Open Mic
May 22, 2010
Description
We were able to contact Jim (aka Dr. FOB) and asking about his experiences as an audience taper. He writes,
“I am Jim Madry and only play Dr.FOB at The Taperssection Forum, a forum for tapers discussing gear, techniques, and recording. I post most of my recordings that way as well.
FOB is for Front Of Board, that sweet spot in the venue where you get just the right balance of PA and stage sound, and hopefully an attentive and cooperative audience.
By day, I’m a Professional Engineer with a Consulting Business, but on many nights throughout the year I can be found with my mics up looking to archive that special moment.
I record 20-50, or more depending on my work load, shows a year. I love Blues, Bluegrass, Rock, just about any band that can jam.
I started trading Grateful Dead cassettes and relished the times when a trading list would show up with a recording of Ralph Stanley, Flatt & Scruggs, Doc Watson, or Seldom Scene.
Bluegrass was likely my first love. As a kid vacationing in the mountains of NC & VA there always seemed to be a throw together ensemble playing around a fire at the campgrounds to captivate and entertain.
I tried my hand at recording a few shows in the early 80s, but budget could only carry the cost of tickets and not the kind of equipment that can be self powered for the duration of a show. When DAT hit the scene in the early 90’s and the trading went from analog to digital, I found that it was much easier to elicit a trade with someone when you had something unique to offer. So I invested in a modest DAT recorder, pre-amp and set of microphones and began taping the shows I attended. Warren Haynes formed Gov’t Mule and became my favorite act to follow. My budget improved and I upgraded my gear. Technology evolved, and recorders now write digitally to hard drives or flash memory. Many archivists today are recording high resolution digital waveforms.
The internet has changed the concept of trading, it’s more a concept of sharing now. A torrent can be seeded but if no one is willing to share, it will wither and drop off the tracker. The internet allows a show recorded here on the east coast to get worldwide distribution by the next day. With archive.org, there exists a repository where recordings can be retrieved as long as the sponsors are willing to provide the bandwidth. And, there are still bands such as The Allman Brothers Band, that encourage the capture of their live performances but require by their policy that the exchange still be a free, personal trade between friends. I have many hundreds of hours of recordings that don’t get shared. Maybe I’ll have more time to do that when I retire;)
Now in my mid 50’s I’ve seen quite a lot of shows. Many times I’m asked when I’m breaking down my rig if I’m on tour with the band, what was my favorite show, and I usually reply, “This was the best show I’ve heard tonight”. They want to know they were at a special show and who am I to judge. The two Infamous Stringdusters shows are a perfect example. I might say that Friday was the best, but the band might disagree. I could continue my discourse, delving into audience dynamics and the psychology of the crowd, but suffice it to say that the audience does make a difference, both to the performers, other audience members, and to the archivist.
I’m very glad to have been able to capture the two performances.
Jim”
THANKS AGAIN, JIM, FOR ALL YOU DO FOR THE MUSIC!!
