US Festival sound quality
 

Just listened to several songs from this concert on youtube and the sound and mixing is horrible. Was the actual show like this or is it the recording only? You can barely hear her sing.

I don't know what you were watching on YouTube, but the real shows had superb sound. The sound systems were absolutely state of the art for festival sound -- everything was advanced technology in 1982 & 1983. I think it was even the first use of Diamondvision. Steve Wozniak sunk a whole bunch of money into the technology of the shows because the entire event (or both events) were really designed as celebrations of technology.

Yeah, I remember this one part on Angel where you can hardly hear her sing the line.

But Sharon sure is loud and clear...yikes.

yeah.. while the concert sound may have been top notch, the mixing on the video is shocking at some points... Lori and Sharon are SO loud (and at times a little flat) and stevie is so lost in the mix, that is ruins an otherwise superb performance.

I've heard worse...

I don't think it's a real live mix designed for presentation. I think it's a soundboard mix, which usually has three giveaways:

1. You hear very odd relational levels of input (as you guys have described above)
2. You hear very clear & loud cable noise (plugging in, unplugging, etc.)
3. You hear very low crowd noise

If the audio on these videos is soundboard (& I believe it is), it was set according to the parameters required from the band or from the mixers at the time of the performance NOT for the public's listening pleasure but for technical reasons pertaining to getting the job done (getting the sound mixed for the crowd & the band).

By comparison, listen to the audio engineered for public consumption on the Showtime broadcast of the three-song Stevie set (Outside The Rain/Stand Back/Stop Dragging My Fart Around). Sonics are as you would expect: crowd noise through microphones, all relational levels set to suggest live on-site hearing, etc.

The Showtime audio was also broadcast on radio, or simulcast, & consequently released on vinyl for radio stations.

I have this dvd and the quality of the sound is horrible, really! No, you can't hardly hear her sing...Anyway, the dvd is awesome and Stevie is very funny and sweet, but if it was better quality of the sound it would've been better :)

By comparison, listen to the audio engineered for public consumption on the Showtime broadcast of the three-song Stevie set (Outside The Rain/Stand Back/Stop Dragging My Fart Around). Sonics are as you would expect: crowd noise through microphones, all relational levels set to suggest live on-site hearing, etc.

The Showtime audio was also broadcast on radio, or simulcast, & consequently released on vinyl for radio stations.[/QUOTE]


Except you can hardly hear any guitar at all on these mixes. I wonder why that is?

I have that 3 song set list and Outside the Rain is the original recording at US Fest. But Stand Back and SDMHA have totally different vocals.