Recording info on Beck's Sea Change Album?

[khai]

I remember a lot of people critized that album when it came out, comparing it to Mutations and qualifying Beck as commercial. I've always felt it's a great album.

I'd love to know the recording chain on the drums.

Still, as with pretty much everything Nigel Godrich produces, I think the album is way overcompressed and there's a 12K emphasis that I don't like either. I can't listen to this album loud, it hurts.

[faizz]

One of my favourite albums. Fine piece of art, so rare to hear nowadays, also featuring the most beautiful sounding acoustic guitars ever.

doei!
Faizz

[Zeppelin]

Originally Posted by Tubthumper

The B-15 reissue - is this it?
Ampeg: Bass Amp Series - BA115

Nopez!! Ampeg: Diamond Blue Series - B-15R


Btw I've always wondered what kind of vocal treatments/effects where used on this album. They're making an almost magic atmosphere.
Does anybody know?

[Mark Cattano]

Great album. Shows you what can happen when a gifted songwriter gets his heart broken...

Mark Cattano
Magneto Studios
www.myspace.com/markcattano

[khai]

Originally Posted by Zeppelin

I've always wondered what kind of vocal treatments/effects where used on this album. They're making an almost magic atmosphere.

I agree. Vocals sound like they're floating behind a thin veiled of electric current. If this means anything.

[King Of Spain]

Originally Posted by Nu-tra

Hi Justin,

I am a fan of your work.

Me too & Mutations is fantastic and it's worth noting that the first Ima Robot record is immaculately produced & mixed as well...but I've been a sucker for JMJ's work since This Great Religion

[CrazyBeast]

agreed..

Originally Posted by eligit

it is THE go to album when i have to remind myself what "good" sounds like.

pure audio gold.

[Josht]

Agreed on everything, one of my favorite sounding records of all time. Not too many albums do I always go back to just to listen to, but I find myself listening to this album all the time still. I especially love the drums and strings, but everything sounds so perfect.

[Deif]

do you guys have ANY idea of what snare they used on this album?? or do you know any snare with a similar sound?

[doorknocker]

Originally Posted by Deif

do you guys have ANY idea of what snare they used on this album?? or do you know any snare with a similar sound?

Tea towels across the snare à la Ringo? Just a guess!

[Deif]

[astronmr20]

Originally Posted by justinmj

I'm Beck's bassist since '96. Also sang, played guitar, keys, percussion on this record.

JMJ

I think I saw you on a mackie onyx thingy?

[justinmj]

Originally Posted by astronmr20

I think I saw you on a mackie onyx thingy?

Yup. Funny how they decided to use me to endorse that thing on their page. But I really love it! Now doesn't really stand up to my A Designs P-1's or BAE 312's or Chandler LTD-1, but I truly dig how that thing sounds.

Drums were dry as a bone sometimes, though other songs ("Sunday Sun" comes to mind) were multiple kits in the bigger rooms...funny, we used the tiny little iso booth quite often; the "vocal" iso just to the right of the control room facing out. Lots of dampening on really old snare drums that I don't know the brands of, as well as the usual Superphonic and Black Beauties. That's all Joey's stuff. James Gadson used his beautiful sounding '70's Pearl snares. All into the Delcon pre's.

A lot of the ambience you hear is 1) Oceanway chambers, 2) Oceanway plates, or 3) this very bizarre three-knob digital reverb from the early '80's that Allen Sides gave Nigel as a gift. Awesome tone....combining that with a chamber or plate reminds me of some of the sounds you can get with a Publison Infernal Machine.

Thanks for complements, by the way, very nice of y'all.

JMJ
+ ..... *JMJ* Justin Meldal-Johnsen *JMJ* ..... +

[Josht]

Originally Posted by Deif

Man would I love to see more pics from the session, are those ela 251's on oh?

[RCM - Ronan]

Originally Posted by Josht

Man would I love to see more pics from the session, are those ela 251's on oh?

I want to second and third that request if any one has them!!!!!

[papiel]

Hi Justin

Your bass part on "Paper Tiger" is one of the best ever!!!
Bass-school, if you ask me.
I guess that was the guild?

P

[skybluerental]

i would like to bring this thread back.

can anyone else shed more light on this brilliant production?

[harel]

I think the great sound and production are just another few steps up for an already great songs ,lyrcs and playing.
even so i would like to know if this album was recorded into a tape ? (i guss it is..) if so what kind of tape? and what was the sample rate you have used if it was converted on some stage before mastering?

thank you very mutch for sharing that info!

[Fleaman]

Any sonic difference on the 'Original Master Recording' disc?

Amazon.com: Sea Change (Omr): Beck: Music

It just seems to be a fluffed up package with an extra track and done on a 24k gold disc. Question is, was it really remastered or remixed?

[ray_subsonic]

Pretty sure it was recorded on tape. Not sure if it was mixed off tape or transferred into a DAW and would like to know myself if Justin checks in. One of the best sounding albums made in the last 20 years .. Period.

[Baroque]

Justin. I have followed Beck religiously for many years, and bass is one of those highlights in his music. The dynamic between his scratchy acoustic guitar and your bass lines is something so unique. Thanks for all the info on the Sea Change sessions! Very interesting!

[toneguru]

I remember the first time I heard the CD, my jaw was open and I was in a trance. I can only imagine how great it sounds on vinyl.

What does a mastering engineer do when you show up with tracks that sound like that? Does the mastering engineer pay you?

PS. Love the cellos.

[ray_subsonic]

Amongst some of the "Gifts" that Justin was discussing, Allen Sides has finally passed the ownership of the original Delcon console over to Nigel Godrich. That console is possibly now in the UK .. A little update thats all ..

[skythemusic]

This is one of my go to snare reference albums. I love the dry, small booth, tea towel, classic UK/Ringo deal. Unfortunately to me the cd sounds awful due to mastering. Super bright in the 11-13k region. The vinyl is unbelievably good though. I really think Nigel Godrich, the players, the room/gear take Beck's good but not as great as people think songwriting to a radically better level. The tones and production choices are just fantastic. Far and away his best record I believe and, yes, the bass is stellar and HUGE on record. Classic Ampeg tone.

[RCM - Ronan]

Originally Posted by ray_subsonic

Amongst some of the "Gifts" that Justin was discussing, Allen Sides has finally passed the ownership of the original Delcon console over to Nigel Godrich. That console is possibly now in the UK .. A little update thats all ..

For Real?!?!? That is huge.

[justinmj]

That console is indeed now in the UK.

[skybluerental]

hey Justin, quick question.

i have always felt that the production on Sea Change was influenced by Elton John’s "Madman Across the Water."
are you familiar with this recording??
is there any validity to this notion?

also, what kind of outboard did Nigel use for tracking and how much of the compression/EQ was committed to tape vs how much happened during the mix.
was it all tracked through the console???

LOVE this record and your playing is just fabulous.

[justinmj]

Hi Skyblue - thank you for the praise, that's very generous of you. The whole conception of Sea Change in terms of production values was quite organic (even insular) and lacked any concrete reference points during the process. We didn't even ever record any demos unlike for Mutations, which we demoed for about a week prior to going in. So no, that Elton record, as superlative as it is, didn't have any bearing on the process.

Outboard wise, Nigel used the O-way plates & chambers and some tape echoes, and this particular oddball digital reverb that I don't remember the name of. (Sonically, it was very reminiscent of a Publison Infernal Machine). Otherwise, he was fairly constantly using the big case of API 550A's to the right of the console monitor section, and standard black face 1176's and LA2A's, which are all still in the room right where they always were. We used the console pre's.

I may have described this earlier, but when mixing, Nigel would use the monitor section for the most part. Sometimes he would require multiple hands and we'd all chip in, probably because we wanted to avoid that GML automation.

Best,
Justin

[toneguru]

Originally Posted by neilio

sonically it is very good sounding....

i still think the songs sound like Gordon Lightfoot


i keed i keed.!!!

What I would give to be a songwriter that others thought was on par with Gordon Lightfoot.

I kid you not.

[skybluerental]

Originally Posted by justinmj

Hi Skyblue - thank you for the praise, that's very generous of you. The whole conception of Sea Change in terms of production values was quite organic (even insular) and lacked any concrete reference points during the process. We didn't even ever record any demos unlike for Mutations, which we demoed for about a week prior to going in. So no, that Elton record, as superlative as it is, didn't have any bearing on the process.

Outboard wise, Nigel used the O-way plates & chambers and some tape echoes, and this particular oddball digital reverb that I don't remember the name of. (Sonically, it was very reminiscent of a Publison Infernal Machine). Otherwise, he was fairly constantly using the big case of API 550A's to the right of the console monitor section, and standard black face 1176's and LA2A's, which are all still in the room right where they always were. We used the console pre's.

I may have described this earlier, but when mixing, Nigel would use the monitor section for the most part. Sometimes he would require multiple hands and we'd all chip in, probably because we wanted to avoid that GML automation.

Best,
Justin

hey man,
you are quite welcome.
thank you for sharing your experiences recording this fabulous album with us.

one thing i am still curious about is how much compression and EQ was committed to tape and how much happened during the mix????
it was done to tape right? did it ever hit digital before mixing??
also, were the final mixes printed to 2 track tape or straight off the console to digital 2 track?

sorry to ask about so many details, but i am so curious i just cant resist.

thanks again!
-A