Equipment on classic soul and funk

[FunkFromTheSun]

Whenever there's a thread about classic equipment on the main boards, the discussion is almost always about rock records. I want to know more about the equipment and techniques used on classic 70's soul and funk records. Dead rooms, Stevie and Prince on API's et c. I'm talking about the kind of music that has gotten sampled alot, like Bob James, Roy Ayers, Curtis Mayfield, and people like Major Harris.

[down_town]

Hey Great Thread! there does not seem to be much info on this stuff- wax poetics covers alot about the producers/artists/bands but no one really talks about the gear!

[Hedorah]

I'm looking forward to this threads growth.
I'm really interested in the studio gear and techniques
used in the 60's and 70's funk, soul and jazz.

[muziekschuur]

when talking about funk basgitar, there is alot of information available.
Motown has been talked about.
You can go to the website of Bootsy Collins and see some films about that era.

Stax records has been talked about quite often too.

So, yes, there is much info available.

The Viking, Bruce Swedien, engineer for Michael jackson had his own thread here. As known to everybody, Prince (or The Artist) does his productions all himself. Etc etc.

For basguitar it's usually a Musicman Stingray into an Ampeg.
The Q-tron is a famous footpedal for funk.
Funkguitar aint about the amp, but about the footpedals. Wah, chorus, (tap)delay are the most known ones.

Drums allways sound good when done with 4 micro's, the Motown style.
If needed, overdub with some other snare, maybe top-bottom micing, some speciall mics on the cymbals and hi-hat into a dedicated parametric oe grafic eq will get you a special sound.

Synths,well, you can warm then with a tube DI, but essentially, the artist gives you them jacks and you record that.
It gets tricky when they start using a Hammond, but essentially, two SM57's or 58's one top one bottom panned 45 degrees will get you a decent sound. & compress that slightly.

Vocals: well, the usuall chain will cut it. Being a Neumann into a decent channelstrip, or an SM7 into something you like. The LA2A type compressor on voice usually works.

SSL style buscompressor will help you get a 'alive' stereomixdown.

Helping the musicians with moog filters or hammond leslies may be advisable.

Hope this helps,


Muziekschuur

[Joemamma]

Recording hot to tape will get you half way there... Trying to get a 60's, 70's sound digitally is very hard, if not impossible.

It's also hard on tape, but the tape sound is IMO half of it...

[FunkFromTheSun]

Thanks. I'm not necessarily trying to copy an old sound though, I'm just interested in music period.

[Switchcraft]

Q tron, Small stone
telecasters, dead dead dead toms, J and/or P bass, Moogs of all sorts, actually any old synths were used, putneys ... Dead rooms, tape machines hit hard with 10K tape compression, Berrnie worrel, horn and synth lines in Unison, but it was really about the musicians, those sounds were brought to the table and they were just recorded.

[cynic one]

look @ this month's remix mag.....they've got a long interview with the dap kings and they detail a lot of their studio in there.

[yeloocproducer]

Originally Posted by muziekschuur

SSL style buscompressor will help you get a 'alive' stereomixdown.

For 60s/early 70s????

As has been said... tape. Minimal micing. Have everyone play in the same room. Good instruments and amps, (B15, smaller guitar amps, tune the drumkit, plate/ chamber verb, etc.) Check out the studio they did Amy Winehouse basics in...

ah we just posted about the same spot... dap king's studio...

[demonfuzz]

Analog from start to finish.

[Switchcraft]

Try micing a drum kit with three or four mics. Well, I would do some research on that first.

[ALL*MYTEE]

Found theese over on Tape Op the other week. They're along the lines of what you're talking 'bout.

MOTOWN RECORDING TECHNIQUES INDEX

http://www.phobospeepl.dk/documents/shitty1.pdf

http://www.phobospeepl.dk/documents/shitty2.pdf


If this contribution and a few years Djing funk and old soul allows me .02--I'd say the most defining factor in funk is doing whatever it is that you do with whatever it is that you've got on hand.

That and maybe doing it to death.

Long live Charles Wright and the 103rd St Rhythm Band, Dyke and the Blazers, King Floyd and Lee Dorsey!

The Real Thing

YouTube - Lee Dorsey - Give It Up (audio only)

[FunkFromTheSun]

Great links, thanks.

[Switchcraft]

DOPE LINKS. where are those originally from?

[ALL*MYTEE]

I plucked them from Tape Op:

Tape Op Message Board :: View topic - 'Shitty Is Pretty : Anatomy Of A Funk 45'

Not sure if you have to be a member or not to read.

If you mean the MP3--that's a 45. I believe it's called The Real Thing Beat, by a band called The Real Thing.

[cpu]

Don't forget the Mutron...I think Bootsy has 2 in his rig...

[Joemamma]

If I had the opportunity to always record like those dap-king dudes, I'd do it! F'ck protools!

[Switchcraft]

Mu tron is Q tron.