Hopefully I´m not the only one who ask the question, why cant I make my recordings sound like a record? What´s the secret behind recordings made in the 60´s on a 4-track taperecorder? The best recording regarding to sound was made by my band in the early 90´s!
An garage was used as the bands rehersal room, All the gear stuff´d in, some carpets on the floor, a sofa. Then a simple Stereo casette taperecorder and two cheap microphones was used. The product was in fact quite good, withnot a perfect but a rather good soundbalance.
So there We are today. All equipment and gadgets is far better. The computer program is great, making it possible to reduce noice, to take a way parts that was´nt good enough. In the controlroom there was 4 different Hi-Fi speaker systems to alter, and to compare the sound in hope to get the best possible.
All instrument´s was line´d into a mixer, including micrphon´s. All done with the intention to reduce distortion and other forms of unwanted noice. Still it did´nt sound the way I wanted.
A couple of month ago I tried to record the sound from my bass. somehow listening to it while playing was real good, but when I heard it recorded the sound was´nt what I wanted. So I arranged a couple of microphones instead of using the line. It took me a while to find the Right microphones for this job but finally at least the bass sound was good.
With this in mind, I started to upgrade or downgrade my studio. A load of microphones was used in front of every amp, and suddenly it was possible to hear the actual sound from the different amplifier´s speaker system´s. Mainly cause there was an extremly small diffence between the sound of totaly different amp´s-speaker´s!
In the controlroom two pair´s of speakers was disconnected. The sweet Hi-Fi sound from a pair of B&O Celestion speakers, the sound from a huge pair of JBL´s. Left was a pair of old speakers once upon a time made in Eastern Germany, RTF K13! Listening to recorded sound thrue those speaker´s made it easier to hear different instruments.
It´s now time to Re-record app 200 different songs, maybe with a bit of luck and a load ful of hard work. I still record each track from start to end like it was done with taperecorder´s. No cutting is done. So the song recorded in say 10 channel´s will use at least 50 minutes of recording, plus all the time used when it was´nt done properly.
amps and gadget´s
So a freind of mine brought me this old Dynacord Eminent 2, tubeamp. On the outside it did look as almost new. Those Dynacord amps was during the 60´s used by almost every band in Scandinavia. this one beeing stored for at least 20 years, was it working?
I just have to try it, and suddenly after switching it on I heard a sound in the speakers. Turning the volume up it was still working for almost 10 seconds. then suddenly it blow a fuse!
A new fuse was installed and the same thing happened everytime. For the moment I gave up, so at this moment the amp is waiting for some mayor repair.
On the other hand Work om me Burns Orbit Three no:747 was a bit easier. The whole unit was dismanled. Every little part of it was checked out, then finally put together again, now wit a couple of new condensors.
This amp may share the same name as me other Orbit Three with the huge diffence that this unit contains the three Goodman-Burns Orbital 10" speaker´s instead of the Double 12" Fane-Burns that is used in me other amp.
me stack of Burns amp´s.
Orbit Three, Orbit Two & Orbit Three Double 12.
Two hour´s later this amp was mowed into the studio to meet it´s sisters-brothers. Giving me the opportunity to compare the sound of those three amps much better standing side by side.
the Orbit Three with a Baldwin Wirginian
