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About Jazz

post #1 of 18
11/24/05 at 2:27am
Thread Starter 
Recently I've started to try out some Jazz music. After all, what's good to have $$$$ headphones if you dont use it to explore...

I've noticed something in all the tracks and albums I got, it seems that the different instruments are always only played on one side?!! Like the piano on the left and some sax on the right...
I dont know, but it feels really weird when you listen for a long period of time.
I get sort of disordiented, dizzy.
Are all (or most) Jazz recordings made this way?
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post #2 of 18
11/24/05 at 3:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by felchi80
Recently I've started to try out some Jazz music. After all, what's good to have $$$$ headphones if you dont use it to explore...

I've noticed something in all the tracks and albums I got, it seems that the different instruments are always only played on one side?!! Like the piano on the left and some sax on the right...
I dont know, but it feels really weird when you listen for a long period of time.
I get sort of disordiented, dizzy.
Are all (or most) Jazz recordings made this way?
Yes, they are. When listened to on speakers, this method brings the recording to life, as you can easily pin-point exact location, distance, and depth of the instrument. On headphones, it may sound as if the middle is very separated, but it doesn't sound this way when listened to on a pair of speakers. But then again, the majority of recordings in my experience always use a more realistic method of recording, having the instrument being in one solid place. Sometimes the drum kit goes through both channels, but in jazz, this is almost never the case.

My suggestion to you is just to get used to it, or listen to jazz on your speaker rig, if you have one. Unfortunately, this is one thing that headphones can limit at times, but let me assure you that this practice is age-old and tried-and-true. I find it odd you get disoriented, but I can see where you are coming from.

Anyway, just try to enjoy the music
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post #3 of 18
11/24/05 at 3:30am
On most older jazz recordings, the instruments are quite separated i.e sax on right channel, piano on left. With most contemporary jazz recordings it is more normal, i.e sax in middle etc.
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post #4 of 18
11/24/05 at 3:33am
On the older stuff, this is where crossfeed comes in handy...
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post #5 of 18
11/24/05 at 10:45am
Thread Starter 
thanks guys.
I guess I'll just have to get used to it...
Or use some sort of stereo mixing effect...
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post #6 of 18
11/24/05 at 11:33am
It's kind of funny, 'cause I listened to jazz mostly thru speakers for about 20 years, before I got my ipod. I guess I was used to the separate channel effect, and my brain was able to translate that to headphone use (without the help of crossfeed). I guess I don't mind, but I realize it plays tricks with your auditory perception.

Aren't some of the older classic rock albums recorded in a similar fashion? I've heard people complain about listening to the Beatles, for example, on cans without crossfeed.
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post #7 of 18
11/24/05 at 1:34pm
A lot of late period Beatles stuff is notorious for a very literal interpretation of stereo. Eleanor Rigby is a good example. The verses have Paul panned hard to one channel and the chorus moves the vocals to the middle. I have heard that some of this is attributed to the Record Company, who remixed some of the songs. I can't imagine George Martin doing this, it sounds awful on headphones and speakers.
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post #8 of 18
11/24/05 at 1:57pm
I don't think you guys have ever listened to these recordings with your eyes closed then...

It is quite apparent to me that these instruments are not separated by channel, but instead are realistically placed within the sound stage. While there may not be an instrument right in the center, there usually is one very close to it. On headphones, this sounds like it's on an extreme end of one channel, but that's simply the nature of headphones. Jazz recordings are designed for speakers, and it is apparent when you listen to it that way. After all, Cannonball Adderly was not in the center of the session room when he recorded 'Somethin Else'. And, I was under the impression that most contemporary jazz recordings also follow a similar taping practice. I was listening to Song X a few days ago, and noticed not one instrument was focused on or centered.
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post #9 of 18
11/24/05 at 2:01pm
Quote:
I have heard that some of this is attributed to the Record Company, who remixed some of the songs. I can't imagine George Martin doing this, it sounds awful on headphones and speakers.
Well, back then everybody was switching to stereo speakers. Because The Beatles were such a mainstream band, record companies used these recordings almost as guinea pigs, in that they wanted everybody to really FEEL and UNDERSTAND the effects of stereo. Separating different instruments and voices dramatically was a good way for the masses to understand and justify their stereo purchases. This was an ingenious idea, and both record companies and equipment manufacturers alike made a lot of money this way.
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post #10 of 18
11/24/05 at 2:14pm
Thread Starter 
the instruments are indeed not separated by channel. when you listen to only one side of the headphones you can actually hear both instruments. Just that one is much more fainter than the other.
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post #11 of 18
11/24/05 at 3:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by felchi80
the instruments are indeed not separated by channel. when you listen to only one side of the headphones you can actually hear both instruments. Just that one is much more fainter than the other.
This is definitely true. But it's usually VERY close to having (usually two) instruments completely channel-isolated. This combined with the fact that it's just a few individual instruments --there're no effects helping create a 'wall of sound' or anything-- can make for a somewhat unnatural sound on headphones. You just don't get the same distribution of sound between ears that you'd get if you were actually facing real instruments, it's more acute.

I just enjoy this aspect as I enjoy any other effect that may or may not occur in nature. I don't have trouble doing it, it's like a magnification of the differences (which I'd guess most here get into) between headphone sound and speaker sound. Or live sound for that matter. Or amplified sound vs unamplified, it's all different in many ways, but all enjoyable to me.
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post #12 of 18
11/24/05 at 3:31pm
I get annoyed when the drums are only played on one side =/
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post #13 of 18
11/24/05 at 3:35pm
^^^^ It is the most strange of all possible scenarios, but I find that it's almost never the drums that get isolated (for obvious reasons). Or rarely at least.
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post #14 of 18
11/24/05 at 4:03pm
Thread Starter 
piano on one side is annoying enough for me... let alone drums...
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post #15 of 18
11/24/05 at 4:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by felchi80
piano on one side is annoying enough for me... let alone drums...
I can handle that and everything minus drums. I LOVE saxophone on one side and upright bass.
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