Audience Recordings (Updated) - My Picks

Yep..it is a so called "soundbooth recording"..recorded with two mics at a prominent point near the stage..to achieve stereo effect..and catch the audience reactions as well..

A number of shows have incongruously been referred to as "soundbooth recordings", when they are simply [for the most part] better than average audience recordings.

A number of shows have incongruously been referred to as "soundbooth recordings", when they are simply [for the most part] better than average audience recordings.

Not the one above..

Please name a few...

A number of shows have incongruously been referred to as "soundbooth recordings", when they are simply [for the most part] better than average audience recordings.

Not the one above..

Yeah, I know that.

Please name a few...

Faded Love and You Don't Have To Say You Love Me (SA).

Recently, the 'Straight Arrow' team obtained a couple of great quality Las Vegas off-line recordings. These concerts were recorded using a 1972 portable Sony high-end cassette recorder equipped with two microphones. The microphones were placed apart from each other in the balcony seating, behind the mixing desk of sound engineer Bill Porter. Usually, such tapes are called a "booth recordings" and often are used for mixing in with a multi-track recording to obtain full depth of the sound.

Listening to them proves the point..there is a stereo effect..and the sound is very good..
Just compare with the cdr floating around...a difference like night and day..

Where do you know from they are not..?

Listening to them proves the point..there is a stereo effect..and the sound is very good..
Just compare with the cdr floating around...a difference like night and day..

I agree, they are better than your standard audience recording but there is a distinct difference between these recordings and the ones RCA apparently captured from the "soundbooth".

Where do you know from they are not..?

Questions, questions!

The quote, "These concerts were recorded using a 1972 portable Sony high-end cassette recorder equipped with two microphones..." is a bit of a giveaway.

Also notable, is the prominent audience chatter/reactions [near to whoever was recording], that are not evident on the August 20, 1973 show.

Listening to them proves the point..there is a stereo effect..and the sound is very good..
Just compare with the cdr floating around...a difference like night and day..

I agree, they are better than your standard audience recording but there is a distinct difference between these recordings and the ones RCA captured from the "soundbooth".

I beg to differ between soundbooth recordings done by RCA and their equipment and the ones done by fans who had smaller
tape recorders and not the possibility to place it in prominent positions.

Where do you know from they are not..?

Questions, questions!

The quote, "These concerts were recorded using a 1972 portable Sony high-end cassette recorder equipped with two microphones..." is a bit of a giveaway.

Also notable, is the prominent audience chatter/reactions [near to whoever was recording], that are not evident on the August 20, 1973 show.

See my posting above. No professional equipment and not the prominent position for the mics.
I think the ones you have mentioned are indeed soundbooth recordings...perhaps not in this brilliant
quality provided by pro RCA soundbooth recordings.

A Profile: The King On Stage - Las Vegas 8/20/73 M.S. (Fort Baxter 161095) (Released 1995)
The Hillbilly Cat Live - Las Vegas 8/23/70 D.S. (Graceland Records CD GR 7004-2) (Released 2012)
The Hillbilly Cat Returns - Las Vegas 8/24/70 M.S. (Graceland Records CD GR 7003-2) (Released 2012)
Shining In Portland - Portland, OR 4/27/73 (Memory Records MR 2039-2) (Released 2004)
The Final Farewell - Indianapolis, IN 6/26/77 (Rainbow Records - RR 19770626-2) (Released 2008)

...for me it would probs be these 5!

JEFF d
EP fan

Brilliant!!

Thanks

Managed to purchase a copy of HILLBILLY CAT LIVE CD, so looking forward...

I think you will enjoy that one! Let me know how you like it!

...also just basicly try to collect anything that Rick Rennie recorded, those audience recordings are always top shelf!

JEFF d
EP fan

I think the ones you have mentioned are indeed soundbooth recordings...perhaps not in this brilliant
quality provided by pro RCA soundbooth recordings.

Is there perhaps more of these "pro RCA soundbooth recordings" that we could possibly see released one day on FTD?

JEFF d
EP fan

I really like the 14-8-70 MS, as featured on The Man In White vol. 3 ! Elvis' is in a funny and unpredictable mood, does some Johnny Cash, sings some rare songs. I wish this show was recorded, too.
I heard somewhere that the 13-8-70 MS was bad (during the dinner show, released in brilliant sound by Vic Anesini on FTD's The Wonder Of You, one can hear some weariness), is this true?
And what about the 14-8-70 DS ? Good or bad ? Were these even recorded ?

Wasn't Kickin' and Rolling and April Fool's Dinner supposed to contain at least a few soundbooth recorded tracks too ?

I found it odd when I looked the other day that the 14-2 and 15-2-73 shows mentioned above weren't listed in Keith Flynn's multitrack+soundboard/soundbooth list, while Aloha, Jerry for instance, is listed along with other soundbooth recordings such as part of two august '73 shows on the Midnight Special cd or the 20-8-73 show as heard on the Profile box. I don't think Keith mentioned the bonus "booth" tracks on April Fool's Dinner as such, either on his list?

Cisco ?

I found it odd when I looked the other day that the 14-2 and 15-2-73 shows mentioned above weren't listed in Keith Flynn's multitrack+soundboard/soundbooth list...

As already pointed out, James, these are NOT soundbooth recordings in the correct sense.
They are merely better-than-average [15-2-73 in particular] recordings taped by someone in the audience.

I don't think Keith mentioned the bonus "booth" tracks on April Fool's Dinner as such, either on his list?

He's right not to.
Again, even though a booth recording is said to exist from closing night [April 1, 1975], the asterixed "booth tape" bonus tracks on "April Fool's Dinner" are simply audience recordings.
Nothing more, nothing less.
The close proximity of the handclaps and audience chatter/giggles are the clues when determining an audience recording from an all encompassing RCA soundbooth recording.

I don`t know the sources for Keith`s listings..and I really cannot check every show about being sound booth or not.

I found it odd when I looked the other day that the 14-2 and 15-2-73 shows mentioned above weren't listed in Keith Flynn's multitrack+soundboard/soundbooth list...

As already pointed out, James, these are NOT soundbooth recordings in the correct sense.
They are merely better-than-average [15-2-73 in particular] recordings taped by someone in the audience.

I don't think Keith mentioned the bonus "booth" tracks on April Fool's Dinner as such, either on his list?

He's right not to.
Again, even though a booth recording is said to exist from closing night [April 1, 1975], the asterixed "booth tape" bonus tracks on "April Fool's Dinner" are simply audience recordings.
Nothing more, nothing less.
The close proximity of the handclaps and audience chatter/giggles are the clues when determining an audience recording from an all encompassing RCA soundbooth recording.

Ok, Thanks for the information, didn't know that! So even when it's in stereo, doesn't necessarily make it soundbooth recording. The term is used rather loosely by fans AND bootleg labels alike, it seems.
Keith lists his sources, Cisco.

I found it odd when I looked the other day that the 14-2 and 15-2-73 shows mentioned above weren't listed in Keith Flynn's multitrack+soundboard/soundbooth list...

As already pointed out, James, these are NOT soundbooth recordings in the correct sense.
They are merely better-than-average [15-2-73 in particular] recordings taped by someone in the audience.

I don't think Keith mentioned the bonus "booth" tracks on April Fool's Dinner as such, either on his list?

He's right not to.
Again, even though a booth recording is said to exist from closing night [April 1, 1975], the asterixed "booth tape" bonus tracks on "April Fool's Dinner" are simply audience recordings.
Nothing more, nothing less.
The close proximity of the handclaps and audience chatter/giggles are the clues when determining an audience recording from an all encompassing RCA soundbooth recording.

Ok, Thanks for the information, didn't know that! So even when it's in stereo, doesn't necessarily make it soundbooth recording. The term is used rather loosely by fans AND bootleg labels alike, it seems.
Keith lists his sources, Cisco.

When it is recorded with 2 mics it causes a stereo effect..you cannot have this stereo effect with just one mike.
It depends where the mics are placed whether you can make out audience reactions or not. So basically you can call a recording with 2 mikes with a tape recorder a soundbooth recording. The ones done by RCA sound better and have less audience reactions audible cause the mics have been placed at dominant spots near or even on the stage contrary to a "soundbooth recording" done by a member of the audience where the mics probably were palced in the middle of the audience
or on the balcony or whereever.
Keith lists tape infos where he had them available..but he don`t list all of them , of course..
Many of the 1976 Vegas shows have been recorded with 2 mics by fans, too,..btw..making them to soundbooth recordings
in not top notch sound..cause mics being not placed prominently.
The two tracks on April Fools`d Dinner might be soundbooth recordings, too..not 100% sure though...

I found it odd when I looked the other day that the 14-2 and 15-2-73 shows mentioned above weren't listed in Keith Flynn's multitrack+soundboard/soundbooth list...

As already pointed out, James, these are NOT soundbooth recordings in the correct sense.
They are merely better-than-average [15-2-73 in particular] recordings taped by someone in the audience.

I don't think Keith mentioned the bonus "booth" tracks on April Fool's Dinner as such, either on his list?

He's right not to.
Again, even though a booth recording is said to exist from closing night [April 1, 1975], the asterixed "booth tape" bonus tracks on "April Fool's Dinner" are simply audience recordings.
Nothing more, nothing less.
The close proximity of the handclaps and audience chatter/giggles are the clues when determining an audience recording from an all encompassing RCA soundbooth recording.

Thanks for the information, didn't know that!

No probs.

So even when it's in stereo, doesn't necessarily make it soundbooth recording. The term is used rather loosely by fans AND bootleg labels alike...

So it seems!

The two tracks on April Fools`d Dinner might be soundbooth recordings, too..not 100% sure though...

As already noted, both Big Boss Man and It's Midnight (CS) are audience recordings.

You may well class them as soundbooth recordings, though.

So even when it's in stereo, doesn't necessarily make it soundbooth recording. The term is used rather loosely by fans AND bootleg labels alike...

So it seems!

So it seems NOT..read my posting carefully..

This might help:

(1) RCA "sound booth" (two-mics near stage) = high-quality, stereo ambiance audience recording
(2) Fan (two-mics in room) = good-quality, stereo ambiance audience recording

This might help:

(1) RCA "sound booth" (two-mics near stage) = high-quality, stereo ambiance audience recording
(2) Fan (two-mics in room) = good-quality, stereo ambiance audience recording

Yep,..John..I can live with that..good summary, my friend....

So, in summary, where can I hear some these RCA soundbooth recordings?

Do you think, perhaps, the tracks issued on the old boot, "Command Performance," were soundbooth tapes? The featured shows span several years, and there is a uniformity to the sound.

Very informative info, gentlemen, thanks.

Were the 1973 shows as featured on the cd's High Spirits in Vegas and Getting Down to Business recorded by RCA people ?
They sound too good to think otherwise ? I don't see an audience member setting up mics to get this sound, but I might be wrong.
Surely the 20-8-73 ms is a RCA recorded show, following this philosophy of high quality vs. good quality stereo audience recordings ?

But why would some of these shows be recorded at all in Vegas by RCA in 1973 ? Which musicians were planning on quitting then ?
Jerry Scheff ?

Updated.

All y'all are welcome.