Dark Side of the Moon

[Fenster]

Hi,

I've been searching the net relentlessly for the past few months looking for any information relating to the recording of DSotM. The info I've found is sparse and not very helpful. Basically I've learned the console used, instruments used, and in which rooms of Abbey Road tracks were recorded.

Does anyone know for instance, what mics and outboard gear was used? Any does anyone know exactly how they achieve that Gilmour "sound" on his vocal tracks. His vocal tracks always have that "something" to them that make them instantly recognizable. And I'm not speaking of his vocal ability but the processing that gives it that "sheen."

Maybe I'm just insane...

Thanks,
Fen

 

[jo]

Sorry, but wasn't Roger Waters singig back then?

Jo

 

[anonymous]

I do belive it was recorded on an EMI desk, if you go here

(Dead Link Removed)

a company called Chandler is recreating parts of the same model desk... I have a keen interest in the recreations.. and several others that hang out here do too!

 

[anonymous]

here is what Stedel said

stedel
RO Moderator
posted April 13, 2002 03:00 AM                   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey folks. I've been checking out the websites of Chandler and Mercury.
These are some seriously cool looking pieces of gear.
The Mercury 66 Limiting Amplifier - great specs, great response rate.Very tasty. And VU meters.
I love VU meters.Definately like to test drive.
The M72 - now I would love to hear this.
The M76 - don't know enough about the history of Telfunken's 76 stuff.....yet.
And Chandler
The EMI Compressor & an EMI "Beatles mic pre"?
Are you kidding?
I want all of these things!!!!!Telefunken, EMI & Neve. Sod RO. I'm taking donations NOW!!!!!!!!!

 

[anonymous]

I belive it's only the last Beatles record (s) that was (were) done on the type of EMI recreated by Chandler..

Clarity anyone?

 

[adam_w1]

Umm...I stored some useless trivia on this one, which might be true :

Don't know about the desk..it was recorded on 16 track - the whole 16 track master underwent a transfer from a non dolby machine to one using dolby A at some point.

The cool rototom sections (in the song with the cool rototom sections) were dropped in individually as each section had to be retuned for each chord change

The kit was mic'd with 4038's for overheads, and Neumanns on everything else, with no compression.

Main EQ was the EMI "curve bender"

Guitar echo - Binson Echorec

And I wonder why some of my friends think I'm a trainspotter..

 

[Fenster]

Thank you for all the replies people! :w:

I got a quote from vintage king audio on the chandler emi tg preamp - $1499. The limiter would cost me my left kidney... so I'm currently making calculations to see if I can survive without it
So it sounds like Neumannns were used on vocals...My guess goes towards a U67.

Thanks
Fen

 

[Ted Nightshade]

Of course the UniVibe used for the swirly guitar parts- and maybe the backup vox? What are they through that's so swirly?
"The cool rototom sections (in the song with the cool rototom sections) were dropped in individually as each section had to be retuned for each chord change"
No wonder I've never heard any rototoms to get anything like this sound!
Ted

 

[Ted Nightshade]

And yes, that's an incredible Gilmour vocal on "time"...
Ted

 

[Fenster]

the swirly backing vocals on "Time" were processed through an early pitch-changing device called a Frequency Translator.

 

[Fenster]

well here's another question for ya
On the EMI-Neve console a3097 that they first used to record "Wish You Were Here" what kinda preamps were in that goliath of a console? 1091s? 1073s? or something entirely different?

Thanks,
Fen

 

[RecorderMan]

Originally posted by Fenster:
the swirly backing vocals on "Time" were processed through an early pitch-changing device called a Frequency Translator.

Hmmm....I've been a d-e-e-p fan of this record since it was released. My absolute single most favorite record of all time. I haven't cared too much about how it was recorded, because the recording itself, per say, in my opinoin is very standard for what you would expect out of EMI at the time.
For me it truly is the song/lyrics, arrangement performance aspects of it that are timeless.
The music concrete aspects. The early techno on "on the run", the quasi-Reggae of "Money" (around the time that all the Brit Rock star were really getting into Reggae. That same year I believe, Zeppelin wrote/recorded "D'yer Maker"(HouseOfThe Holy), Elton John "JamacinJerkoff (GoodByeYellowBrickRoad),
and Eric Claptosn cover of Marely's "I Shot The Sherriff).

I always assumed that The "swirly" vocals (BGV's ) as you call them were created simply by running them through a Leslie. That's what they sound like. You can hear the speeds (fast and slow) and the ramping between them. Very apprappo for the time...although I could have been unkowingly mistaken all these years.

 

[Dave McNair]

Fenster, I recorded several records on that very Neve/EMI console. It was in a studio in LA until 5 or 6 years ago, not sure what happened to it. The pre's were 1084's if I remember, and the monitor wing had 2074's(line only 1074's) Possibly the best sounding Neve I've ever used. There is more info on that console at the phoenix audio web page. I'm not entirely sure that that console was in Abbey Road when DSOTM was recorded.

 

[zepdave]

Hi all.

Pink Floyd recorded and mixed DSOTM in an EMI TG 12345 Mk2, the black one.

A site that gives a lot of info about Floyd:

http://utopia.knoware.nl/users/ptr/pfloyd/interview/interview.html

Hope u enjoy and cheers... ZEP.

PD: Pink Floyd 4ever

 

[Fenster]

Many more good replies!

Thanks Everyone,
Fen

 

[td]

Maybe give Brent Averill a call - I don't think he has 1084's listed on his site, but may have them or be able to find them.

http://www.brentaverill.com

Good luck

Tony

 

[groundcontrol]

A 1084 is a 1073 with a lo-pass filter added and switchable top end frequencies like a 1081/33114.

 

[Dave McNair]

I think I was wrong. The pres on the EMI/Neve I used were either a 1081 or a very similar minor variation. They were 4 band plus filters.

 

[groundcontrol]

Then they probably were 1091. It was a model custom specified by EMI engineers, somewhat halfway between a 1081 and a 31105.

 

[Fenster]

thanks for the info people! :w: