sluuuurp

sluuuurp t1_j2pw02g wrote

That’s probably because you knew it was live, not just because the sound was different. Music isn’t just about the sounds our ears hear, it’s also about the context and our state of mind when we hear it.

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sluuuurp t1_j2ohp55 wrote

If they aren’t using speakers to amplify the musicians you could probably tell the difference. But in broadway theaters they’re likely doing a lot of amplification which would make live and recorded sound the same.

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sluuuurp t1_j2oee01 wrote

It might be more emotional because you know there are humans performing it.

But I doubt you could identify it as more emotional in a blind sound test. The sound is recorded with the same microphones and is played through the same speakers, it will sound identical in both cases. (This is assuming that most seats hear sound from speakers rather than from the instruments directly, which I believe is a fair assumption for most seats in most broadway theaters.)

This is basically the same idea as why people go to see the real Mona Lisa rather than a reprint. It looks 100% identical in every way, but knowing that it’s the real thing rather than a reproduction makes a difference anyway.

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