Why do so many hit 80s records sound like crap?

[Beyersound]

Originally Posted by domokunrox

Tears for Fears. I wouldn't say their records sound like crap. They sound amazing actually compared to today.

+1 +1 +1 !!!!

[Beyersound]

Originally Posted by drundall

When are people going to say "why did all the records of the 00's sound like shit? Why did everybody compress/time align/sample/quantize/autotune everything?"

[Bob Olhsson]

The '80s were the first time more than six compressors were available to most people. Console automation and vocal tuning had also become SOP. There's also the NS-10 and the Linn Drum not to mention the Simmons.

I think the thing that bothers me most are the DX7 dominated records. Most of us got sucked into it and I'm often left wondering what we were thinking.

[a800mkIII]

there are a lot of fantastic sounding albums from the 80´s like:

Spirit of eden by Talk Talk
YouTube - Talk Talk - EDEN - 1988
or The colur of spring by the same band
YouTube - Talk Talk - HAPPINESS IS EASY - 1986

Letter from home from the Pat Metheny Group
YouTube - Pat Metheny - Slip Away

Don’t Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgGe7VJHTts&feature=fvst

The First of a Million Kisses by the Fairground Attraction
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHAhaR7WNkY

Back in Black by AC/DC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXaZmY52gHM

and a lot of more...


if those albums sound bad in your room there must be a problem with your room, your monitors, your ears or all at the same time

[living sounds]

There are 2009 releases that sound almost exactly like the 80s:

YouTube - Bat For Lashes - Daniel (HD)

[Chaellus]

i agree alot of the 80's stufff sounded thin, in my opinion the 90's faired alot better still analog but Bigger...for the 80's id have to say the tears for fears stuff was great.thumbsupthumbsup

[Beyersound]

Originally Posted by living sounds

There are 2009 releases that sound almost exactly like the 80s:

YouTube - Bat For Lashes - Daniel (HD)

That is amazingly 80s !

[mbradzick]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

The '80s were the first time more than six compressors were available to most people. Console automation and vocal tuning had also become SOP. There's also the NS-10 and the Linn Drum not to mention the Simmons.

I think the thing that bothers me most are the DX7 dominated records. Most of us got sucked into it and I'm often left wondering what we were thinking.

See this is exactly why I started this thread. Thanks Bob.

[a800mkIII]

in the 80´s there were a lot of studios with APIs, NEVEs, CADACs, consoles like the first AMEKs are from the 80´s too (M 2500 and ANGELA) and other console from the 80´s was the FOCUSRITE FORTE
must of this recording studios had tape recorders from STUDER (a800MKIII) ,OTARI(mtr90, mtr100A),AMPEX, MCI,etc...
there were monitors from WESTLAKE, TANNOY,AURATONE,ETC...
And synths like the PROPHETs (1&5),OBERHEIM (OBX), KORGs (MS20,Mono-Poly, Polysix,) ROLANDs (Jupiter 8, Juno60) MOOGs (Memorymoog) PPG WAVE, FAIRLIGHT, SYNCLAVIER,etc...
And yes the ROLAND JAZZ CHORUS 120 was a really popular amp in the 80´s but this was not the reason because some of you don´t like some hits from the 80´s

[Bob Olhsson]

APIs and Neves were '70s high-end consoles. The high-end console that dominated the '80s was the SSL. Everybody I knew considered it a step down in sound quality but automation that actually worked and dynamics processing on every channel expanded the amount of studio time used for a typical album from six weeks to six months. Instead of hiring a session musician who could knock out a part in a half hour, keyboard players would spend ten hours massaging a DX-7 part to work.

[reggiesears]

Dude, The 80s Is BY FAR My Favourite Decade Of Music...I Just Love Those Overly_Cheesy Synths, Keytars & Electric Drums, AND I AM NOT BEING SARCASTIC NEITHER! There ain't nothin better than 80s music imo. Now That Said, There Were Some Engineering "stinkers", but thats like that in every decade.
The Cars had some good sounding records, so did Go West, Laura Branigan, Vanessa Williams(late 80s), Keith Sweat(late 80s), New Order, Depeche Mode, alot of the Cure's records, Dead Or Alive, Michael Jackson, Johnny Hates Jazz, The Thompson Twins, Culture Club. Just About Anything Phil Thornalley, Chris Lord-Alge, Joe Barbaria, Mike Shipley, Tom Bailey or Peter Hammond did sounds Great, Even Today.

[a800mkIII]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

APIs and Neves were '70s high-end consoles. The high-end console that dominated the '80s was the SSL. Everybody I knew considered it a step down in sound quality but automation that actually worked and dynamics processing on every channel expanded the amount of studio time used for a typical album from six weeks to six months. Instead of hiring a session musician who could knock out a part in a half hour, keyboard players would spend ten hours massaging a DX-7 part to work.

The SSLs were the prefered (not the only ones, and only because the automation NOT THE SOUND) mixing consoles at 80´s but this kind of arrangement were not inusual :

24 channel pulteq EQs to compliment one ssl mixing room
another example of this was the SSL mixing room at AIR studios.
At this room there were 20 NEVE modules to compliment the SSL
At 80´s a lot of people made decisions about EQ at recording time trying to get things as good as possible on the recording so that they wouldn't have to EQ too much on the mix
But the SSLs were not the only consoles used for mixing at 80´s and a lot of albums were mixed on HARRISONs, AMEKs, NEVEs,etc...

The prefered recording consoles at 80´s were NEVEs (a big example was the ones at AIR studios in London were a lot of 80´s hit records were recocorded), APIs,etc...
About the NS10s read this:

"I mixed to DAT with a very nice-sounding Prism converter and a pair of Auratones," recalls Dorfsman. "I had been wanting to mix on Yamaha NS10s, which were fairly new at the time, but we couldn't get them in London. So, I went with the Auratones — which should have been called Horrortones — and since I knew the record so well it wasn't that hard. The mix of 'Money For Nothing' was pretty straightforward. I put some reverbs on the intro but I left the tune itself fairly dry, and basically it was just a matter of balancing stuff and adding a little delay or chorus here and there, while also doubling Mark's voice... We didn't have much time, because the band had to leave for Yugoslavia."

from this Sound On Sound article:
CLASSIC TRACKS: Dire Straits 'Money For Nothing'

about the DX7 is clear that this synth had a big impact in the 80´s but there was some beautyfull lines at this time recorded with that synth like the intro from the U2 album Joshua Tree that sound warm and wonderfull

[daniel c]

You might want to take a closer look at that photo if you are implying that it's a SSL. That's a Neve. SOS captioned that photo incorrectly. The Power Station setup has been discussed here before by the guys that worked there, including Bob Clearmountain himself. It's great reading.

[mbradzick]

Can anyone tell me why so many records, especially The Police, Appetite for Destruction, so many others...have so little bass? Was it just a trend or equipment-related? Some records had it (Tears for Fears, Reggae, U2) and some just seemed to shy away from bass like the plague...

[daniel c]

Are you talking about the vinyl pressings or the CD's of 80's albums reissued in the early 90's?

[mbradzick]

Originally Posted by daniel c

Are you talking about the vinyl pressings or the CD's of 80's albums reissued in the early 90's?

I guess I'm referring to original CD issues of 80s albums in the 90s.

[bcgood]

The title of this thread is so ignorant. So many great recordings where made in the 80's. In my opinion they sound much better than many recordings from the 90's and as far as today's recordings the vast majority sound like crap, very hard to listen to for long periods of time. It's a crying shame I tell ya!

[mbradzick]

Originally Posted by bcgood

The title of this thread is so ignorant.

How so?

[bcgood]

Originally Posted by Michael Zick

How so?

I disagree with the entire premise. Many of my favorite recordings where made in the 80's so I think to label an entire decade as bad recording wise is ignorant.

[Batchainpuller78]

One could start a thread why so many of todays hits sound like crap.

[living sounds]

Originally Posted by a800mkIII

about the DX7 is clear that this synth had a big impact in the 80´s but there was some beautyfull lines at this time recorded with that synth like the intro from the U2 album Joshua Tree that sound warm and wonderfull

It's one of the most versatile synths ever made and it's still used much on contemporary recordings. Just a lot less obvious and avoiding the signature piano and slap bass etc. sounds. I use mine regularly somewhere in the arrangement and am often surprised how alive and vibrant it sounds. Seriously. It feels like a 'real' instrument, press the same key multiple times and you always get a slightly different sound (regardless of velocity). Just don't use the cheesy 80s patches. :-)

[Audiop]

Originally Posted by Michael Zick

Can anyone tell me why so many records, especially The Police, Appetite for Destruction, so many others...have so little bass? Was it just a trend or equipment-related? Some records had it (Tears for Fears, Reggae, U2) and some just seemed to shy away from bass like the plague...

1) Substandard monitoring

2) Substandard monitoring

3) Taste


/Peter

[QRS]

Peter Gabriels 'SO' is still a great sounding record.
It was done on a SSL 4k without old neve modules
or pultecs. But they recorded on tape - good combination!

[andychamp]

Too many new technologies to master properly at once: MIDI, digital reverbs, digital synths, digital recording, new styles (hiphop).
By then, the recording industry had become an uncontrollable behemoth, and the fun of discovery (like there was in the 60s) had gone out of it.
You had to churn out product, or else...
Goodbye Graceland, hello Yuppieland.

[recall]

I haven't read every page, but I agree with the OP. Listen to Heartbeat City by the Cars - no bass, Tango in the night - no bass, Tunnel of Love - no bass.

This goes on and on and on, I'm sure to other records I haven't even heard.

Does this have to do with first generation A-D used in the DAT they would mix to and then the subsequent A-D involved in mastering?

[mbradzick]

Originally Posted by bcgood

I disagree with the entire premise. Many of my favorite recordings where made in the 80's so I think to label an entire decade as bad recording wise is ignorant.

Perhaps what is ignorant is the fact that you didn't read or interpret correctly, the title of the thread which is:

"Why do so many hit 80s records sound like crap?"

Where am I labeling the entire decade as having bad recordings? My opinion is my opinion, as is yours. You just said you think that most 90s and modern records sound like crap. An opinion is not ignorance. Making a generalization based on a misread might be.

I respect you bc but your posts always seem to rub me the wrong way.

[mbradzick]

Originally Posted by Batchainpuller78

One could start a thread why so many of todays hits sound like crap.

Do a search and you'll find a plethora of them. The goal of this thread has been to learn more about the equipment used, as well as the techniques that give several 80s recordings that dated cringe-factor to myself and a lot of other people.

I'm sorry if I offended anyone with the title, but that's my opinion. My goal is to learn, and our opinions and perspectives are no less or greater than another's.

[Teddy Ray]

Minor Threat-Out of Step
Gang of Four- Songs of the Free

Mekons- Rock and Roll

X- Los ANgeles

Janes Addiction- Nothings Shocking

Paul Simon_Graceland

REM Reckoning/Document

Springsteen-Nebraska

Cowboy Junkies- Trinity Sessions

Replacements-TIM
Violent Femmes- Violent Femmes

Husker Du- Zen Arcade
Sonic Youth- Evol

Minutemen-Double Nickels on the Dime
Byrne/Eno My life in the Bush of Ghosts
Joy Division-Closer
Sonic Youth- Daydream Nation

none of those are slouches...all 80s

[SOLOIST101]

Actually I love the 80's stuff, ther where some incredible productions back then and you know I get sick to death of overly dry sounding stuff we get now.

David Foster did some awesome work back then, really memorable stuff and really had 'a sound' with Chicago etc..and lets not forget Journey's 'Don't stop believin' !

When you think about it, since things tend to go in circles, you can bet that productions will start getting 'wetter' at some point,and so what? I think stuff sounded much bigger then in general,and I think reverb /delay really added to that.

Another thing I notice these days is the lack of really great vocalists,I don't remember the last time I put on the radio and said wow-what a voice! yet the 80's had some seriously awesome vocalists..

[narcoman]

Originally Posted by reggiesears

Dude, The 80s Is BY FAR My Favourite Decade Of Music...I Just Love Those Overly_Cheesy Synths, Keytars & Electric Drums, AND I AM NOT BEING SARCASTIC NEITHER! There ain't nothin better than 80s music imo. Now That Said, There Were Some Engineering "stinkers", but thats like that in every decade.
The Cars had some good sounding records, so did Go West, Laura Branigan, Vanessa Williams(late 80s), Keith Sweat(late 80s), New Order, Depeche Mode, alot of the Cure's records, Dead Or Alive, Michael Jackson, Johnny Hates Jazz, The Thompson Twins, Culture Club. Just About Anything Phil Thornalley, Chris Lord-Alge, Joe Barbaria, Mike Shipley, Tom Bailey or Peter Hammond did sounds Great, Even Today.

apart from depeche mode and some of the cure - that list is just about everything i dislike in music. Most other things - i can run with !!