Trawling through one internet music recording forum after another (as I often do) is certainly illuminating. The multitudinous posts from earnest recordists enquiring from the experts which microphone, preamp, soundcard, converters, compressor, EQ, reverb - blah, blah, blah - is better than another have a rather dulling effect on my sensibilities before too long. And in truth, I've begun to make a bit of a nuisance of myself at one or two places by interjecting with a recommendation that the poster look to the room before he batters his credit card in the hope that some sparkling new high-end "professional" piece of gear will solve all his recording issues.
