Richard Reminisces and Talks Tech

[David]

Originally Posted by michelej1

My mixing style was different. A lot of people in a live situation would just mix and hold—just get it under control, and then leave it. For me, every song was different. I was a dynamic mixer—but not a proper one.

This alone makes Dashut a one in a million sound man. Oh, how I wish this were the rule rather than the rare exception. Today's style is to set the inputs where you want on the two or three songs the band soundchecks, & then keep them there throughout the entire two-hour performance, regardless of what a hapless songwriter may have composed or intended.

Plus, I remember in the old days actually hearing what Richard is describing of the way he used to drive up a kick or a guitar solo, depending totally on his emotional or gut instinct. You actually used to hear that in Fleetwood Mac concerts. I was just a kid -- I used to think it was the band itself playing that way. It was exciting! It doesn't translate to video tape much, because everything's equalized there, but if you watch something like "Sisters of the Moon" on the 1979 video, the guitar would have been driven up when the giant stage lights flash & everything climaxed. You would have felt your insides shake.

I think a lot of the problems that Dashut describes in today's recording environment actually affected the band during the "Say You Will" project. Some of the faults Dashut mentions are right there on "Say You Will," I think.