Beatles Tambourine questions

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60sRockManiac

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Hi all,

I record a lot of home Multitrack stuff, and I'm working on a few different Beatles covers at the moment. I'm desperately after that insane tambourine sound that they were getting consistently from 1964 - 1968. The very distinctive, almost maraca-like sound. It's extremely clanky and metallic, with a ringing high-end, and very clean midrange.

For a good example, check this video of the track isolated out of "Taxman": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uImL4LELfvs

I just got a fairly good tambourine to try and work on this sound. It's a $20 deal with a single row of 8 jingle sets, made by Meinl. The mic I've been using is an SM57. The closest I got was by turning my back to the microphone and recording through me, but it still wasn't "right". My other main option for mic is an SM58, though if I really need to I can borrow one of my father's condensers.

My real question is, are there any experts here who know how the Beatles got the sound they did? What should I do to my tambourine to get that sound out of it (taping up jingles, removing jingles, altering the jingles so they "clank" more)? And what microphones and approximate mic placement should I be using?
 
Don't put the mic's too close for a start, if you're recording 'through' yourself then perhaps it's just an issue with being too close to the mic. Experiment with condensors or ribbon mics (understandably you might not have access to ribbons) rather than an SM57 as they are probably closer to what was used at the time.

Don't try and overprocess it, I doubt they would have dedicated a compressor etc on the tambourine track (just my opinion though).
 
go to abbey road, you need that room to get the sound, an EMI Redd desk and a top spec tape machine
 
Last edited:
Btyre2013 said:
go to abbey road, you need that room to get the sound, an EMI Redd desk and a top spec tape machine
Click to expand...

Semi-joking or not, that's actually a big part of it.^^^^

Also, without putting a Beatles tune on right now, if I try to hear something like "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" in my head, I'm pretty sure it's one of those tambourines with a skin on it.
 
RAMI said:
Also, without putting a Beatles tune on right now, if I try to hear something like "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" in my head, I'm pretty sure it's one of those tambourines with a skin on it.
Click to expand...

That one is not really the sound I'm thinking of, but yes, Ringo uses a large tambourine with a skin on that song. That has a more conventional tambourine sound though, I'm really looking for what you hear in the youtube link from my original post. It sounds like all the jingles that are left have gone very dull and just sort of clank together.
 
Tambo is surprisingly difficult to get recorded properly. Record level should be very low -20, or more. Peaks can be over 15dB higher than what the meter is reading.

Try using an MD421 or ribbon if available, something with hi-end roll off. Keep the mic at head level 6-8' away.
 
60sRockManiac said:
Hi all,

I record a lot of home Multitrack stuff, and I'm working on a few different Beatles covers at the moment. I'm desperately after that insane tambourine sound that they were getting consistently from 1964 - 1968. The very distinctive, almost maraca-like sound. It's extremely clanky and metallic, with a ringing high-end, and very clean midrange.

For a good example, check this video of the track isolated out of "Taxman": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uImL4LELfvs

I just got a fairly good tambourine to try and work on this sound. It's a $20 deal with a single row of 8 jingle sets, made by Meinl. The mic I've been using is an SM57. The closest I got was by turning my back to the microphone and recording through me, but it still wasn't "right". My other main option for mic is an SM58, though if I really need to I can borrow one of my father's condensers.

My real question is, are there any experts here who know how the Beatles got the sound they did? What should I do to my tambourine to get that sound out of it (taping up jingles, removing jingles, altering the jingles so they "clank" more)? And what microphones and approximate mic placement should I be using?
Click to expand...


Really, the best you can do is just try to play it in the same style. Get a good sounding tambourine and play it a few feet from the mic. A condenser might help get a bright sound. To do more would be a waste of time and effort.
 
Try recording ambient in a large foyer or bathroom that isn't too reflective.
 
I second much of the advice given as for mics and room.
Do you record on tape or on DAW? Untill The White Album they used two four-track machines which meant lots of analogue generations which had coloured the sound. If you're recording on tape try copying the tambourine a couple of times. If you're on a DAW try sending the tambourine to tape (ideally at 15 ips) and back again. Remember to resync it properly. If that's not an option try a tape simulater - on all tracks. If the tape sim has an option that simulates multiple generations use that. I can't help as for which plugs as I only record to tape for any serious project.
 
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