Rubber Soul

[audiobob]

What's wrong with stuff recorded in Cool Edit at 16/44.1 with stock sound cards?

Now that made my day.

Excellent stuff RadioMoo. Rubber Soul and Revolver are absolutely my favorite Beatles albums. Very tight and very clean recordings and writings. Still holds up to today's standards....imho

[tucum]

Now, thanks for the lesson. Really, I appreciated it very much. Any more 'rambling' would be of great interest. Thanks again.

[mfym]

As a little kid, the only Beatles album I had access to was Rubber Soul. When I got older and played a real musical instrument, I got "The Beatles Complete", a compilation of all their sheet music (which I no longer have). Now as a songwriter, I've found the experience of learning their song structures invaluable.

Unfortunately, a sibling gave away (!) the actual album but I still have the old tattered album cover.

[DesertDude]

Check out this cool site! I've had plenty of fun reading this with iTunes (loaded with Fab Four stuff)open.....

that was fun...thanks!

[RadioMoo]

More?

[DesertDude]

yes more...

[cranque]

Yes, more! I plan on spending some time this weekend trying to get a sweet, Abbey Road-style rhythm guitar track down (again I'm thinking of that warm compression that's on Come Together). Any tips on compressor settings?

[RadioMoo]

It depends on budget; I use an ART Levelar tube compressor on my mic for my voiceover work--it adds body and presence. (I also record at 24/48 and dither when I convert and bounce--it does make a difference). This box is cheap, and really does a good job of crunching guitar and giving it a vintage recorded sound. There are reviews and distributors online if you want to search.

More expensive is the Fairchild compressor plugin.

Even more money can be spent on the TL line of tube/valve products which are distributed in the US by HHB. I've got one of these on my wish list, for sure.

You might want to search for the so-called "Mogami mic." It's a tube mic in the $250US (not a typo!) range. I'm going to audition one as soon as I find the time, and I'll post back.

Also: since I have the Mobile Fidelity Beatles box set, I have stereo pressing of all the albums, and I've been meaning to do this for a long time, and since this topic was posted, I'll try in the next few days to figure out decay times for the echo chambers and post them as well. And speaking of which...

More stuff: The stereo pressings of 'Please, Please Me' and 'With the Beatles' have the backing on the left channel and all the vocals on the right. These were meant to be mono-only releases, and George Martin used a two-track machine to record them. (They weren't allowed to use the four-track machines at first; those were only for classical recordings). However, the label wanted a stereo release to cater to the limited but growing demand for stereo product, so the stereo pressings went out that way.

The tracks were recorded in real time, with the Beatles playing and singing at the same time. Headphones weren't allowed; everything was monitored through speakers in the studio. The limited amount of overdubs were done by playing back the original two-track, having the Beatles in the studio playing whatever the overdub was, and recording both the original tape and the studio mics onto a second tape.

When the first two albums were released on CD in 1987, George Martin unfortunately decided to go with the mono mixes. 'A Hard Days Night' and 'Beatles for Sale' were four-track recordings and sound great in stereo, but for reasons known only to the Beatles inner circle, were also released only in mono for CD.. (The recording procedure for these was still the same, except that overdubs were now done on tracks 3&4 of the same tape).

[cranque]

RadioMoo, I've now have a MobileFidelity Abbey Road on the way. This thread has sent me back to the Beatle vault in a big way. Also, yours is the second post I've seen in the last couple of days on the TL compressors. Will have to put one on a wish list myself.

[RadioMoo]

Good for you! As soon as you get it, put on 'The End'; the drums will blow you away. They were recorded with the bottom skins off, with dynamic mics inside, and overheads, of course. It makes a big difference that the Mobile Fidelity records were cut without limiters; you gain an appreciation for the hard work that goes into a record, and you become aware of what's lost when records are processed for the mass market. Besides, Beatles records have such massive amounts of compression that they actually sound better (and louder on the radio) without adding anything at the mastering stage. Compare the songs from your Mobile Fidelity 'Abbey Road' with the same songs on the Beatles album "1": compression nightmare!

Read this article about the reissue of the limiter that was used for the first time on 'Abbey Road.' They list attack and "recovery" times for this limiter in the article.