The Technical Constraints That Made Abbey Road So Good

mhardy6647

My son's girlfriend shared this link tonight; I thought I'd share it with y'all.

http://m.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/10/the-technical-constraints-that-made-abbey-road-so-good/381820/

Stew

Great read! Thanks for sharing.

dromunds

Yes, very interesting read. The Beatles and Co. were ingenious. I've said this before, but various modern artists are returning to vintage recording gear. Mark Knopfler, for example, has rebuilt vintage analog Amperex tape machines for recording. Bob Dylan and many others have been using vintage microphones forever. And of course, most bands use vintage amps and guitars.

drumminman

Thanks for posting, great read!

mhardy6647

dromunds wrote: »

Yes, very interesting read. The Beatles and Co. were ingenious. I've said this before, but various modern artists are returning to vintage recording gear. Mark Knopfler, for example, has rebuilt vintage analog Amperex i]Ampex[/i tape machines for recording. Bob Dylan and many others have been using vintage microphones forever. And of course, most bands use vintage amps and guitars.

As I recall, John "Cougar" Mellencamp did this, too.
http://www.mellencamp.com/index.php?page=news&n_id=898
http://www.hiltonheadmonthly.com/style/lifestyle/2217-john-mellencamps-new-testament
(mmm-- he sounds like a grouchy old man...)


source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristi-york-wooten/mellencamp-shops-on-ebay-_b_693785.html

... and then, there's... The 78 Project...
http://rosannecash.com/78-project-volume-1-soundtrack-featuring-rosanne-cash-available-january-28/

...or you can go completely nuts...
http://www.dustandgrooves.com/joe-bussard-frederick-ma/
http://www.soundhifi.com/78rpm.html

Moose68Bash

Great story and a nice bit of history!

Thanks for posting the link.

[Deleted User]

Thanks for posting about the Beatles. That article helped me figure out what I was feeling about the two mono Beatles records I recently bought: Revolver and Rubber Soul. You can hear how the records were produced, the behind the scene layering of tracks, the slight hesitant quality of George's sitar playing, as examples. The first time you play them it's a bit disconcerting to hear that much detail, it's tempting to prefer a more veiled version, more of what you're used to. How it has always sounded.
But a second and third listen begins to build a different picture in your mind's movie theater. These were young guys playing real music, not always perfect, but so fresh and creative. It's trite to say, "It's like hearing them for the first time". But in this case it's true it is the first time.
You can hear the quality of the Studer A80 that was used, kind of an "Ektachrome" quality to the sound. I'm sure it was used because of its delicate tape handling, but they should have used an outboard tube playback amp connected to the transport. If you're not used to hearing differences in tape playback you would never notice, a very minor quibble.
See, never happy!

mhardy6647

When I think of Ektachrome, I think of kind of grey, green and brown cast -- at least, compared to Kodachrome.

... and, yes, I am that old :- )

I am keen to get copies of those two discs, BTW -- at least the new, mono Revolver. I think Revolver was the most -- ahem -- revolutionary of the Fab Four's albums; the biggest incremental break with the past -- practically a Dirac Delta Function, if you catch my drift!