Acoustic. What does that mean?

Subject: RE: Acoustic. What does that mean?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Aug 13 - 08:31 PM

"Thus the voice will always be an acoustic instrument?"

Unfortunately that is no longer strictly true, what with electronic pitch correction and voice enhancers and so forth.

The real problem with going down the electric route is that it can so easily get impossible for musicians to just turn up and play together wherever it happens to be. My son was in a small band that did pub gigs, and the amount of stuff they had to cart around was terrifying. And back breaking. A house PA with one or two mikes that anyone can use is fair enough but much more than that and it turns into hard labour. And unless there's a pretty good sound wizard twiddling the knobs it's only too likely to sound pretty ropy, albeit loud as well.

Subject: RE: Acoustic. What does that mean?
From: Uncle Tone
Date: 02 Aug 13 - 03:50 AM

"Thus the voice will always be an acoustic instrument?"

"Unfortunately that is no longer strictly true, what with electronic pitch correction and voice enhancers and so forth."

But only when amplified remotely. You can't plug in the voice.

Would you say this is an acoustic performance?

‪James McMurtry "We Can't Make It Here"‬

Tone

Subject: RE: Acoustic. What does that mean?
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Aug 13 - 03:55 AM

There are bifg arguments in the claasical world as to whether classical players should be amplified in concert. This is particularly the case with guitar players where the classical guitar has a small voice in a concert hall but may be sufficient in a church. For purists all amplification is anathema even if the people at the back cannot hear.

Subject: RE: Acoustic. What does that mean?
From: Will Fly
Date: 02 Aug 13 - 04:00 AM

One of the great things about an acoustic session is that it's just that - acoustic. No wires, plugs, amps, or volume controls gradually easing up to compete.

A local open mic which I attend occasionally is quite a good night - but there can be wearisome moments while performers change, leads are plugged in, sound levels got right...

Subject: RE: Acoustic. What does that mean?
From: Green Man
Date: 02 Aug 13 - 04:25 AM

We run a festival which is acoustic. We don't use P.A's and all the venues are quite small. The quality of performances is usually very good and audience participation is the norm.

We had a very good venue with a sound stage which was also very good, but the best bit of the festival even when we did have that facility was 'The big sing' in a circular room with a domed roof with no mikes. The harmonies would raise the hairs on your head and bring tears to your eyes in the most enjoyable way.

When the local council decided to sell the land to developers to build yuppy homes on they closed the Greig centre and it has stood for three years unused despite being a great venue.

We changed our main venue to a hotel and consequently downsized all of the concerts with the result that we don't need amplification although occasionally we do see a portable amp.

Acoustic as regards music is usually understood to mean un-amplifed and we now promote ours as a truly acoustic festival.

Its not for everyone but we like it.

GM

Subject: RE: Acoustic. What does that mean?
From: GUEST,Blandiver
Date: 02 Aug 13 - 04:32 AM

Interesting to note that on The Madcap Laughs a lot of Syd Barrett's acoustic guitar is actually and unplugged Telecaster played into a microphone.

I saw The Acoustic Strawbs a few years back and my ears were aching for days. I especially liked their use of e-bows which can be played on acoustic guitars.

I was once (or twice or even thrice) criticised by a self-styled purist (is there any other sort?) for my use of an electric shruti box in an otherwise acoustic setting. I must add I eschewed the use of the house PA that night...

Saw Hesperion XXI in a packed largish venue at the York Early Music Festival last summer - no PA.

A good device for singers is the Boss Vocal Performer VE-20 on which you can add harmonies, loops & delays etc. Here's a link to Long Lankin recorded at a recent gig we did at The Musician in Leicester. The sound-man at this gig was especially thorough, which was a delight. My violin is going through a Line-6 delay modeller & a harmoniser peddle.

https://soundcloud.com/rapunzel-and-sedayne/long-lankin

Subject: RE: Acoustic. What does that mean?
From: Musket
Date: 02 Aug 13 - 04:40 AM

Syd Barrett's The Madcap Laughs" is a weird album in many ways, and thanks for mentioning how the guitar was achieved, just had the album on listening to it for the first time in years.

No wonder they sang "Shine on You Crazy Diamond."

Subject: RE: Acoustic. What does that mean?
From: GUEST,Blandiver
Date: 02 Aug 13 - 07:58 AM

I've always loved that record. I've spent the last few weeks learning to love it all over again & maybe a little bit more, though I still might wonder why the masterful 'Opel' was omitted.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch3BfpZp8PI

*

Of all the means of musical production over the last 50,000 years, throughout all the eras & epochs & genres & idioms & fads & phases the one thing that has remained constant is The Ear. The Ear always perceives things acoustically & without it there would be no music anyway. So, how so e'er we vibrate the air, all would be silence without the ear.

Subject: RE: Acoustic. What does that mean?
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 02 Aug 13 - 08:13 AM

Re, classical guitar. Most of us get our daily dose of classical guitar via recordings, and thus via microphones, and, of course, most of those recordings have their sound "enchanced"!

Subject: RE: Acoustic. What does that mean?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 02 Aug 13 - 09:08 AM

If you have been medically diagnosed as acoustic - there may be a self help and support group active in your area.

In fact I am the group treasurer for England. Send your donations to me. Stop the suffering now.

Subject: RE: Acoustic. What does that mean?
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Aug 13 - 06:16 PM

This is my brother, Graham's take on the discussion. He plays both acoustic and electric guitars in Portsmouth based bands:

Acoustic = No electronic amplification of any kind
Miked acoustic = Acoustic instruments and vocals are miked through a PA, which is adjusted to get the most natural sound in a particular venue

As soon as the natural acoustic sound of the instrument is electronically modified, it is no longer acoustic. This includes acoustic instruments with pick-ups. A pick-up can never reproduce what comes out of a sound hole or the sound that air makes when it is disturbed by the sound board. The bridge or string vibrations that a pick up detects can be modified to sound similar to the acoustic sound of the instrument but it won't be a truly acoustic sound. A good remote mike comes closer to doing that, because it responds only to the sound waves coming from instrument.

Most listeners these days have been spoilt by hi fi sound recordings. They also expect something similar at concerts, so even 'acoustic' performances are heavily tweaked.