Kansas "Carry On My Wayward Son" Isolated Guitar Tracks

"Carry On My Wayward Son" by Kansas has been burned into our minds thanks to 40 years of constant airplay, so it's fun to listen inside the song to what's really going on. Here's its isolated guitar tracks, and you'll be surprised with at least some of them.

As with just about any hit, there's a lot more that's going on than you ever thought. Here are some things to listen for (it starts at 0:17).

1. The main intro  as well as the bridge lead line is closely doubled with an extra guitar playing accents an octave higher.

2. An acoustic guitar enters on the second half of the first verse at 1:26 playing a very nice counterpoint melody. This comes back in for the entire second verse as well. You usually don't here this clearly on the final mix.

3. There's a clean (sounds like it's direct) arpeggiated electric guitar with a nice room sound that enters during the chorus. Again, it's not something that you hear well on the final mix.

4. The lead guitar harmonies at the end of the intro and the end of the song are very cool.

It's interesting to hear how well all the parts were executed in the song, which was not exactly standard production technique for 1975 when the song was recorded. You can tell that the band was well-rehearsed and played well together thanks to the hundreds of gigs they played together beforehand.

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Stevie Wonder "Superstition" Isolated Clavinets

How many times have you heard a cover band play Stevie Wonder's seminal "Superstition" and think, "That doesn't sound like the record."

One of the reasons why is because there's more than one clavinet on the track, a fact that's usually overlooked by the band. In fact, according to Bob Margouleff (who recorded and co-produced the song - hear him talk about working with Stevie on my Inner Circle Podcast episode #78) there are actually 4 clavs on the track, and in today's video you can hear them clearly.

1. The clav track on the left during the verse is the signature line that everyone knows.

2. The clav track on the right plays counterpoint to the signature track, and is actually key to the sound of the record (and the part that no one ever plays).

3. During the B-section there are two new clav sounds that replace the verse clavs, one on each side, that are much softer sounding.

4. Listen for the amplifier noise (no directs used here) on the intro of the track, and Stevie singing in the background during the breaks.

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Glyn Johns On Recording Who's Next

I've always been a huge Who fan and just as big a fan of producer Glyn Johns work. This video is from an interview at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, November 19, 2012, and focuses on the recording of the seminal Who's Next.

What's especially interesting is how many of the main parts in several songs were actually lifted from Pete Townshend's demos, and the band played to the parts when tracking. Also, some interesting tidbits about Keith Moon's drum tuning.

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The Abbey Road ADT Story

The Beatles, and John Lennon in particular, loved to double track vocals but hated the act of doing it. Not only that, back in the 4 and 8 track days, the doubled vocal would take up a track that could have been used for another element of the production.

That's why Abbey Road chief engineer, technical director, and later studio manager Ken Townsend came up with an ingenious way of simulating a double by using a couple of tape machines that's still tough to duplicate even today (although Waves now has a nice simulation). He called the effect ADT or Artificial Double Tracking.

Here's Ken describing how the effect worked.

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The Who "Baba O'Riley" Isolated Tracks

The Who's "Baba O'Riley" is one of the most played tracks in the entire band's catalog, to the point were just about every fan (and non-fan's alike) know each note and part by heart.

That's why today's isolated track is so cool. It strips away the arpeggiated synthesizer and, in some parts, the piano, to give you a clear listen as to what's going on deep inside the mix. Here are some things to listen for:

1. The reverb on the vocal is pretty short, unlike many Who mixes. It's also delayed so the vocal stands out a bit more.

2. The drums are in stereo, but have an unusual balance, with the snare and most of the kit leaning right and the ride and a crash leaning left. On the tom fill at 1:33 you can hear the rack tom on the left as well. Keith Moon also rarely plays the hat during the song, instead bashing the cymbals throughout, something that a producer would no doubt change today.

3. The big guitar power chords in the verse (0:51) are doubled and maybe even tripled, which you don't notice in the full mix.

4. The outro starting at 3:11 sounds much different without the violin.  You definitely get to appreciate Moon's prowess with his dynamics and machine gun snare roll.

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Pressing A Vinyl Record In 60 Seconds

Vinyl is all the rage again, but most people don't understand just how chemical and mechanical the process really is. In this very quick video, you'll see the electroplating process that goes into making the various stages of master, mother and stampers. That's the messy part of the business, and the one that everyone hopes will die soon thanks to the new laser master process that's in development.

From there you see the record being pressed and packaged, all pretty much the way it was done way back in the 50s. The video was done at the Vinyl Factory in the UK and compresses the entire manufacturing process into just 60 seconds.

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New Music Gear Monday: Eventide Tverb Room Reverb Plugin

We all love great room sounds and one of the most famous rooms ever recorded was on David Bowie's "Heroes" by Tony Visconti. Visconti set up three microphones in the hall of Berlin’s Hansa Studios; the first for Bowie to sing directly into, a second positioned about 15 feet away and the third further back in the hall. Visconti placed gates on the second and third microphones set to open as Bowie sang louder and louder.

This same sound can now be duplicated with the new Eventide Tverb, which consists of three completely independent reverbs with compression, selectable polar patterns on microphone 1 and adjustable gates on microphones 2 and 3.

What's more, the original effect was mono due to track limitations, but Tverb provides it in true stereo. The use of stereo microphones enhances the effect and DAW automation can be used to program the microphones to wander around the hall as the track plays.

Tverb consists of a variety of parameters, like 2 moveable microphones to adjust reverb size and tone, a custom Eventide reverb algorithm with EQ, diffusion, and decay control, 2 linkable post-reverb gate modules with control of when the gates close, the speed at which they close and the length of time they are forced to stay open. Signal inversion buttons are also available to remove (or create) phase cancellation, and a Mix Lock allows for scrolling through presets or settings while keeping the wet/dry mix constant.

The user interface is based on a "console" that was inspired by the one used in the session and is complete with Visconti’s "grease pencil" labelling, and provides post-reverb channel processing for each individual mic and the master. The room mixer module alters the sound of the room itself with control over decay, diffusion and frequency attenuation.

The Eventide Tverb is normally priced at $249 but currently has an introductory price of $149. A fully functioning 30 day demo version is also available. The plugin is available in AAX, VST and AU versions that work on most DAWs.

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Toto "Rosanna" Isolated Drums, Keys And Horns

The band Toto has some of the most acclaimed studio musicians as members, which is why it's always a pleasure to listen inside one of their songs. Today we'll take a listen to the isolated drums, keyboards and horns from the Grammy-winning song "Rosanna." This one's a real treat! Here's what to listen for:

1. The late great Jeff Porcaro is on drums playing a version of the half-time "Purdie shuffle" feel. You can hear why he was one of the most in-demand session drummers ever, with rock solid time and a feel that pushes the track along perfectly. His drums sound great, with just a touch of reverb for ambience.

2. The arrangement is based around David Paich's (another great session player) piano, which starts in a middle register and moves up an octave for the B section of the song, then back down for the C section and chorus. It also has a nice stereo spread with the left hand panned to about 9 o'clock and the right at around 1:30.

3. Listen to the way Steve Porcaro's synthesizer strategically weaves in and out of the song. It's mostly on an organ patch, but you can hear the patch morph into a string patch at the end of the chorus.

4. In the solo section around 3:20, percussion is added that gives that section some movement.

5. Check out the horn section on the turnaround to each chorus and playing a fill line in the chorus. It's a section of 2 saxes, 2 trumpets and a trombone that are doubled and panned in stereo.

6. The outro jam is a real treat.

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The Beatles "Drive My Car" Isolated Bass

Paul McCartney is one of the most influential bass players ever, and it's always very cool to be able to listen to his isolated bass tracks. Today we'll take a listen to The Beatles "Drive My Car" from the Rubber Soul album. Here's what to listen for.

1. Listen to the pickup notes at the end of the bass phrase during the verse. He doesn't play it all the time, but it makes for a very funky bass line when he does.

2. Paul plays the bass line of the chorus differently, sometimes even within the same chorus. Sometimes each note is held out, and other times it's very staccato.

3. The bass track is far from perfect, with a major clam at 1:57 and some minor ones along the way. That said, it took another 10 years or so until production techniques really focused on each individual part and how it interacted with the other elements of the song, as well as how consistently each part was played.

In other words, it's a great track for its time, but would have been fixed or replayed in today's production environment.

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Kevin Killen On Mixing With Limited Processing

Kevin Killen is a great engineer with a host of big time credits (U2, Elvis Costello and Peter Gabriel, for instance) and he's been much in demand as a mixer for a long time. When I wrote the first edition of The Mixing Engineer's Handbook, Kevin was one of the mixers I most wanted to interview, and that interview is one of the best in the book.

Here's a great video where Kevin explains how he mixes in the box, and how he applies his processing mostly to subgroups rather individual tracks, as well as the way he adds effects.

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New Music Gear Monday: Audio Technica ATM230 Tom Microphone

It doesn't matter what microphone you like to use on toms, because chances are that it's going to pick up a lot of the cymbals as well. This is pretty typical because most of the mics that end up on toms have a cardioid pattern. The problem is that there aren't too many true hypercardioid mics available to limit that cymbal bleed, especially in a package that fits conveniently out of the way of both drummer and cymbals. That was before the recent introduction of the Audio Technica's ATM230 purpose-built tom mic though.

The new ATM230 is that elusive hypercardioid mic built into a small package, with a response that's tailored to capture both the stick sound and body of all rack and floor toms. What's even better is the fact that it comes with an integral isolated tom mount, so you don't need an expensive 3rd party mount or mic stand.

It's a dynamic mic so it's inherently rugged, and is made of metal so it can stand up to stick hits (I hate it when my expensive condenser mics take a hit), and it's reasonably priced to boot.

The Audio Technica ATM230 has a street price of $139 and also comes in a three pack for $349.

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Recording A Band With Just One Stereo Mic

Usually I post an isolated track on Friday, but this is something that's pretty close. In this video, engineer John Cuniberti uses a single stereo AEA R88 stereo ribbon mic to record the band San Geronimo - no overdubs, no additional mics.

For those of you who don't know, John was the guy who came up with the idea of reamping, a technique and box that's used every day in studios around the world.

The recording just goes to show how good it can actually sound when the band is placed at the right distances, know how to control their volume, and all come up with a good performance at the same time. Of course, having a great acoustic environment really helps as well (25th Street Recording in Oakland).

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A Music business Lesson From Frank Zappa

Solo artists many times get a reputation for being hard bosses, but the fact of the matter is that there's a lot of pressure on them from many different angles.

Here's an original Frank Zappa interview from 1984 that describes why he sometimes needed to be a "dictator" in his dealings with his band, as well as how much it cost him to get the band ready to tour (and remember this was over 30 years ago so we're talking about 2.3 times more in today's money).

Great animation by Carl King and score by Stephen Cox, by the way. Thanks to DrumTalk TV for the heads up.

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Michael Jackson "Billy Jean" Instrumental-Only Track

If you're going to analyze great production, there's no better place than Michael Jackson's hits. Between the impeccable engineering of Bruce Swedien, the legendary production skills of Quincy Jones, and Michael's groove sensibilities, the big hits set a standard that's hard to top.

Today we'll listen to the instrumental-only track of "Billy Jean" from the Thriller album. By the way, Bruce once told me that he did 99 mixes of the song, but they ended up using #2! Here's what to listen for:

1. Check out the reverb on the drums, especially the kick, in the intro. Listen to how it breathes with the track, just about dying out when the next beat hits.

2. Notice the shaker on the right side that adds motion, then is doubled on the left during the second verse and the effects that start on the left and end up on the right,.

3. The synths use Bruce's technique of remiking (sending the dry track out to the studio for some ambience - especially first reflection) to give them some separation from the rhythm section.

4. Speaking of synths, listen to how the patch changes from the verse to B-section to chorus.

5. Listen for the claps that reinforce the beat in the chorus.

6. Check all the background vocals, fills and effects that are panned off to one side or another, but balance each other out.

7. Listen to how long the outro is, which we never hear as part of the final mix.

There's so much going on in what might seem a very simple song, but that's part of what makes it a hit. There's something different always happening, but nothing that ever gets in the way of the vocal.

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A Look At The Drum Doctor

I've written about Ross Garfield (also known as "The Drum Doctor") many times both on this blog and in my books.

Ross has become one of the go-to guys for drums and drum tuning in Los Angeles, and you've heard his work on albums from The Stones to Metallica to Jay-Z and many more.

Here's a great overview of Ross and his view on drums and drum tuning.

 
The Drum Doctor from Media Bird on Vimeo.

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SSL Factory Tour

I spent a few years in the 80s as a VP at AMEK, a British console maker (the desks are still highly regarded) and I spent a lot of time at the factory in Manchester, UK. I remember distinctly all that went into building a world-class recording console.

That's what makes the following SSL factory tour video from Pro Tools Expert so interesting, at least to me. The conditions and methods of building a console have come so very far from those old analog-only days.

Here SSL's Jim Motley takes us through production of Duality, AWS and Matrix consoles from beginning to end. It's not totally in-depth, but still a good overview of the process.

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New Music Gear Monday: Electro Harmonix Mellotron Emulator Pedal

It's been a long time since I've been over-the-top excited by a product, but I have to say that's the case with the new Electro Harmonix MEL9 Tape Replay Machine. Why? It's a pedal that gives you spot-on Mellotron emulations yet doesn't use samples or require special pickups or MIDI mods to your guitar.

The MEL9 provides nine of the most famous Mellotron sounds: orchestra, cello, strings, flute, clarinet, sax, brass, low choir and high choir, and tracks guitar bends, slides and even whammy bar dive bombs. And not only does it work with the guitar, but you can use it with bass and keyboards a well.

The MEL9 provides independent Effect and Dry volume controls, as well as separate outputs so you can feed both to different amps. There's an Attack control that sets the volume swell speed, and a Sustain control that adjusts the release time after the sound has stopped, but you really don't have to mess with it much to get great sounds right out of the box.

The Electro Harmonix MEL9 Tape Replay Machine has a street price of around $220. You can find more info in the great video below as well as hear it first hand.

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Funk Brothers "You Keep Me Hangin' On" Isolated Tracks

Motown's famous Funk Brother's band was the mainstay for all the great hits made during the Detroit era of the label, and they were a truly formidable lot.

Although the players were great, it was the arrangements that really made the hit songs work. Here's a great example of a beautifully simple arrangement of a pop song with The Supremes "You Keep Me Hangin' On." Here's what to listen for.

1. The song features one of the smaller combos found on a typical Motown session. There are drums, 3 guitars (the usual compliment on most Motown songs), organ, percussion, tambourine and James Jamerson's great bass.

2. Listen to the interplay of the guitars. There's a high and low guitar playing the basic riff, and a 12 string outlining the chord changes. During the bridge the parts change, but all work on their own and never get in the way rhythmically. Oh, and all of the parts are dead clean as well.

3. Speaking of guitars, the 12 string that's outlining the chords is often behind the beat, which is unusual for most Motown songs, since most players had great time. The fact that it wasn't fixed is probably due to the fact that it was recorded live married to another instrument on the same track.

4. Listen to the low galloping percussion during the bridge playing roughly the same figure as the bass. You can hear it well here but not in the final mix.

5. While the tracks might sound dry, there's actually a tiny amount of a short reverb on everything that keeps the instruments in your face without seeming washed out.

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New Order’s “Blue Monday” Played with Obsolete 1930s Instruments

This is pretty cool. A group called Orkestra Obsolete uses only obsolete 1930's instruments to play New Order’s “Blue Monday.” The 1983 song (which was the biggest selling 12" ever) was very electronic and very cutting edge for it's time, but this puts an entirely different spin on it.

Among the instruments used are the Diddley bow, hammered dulcimer, harmonium, zither, musical saw, singing glasses, theremin, prepared piano, slit drum and dulcitone. When was the last time you used any of those?

Here's the video. Just for a comparison, the original is below as well.

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Music Made With 200 Marbles

This video has been making the rounds across the Web lately. It's a fantastic marble music machine built by composer Martin Molin. It uses 200 marbles to activate the various parts of a song, but requires quite a lot of interaction by Molin to actually pull it off.

Still fascinating though. Check out where the mics are places during the various closeups during the video.

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