The instruments we play, and the technique we use are all oriented toward what amplifies and records well--If you hear field recordings of old time fiddlers, you will notice that they were really powerful players--another way that they got volume was to have a lot of instruments playing on a single part--also, it is important to note that much of the traditional dance music was played on instruments like bagpipes, shawms, brass instruments of various sorts, and with drums of one sort or another--military and military style bands were often used for dances--

Of course, they didn't have the ambient noise that we do, no air conditioners, no heavy traffic noise, no appliances,no cell phones, no 200 watt per channel car stereos--