First, if you listen to the sound from the videoclips on YouTube you are not getting a good soundmix to listen to. The sound is highly compressed and the mics on those mobile phones or small cameras do not balance the frequencies well. Without having been to any of the concerts yet I can still guarantee that the soundmix in the clips are not anywhere near the soundmix of the concerts, so they should not be drowning out anything at the gig itself.Jon wrote:However, one thing all the recordings have that I really, really dont like is Jarre and those bloody 'AERO' style cymbols. Personally they are drowning out much of the music performed. There is no reason musically for them to be there other than for Jarre to have something to do with his hands. . . . . This is my only gripe with this tour.
Second, and maybe the main reason why Jarre uses cymbals, is that he tries to visualize the performance, not only with laserharp, Theremin, Moog Liberation or other "proper" instruments, but also things like orchestras, flutes, dancers, even (in this tour) cymbals. There is no musical reason for him to use any other device than a harddrive, so the synths and the cymbals are there to visualize the actual playing.

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