ladies and gentlemen, the beatles

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grn

grn

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does anyone know what kind of mic's/setup the beatles used on their first album "please please me"? I know it was only a 4 track recorder... analog of course. I heard before they only used one mic to mic drums... anyone know the arrangement/setup of it all and what types of mics?
 
grn said:
does anyone know what kind of mic's/setup the beatles used on their first album "please please me"? I know it was only a 4 track recorder... analog of course. I heard before they only used one mic to mic drums... anyone know the arrangement/setup of it all and what types of mics?
Click to expand...


Correction, it was a 2 track recorder (two of them) and they used Telefunken U47s
 
grn said:
does anyone know what kind of mic's/setup the beatles used on their first album "please please me"? I know it was only a 4 track recorder... analog of course. I heard before they only used one mic to mic drums... anyone know the arrangement/setup of it all and what types of mics?
Click to expand...

I don't actually know if it was a four track recorder... The tracks sheets seem to show "twin-track" and mono mixes. Some songs, like "Please Please Me" used a taped overdub, because John couldn't sing and play harmonica at the same time.

The mic to record drums was suspended about 4 feet above and a bit in front of the kit. The vocal mics look a tad Neumannesque.
 
Read "All You Need Is Ears" George Martin wrote in back in 94' Good book on the producers end of his early work to the Beatles and beyond. It's a quick read.
 
Re: Re: ladies and gentlemen, the beatles

billisa said:
I don't actually know if it was a four track recorder... The tracks sheets seem to show "twin-track" and mono mixes. Some songs, like "Please Please Me" used a taped overdub, because John couldn't sing and play harmonica at the same time.

The mic to record drums was suspended about 4 feet above and a bit in front of the kit. The vocal mics look a tad Neumannesque.
Click to expand...

They used to record the band on two-track. Then, add additional tracks by playing the two-track recording and the harmonica at the same time and recording the result on another two-track. Hence the original procedure was known as "bouncing down".
 
Yes, pretty cool. Just came across an interview with Geoff Emerick, the Beatles engineer...

Here's an excerpt:

What other mics do you recall using on drums?

There were D19s, which were AKGs, I think—just a cheap talkback mic. AKG always said they were the “throwout” capsules for D20s. Then they came out with the D19C, which had a little vent in the back to help the bass end, or something, which never sounded the same, of course. Like Neumanns—the way they progressed up the chain from the 47s and 48s to the 67, which never sounded as good as the 47, and the 87, which didn’t sound as good as the 67. They were always trying to prove to you that it did, but it didn’t.

Overall, your favorite microphone for vocals was a 47.

Yes, and also for guitars.
 
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