I mean, it's always good to know how to record everything if you want to make music, you can't just make music with a guitar, also drums are especially hard to record
I don't know, I play a couple of instruments and it's good to know about crossovers, how mics are used per instrument per style and goal of feel, along with frequency separations within different chambers. I do home recording, but go to a pro in town when the song is finished, gigged, adjusted. 2 good pros in town. I record all the practices, jams, and songs at home with 2 mics with the band using the idea of imagining my area as a 3D pool table, knowing sounds from a source will bounce off the hard walls and various soft reflectors and arrive louder and softer in different areas of the room. I typically group all the amps together and the Drums a small distance away. This way I can even out the volume and sound every instrument a person in the band plays as they are all coming from the same amp area. Each member can adjust their volume in order to blend the volume of the sound against the others. I then imagine how the sound from the combined amps will bounce off the walls as well as primary placement in relation to the primary sound source and play bumper pool with the sound waves hitting the walls of the chamber and place the mic there. I get direct and ambient with a good attack and good even room warmth. I have a separate mic for the drums and kind of do the same with this per what is needed to gain the greatest attack and clarity while also gaining warmth and trailing tones from where the instrument mic is located. The drums are placed close to the amps. It's a 3D pool table and gives a good idea of what volumes each player should play at at a gig, as well as at the studio in order to maintain the timbre of the player's instrument to amp chain. Then we play live in the studio after the engineer places his mic in order to maintain the feel of how we perform the song live, in order to maintain the groove of each player playing off of each other. The same dynamics of play as we have already established live so the recording doesn't feel dead or sterile. The engineer then can mix the mics in his daw to match the live performance. There's more life, more dynamics, in a recording of the band playing off of each other's cues, each other's expectations of the other members moves, more groove, more sync. No click track. We have good time but we get huge feels of expectation satisfaction as we communicate in real time with each other. Everybody has their own methods, this is mine.
I play a trumpet. I've played in an orchestra. The job of the drummer is to keep a steady beat. Ringo is primo at that job. A drummer that can't keep a solid beat needs a day job.
Oh yes! Within a few seconds of them playing the song here I realized I never ever played along with that record with headphones as I always would. Or in fact at any other time. I got my first drum kit in ‘71 at 17 and had tons of music to play with and learn. Here the song sounds so good and I instantly felt my loss of never having play it! Mitch Mitchell, in the mid sixties I loved Hendrix but I couldn’t comprehend at all what Mitch was doing.
This episode was great. Thank you so much. I would like to add one thing - I was a studio owner at the time when things went from tape to digital and the biggest criticism of early digital was that it was "harsh". It wasn't that digital was harsh but that all the tools we had were designed to pound signal into tape. As pointed out with the Beatles, a drum track might have to survive getting bounced around 4 or more times and each time some of that top end was carved away. Consequently, you get excessively bright microphones and engineers adding 15db to 10k to compensate. When we replicated those recording techniques with digital we were horrified by the sound. All of a sudden, our tools didn't work anymore but we didn't fully understand that and, instead, blamed digital for our problems. It took some time to come full circle but our DAWS (like LUNA) now come with tape emulation. As a matter of fact, our DAWS now digitally act very much like that classic gear.
I've only had the fortune of recording to tape once (self-produced EP with an old band where we borrowed a buddy's Tascam 388 and tracked in our practice space), but I remember my drums sounded more "finished" in initial playback because of that tape compression. I don't recall if we boosted any of the highs while tracking, but we were very happy with the results -- especially considering the Tascam 388 was, in its time, a consumer-grade mixer and tape recorder (sounds great though). I'm a little younger than you, so by the time I started recording, engineers had learned how to deal with digital recording without it being so shrill and bright. It makes perfect sense though that it took time for engineers to adjust. It's kind of funny that now that most of us record digitally and mix in the box, we're using tons of tape emulators, 1176/LA2A/Fairchild emulators, SSL/API/Neve preamp emulations and channel strips, etc. to get back to that analog sound. So many great, foundational records were recorded to tape through analog consoles and outboard gear that what we think a snare drum, or a bass guitar should sound like is heavily influenced by that era. I don't think it's a good or a bad thing -- just an interesting point of discussion. I also never owned any early-generation digital recorders, so my experience with digital recording has mostly been -- what you put in is what you get out. When you factor in the cost of tape/maintenance, how tricky punch-ins and tape splices are, etc... and also that you can convincingly emulate most analog gear with plugins now anyway, my personal opinion is that digital recording is superior in most instances. That said, I hope people keep the analog mediums like tape, vinyl, film, etc. alive because those art forms have intrinsic value that goes beyond fidelity or ease of use.
Yes, I concur. When we moved from tape to digital I stopped using C414s. They were great to tape; never lived them on digital and stopped using them pretty much altogether.
Actually, in the early days of Digital it WAS harsh. The A to D convertors had to have very steep "Anti-Aliasing Filters" on them because the convertors were operating in the "20 to 20" human hearing range. The steep filters made things ridiculously harsh. Soon they realized that if they "Over Sampled" everything and made the Convertors work way up in the Stratosphere - like 300 KHz range or higher - they could make the Anti-Aliasing Filters work way up there and so any artifacts were lost to human hearing when they down converted the recorded signal back into Human Hearing range.
@@rafaelcarmany463 What you say is true but it didn't help that our microphones were no where near flat but had excessive sensitivity to high end. Unless your client had money to burn, 15ips was pretty standard and a SM57 with its 6db bump between 5-6k was perfect for putting a snare or guitar or vocal to tape but it certainly wasn't a flat response.
For anyone curious about the mics at the end on the beatles, in this video example those mics are WA-19s but in the video are named WA-14s. Both mics exist but are extremely different models and sounds. The WA19s are the ones they're using here.
I'm 72 years old and for me, the best sound that they ever got out of Ringo's drum set was on the first three albums: "Please Please Me"; "Meet The Beatles"; and "The Beatles Second Album" [Capitol-U.S.]; just huge-big vibe with lots of air and massive depth!
She has very good technique; lots of fingers/wrist, mininal arm movement! Good Posture, legs/knees, & arms/elbows at right angles. Drum rim slightly above thigh. Guessing didnt get much sound from tennis shoe stomps, hard soles more effective. & nice job borrowing Mitch's & Ringo's fills! Kudos!
I was going to say that because of Ringo's Ludwig drum set. I got for Christmas back in 1968 brand new Ludwig and being that same gray as Ringo's set. A complite set and this was in Finland and me being only 11 years young. Wow, I will never ever forget ok those drums but also my childhood I was blessed to have. Rest in peace my beautiful parents I miss you a lot everyday and I will go to the death having you in my memories for life. Amen 🙏✌❤
I’ve owned my own studio for over 44 years now. Been many of upgrades all along the way . The one thing I prided myself for in the early days was my drum sound . In those early years of recording a studio was measured by its drum sound. There are so many variables that go into the stew to get it right. Tuning of the drums is the first thing you must get right.
One of the many, many fascinating aspects about Strawberry Fields Forever is how the meter changes in the song are so natural sounding that people may not even notice them. It seems even you may have been fooled by one of those meter changes, at 28:53 when it goes to a G major chord over the lyric "hung about", you stay on that chord for 6 beats when it should be only 4.
Yeah. The Beatles were natural musical genius. Lennon especially just heard things the way he heard them, not in perfectly patterned groupings of 8s, just however long each thing feels good. Bars of odd time just where they should fall. Switching back and forth between 4/4 and other time signatures for different riffs. Natural genius.
I mentioned you on the Recording Studio Rock Stars Podcast last week. You're the closest to cracking the code on these old recordings. I'm about as burned out and jaded as you get working in Nashville for 30 years, but the two of you are making videos that are full of information and good tones. Stellar work!
I love this kind of information on how recording has evolved over the years. I remember a documentary on Motown where they said the "Snakepit", as they called the recording room, actually had a dirt floor in the early days. By the time Baby Love was recorded, they put plywood over the dirt and the stomping heard on the recording is on this plywood. It sounds amazing!
This is it!! 🎶🐈⬛ The 60's, a turbulent and unbelievable creative time period...where music was important and one fantastic recording follows another. When I was a kid, this was instantly "my music". Other decades has it's highlights as well but it never touches my soul as that era. Thank you very much for this video👍🏻😎 this makes my day! Nifty greetings from Germany 🎸Peace & Love
I love the detail put into this video. Not only are the sounds recreated wonderfully, but the details for all us nerds are carefully laid out. Thank you!!!
What a treat! As a player of vintage drums and hardware, it’s great to see a super deep dive on how those recordings were created and how awesome old gear sounded back then. Current recording studios and engineers cringe at this traditional style of recording, which is why I cringe when I have to fight them on vintage drums should really sound. Great job!
What a fabulous practice tool this video is. I could spend the next six months just trying to get my playing on these parts as locked down as this chick and not even come close. She's a great drummer.
I hand no idea I was getting into such a detailed and technical discussion. But as guy with a lot of records, and some effort invested into building a nice playback.for them, it is nice to know what I am listening to.
I believe Ringo used his '64 Ludwig Super Classic set on Pepper and NOT his older Downbeat set which he used on early Beatles recordings. The Downbeat set has the 20,12,14 configuration vs. the Super Classic 22,14,16 configuration. Of course Ringo ALWAYS used his '63 5.5" Jazz Fest on all Beatles recordings. Great video on mic and mic placement to get those classic sounds!
I for many years assumed that they recorded Ringo at half or 3/4 time to tighten up the timing, and as a result make the high frequencies more pronounced and give the snare that distinctive snappy short decay. Turns out it was tea towels, 10k boost boxes, and some impeccable timing!
Hey Joe reminded me of the Summer of 1967. I spent every day learning Mitch Mitchell's 5/4 Manic Depression groove, and then Clyde Stubblefield's funky Cold Sweat. Those tunes gave me the confidence to take my drums to a new level. 1967 was a great music year. Sorry you missed it as you would have enjoyed it, as I always love people who hear music. Good, tight sound you're getting there.
Ringo did use a Super Classic on SFF. He only used the Downbeat from '63 to mid-'64. He switched to larger sizes from late '64 onward. He owned 4 Oyster Black Pearl sets: 2 Downbeats and 2 Super Classics.
Amazing listening to this. The first three songs' drum rhythms were quite complex which gives the song its sound and the Beatles also had a number of canonical drum parts (e.g.ticket to ride) but I was glad you chose Strawberry Fields because it is such a great example of how they used each drum as an instrument, not just as a component of a kit. Their choice to mic each one shows that. Also in heard Ringo would sometimes play just the drum parts on the rhythm mix and then dub the cymbals separately so their energy wouldn't bleed into the drum mics.
Wow, and double wow. I never comment on videos. But I gotta say, this was profoundly well done and incredibly helpful. Thank you for putting this together.
According to my friend and Bass Player extraordinaire, Tony Newton, there were 2 Bass players on the song Baby Love. Tony Newton was one of those Bass players who, at age 18, played the electric Bass...probably a Fender P Bass or Jazz Bass. The other was an upright Bass. True story as heard directly from the horses mouth...Tony Newton. Tony was also the Bass player years later in 1973/74 with the Tony Williams Lifetime Band and composed the great song called Red Alert and a few others on that great album with Alan Pasqua on Keyboards and Alan Holdsworth on Electric Guitar.
This takes me back to my days in music production college - We had all the modern tech to use but our teachers made us do it the old school way, so we didn't just learn to press buttons to create effects. Lots of speakers in other rooms, or in metal buckets. Lots of random mics in strange places and definitely lots of gaffer tape to make it all possible. Good times!
@rafaelcarmany463 it was a music college in Brighton, England. One of my tutors was obsessed with Paul McCartney, so we had to learn how the Beatles worked in the studio. I loved it but a lot of my fellow students just wanted to use computer plugins 😅
Be My Baby By The Ronettes was a good starting point. With the Motown sound you definitely should have picked the Stevie Wonder song uptight because the drums were out front and really showcased that great sound. Mitch Mitchell's drums for great midpoint but I would have chosen Ginger Baker and cream because his drums again are out front and in your face more, but THE drum sound that changed everything was the 1968 recording of Led Zeppelin 1 that was the beginning of the new sound of rock drums. Nevertheless a really great sampling and you guys gave a great insight regarding the equipment and room Dynamics. Great post!
Quite informative! The sonic changes throughout the decade are interesting on the bands and studios you picked. Even though The Beatles are the reason I wanted to become a musician since the age of 7 or 8, I never looked up or came across how they got such great advanced drum sounds although it was common knowledge they were pushing the envelope with experimenting with sounds. Really liked the Jimi Hendrix Experience drums sounds too all examples sounded good. I'm a guitarist and on a recent record I produced in a studio where the owner used protools, we added drum samples to the drum tracks on some songs. I couldn't understand why the DW drum kit we recorded with couldn't get great sounds on it's own but I can't complain about the final mixes. Didn't alway dig the kick drum sound but it was usually a balancing act of sorts. After watching this video, I think you really have to be a master sound technicians and know the history how the drums, mics, and compressors not to mention it was going to tape were used to get the specific drum sounds. Thank you!
This is a very interesting, and well thought-out, and well played video ! I would add that the true "secret weapons" in these wonderfull sounding vintage recordings were the drummers themselves. You can use any mic you want, but in the end, it is Mitch`s playing on Hey Joe that makes the magic. Thanks for posting this.
Always loved that EMI Studio (Abbey Road) had bought super high end gear like the RS124 comp, but before it could be okayed for use in the studio, EMI’s very serious German engineers had to inspect it. They took it apart and said, ‘no no this is all wrong’ and modded it. 😂 So, much of the vintage gear inside Abbey Road is unique, even though they own some gear that many other studios had. Not to mention the custom desks built by those same engineers.
Yes you are correct that EMI did in fact test the Altec 436B's they purchased back in the late 50's and were found to be inadequate and were heavily modified over the years so much so in the end they became the EMI RS124 Compressor and its fair to say it became nothing like the Altec's that came through the door of Abbey Road in 1959. Not sure any German engineers were involved, the original EMI engineers were Len Page,Bill Levey, and Mike Bachelor.
So interesting. It's amazing the amount of time and effort that goes into recording. The results speak for themselves...✌️ I never realized there was a tom overdub on Strawberry Fields Forever. I gotta re-listen now. Nicely done...👍
I recorded at Gold Star Studio in 1981 using the recording techniques & process that Phil Spector used. The tracks sounded terrific and full with a double tracked rhythm section. The songs ended up on a compilation album produced by Harvey Kubernick & featuring numerous artists in Los Angeles during that time.
I have nothing to do with music, behalf listening, but i am an electronics guy, and i found this very impressioning, how studio technics changed in the last 65years !!!😊
Ringo was trying to "deaden" the sound of his drums by covering them with tea towels, etc.... it's possible he was trying to emulate The Band's Levon Helm's drum sound (circa 1968/69) because he loved that sound and was amazed to discover that the reason Levon's drum sound was so cool was because he used a wood rimmed drum kit-- particularly for The Band's 1969 album, "The Band".
This was awesome!!! Very Informative!!! The Motown Studio was probably the first "home" studio fore shadowing home recording studios of today. Only with equipment available in the day. Funny to see how it is in a residential neighbourhood and seeing the regular house beside it. Musicians today are doing the same thing only with Pro Tools or Garage Band!!!! Also you briefly mentioned a part of the sound was the control of the drummer. I think that was a huge part. All these drummers I am sure once familiar with how they were being recorded adjusted their playing to get the best sound possible. Robert Plant said that of John Bonham. He was mixing himself on the fly just like a recording engineer would do using dynamics on how hard or soft he would play on each piece of the drum kit. I got to see Ringo Starr this year and he is the real deal playing with his All Star band. Maybe not the most technical drummer but a very good feel drummer. You could hear and feel that seeing him live. Ultimately feel and inspiration is what makes music appealing in my opinion. Even electronic music has some elements of feel in it. Thanks for posting. This is real history of recording!!!
When drums sounded like drums. Amazing that you managed to recreate these sounds. The drums are what kills most modern records for me. Among other things. Really wish people would go back to the old ways of recording them.
I think it's because, in many cases these days, it's _not drums_. It's either just a machine, or a pad that is played like drums but sounds the same as the machine.
Very nice and detailed explanations. My favorite recorded drum sounds of the 1960s were from John Glyn's recordings of Keith Moon (The Who), and John Bonham (Led Zeppelin).
I adore replicating/creating hybrid Slingerland x Ludwig kits in a top notch D.A.W. My thoery goes: Snare: lets try 3 snare sounds adjusting each until I get what I want. This video is absolute heaven for me because what I seek is a truth, a holy grail of percussion to accompany my Ric bass and other specific guitars/instruments. I couldn't care less if anyone else ever hears what I do lol. Thank you for posting this dream video.
Stomp overdubs on the Motown track and they are wearing sneakers. LOL There was the RIAA curve that was supposed to be used for mastering vinyl and in stereos gear for playing vinyl. Supposedly Motown didn't use the RIAA curve in vinyl mastering so they could increase the bass sound on their records. I think a big part of the Beatles sound was having to deal with generation loss from bouncing down tracks to make room for more overdubs. All that was melting the layers of sound together. I remember Paul would tick the others off by insisting he re-record his part last so it would have generation loss. I think what would be interesting is videos on engineers known for getting great drum sounds, and another on drummer know for getting great drum sounds in the studio. Back in the 70's I worked in a studio and when we looked out and saw Ronnie Tutt's drums setup on a session we knew drums were going to sound great. Ronnie's drums were always tuned and muffled perfectly to point you could put a mic anywhere and get a good sound.
Nailed every sound except Beatles. Close, but needs maybe a bit more Farichild (or, perhaps, a Real one) - in terms of both compression and Tone; snare's a little too thin, crisp (though on the record it's certainly bright) - could be due chiefly to WA-19's inexact replication of the D-19; also, cymbals not quite swooshy enough. *Also, Beatles used to high-pass Everything on the way in at the time of SF, which gave a clearer/brighter/more-midrangey sound. (Indeed, Geoff Emerick used to say that the key to a sound is the midrange.) In any event, the engineer here knows his stuff - gives very good descriptions of processes, the ideas behind them, and their effects.
Something not mentioned in this otherwise very informative video is a trick used by the late, great Hal Blaine which was a key component is his legendary, influential drum sound. He used calfskin heads - not plastic heads - on his bass drum. This is especially effective on drums with thin shells that have good low-end resonance, such as the Ludwigs from the early 60’s. I have a 1966 Ludwig Downbeat set, with calf heads on bass and toms, and when you have the right humidity on a given day, you can get the biggest beautiful bottom end sound from those drums. It’s a sound (and playing feel) that no plastic heads can achieve (I know, I’ve tried ‘em all). Hal’s use of calfskin was picked up on and emulated by Ringo (who also liked calf on his toms), and that’s a key part of what you’re hearing on Beatles records: the sound of the drums themselves, at the source. Ringo has talked about this in his interview in the book “The Big Beat,” written by Springsteen’s Max Weinberg. People nowadays are so obsessed with audio technology that they tend to overlook the fundamental importance of how the drumset itself sounds, how the drummer plays to create the sounds, and how the drums interact with the acoustics of the room they’re in… which actually take precedence over toys, tweaks, and digital voodoo.
You are so Right On. The sound of the Source which also includes the acoustics of the room - and of course the "Touch" of the Musician. There are many components involved to making great and lasting "Art".
Some in the industry and fellow musicians are chasing that classic sound. It eludes most. But even so, recording through the big NEVE at Electric Lady, in the right hands, puts levels of power, tone, and a feeling of sheer size onto the tape and through the monitors. I, too, began with calf heads, so I dig what you are saying.
that was amazing !! I looooooooooove the insider info on gear, settings and vogues etc ..fascinating !! I made statement recently that 'Sir G Martin is my new fav Beatle' , as I realise more each year, just how much he contributed to the magic we all experienced as kids ... Im so much better off having watched this vid ! thank you and I want more !!! your ears are the coolest thing Ive found on earth in a few years ! csn you also break down Getz and Gilberto album? Miles Davis Kind of Blue ? Marvin Gaye? maybe Simon & Garfunkel (how to capture their dazzling angel harmonies) oh + Eagles/Beegess .. ok Im off to see your other 70s vid where youre prob addressing these love you guys
Great job you guys. Lots of wonderfully enlightening information and sounds galore....some of my favorites....great choices. I help manage Glen Campbell's former home recording studio in Agoura Hills California.
This series is absolutely amazing... I legit wish I could have a digital download copy I could purchase and watch on my own (like the other Reverb doc on effects pedals).
Very nice! And gives me an idea for some stuff I'm working on. I am using drum machines, electronic drums, synths etc, but I have them all running through a large-ish PA system in my studio for live practice. When I run the sequences to record the tracks I'm going to throw up some room mics to capture some room sound to blend in! Like the chamber thing you mention on the Spector part! Never even thought to do this! When I record live drums I always make sure to have two room mics but I can do the same for the electronic drums!
I just listened to 40 minutes of recording techniques for drums. I’m a guitarist. This was so interesting to listen to, Reverb!
a guitarist listening to recording techniques for drums?! now I've heard everything
+1 Here too !
I mean, it's always good to know how to record everything if you want to make music, you can't just make music with a guitar, also drums are especially hard to record
I don't know, I play a couple of instruments and it's good to know about crossovers, how mics are used per instrument per style and goal of feel, along with frequency separations within different chambers.
I do home recording, but go to a pro in town when the song is finished, gigged, adjusted. 2 good pros in town.
I record all the practices, jams, and songs at home with 2 mics with the band using the idea of imagining my area as a 3D pool table, knowing sounds from a source will bounce off the hard walls and various soft reflectors and arrive louder and softer in different areas of the room. I typically group all the amps together and the Drums a small distance away.
This way I can even out the volume and sound every instrument a person in the band plays as they are all coming from the same amp area. Each member can adjust their volume in order to blend the volume of the sound against the others.
I then imagine how the sound from the combined amps will bounce off the walls as well as primary placement in relation to the primary sound source and play bumper pool with the sound waves hitting the walls of the chamber and place the mic there. I get direct and ambient with a good attack and good even room warmth.
I have a separate mic for the drums and kind of do the same with this per what is needed to gain the greatest attack and clarity while also gaining warmth and trailing tones from where the instrument mic is located. The drums are placed close to the amps. It's a 3D pool table and gives a good idea of what volumes each player should play at at a gig, as well as at the studio in order to maintain the timbre of the player's instrument to amp chain.
Then we play live in the studio after the engineer places his mic in order to maintain the feel of how we perform the song live, in order to maintain the groove of each player playing off of each other. The same dynamics of play as we have already established live so the recording doesn't feel dead or sterile.
The engineer then can mix the mics in his daw to match the live performance.
There's more life, more dynamics, in a recording of the band playing off of each other's cues, each other's expectations of the other members moves, more groove, more sync. No click track. We have good time but we get huge feels of expectation satisfaction as we communicate in real time with each other.
Everybody has their own methods, this is mine.
Bassist here, totally agree, very fascinating.
Drummer has impeccable time and swing. Any weaknesses in a drummer are glaring in simple parts like these. She is incredibly solid.
Yes she is an excellent drummer , but what is her name . Inexcusable error not introducing the two hosts 🤔
@@markbahouth2713 Jessica. It was said at the very beginning. (And Noom?)
You just fancy her.
I play a trumpet. I've played in an orchestra. The job of the drummer is to keep a steady beat. Ringo is primo at that job. A drummer that can't keep a solid beat needs a day job.
@@goldbug7127Yes. They might as well play piano. 😂
man, that be my baby sound is unbelievably good
The drmming and fills on Hey Joe added so much to the song
Oh yes! Within a few seconds of them playing the song here I realized I never ever played along with that record with headphones as I always would. Or in fact at any other time. I got my first drum kit in ‘71 at 17 and had tons of music to play with and learn. Here the song sounds so good and I instantly felt my loss of never having play it! Mitch Mitchell, in the mid sixties I loved Hendrix but I couldn’t comprehend at all what Mitch was doing.
This episode was great. Thank you so much. I would like to add one thing -
I was a studio owner at the time when things went from tape to digital and the biggest criticism of early digital was that it was "harsh". It wasn't that digital was harsh but that all the tools we had were designed to pound signal into tape. As pointed out with the Beatles, a drum track might have to survive getting bounced around 4 or more times and each time some of that top end was carved away. Consequently, you get excessively bright microphones and engineers adding 15db to 10k to compensate.
When we replicated those recording techniques with digital we were horrified by the sound. All of a sudden, our tools didn't work anymore but we didn't fully understand that and, instead, blamed digital for our problems.
It took some time to come full circle but our DAWS (like LUNA) now come with tape emulation. As a matter of fact, our DAWS now digitally act very much like that classic gear.
I still record to tape and it does make things easier, even in the modern day context. You set the faders on playback and you’re 95% done.
I've only had the fortune of recording to tape once (self-produced EP with an old band where we borrowed a buddy's Tascam 388 and tracked in our practice space), but I remember my drums sounded more "finished" in initial playback because of that tape compression. I don't recall if we boosted any of the highs while tracking, but we were very happy with the results -- especially considering the Tascam 388 was, in its time, a consumer-grade mixer and tape recorder (sounds great though).
I'm a little younger than you, so by the time I started recording, engineers had learned how to deal with digital recording without it being so shrill and bright. It makes perfect sense though that it took time for engineers to adjust. It's kind of funny that now that most of us record digitally and mix in the box, we're using tons of tape emulators, 1176/LA2A/Fairchild emulators, SSL/API/Neve preamp emulations and channel strips, etc. to get back to that analog sound. So many great, foundational records were recorded to tape through analog consoles and outboard gear that what we think a snare drum, or a bass guitar should sound like is heavily influenced by that era. I don't think it's a good or a bad thing -- just an interesting point of discussion.
I also never owned any early-generation digital recorders, so my experience with digital recording has mostly been -- what you put in is what you get out. When you factor in the cost of tape/maintenance, how tricky punch-ins and tape splices are, etc... and also that you can convincingly emulate most analog gear with plugins now anyway, my personal opinion is that digital recording is superior in most instances. That said, I hope people keep the analog mediums like tape, vinyl, film, etc. alive because those art forms have intrinsic value that goes beyond fidelity or ease of use.
Yes, I concur. When we moved from tape to digital I stopped using C414s. They were great to tape; never lived them on digital and stopped using them pretty much altogether.
Actually, in the early days of Digital it WAS harsh. The A to D convertors had to have very steep "Anti-Aliasing Filters" on them because the convertors were operating in the "20 to 20" human hearing range. The steep filters made things ridiculously harsh. Soon they realized that if they "Over Sampled" everything and made the Convertors work way up in the Stratosphere - like 300 KHz range or higher - they could make the Anti-Aliasing Filters work way up there and so any artifacts were lost to human hearing when they down converted the recorded signal back into Human Hearing range.
@@rafaelcarmany463 What you say is true but it didn't help that our microphones were no where near flat but had excessive sensitivity to high end. Unless your client had money to burn, 15ips was pretty standard and a SM57 with its 6db bump between 5-6k was perfect for putting a snare or guitar or vocal to tape but it certainly wasn't a flat response.
For anyone curious about the mics at the end on the beatles, in this video example those mics are WA-19s but in the video are named WA-14s. Both mics exist but are extremely different models and sounds. The WA19s are the ones they're using here.
I'm 72 years old and for me, the best sound that they ever got out of Ringo's drum set was on the first three albums: "Please Please Me"; "Meet The Beatles"; and "The Beatles Second Album" [Capitol-U.S.]; just huge-big vibe with lots of air and massive depth!
She has very good technique; lots of fingers/wrist, mininal arm movement! Good Posture, legs/knees, & arms/elbows at right angles. Drum rim slightly above thigh. Guessing didnt get much sound from tennis shoe stomps, hard soles more effective. & nice job borrowing Mitch's & Ringo's fills! Kudos!
I was going to say that because of Ringo's Ludwig drum set. I got for Christmas back in 1968 brand new Ludwig and being that same gray as Ringo's set. A complite set and this was in Finland and me being only 11 years young. Wow, I will never ever forget ok those drums but also my childhood I was blessed to have. Rest in peace my beautiful parents I miss you a lot everyday and I will go to the death having you in my memories for life. Amen 🙏✌❤
Fabulous video
michael…in that you’re replying to @tcb here I ask, what video?
Very cool except that Ringo's drums were black, not gray.
praise the lord for great parent's God bless. AMEN indeed!
@@Nakam459Why do Bible thumpers always have to give credit for everything to a non-existent entity?
Fabulous work on these mixes!
Wow. Having heard and learned about the Beatles so much, this video makes me want to listen to the record all over again with new ears. Thanks!
I’ve owned my own studio for over 44 years now. Been many of upgrades all along the way . The one thing I prided myself for in the early days was my drum sound . In those early years of recording a studio was measured by its drum sound. There are so many variables that go into the stew to get it right. Tuning of the drums is the first thing you must get right.
One of the many, many fascinating aspects about Strawberry Fields Forever is how the meter changes in the song are so natural sounding that people may not even notice them. It seems even you may have been fooled by one of those meter changes, at 28:53 when it goes to a G major chord over the lyric "hung about", you stay on that chord for 6 beats when it should be only 4.
Yeah. The Beatles were natural musical genius. Lennon especially just heard things the way he heard them, not in perfectly patterned groupings of 8s, just however long each thing feels good. Bars of odd time just where they should fall. Switching back and forth between 4/4 and other time signatures for different riffs. Natural genius.
See She Said She Said and Happiness is a Warm Gun for more
I mentioned you on the Recording Studio Rock Stars Podcast last week. You're the closest to cracking the code on these old recordings. I'm about as burned out and jaded as you get working in Nashville for 30 years, but the two of you are making videos that are full of information and good tones. Stellar work!
They keep it fresh! I'm right down I40E from you.
I love this kind of information on how recording has evolved over the years. I remember a documentary on Motown where they said the "Snakepit", as they called the recording room, actually had a dirt floor in the early days. By the time Baby Love was recorded, they put plywood over the dirt and the stomping heard on the recording is on this plywood. It sounds amazing!
Ringo's drum sound, to me, is the best drum sound ever! Listen to his cymbals, his drum! WARM!!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!!
The snare sound on In My Life is an obsession of mine. That CRACK! And he's not hitting hard. How?
And he just disappears into any song. Perfect.
Purdy or another session drummer, certainly not a cub band drummer
@@roybeckerman9253 aw, best tune(s) as well - Please Please Me and Prudence - don't ask me to choose one please please !
@@flugplatz21 how? good technique. no need to hit hard to get a big sound
@@daniellencooper7922 no no - just need a big microphone placed just right! P =]
This is it!! 🎶🐈⬛ The 60's, a turbulent and unbelievable creative time period...where music was important and one fantastic recording follows another. When I was a kid, this was instantly "my music". Other decades has it's highlights as well but it never touches my soul as that era. Thank you very much for this video👍🏻😎 this makes my day! Nifty greetings from Germany 🎸Peace & Love
Yep the 60's were the time to be into rock, nothing like it since,especially now all garbage out there.
You guys always knock it out of the park, but this was truly exceptional. Thank you for the great information and wonderful sounds.
This was pure magic! Thank you!
Really well made! To cover the main aspects of the equipment and techniques used without becoming too technical and nerdy is a commendable feat.
thank you so so much for all these vids reverb also huge thanks to this team for always absolutely killing the playing and engineering
I love the detail put into this video. Not only are the sounds recreated wonderfully, but the details for all us nerds are carefully laid out. Thank you!!!
What a treat! As a player of vintage drums and hardware, it’s great to see a super deep dive on how those recordings were created and how awesome old gear sounded back then. Current recording studios and engineers cringe at this traditional style of recording, which is why I cringe when I have to fight them on vintage drums should really sound. Great job!
This is so cool. Thanks to all of you who put it together!
The dynamics on the rolls in hey joe are lovely.
This was absolutely awesome! Thank you so much for putting this together for us
I love this series, please comtinue making them! thank you!
What a fabulous practice tool this video is. I could spend the next six months just trying to get my playing on these parts as locked down as this chick and not even come close. She's a great drummer.
I hand no idea I was getting into such a detailed and technical discussion. But as guy with a lot of records, and some effort invested into building a nice playback.for them, it is nice to know what I am listening to.
This is incredibly well done. Loved it. Noam is a very smart dude, thanks so much for this!
I believe Ringo used his '64 Ludwig Super Classic set on Pepper and NOT his older Downbeat set which he used on early Beatles recordings. The Downbeat set has the 20,12,14 configuration vs. the Super Classic 22,14,16 configuration. Of course Ringo ALWAYS used his '63 5.5" Jazz Fest on all Beatles recordings.
Great video on mic and mic placement to get those classic sounds!
Their enthusiasm is contagious!
I for many years assumed that they recorded Ringo at half or 3/4 time to tighten up the timing, and as a result make the high frequencies more pronounced and give the snare that distinctive snappy short decay. Turns out it was tea towels, 10k boost boxes, and some impeccable timing!
Hey Joe reminded me of the Summer of 1967. I spent every day learning Mitch Mitchell's 5/4 Manic Depression groove, and then Clyde Stubblefield's funky Cold Sweat. Those tunes gave me the confidence to take my drums to a new level. 1967 was a great music year. Sorry you missed it as you would have enjoyed it, as I always love people who hear music. Good, tight sound you're getting there.
Loved it!
Still in the decade, maybe a nod to 60's jazz, the Blue Note sound and Tony Williams' drums with Miles on Columbia.
Ringo did use a Super Classic on SFF. He only used the Downbeat from '63 to mid-'64. He switched to larger sizes from late '64 onward. He owned 4 Oyster Black Pearl sets: 2 Downbeats and 2 Super Classics.
came here to say this, thanks. good to see someone else has read Babiuk.
Correct, the one he used to record Strawberry Fiels is likely the 4th kit which he used in their 1966 World Tour and US Tour.
How good is this. This piece of pioneering recording is fascinating
I remember in the 1960’s, our family got a Magnavox stereo (!!!) record player for Christmas.
I'm loving this series! Great explanation of the evolving use of compressors.
Ginger Baker's drums on I'm So Glad from Fresh Cream. His fills down the toms were so musical.
Loved every second of this
Amazing listening to this. The first three songs' drum rhythms were quite complex which gives the song its sound and the Beatles also had a number of canonical drum parts (e.g.ticket to ride) but I was glad you chose Strawberry Fields because it is such a great example of how they used each drum as an instrument, not just as a component of a kit. Their choice to mic each one shows that. Also in heard Ringo would sometimes play just the drum parts on the rhythm mix and then dub the cymbals separately so their energy wouldn't bleed into the drum mics.
Yes - and a few tracks where he had to overdub the snare again because it got buried under all the overdubs.
Cant wait for the 70s and 80s !!!! Awesome stuff!!!
Great video! Nothing sounds better than a pitched up 60's 3ply ludwig!
Wow, and double wow. I never comment on videos. But I gotta say, this was profoundly well done and incredibly helpful. Thank you for putting this together.
In your ‘70’s DTTD’s don’t forget the Glyn Johns technique. This was great, thanks!
The second I heard that snare crack I knew it was BE MY BABY! Ronettes Forever ❤️🔥
According to my friend and Bass Player extraordinaire, Tony Newton, there were 2 Bass players on the song Baby Love. Tony Newton was one of those Bass players who, at age 18, played the electric Bass...probably a Fender P Bass or Jazz Bass. The other was an upright Bass. True story as heard directly from the horses mouth...Tony Newton. Tony was also the Bass player years later in 1973/74 with the Tony Williams Lifetime Band and composed the great song called Red Alert and a few others on that great album with Alan Pasqua on Keyboards and Alan Holdsworth on Electric Guitar.
Great video. I came up recording to tape. From 4-track cassette to 24-track 2 inch. A magical format indeed. Looking forward to the next one.
This takes me back to my days in music production college - We had all the modern tech to use but our teachers made us do it the old school way, so we didn't just learn to press buttons to create effects. Lots of speakers in other rooms, or in metal buckets. Lots of random mics in strange places and definitely lots of gaffer tape to make it all possible. Good times!
This is really great! And what College did you attend to learn these "Old School Techniques"?
@rafaelcarmany463 it was a music college in Brighton, England. One of my tutors was obsessed with Paul McCartney, so we had to learn how the Beatles worked in the studio. I loved it but a lot of my fellow students just wanted to use computer plugins 😅
Fantastic video! Great technical content and great sounds. I enjoyed every minute.
This is one of my dream channels! Thank you guys! You absolutely rock!
Good stuff. Love the attention to detail. Thanks, guys!
Be My Baby By The Ronettes was a good starting point. With the Motown sound you definitely should have picked the Stevie Wonder song uptight because the drums were out front and really showcased that great sound. Mitch Mitchell's drums for great midpoint but I would have chosen Ginger Baker and cream because his drums again are out front and in your face more, but THE drum sound that changed everything was the 1968 recording of Led Zeppelin 1 that was the beginning of the new sound of rock drums. Nevertheless a really great sampling and you guys gave a great insight regarding the equipment and room Dynamics. Great post!
Quite informative! The sonic changes throughout the decade are interesting on the bands and studios you picked. Even though The Beatles are the reason I wanted to become a musician since the age of 7 or 8, I never looked up or came across how they got such great advanced drum sounds although it was common knowledge they were pushing the envelope with experimenting with sounds. Really liked the Jimi Hendrix Experience drums sounds too all examples sounded good. I'm a guitarist and on a recent record I produced in a studio where the owner used protools, we added drum samples to the drum tracks on some songs. I couldn't understand why the DW drum kit we recorded with couldn't get great sounds on it's own but I can't complain about the final mixes. Didn't alway dig the kick drum sound but it was usually a balancing act of sorts. After watching this video, I think you really have to be a master sound technicians and know the history how the drums, mics, and compressors not to mention it was going to tape were used to get the specific drum sounds. Thank you!
This! Is! So! Useful! And informative! Thank you!
This is a very interesting, and well thought-out, and well played video ! I would add that the true "secret weapons" in these wonderfull sounding vintage recordings were the drummers themselves. You can use any mic you want, but in the end, it is Mitch`s playing on Hey Joe that makes the magic.
Thanks for posting this.
So good! Thanks again for these videos they are brilliant
Always loved that EMI Studio (Abbey Road) had bought super high end gear like the RS124 comp, but before it could be okayed for use in the studio, EMI’s very serious German engineers had to inspect it. They took it apart and said, ‘no no this is all wrong’ and modded it. 😂 So, much of the vintage gear inside Abbey Road is unique, even though they own some gear that many other studios had. Not to mention the custom desks built by those same engineers.
Yes you are correct that EMI did in fact test the Altec 436B's they purchased back in the late 50's and were found to be inadequate and were heavily modified over the years so much so in the end they became the EMI RS124 Compressor and its fair to say it became nothing like the Altec's that came through the door of Abbey Road in 1959.
Not sure any German engineers were involved, the original EMI engineers were Len Page,Bill Levey, and Mike Bachelor.
whoa!
well done, guys
Greetings from Chile
This was an incredibily interesting and informative watch. Please keep making videos like this.
Cool that you did this! Great drumming, young lady!
In a conversation heard in “The Wrecking Crew” film, Gold Star recording studio wasn’t just torn down - IT BURNED DOWN!
So interesting. It's amazing the amount of time and effort that goes into recording. The results speak for themselves...✌️
I never realized there was a tom overdub on Strawberry Fields Forever. I gotta re-listen now.
Nicely done...👍
I recorded at Gold Star Studio in 1981 using the recording techniques & process that Phil Spector used. The tracks sounded terrific and full with a double tracked rhythm section. The songs ended up on a compilation album produced by Harvey Kubernick & featuring numerous artists in Los Angeles during that time.
Double tracked rhythm section? Was that overdubbed or played live with 2 drummers and 2 bass players?
The rhythm section played their parts over the 1st tracks but played used different chord voices , drum rhythms etc.
Great episode! Reminds me of my favorite Reverb video on recreating two famous Motown songs! Well done, do more of these cool 60’s episodes.
Fantastic job on both sides 👍 Love those Mitch Mitchell fills...
I have nothing to do with music, behalf listening, but i am an electronics guy, and i found this very impressioning, how studio technics changed in the last 65years !!!😊
Ringo's genius, plus tea towels resulted in the best drums sounds I have ever heard.
Ringo was trying to "deaden" the sound of his drums by covering them with tea towels, etc.... it's possible he was trying to emulate The Band's Levon Helm's drum sound (circa 1968/69) because he loved that sound and was amazed to discover that the reason Levon's drum sound was so cool was because he used a wood rimmed drum kit-- particularly for The Band's 1969 album, "The Band".
@@WordslingingStephen so in 66 Ringo was trying to emulate the sound from 68-69 ?...
@@WordslingingStephen Thanks, but I was aware of all that. And surprised you did not mention his use of tea towels at all - hence me mentioning it.
Ringo is far from being a genius...like you.
ruclips.net/video/i6BYyH7Uwl0/видео.html
This was awesome!!! Very Informative!!! The Motown Studio was probably the first "home" studio fore shadowing home recording studios of today. Only with equipment available in the day. Funny to see how it is in a residential neighbourhood and seeing the regular house beside it. Musicians today are doing the same thing only with Pro Tools or Garage Band!!!! Also you briefly mentioned a part of the sound was the control of the drummer. I think that was a huge part. All these drummers I am sure once familiar with how they were being recorded adjusted their playing to get the best sound possible. Robert Plant said that of John Bonham. He was mixing himself on the fly just like a recording engineer would do using dynamics on how hard or soft he would play on each piece of the drum kit. I got to see Ringo Starr this year and he is the real deal playing with his All Star band. Maybe not the most technical drummer but a very good feel drummer. You could hear and feel that seeing him live. Ultimately feel and inspiration is what makes music appealing in my opinion. Even electronic music has some elements of feel in it. Thanks for posting. This is real history of recording!!!
When drums sounded like drums. Amazing that you managed to recreate these sounds. The drums are what kills most modern records for me. Among other things. Really wish people would go back to the old ways of recording them.
I think it's because, in many cases these days, it's _not drums_. It's either just a machine, or a pad that is played like drums but sounds the same as the machine.
really fascinating... opened up my ears!
Smashing job!
Very nice and detailed explanations. My favorite recorded drum sounds of the 1960s were from John Glyn's recordings of Keith Moon (The Who), and John Bonham (Led Zeppelin).
I adore replicating/creating hybrid Slingerland x Ludwig kits in a top notch D.A.W. My thoery goes: Snare: lets try 3 snare sounds adjusting each until I get what I want.
This video is absolute heaven for me because what I seek is a truth, a holy grail of percussion to accompany my Ric bass and other specific guitars/instruments.
I couldn't care less if anyone else ever hears what I do lol.
Thank you for posting this dream video.
I so wish that I had her job! This Reverb series is great, please keep them coming.
This series is awesome, I hope you plan on future videos discussing the evolution of recording other instruments as well
Really enjoyed the transition to Hendrix and the Beatles.
Fascinating details! ❤ thank you...
Excellent drumming and tuning.
Great stuff Thank you. A video on the British drum sound such as King Crimson would be appreciated.
RUclips coming of age, here. Nice work. Compulsively watchable and beautifully made.
Love these! Endlessly interesting
Stomp overdubs on the Motown track and they are wearing sneakers. LOL There was the RIAA curve that was supposed to be used for mastering vinyl and in stereos gear for playing vinyl. Supposedly Motown didn't use the RIAA curve in vinyl mastering so they could increase the bass sound on their records. I think a big part of the Beatles sound was having to deal with generation loss from bouncing down tracks to make room for more overdubs. All that was melting the layers of sound together. I remember Paul would tick the others off by insisting he re-record his part last so it would have generation loss.
I think what would be interesting is videos on engineers known for getting great drum sounds, and another on drummer know for getting great drum sounds in the studio. Back in the 70's I worked in a studio and when we looked out and saw Ronnie Tutt's drums setup on a session we knew drums were going to sound great. Ronnie's drums were always tuned and muffled perfectly to point you could put a mic anywhere and get a good sound.
One of the best episodes yet. Glad they extended the running time on this one.
Nailed every sound except Beatles. Close, but needs maybe a bit more Farichild (or, perhaps, a Real one) - in terms of both compression and Tone; snare's a little too thin, crisp (though on the record it's certainly bright) - could be due chiefly to WA-19's inexact replication of the D-19; also, cymbals not quite swooshy enough.
*Also, Beatles used to high-pass Everything on the way in at the time of SF, which gave a clearer/brighter/more-midrangey sound. (Indeed, Geoff Emerick used to say that the key to a sound is the midrange.)
In any event, the engineer here knows his stuff - gives very good descriptions of processes, the ideas behind them, and their effects.
Great presentation! Thank you!
Great job! That "baby Love" groove is tough. Great job!
Just great! Thank you!
This is fascinating and so interesting. Excellent presentation and skills. Loved this and I’m a guitarist
You guys are the best. Next level video in this series.
Something not mentioned in this otherwise very informative video is a trick used by the late, great Hal Blaine which was a key component is his legendary, influential drum sound. He used calfskin heads - not plastic heads - on his bass drum. This is especially effective on drums with thin shells that have good low-end resonance, such as the Ludwigs from the early 60’s. I have a 1966 Ludwig Downbeat set, with calf heads on bass and toms, and when you have the right humidity on a given day, you can get the biggest beautiful bottom end sound from those drums. It’s a sound (and playing feel) that no plastic heads can achieve (I know, I’ve tried ‘em all). Hal’s use of calfskin was picked up on and emulated by Ringo (who also liked calf on his toms), and that’s a key part of what you’re hearing on Beatles records: the sound of the drums themselves, at the source. Ringo has talked about this in his interview in the book “The Big Beat,” written by Springsteen’s Max Weinberg. People nowadays are so obsessed with audio technology that they tend to overlook the fundamental importance of how the drumset itself sounds, how the drummer plays to create the sounds, and how the drums interact with the acoustics of the room they’re in… which actually take precedence over toys, tweaks, and digital voodoo.
You are so Right On. The sound of the Source which also includes the acoustics of the room - and of course the "Touch" of the Musician. There are many components involved to making great and lasting "Art".
Some in the industry and fellow musicians are chasing that classic sound. It eludes most. But even so, recording through the big NEVE at Electric Lady, in the right hands, puts levels of power, tone, and a feeling of sheer size onto the tape and through the monitors. I, too, began with calf heads, so I dig what you are saying.
Ringo will sound like Ringo on any kit in any studio with any mics.
that was amazing !! I looooooooooove the insider info on gear, settings and vogues etc ..fascinating !! I made statement recently that 'Sir G Martin is my new fav Beatle' , as I realise more each year, just how much he contributed to the magic we all experienced as kids ... Im so much better off having watched this vid ! thank you and I want more !!! your ears are the coolest thing Ive found on earth in a few years ! csn you also break down Getz and Gilberto album? Miles Davis Kind of Blue ? Marvin Gaye? maybe Simon & Garfunkel (how to capture their dazzling angel harmonies) oh + Eagles/Beegess .. ok Im off to see your other 70s vid where youre prob addressing these
love you guys
Excellent content. Thank you.
Great job you guys. Lots of wonderfully enlightening information and sounds galore....some of my favorites....great choices. I help manage Glen Campbell's former home recording studio in Agoura Hills California.
I have that exact kit up to the Acrolite snare. 1968 13, 16, 22, and the 14 snare.
This series is absolutely amazing... I legit wish I could have a digital download copy I could purchase and watch on my own (like the other Reverb doc on effects pedals).
Super cool! Thank you.
Very nice! And gives me an idea for some stuff I'm working on. I am using drum machines, electronic drums, synths etc, but I have them all running through a large-ish PA system in my studio for live practice. When I run the sequences to record the tracks I'm going to throw up some room mics to capture some room sound to blend in! Like the chamber thing you mention on the Spector part! Never even thought to do this! When I record live drums I always make sure to have two room mics but I can do the same for the electronic drums!
Absolutely great! So much good information here. Thank you.