Knights of Space audio mix

[Colin Allen]

The problem with Dave's guitar in the live mix is not to do with "Dave mixing himself lower"; he has no control over where he sits in the mix and is dependent on the sound engineer to set the FoH levels.  Any level problems could easily have been dealt with in the DVD mix, assuming that Dave did not do that mix.

Describing the interview as some sort of apology seems somewhat "kind"; what happened was that they presented a totally inaccurate and easily disprovable explanation of why the audio track is so bad.  Why not just tell the truth for once?

I do wonder who it was who got the mix so badly wrong and why nobody picked up on it.  Usually, the band are presented with a listening (CD) or watching (DVD) copy of the recording, or attend a screening to check that everything is ok; did that not happen?

It is all very odd, but very typical of Hawkwind:(.

--- On Mon, 23/2/09, John Majka <jmajk at INDY.RR.COM> wrote:
From: John Majka <jmajk at INDY.RR.COM>
Subject: Re: Knights of Space audio mix
To: BOC-L at LISTSERV.ISPNETINC.NET
Date: Monday, 23 February, 2009, 10:17 PM

I think the HW interview is just a sort of after-the-fact apology for the
release, which is clearly a multitrack recording, although one that's poorly
mixed.  I don't mind the vocals, so if HW had the flu, it didn't seem to
affect the performance any.  The theremin is indeed audible in dribs and drabs
here and there, proving that it was in fact plugged in.  It's just the
miserable mix of instrumentation that detracts from what could have been a
stellar release.  We all know that Dave has been mixing himself lower and lower
over time, but KOS is the apex of that approach, where his guitar almost ceases
to exist for much of the show, even though it is quite audible and lovely for
Robot, for example.  Now if we could just get that Roadburn show released....
John Majka

> well i can SEE and HEAR tims theremin so that is a crock of s***. i
don't do biased reviews and if you knew me you would know that i am telling
the truth. as i said in an earlier post come to my house and watch it, you would
obviously be in for a great surprise. i feel sorry for the people who
have'nt got the recording i have cos they are mising out on something good.
john-paul
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lost Johnny"
<busterpepper at MIDWAYNET.NET>
> To: <BOC-L at LISTSERV.ISPNETINC.NET>
> Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 7:40 PM
> Subject: Re: Knights of Space audio mix
> 
> 
> Scott ,you and me don't need the ear doctor . John-Paul,Eli and Steve
with
> your biased reviews you need to make a appointment as soon as possible .
Go
> to the website www.komodorock.com and listen to a Hawkwind interview of
Dave
> Brock ,Kris Tait ,Mr Dibbs ,the new guy and Tim Blake. Kris Tait says and
I
> quote," The Knights of Space needs to be recalled . The sound was
recorded
> on the camera ,not the mixing board and Tim Blake's Theremin
wasn't plugged
> in at all for the whole show. " And Dave Brock says "we all had
the flu so
> our voices were really bad ". And why wasn't this announced on
the band's
> website or Yahoo group or here so we all don't end up buying it? Scott
,Go
> and listen to the interview ,you'll be amazed and shocked . And why
does no
> fan post info about that interview when they see it so the rest of us can
> see it and not buy junky sounding things like Knights of Space.