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Author Topic:  What do you notice about this recording ?
Cameron Fulp

 

From:
Lindale Texas, USA
Post  Posted 22 Mar 2020 8:46 am    
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I’m producing a project right now of some very traditional country...I really want to take my sound back to organic Nashville sound that changed the world . I think I know how to do it , but I want your feedback about what stands out to you about the mix, instruments vocals, etc. BTW that’s the great Lloyd Green...can’t beat him 😆

https://youtu.be/PvyYh9C0D6o
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 22 Mar 2020 9:10 am    
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If you're looking for a knee-jerk reaction, here goes.

The steel is further forward than the vocal when it should always be just behind (whoever it is!). Funnily enough the next thing that came up on YouTube was this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2mxZX-fVtE

which illustrates that perfectly. I know we're trying to promote pedal steel in country music but I think that's best done if it stays a little mysterious.

Also the click on the bass needs to peak at a lower frequency.

That was with my 60s ears on - otherwise it's excellent so keep up the good work Smile
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Cameron Fulp

 

From:
Lindale Texas, USA
Post  Posted 22 Mar 2020 9:28 am    
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Great reply Ian. I’ve noticed the instruments are all Fat and forward, with the Steel primarily taking leads I would say he’s about 10 to 15% panned to the left right behind the singer. Fiddles or other lead instrument could either be Far left, Center or Far right to give a fullness or panned all on one side. I’m experimenting with reverb percentage now .
There was a thickness, but also a dryness Back then.
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b0b


From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
Post  Posted 22 Mar 2020 10:05 am    
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I agree with Ian. The steel in the first verse is too much in front of the vocal. It was corrected later in the recording, though, so I suspect it was an engineering error that got overlooked. Keep in mind that this is a mono recording. Stereo makes it a lot easier to keep things separated.

The YouTube video might not be reflecting the actual bass response on the record. In headphones, I'm not hearing anything in the low frequency range.

Fantastic playing by Lloyd Green. I've seen him get that sound live. You'd think there was a compressor, but he sounds just as smooth and level in concert. Maybe he has a low gain tube in V1 of his Fender Twin. Just a guess. Or maybe it's all in his right foot.
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Bill Hatcher

 

From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
Post  Posted 22 Mar 2020 10:20 am    
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there is NOTHING wrong with this recording...... its classic. its the way it was done. the steel and the vocal are the best things on it and the steel never gets in the way....because its lloyd green.

again....there is nothing wrong with this. Winking
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Cameron Fulp

 

From:
Lindale Texas, USA
Post  Posted 22 Mar 2020 11:17 am    
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I agree with you Bill ! Gotta love those plate reverbs and Lloyd’s silk playing.
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Dave Mudgett


From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
Post  Posted 22 Mar 2020 11:32 am    
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Quote:
The YouTube video might not be reflecting the actual bass response on the record. In headphones, I'm not hearing anything in the low frequency range.

I can tell you that the youtube video does not reflect the actual mix of the record, I'm playing it now. This is Mercury SR 61364, Faron Young Sings This Little Girl of Mine, it's from 1972. My personal copy is Stereo. Every reference I can find for it says it's stereo, and I can't remember an LP from 1972 recorded in Mono. I'm sure there are some, but the commercial standard by this point was stereo.

The mix is perfect on the record. Both the vocal and rest of the instrumentation are up in the mix. The steel sits perfectly - it is very present everywhere it belongs. Listening to the channels separately, the steel is panned pretty hard left, and there is a whole string section panned hard right. Vocal and rhythn section are center, on both channels. Steel and strings divvy up the fills - nobody steps on each other.

What's on youtube sounds like only or mostly the left channel, which is why the vocal and rhythm section are down in the youtube mix. The lack of strings maybe why some people prefer it that way, LOL.

Never rely on youtube mixes. It's great one can get a listen, but it's not necessarily representative.
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Marco Schouten


From:
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Post  Posted 22 Mar 2020 2:43 pm    
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Dave Mudgett wrote:
Quote:
The YouTube video might not be reflecting the actual bass response on the record. In headphones, I'm not hearing anything in the low frequency range.

I can tell you that the youtube video does not reflect the actual mix of the record, I'm playing it now. This is Mercury SR 61364, Faron Young Sings This Little Girl of Mine, it's from 1972. My personal copy is Stereo. Every reference I can find for it says it's stereo, and I can't remember an LP from 1972 recorded in Mono. I'm sure there are some, but the commercial standard by this point was stereo.

The mix is perfect on the record. Both the vocal and rest of the instrumentation are up in the mix. The steel sits perfectly - it is very present everywhere it belongs. Listening to the channels separately, the steel is panned pretty hard left, and there is a whole string section panned hard right. Vocal and rhythn section are center, on both channels. Steel and strings divvy up the fills - nobody steps on each other.

What's on youtube sounds like only or mostly the left channel, which is why the vocal and rhythm section are down in the youtube mix. The lack of strings maybe why some people prefer it that way, LOL.

Never rely on youtube mixes. It's great one can get a listen, but it's not necessarily representative.


It might be that your computer has a problem, because with my laptop, the youtube video sounds exactly as you describe the mix on the record. Some headphones have jacks with 4 contacts which don't always work well in pc's.

That being said, it's classic country, from the golden age of country music, steel is perfect, there should be more like this.
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Dave Mudgett


From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
Post  Posted 22 Mar 2020 3:20 pm    
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Quote:
It might be that your computer has a problem, because with my laptop, the youtube video sounds exactly as you describe the mix on the record. Some headphones have jacks with 4 contacts which don't always work well in pc's.

Actually, my turntable was plugged directly into the same desktop computer via USB, using the same sound card, sound card settings, and speakers (2+1 stereo plus subwoofer) as the video playback. So no, I don't think it's my computer, connections, speakers, etc. And I noticed the same issues with the youtube playback as Cameron, Ian, and b0b, which I think we all described.

And I believe that b0b is correct that the youtube mix is mono, I just listened for that. Steel in both channels, strings present but much lower than on record. My guess is that somewhere in the transfer process, it was mono'd by Y-ing the inputs instead of running through a mixer. I've done it, and that's often what it sounds like, as if one channel was heavily favored over the other. It could be something else, but that's what it sounds like to me.

Truly, on the record, the strings are way up in the mix on their fills and things are much more clear. I'm going by what I'm hearing - same exact sound system, just different sources.
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mtulbert


From:
Plano, Texas 75023
Post  Posted 22 Mar 2020 3:51 pm    
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sent you a PM
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Doug Beaumier


From:
Northampton, MA
Post  Posted 22 Mar 2020 4:48 pm    
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Gentlemen, listen to this other YouTube video of the same song. You'll be shocked at the difference ---> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d60LXDCq4Xk

Faron's voice is strong and out front. A good mix. Now go back and listen to the other one. It sounds like someone played the record on a little record player and used an iPhone "voice memo" to record the thin sound coming from the record player. Cool No comparison.
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Chris Clem

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 22 Mar 2020 7:34 pm    
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Cameron, I think what your playing in your original post is what they call a fold down of the stereo mix to mono by just blending the 2 channels equally (like just pushing the mono button on your pre-amp) would do.They did that a lot in the late 60s early 70s because AM radio was still in mono and they didn't want to make a separate mono mix.That is why the mix levels are off.

The true stereo that Doug posted is more of what to shoot for.
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b0b


From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
Post  Posted 23 Mar 2020 9:29 am    
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Doug Beaumier wrote:
Gentlemen, listen to this other YouTube video of the same song. You'll be shocked at the difference ---> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d60LXDCq4Xk

Much better!
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David Mitchell

 

From:
Tyler, Texas
Post  Posted 23 Mar 2020 9:33 pm    
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Glad to hear that someone else is making good country music!
My hobby when I'm not recording everybody else is recording old country by doing everything myself. I play all the instruments, sing it and mix it. Some examples below out of over a thousand tracks I've done this way for me and local artist.
I have worked for most of the producers that made all that old country so I learned what they want. I'm happy to say I was their favorite engineer while they were alive. The deal with old country was mostly the string bass punch and for many that is hard to achieve. The other things is the vocal is way out in front of everything else. The drums were more felt than heard. Acoustic rhythm guitars and rhythm piano glued everything together. Lead instruments sit between the lead vocal and rhythm instruments only when it's time to shine otherwise they ride along with the rhythm section. It was all about the song and singer back then. The steel guitar didn't have to compete with a blaring rhythm section so they could still play at low volume and be heard loud and clear. Also they didn't mix with all the glassy highs they have today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZSt7P56mEM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VW16OOodC0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2vOxu_b9KY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpZpgKNbWQs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIwnzwjR2xg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF74PAVfAeE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aldKvnXI-mw
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Kenneth Kotsay

 

From:
Davie/Ft Lauderdale, Florida
Post  Posted 24 Mar 2020 8:42 am    
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Who's the steel, Llyod Green????
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David Mitchell

 

From:
Tyler, Texas
Post  Posted 24 Mar 2020 1:01 pm    
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The steel from the thread starter's post is Lloyd Green.
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Cameron Fulp

 

From:
Lindale Texas, USA
Post  Posted 24 Mar 2020 1:43 pm    
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Hey David , good to know . We aren’t too far away from each other . Kelly Barber at action sound always mentions you to me. Nice tracks.
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David Mitchell

 

From:
Tyler, Texas
Post  Posted 24 Mar 2020 2:21 pm    
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Thanks Cameron! Yeah Kelly is my guitar trading buddy. I get all my cool steel guitars from Kelly. Anyway I can help you let me know.
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