How To Get "Mariachi Static On My Radio" Sound?

[stevieb]

A much simpler question than my other one...

My semi-casual group does mostly covers (something I'd like to change, but don't get me started...) and one that I front is Warren Zevon's "Carmalita." The first line in the song is "I hear Mariachi static on my radio, and the tubes, they glow in the dark..." I thought it would be fun to get a lo-fi quality on the lead vocals and tried an old Audio-Technica AP201 that has suffered some sort of damage, which results in it having a thin, tinny sound. I guess I had in mind a crackly sort of sound that would call to mind the sound a cheap 50's table radio, pulling in a distant AM radio station, would make. Didn't happen. Instead of "Mariachi static," I got "Winchester Cathedral."

Just read the responses to the "mic'ing my cat" thread, and thought, hey, maybe a 2" speaker made into a mic would work. Would it? Or is there something else? This would be for live performance, not recording (got the rights for performance, but not recording.)

And speaking of that A-T AP201- I am no tech, but I imagine the cartridge on it is hurting? Worth it to have it repaired?

[Armistice]

I have no idea unfortunately but I remember owning a copy of a Linda Rhonstadt album on which she covered Carmelita... memories!

I own an Elvis Costello DVD where he's bought some cheap Italian electric guitar which sounds like absolute crap as a guitar, but he sings into the pickups and it produced an interesting lo-fi sound...

Pretty sure I've seen Tom Waits sing into a megaphone (obviously on low volume) into a microphone as well to get an interesting lo-fi sound..

Good luck...

[thebwack]

one way is to get an fm transmitter (like the ones for playing your ipod in the car (20$ at best buy)) and use it in your recording chain. either mic your car stereo or better yet find an old beat up table radio that is FM and get it just out of tune with the transmitter, and maybe mic it from far away to get the room sound. the great part is actually being able to dial in the amount of noise with the tuner.

you can't fake FM radio's much easier in my mind. we did this on a record previously for an intro.