15 unwanted studio noises
Ah, the cold, cruel ear of the microphone. Its task is to capture faithfully a musical performance but it inevitably goes much further, picking up countless sonic artifacts: musicians’ breaths, page turns, creaky chairs and rattling radiators. And that’s just on stage.
When, in the mid-20th century, record labels’ in-house studios were deemed too small to accommodate large orchestras, producers searched for alternatives. In New York, they tried Manhattan Center but encountered cooing pigeons. They tried Webster Hall, but it was plagued by sirens and rain hitting the roof. Carnegie Hall sessions were interrupted by the Seventh Avenue subway. Meanwhile, in London, orchestra players long grumbled over the rumble beneath Kingsway Hall.
Noise reduction technology, better soundproofing and audio filters have helped matters, and some labels have moved their studios to rural locations. But then there are those sounds produced by the artists themselves, whether
