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Most of the time I find the sound at concert venues less than satisfying. Unless you are fortunate to attend acoustic performances in a really good acoustic space, I would suggest a really good audio system sounds superior much of the time to a live event. Often live events are over amplified, smoke filled, uncomfortable. While they do provide a sense of excitement, they simply don't sound very good.

I suppose that would depend on what you consider "better". I've not heard tape edits or overdubs in a typical live performance. While I am not a fan of overamplified venues, I don't remember hearing the performers wandering around the stage unless they are actually in motion before me during a live event. The relative size of a violin doesn't typically expand to become as large as the width of the entire orchestra. One performer in a live setting normally doesn't send in their portion from another continent while playing in an altogether different month than the rest of the band or any one member of the band for that matter. "Live" usually means everyone is there on stage and they are listening, responding and communicating with everyone else on stage and with the audience.

Recorded performances are like letters and photographs from your long dead friends and family, they allow you an opportunity to relive a moment in time. They are never a replacement for actually living the event.

Recordings are not perfect, but in many ways they can be better than a live concert.

I have been to hundreds of Los Angeles Philharmonic concerts, and the experience certainly varies depending on the seating. Also, the new Disney Hall is much better acoustically, generally, than the old concert hall that was used until 5 years ago.

The pipe organ in the new hall has been a tremendous disappointment, however. I don't know what the acoustical problems are, but what appears to be a very fine organ sounds absolutely awful in there. I signed up for a series of organ concerts the second year the hall was opened (the organ was not completed the first year), and I was shocked at the poor sound it put forth in there!

The orchestra sounds great in there; too bad about the organ.

The best live organ concert I ever heard was when Virgil Fox gave some concerts in preparation for some Direct-to-Disc recordings at the OLD Garden Grove Community Church in 1982; that church had great acoustics. Too bad they they later tore it down and moved the organ to the "Crystal Cathedral" that replaced it; too bad about the acoustics there...lol. Those concerts were FREE and only a couple of hundred people showed up, in a church that seated thousands; poor publicity, I guess.

Oh well, I have lots of good organ recordings (including those direct-to disc ones).

Those 1983 recordings (Bach, Vierne, Vidor, etc.) are now available on a CD, by the way; Bainbridge BCD-8103; good stuff.

Dear Steve Guttenberg and all Music-Loving Audiophiles:

When considering the quality of digital recordings, you may want to consider the information at: http:www.AbsolutePolarity.com  .

Respectfully submitted,

George S. Louis