make one full show and they want ALL banter or crowd noise.

When i am editing on my own, I generally don't edit spurious crowd noise out; I may reduce the volume on said noise if it isn't during the music. Of course, between the last song and encore I may cut out just for listening sake.

I have a buddy who taped a lot of Panic who would leave his deck on after encore to record the "goodbye music" that the FOH would play. Not sure if he includes that when he processes.

The major reason I might have trimmed some space between tunes was back in the burning shows to CD days in order to get the show to fit. But typically aI would leave the show intact and then using CD Wav would make the "blank audience" it's own track then just not burn that track.

[ButchAlmberg]

I think we are hitting on a point, in particular the archiving function that we perform. I don't consider mixcloud an archiving format, but rather a user (and a non-audiophile) format. Truth is, that's where my audience is right now and that's what I'd like to continue to expand on.

Great responses so far.

[ilduclo]

I'll cut excessively long tuning, long breaks for equipment changes, etc. Also long banter by the musicians.  Steve Albini will go on for 15 minutes!

[nulldogmas]

Given that my favorite band once released a live CD consisting entirely of banter with almost all the music removed, I should probably recuse myself from this conversation.

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

Why go thru the effort???  Can't the listener hit FF to get to the next track???

One person may not want to listen to guitars being tuned or inane banter, but the next person may...  Let the first person hit FF and skip it...

Terry

[Gunner]

Why go thru the effort???  Can't the listener hit FF to get to the next track???

One person may not want to listen to guitars being tuned or inane banter, but the next person may...  Let the first person hit FF and skip it...

Terry

Agreed.

I'm a newbie as a taper, but as a listener and collector I prefer to have a recording as complete as possible, including the long banters, tunning, crowd noise, etc. I can always skip to the next song if I want.

[Sloan Simpson]

Skipping to the next track breaks the illusion to me more than the seamless removal of excessive dead air (I don't mean banter, I don't remove that unless an artist requests). I always aim to please my target audience, which is me 

[ButchAlmberg]

I try to be as seamless as I can as well and typically fade out/fade in during long breaks i.e.encores

[nor-cal henry]

I never trim.  If the dead time/banter is < 45 seconds, I leave it at the end of the preceding song.  If it's > 45 seconds, I make it a separate track titled 'banter.'

[rocksuitcase]

I never trim.  If the dead time/banter is < 45 seconds, I leave it at the end of the preceding song.  If it's > 45 seconds, I make it a separate track titled 'banter.'

THIS ^^. I have many shows of talkative artists where tracks are labeled 'banter'!

[dean]

<snip>If the dead time/banter is < 45 seconds, I leave it at the end of the preceding song.  If it's > 45 seconds, I make it a separate track titled 'banter.'

THIS ^^. I have many shows of talkative artists where tracks are labeled 'banter'!

My guideline is 1:00 minute, and if the banter or tuning runs longer, it gets its own track. 

Also, I'll oftentimes dedicate a track when someone introduces all the band members between songs, even if it runs less than a minute (as long as it's :30 seconds or longer, anyway).  I've got plenty of info files with tracks entitled "intros/banter/tuning," or some iteration of those things.

[nulldogmas]

THIS ^^. I have many shows of talkative artists where tracks are labeled 'banter'!

I have a show with a track where a member of an especially talkative band remarked, "When someone puts up a recording of this show, this part will be called 'Banter 2.'" (He was right.)