Live event seating preference and type of gear one prefers.

[rollo]

   Do SS guys like upfront seats as opposed to tube guys who may like sitting further back ? Discuss.


charles

[richidoo]

I like (temporarily hate) tubes and I like sitting upfront. We are 6th row center at the symphony.  Loud rock concerts I like to be at the far rear - with earplugs. Whatever kind of music it's gotta be loud enough to penetrate the body and clear enough to hear details, the best location varies for me.

[Black Sand Cable]

Front for everything.....unless it's a Rock band and there is a mosh pit up front. I'm too old for that crap. If that is the case, I'm going to the back.

[rollo]

I like (temporarily hate) tubes and I like sitting upfront. We are 6th row center at the symphony.  Loud rock concerts I like to be at the far rear - with earplugs. Whatever kind of music it's gotta be loud enough to penetrate the body and clear enough to hear details, the best location varies for me.

ARGHAAAAAAAAA ! Well there goes that theory. Lets see what some of the others think. So far so good.



charles

[Carlman]

I've never really liked going to live concerts because they're almost always too loud on bad systems.  This includes rock and jazz I've heard mainly, and large and small venues. 

The one concert I went to and enjoyed was Elvis Costello and Steve Nieve doing an acoustic set at Wolf Trap in VA. It was just vocals and piano... nothing else... That was quite an enjoyable show.  It still wasn't 'intimate' but the piano and voice lined up with where they really were.  I was in the center-ish, kind of midway up.. a little far back for my viewing pleasure.

But that's really what shows are about: visual and visceral experience.  The sound is an afterthought, something to sing along with.. but not the main focus.

If I could go to the live recordings of unamplified events like the KBCO sessions or various acoustic things like MTV Unplugged, etc.. where the instruments were actually unplugged.. INCLUDING the singer, I'd be quite happy.  It would take some creativity to get the balance right..

I'd also be happy if it were a show for one.. just me hanging out with a couple of musicians and listening to them jam.. with no mic's or amps.  That's my personal heaven for concerts.

[richidoo]

Being next to the musicians or in the band is totally different. That's why I like to feel the penetration of the music into my body, gotta turn it up. I think that's why musicians are so picky audiophiles. Front a band Carlman. You got enough wacky ideas to make Jim Morrison look like children's book author.

[Carlman]

I'm getting there.. managing a band (or bands) appeals to me in a big way.  I'd like to revolutionize the music world... Someone's got to break it out of its 50+ year-old mindset... Music business reminds me of the (American) car business model... it's amazing it still works.. I guess there will always be teenagers, though.

I'd love to do some wacky stuff, for sure.. How about a concert where everyone wears headphones? ha..

-C

[rollo]

Ever notice on live recordings the position of the audience ? Some they are in the back of the soundstage, others the front. When the audience is up front the feeling of being at the concert is more believeable for me.
   Yes Carlman unamplfied performances are my favorite as well. Actually the reference I use for my system. Having a guitar and piano player in the house helps a lot. Still no matter what we do that live piano is so hard to reproduce at home. I can get the tonality right but the sheer power and dynamics and weight is another story. Close though but still no cigar.


charles