What consoles were used on Thriller?

[Harvey Gerst]

Originally Posted by Bruce Swedien

My old pal Al Schmitt did many albums with George Benson.... All great sounding, I might add.
Bruce Swedien

P.S. I must mention the fact that Al Schmitt is three years older than I....

Yeah, Al was my producer in the early 60's, when he was still at RCA. And Bruce, I must mention the fact that you are three years older than I am. I turned 70 last May.

[tiny333]

well im voting this the best thread ever

thank you very much for taking the time

loved the picture of the bass drum cosy lol

and the hh snr shield is such a simple and wonderful idea

i still enjoy thriller after all these years and love scaring my young daughters with it!
(they also love it) just shows that some work is timeless

cant believe i never heard of the early reflection tech b4 now... but i do live in england and we dont get out much.... cant wait to try it

thank you once again

xxxxx

[Tabnetic]

Originally Posted by dlmorley

However I'll trade you for a SM57 that was once used by Milli Vanilli

but let's be honest, did they really "use" the mic?


great thread!

[stevep]

Originally Posted by Mark Cattano

Bruce

I was just over at Tommy Uzzo's old studio in Dix Hills, Long Island, and was told that some of Thriller was recorded/mixed there...to my amazement. The room is just a shadow of what it once was, and I was told that during the Thriller sessions he had an SSL. True or false?

]

Its funny how so many "studios" claim to have recorded thriller

heres another one....

Thriller studio

From his myspace page

Just a few pieces of unique gear housed there are the classic 56 channel Neve 8128, used to record many Grammy winning records including Michael Jackson's Thriller,

Maybe someone told him that to sell it to him



Thanks again Bruce !


steve

[LapTop006]

Originally Posted by Bruce Swedien

Your check is in the mail!!!!!

Damn, a Cheque from Bruce, that's on the list of people for whom the signed paper is worth more the however much you might get by giving it to the bank.

He's certainly (along with many of the artist's he's worked with) right up the top of my "will work for free" list.

[Mark Cattano]

Man, I'm sorry I ever mentioned it. I was over at what used to be Tommy Uzzo's studio checking out a console that someone was selling, and the guy mentioned the whole "Thriller" thing, which I found amusing. But I did have the foresight to ask Bruce if it was true or false. I did not state it as fact...

Mark Cattano

[limestone]

I love gearslutz...

[patrox247]

Originally Posted by limestone

I love gearslutz...

Isn't she lovely?

[Harvey Gerst]

Originally Posted by LapTop006

Damn, a Cheque from Bruce, that's on the list of people for whom the signed paper is worth more the however much you might get by giving it to the bank..

I did PM Bruce and told him I'll gladly swap it straight across for another SM7. If it is in fact the "Mikey mic", it would probably sell for a lot on eBay, but that should be Bruce's decision, not mine. If I were Shure, I'd be kissing Bruce's ass and offering him as many free SM7's as he wants. How many SM7's were sold as a direct result of Bruce using the SM7 on "Thriller"?

If Bruce accidentally sold the wrong SM7, I don't intend to profit from his mistake. If he buys it back from me, I'll just use the money to buy another one.

I hate this whole "this was used by..." mystique. They're just tools. Sure, I'd also love to have my old left-handed Black Widow guitar back, but not because Jimi Hendrix used it. I want it back because it was mine; I designed it, and I loved playing it. The fact that Hendrix played it has zero value to me, except to confirm he had good taste in his choice of instruments. (Well, not always; his "Burns of England" Strat that he gave me was a POS guitar that wouldn't stay in tune. I gave it back to him.)

[patrox247]

Originally Posted by Harvey Gerst

I hate this whole "this was used by..." mystique. They're just tools.

Blasphemy!

[BrettMorello]

Originally Posted by Harvey Gerst

I hate this whole "this was used by..." mystique. They're just tools. Sure, I'd also love to have my old left-handed Black Widow guitar back, but not because Jimi Hendrix used it. I want it back because it was mine; I designed it, and I loved playing it. The fact that Hendrix played it has zero value to me, except to confirm he had good taste in his choice of instruments. (Well, not always; his "Burns of England" Strat that he gave me was a POS guitar that wouldn't stay in tune. I gave it back to him.)

Strictly rational you're right, but if I once had a guitar played by Hendrix, I would talk differentely...

[Harvey Gerst]

Originally Posted by BrettMorello

Strictly rational you're right, but if I once had a guitar played by Hendrix, I would talk differently...

As I said, I DID have Hendrix' Strat, and I DID give it back to him. I guess that's just me.

That's probably one of the reasons I'm not rich.

[mds]

Originally Posted by Jules

For those that didn't already know it there are 5 pages of gearslutz Q&A with Bruce here http://www.gearslutz.com/board/bruce-swedien/
hitt

This thread should be added to the vault as well...a great read...

[GearHunter]

I may not have one of THOSE SM7s, but I still use mine all the time for just about everything: Kick, guitar, bass amp, and of course, vocals.

I'm quite sure that I got one in the first place because it was known as the Thriller mic.

Fist time I tried one out, we lined up four mics in front of a singer -- U47, M49, U67, and...the simple little SM7.

For that guy's voice, guess which one won?

Yep!

And we were all THRILLED.

[ofajen]

Originally Posted by Bruce Swedien

John and all Gearslutz in Attendence....

Here is how I feel about recording a choir and how the early reflections and balance in the room can add a great deal to your mike technique.... And how using a minimal mike technique is the absolute best....

(snip)

The reason that I use the mics in bi-directional polar pattern for “X-Y”, is that primarily what I am trying to achieve, is to get the arrival time of the sound from the sound source to hit the two capsules at as close to the same moment in time as possible. This way there is little phase difference for any given frequency in the output of the two mikes. As a result you will get a dense, wide feeling of a very unified choral sound. Of course the sonic image that you get has almost no left/right intensity.

(snip again)

Thanks, Bruce, for making this a great thread! I've been getting some good sounding results working with careful control of early reflections using Studio Traps and recording with minimal mike techniques, but mainly using true omni mikes and a Jecklin disc (when recording in stereo). Sounds like I need to get another AT-4050 and do some more work with bi-directional mikes, so that I know when that would give me a better result. Thanks, again!

Cheers,

Otto

[Bruce Swedien]

Originally Posted by Harvey Gerst

Yeah, Al was my producer in the early 60's, when he was still at RCA. And Bruce, I must mention the fact that you are three years older than I am. I turned 70 last May.

But Harvey.......

Does that mean that I can't buy my old Shure SM7 back???? I want to give you $350.00 for it!

Bruce

[Kris]

I've got $375 right now and I'll even write Bruce's name in the memo portion of the check... (JK of course)

[Harvey Gerst]

Originally Posted by Bruce Swedien

But Harvey.......

Does that mean that I can't buy my old Shure SM7 back???? I want to give you $350.00 for it!

Bruce

Like I said Bruce, that's fine, but lemme see what I really paid for it; it might be less than that, like $300. Or I'll swap you straight across for any SM7. PM me with an address and I'll box it up and ship it tomorrow. We can work out the money crap later.

[Chance]

I was just directed here from another forum. An aquaintence of mine (Mark Ettle) worked on that album. I just sent him an E-mail to confirm that board

[Harvey Gerst]

Bruce, I'm 99% sure it was $300 I paid for it, not $350.

[Dan]

Are you saying Mercenary gave you a deal on used gear?

How could that be? They "Ain't no discount shop."

[Harvey Gerst]

Originally Posted by Dan

Are you saying Mercenary gave you a deal on used gear?

How could that be? They "Ain't no discount shop."

This was some of Fletcher's "private stash" that he was selling, not Mercenary.

[Lucin Niega]

Hello Bruce,

I'm fascinated by your technique in recording vocals. I've read a little bit about the "Blumlein Pair". It's a very cool recording method. Which mics did you use for this? I have a feeling that you could use just about anything figure 8 as long as you had 2 of them and still make it sound great. What did you use on M.J.?

[jaye b]

Bruce, its amazing to read this, i just remembered that one of the first lps i ever bought was the thriller one. I discussed it a few weeks ago with some producer friends of how ahead of times it really was, and how good it sounds, both technically and production wise. you telling about the recording process is priceless and refreshing. just a reminder i got a lot to learn..
thanks!

[Lucin Niega]

Originally Posted by Jaye B

you telling about the recording process is priceless and refreshing. just a reminder i got a lot to learn..
thanks!

Does anyone still think that holding back information will somehow benefit you? I congradulate you Bruce. I wish more people were like you. I'm going to make a trip to Tower Records. I have a CD to buy.

Peace

[mingustoo]

Mr. Gerst,
You met and worked with Jimi Hendrix! You are rich!! And when people like you and Mr. Swedien share knowledge and memories with us, we too become richer. Much thanks and respect to all you pros who share and thereby bring our dreams closer.
peace, d

[Kris]

Originally Posted by mingustoo

Mr. Gerst,
You met and worked with Jimi Hendrix! You are rich!! And when people like you and Mr. Swedien share knowledge and memories with us, we too become richer. Much thanks and respect to all you pros who share and thereby bring our dreams closer.
peace, d

[Jim Williams]

Originally Posted by Lucin Niega

Does anyone still think that holding back information will somehow benefit you? I congradulate you Bruce. I wish more people were like you. I'm going to make a trip to Tower Records. I have a CD to buy.
Peace

Better call Amazon.com. Tower records has been closed for a while now. The demise of these large retailers of CD's is a reflection of the fact folks don't want to buy them anymore. When they came out, the high $12.99 list prices were said to be temporary, with mass production to drive down this price over time. That never happened and for the record companies to offer marginal music with maybe a couple of decent tunes for $16~18 dollars is price gouging at it's worst. The cost of production is now below the cost of vinyl when vinyl records cost $4.99.

To me it's like the gas prices. Once it gets to a level that high, it's not worth buying anymore. Somehow we adjust our lives around these facts. I stay around the house more and drive much less. Some accept low bit rate songs off the web, some just buy catalog CD's and enjoy the classics. No one is buying $18 CD's, at least not enough to keep retailers like Tower in biz. When you can buy a DVD for $12.99, a CD for 18 bucks seems more than a rip off.

The solution is of course offering value. Folks will pay for a product that's worth it's cost. If the record companies lowered the price to 5 bucks, I might start "taking chances" at a few new releases. This still is an industry that does not accept returns for damaged product, (clipping), or a shoddy sound quality. You buy it, you own it. I don't know of any other industry with such predatory business practices. That alone is enough for me to never buy any CD unheard.
That would be like buying a car without a test drive, a house without an inspection, or buying audio gear 'cause someone on Gearslutz says it's great.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

[Harvey Gerst]

Originally Posted by mingustoo

Mr. Gerst,
You met and worked with Jimi Hendrix! You are rich!!

I didn't actually "work" with Jimi, unless you wanna count me showing him how to use his new amplifiers as "working" with him. I am still in awe of his playing.

I've met and heard a number of great guitar players in the 50+ years I've been in the music business. Those memories are my "riches". Well, that, and 3 acres of "mud" located just outside of Krum, Texas.

[princeplanet]

Harrison 4032, had one for years, just recently decommissioned it cos of ongoing master section problems. Butch Vig personally recommended this console to me for Rock, he was right, great eq and filters. Heard Abba used one for years also and they must've been doing something right. There's at least 2 kinds out there, 18v with transformers in and out, and the 16v without. The trannys have the mojo. Actually, I have 40 channels in the workshop, may hang on to some (can't bear to part with that brown sound),
I may sell the rest, any offers?