"How'd they get that sound" post..

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"How'd they get that sound" post..

Postby Futureman » Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:37 pm

Ok, I'll start.

That early Madonna guitar sound... Like the one in "Like a virgin"

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Postby Chinagraf » Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:51 pm

I don't know about the actual record chain, but that is David Williams playing, and it's pretty much how he sounds wherever he played. He sadly passed away a few moths back. Most 'funky strat' patches on 80's keyboards were based on David's sound. He played a lot with Michael Jackson, nearly every album, recorded classic tracks like "Wanna be starting something", "Billy Jean" etc. as well as all the Madonna stuff and countless others. All those classic funk guiater parts are him.
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Postby ChrisW » Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:17 pm

I don't know the specific answer, but I've seen it done (in the 80's) using a clean amp (like Roland JC120) a Fender Strat and lots of compression (either a pedal or outboard).
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Postby TimS » Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:27 pm

Also going DI with lots of compression (as ChrisW said), chorus and micro pitchshifting..
This was a big staple sound for the 80's chorus/shimmer sounds i.e Lukather, Huff, Thompson, Landau, etc..
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Postby Aearth » Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:39 pm

So what are we starting?

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Postby wez » Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:47 pm

Aearth wrote:So what are we starting?


well you wanna be startin' somethin', you got to be startin' somethin'...
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Postby TimS » Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:07 pm

Best reply all week (or month really)
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Postby walding » Wed Jul 01, 2009 9:05 pm

A big part of that sound is the MXR Dyna comp pedal and Strat plus the Dyna comp I put money on, would be a big part of the sound.
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Postby ChrisW » Wed Jul 01, 2009 9:14 pm

Yes, a friend of mine uses a Dynacomp (original).
He's actually a bass player and it sounds killer on bass too.
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Postby walding » Wed Jul 01, 2009 10:33 pm

ChrisW wrote:Yes, a friend of mine uses a Dynacomp (original).
He's actually a bass player and it sounds killer on bass too.


Yea I have a 70's one :D

I was looking for another recently and found one on evil bay for $349 USD and nearly fell over.

I bought mine from smithy's for 50 bucks hehehehehehehe

Even just running the gtr through the pedal without it turned on, subtly changes the tone (in a good way)
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Postby astrovic » Wed Jul 01, 2009 10:46 pm

ok, I gots one...

I'm really digging the sound of acoustic folk/rock guitar from especially the early 70s. Think James Taylor or Neil Young.

What kind of signal chain are we talking there? What kinds of acoustics get that sound best? What's the "standard" mic technique and position? Preamps, comps, etc? And how much does or does not recording to tape contribute to the sound.

Let's not get too specific, I'm just looking for the "go to", tried and trusted approaches that are usually the best place to start in trying to get the sound.

Ah gawd, this feels like a real gearslutz question. The problem with posting it there is I have no idea who knows what they're talking about and who is full of it. Here, I already know you're all full of it ;)

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Postby Chris H » Wed Jul 01, 2009 10:49 pm

The MXR distortion is hard to beat for a smoother tone than mos of what is dished up these days. With the MXR and the Rat i find most of what needs to be covered sound wise.
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Postby Chris H » Wed Jul 01, 2009 10:50 pm

Chris H wrote:The MXR distortion is hard to beat for a smoother tone than most of what is dished up these days. With the MXR and the Rat i find most of what needs to be covered sound wise.
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Postby Chris H » Wed Jul 01, 2009 11:19 pm

Looks like i can't edit my posts for some reason???........ maybe it's the half a bottle of red i have just polished off???.......but i didn't mean to quote myself, ... even though i'm full of it most of the time....
any way about 70's acoustic guitar recording....in the 70's i did much more playing than recording so i'm no expert but here's my take:
The fundamental is the guitar...the best you can get your hands on, and not just because it has a "NAME". The guitar would almost certainly be a Martin, often a pre war vintage, or a Guild or Gibson. The player wound not pick the guitar just from the name brand but would play many of the same model and pick the one that sounded head and shoulders above the rest. I was working at Maton mid 70's and the player that wanted a great guitar would play all the guitars from a few batches over a month or so and pick the best. I did this by keeping the best guitars i bought and selling on the ones that were so so.
Recording wise, and i'm no authority here, so i assume it was fairly standard, what ever desk the studio had through one (or two) of the many great mics, Neuman KM 85 or 84 or U47 or U87 or AKG 451 , maybe through a pultec, and a comp, Ueri 176 etc on to tape and part of the sound would also be the DBX or Dalby noise reduction system.
( God i used to hate the sound that one Frankston studio used to get with everything sounding too thick and gluey.....i put it down to the DBX processing)
I'm throwing this into the ring ,hoping someone with first hand knowledge can enlighten my assumptions with a few facts.
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Postby Mickstape » Wed Jul 08, 2009 12:33 pm

Hi i cant really comment on astrovics question, but i would really like to know how they got that "motown" sound that the funk brothers produced. from what i can find out all you need is a few room mics, the cabs miced up and two o/heads on the drums. oh that and a basement in detroit with brick walls and a dirt floor. which sadly i'm lacking. the dirt floor i mean....in detroit....with the funk brothers playing my stuff.
Thats not a hot dog....This is a hot dog!
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