I think Paul ran multiple recordings. I'm pretty sure he always ran multi-track, 2 channel DAT (possibly ADAT) and a computer workstation. He also ran a pair of onstage AKG 414's as well as a stereo pair of AKG 414's from the soundboard area up until 2000 (give or take a few years).
He wasn't very talkative (at least to random me), but I managed to get a bit out of him at one point. He said that he had gotten the 2 track recordings down pat, so he felt he didn't need to use the multi-tracks for Live Phish (nor did he need the 414's from the soundboard). If I'm not mistaken, he also said he used the computer workstation for the LP series because it was much quicker then doing a transfer, etc.
OK, I'm kinda ignorant to this, so if I can break that info down a little bit more to get a better understanding....
You're saying that Paul was recording several different ways for each show 1) multi-track tape recorder 2) two track stereo tape recorder and 3) computer workstation.
So, taking this one step further, I'm wondering about the specifics. For example, the multi-track recorder would probably be recording each on-stage mic and instrument directly onto it's own track. So, maybe Trey's vocals would be one track, guitar amp a second track, Pages vocals a third, keys a 4th, mikes bass amp the 5th, mikes vocals the 6th...and so on.
For the two tracks...would those then be just the on-stage stereo 414s setup kinda like we would setup our mics to up-close record a band?
Maybe the computer workstation was recording as downstream backup for both of the above setups in case tape ran out or boogered up?
Finally, I guess for the Live Phish series then, we're either getting multi-track masters (probably mixed together with the two track for crowd ambience) or two track masters?
Just kinda throwing some specifics out there on how I am imagining the setup based on the feedback. Would appreciate any corrections in my assumptions.