6th December 2007
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#1 | | Gear nut
Joined: May 2005 Location: One place at a time
Posts: 106
Thread Starter  | Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Who has info on the mixing of Rumours (1977)?
I have seen the classic series DVD, which was very insightful, but I would like to have more info on the mixing itself:
console? monitors? where?
how did they treat the rhythm section? Individual comps? subgrouping in 1977? Was the bass only a DI?
What fx were used? Plate? Or more?
More specifically on the bass: was it standard to filter out quite a bit of the low end? Cause on all the songs (and most other albums too), the bass is rather midrangey, without a lot of oomph.
If Richard D Or Ken C happen to be around here, I wouldn't mind them answering some of the questions (phenomenal job from those two gentlemen by the way).
Looking forward to getting some answers.
D.
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6th December 2007
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#2 | | Gearslutz.com admin
Joined: Apr 2002 Location: A Yank in London, UK  |
Did that "rent time on it" Aphex Aural Exciter outboard unit get used on it?
quick google search... perhaps yes! Aphex Systems - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia | |
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6th December 2007
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#3 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Aug 2006 Location: No longer participating here.
Posts: 6,705
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Jules  Did that "rent time on it" Aphex outboard unit get used on it? | That was funny I remember reading that on the rate sheet for Compass Point back in the day..."Aphex Aural Exciter Type C $25/hour" or something like that. I wondered what could be so incredible about this unit that you paid by the minute for its virtues. I guess it's all part of making it seem " exclusive"...  | |
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6th December 2007
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#6 | | Gear nut
Joined: May 2005 Location: One place at a time
Posts: 106
Thread Starter | Quote:
Originally Posted by Crash | Thanks, but that's the DVD I mention in my original post. great footage, but not really on the mixing.
Anyone who worked at The Plant, Wally Heider or Criteria in the mid 70's?
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6th December 2007
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#7 | | Gear nut
Joined: May 2005 Location: One place at a time
Posts: 106
Thread Starter | Quote:
Originally Posted by wineredno1 |  No subscription. does it go in depth about the mixing? if so, I'll take the sub.
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6th December 2007
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#8 | | Gearslutz.com admin
Joined: Apr 2002 Location: A Yank in London, UK | Quote:
Originally Posted by peeder That was funny I remember reading that on the rate sheet for Compass Point back in the day..."Aphex Aural Exciter Type C $25/hour" or something like that. I wondered what could be so incredible about this unit that you paid by the minute for its virtues. I guess it's all part of making it seem " exclusive"... | My 2nd (!) punk rock band was in a studio with one of these but we weren't allowed to use it as we were ON A BUDGET! (1978 - Rock City studios, Shepperton, UK) Anyhow.. back on topic!   | |
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6th December 2007
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#9 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Aug 2004 Location: The Big Wide City
Posts: 1,088
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From what I understand, the Type C was used on the tracking but they played hell finding a mix room where the tracks didn't sound terrible.
AFAIK, it was mixed in a small, B room in North Holly over a porn shop.
__________________
"It CAN be done. You can drive a car with your feet, but that don't make it a good f*cking idea". - Chris Rock
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6th December 2007
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#10 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Oct 2005 Location: Michigan
Posts: 665
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I was reading a repro of a '70s article from some audio magazine on someone's website which was basically a very in-depth interview and discussion on the recording of Rumours. It included tons of talk about gear as well as techniques. It was quite evident that it was a pinnacle of '70s rock production. One of my favorite quotes was where they discussed taking eighteen hours on a kick drum sound.... and still weren't happy with it. 
That was a pretty great article. I'm going to storm my memory banks to see if I can't remember where I ran across it. I didn't have much luck with a quick Google search.
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6th December 2007
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#11 | | Gear Head
Joined: Sep 2005 Location: crooklyn
Posts: 40
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eighteen hours goes pretty quickly after a gram of cocaine and a case of wine....
john
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6th December 2007
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#12 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jul 2007 Location: Salt Lake City
Posts: 566
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Local 47 No subscription. does it go in depth about the mixing? if so, I'll take the sub. | Actually there's more talk about tracking in that article than mixing. I think you can access SOS articles after 6 months, but I haven't checked that for awhile.
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6th December 2007
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#13 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Oct 2003 Location: San Antonio Texas
Posts: 1,893
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Local 47 Thanks, but that's the DVD I mention in my original post. great footage, but not really on the mixing.
Anyone who worked at The Plant, Wally Heider or Criteria in the mid 70's? | My apologies, in my excitement to help, I blew through the first three lines of your post and went straight to the questions. DOH!!!!!
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6th December 2007
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#14 | | Gear nut
Joined: May 2005 Location: One place at a time
Posts: 106
Thread Starter | Quote:
Originally Posted by centurymantra I was reading a repro of a '70s article from some audio magazine on someone's website which was basically a very in-depth interview and discussion on the recording of Rumours. It included tons of talk about gear as well as techniques. It was quite evident that it was a pinnacle of '70s rock production. One of my favorite quotes was where they discussed taking eighteen hours on a kick drum sound.... and still weren't happy with it.
That was a pretty great article. I'm going to storm my memory banks to see if I can't remember where I ran across it. I didn't have much luck with a quick Google search. | Bryan,
me too, I recall having the article a few months ago. I think it was a 70's mag named 'Recording Engineer'. But as far as I remember it went in depth about the tracking, not really on the mixing. I believe it was an interview with both engineers (RD + KC).
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6th December 2007
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#15 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Oct 2005 Location: Michigan
Posts: 665
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Local 47 Bryan,
me too, I recall having the article a few months ago. I believe it was a mag named 'Recording Engineer'. But as far as I remember it went in depth about the tracking, not really on the mixing. I believe it was an interview with both engineers (RD + KC). | Ah yes...you are correct. It was pretty much focused on the tracking. I'd actually like to find that article again. I'll try and do a search with that magazine name.
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6th December 2007
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#16 | | Gear nut
Joined: May 2005 Location: One place at a time
Posts: 106
Thread Starter |
I have a printout of that one somewhere. And I made it a PDF or it came as a PDF (don't remember). I'll send it to you if you want (pretty big file though, about 20 Mb)
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6th December 2007
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#17 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Apr 2004 Location: Chennai, India
Posts: 1,402
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just to say "keep the thread going"... it is IMHO and that of a million others, (and heres one of the exceptions where i meet the masses), one of the greatest albums of all time.  | |
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6th December 2007
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#18 | | Gear nut
Joined: May 2005 Location: One place at a time
Posts: 106
Thread Starter | Quote:
Originally Posted by audiothings just to say "keep the thread going"... it is IMHO and that of a million others, (and heres one of the exceptions where i meet the masses), one of the greatest albums of all time. | I believe so too.
It is one of the best-selling albums of all time, with over 30.000.000 copies sold. We're close to 20 posts deep into this thread (which doesn't mean jack sh*t, I know), and yet, very little info on how this gem was mixed. What I'm trying to say, is that there just don't seem to be an awful lot of information going around.
But please, prove me wrong | |
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6th December 2007
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#19 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Oct 2005 Location: Michigan
Posts: 665
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Local 47 I have a printout of that one somewhere. And I made it a PDF or it came as a PDF (don't remember). I'll send it to you if you want (pretty big file though, about 20 Mb) | That would be very cool of you to do that. I think it was a PDF. I remember pulling up a PDF composed of scanned magazine pages. If the GS e-mail function doesn't allow attachments, you can find my e-mail through the contact link on my website in my signature.
Thanks! thumbsup
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6th December 2007
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#20 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Apr 2005 Location: nyc / london
Posts: 3,518
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i have always thought
that "fleetwood mac" and "tusk"
sound much better than
"rumours"
be
well
- jack
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6th December 2007
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#21 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Mar 2005 Location: NYC
Posts: 2,932
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Originally Posted by bunnerabb From what I understand, the Type C was used on the tracking | Aphex Type C didn't come out until the late 1980's/early 1990's. For Rumors Fleetwood Mac would have been using the original Aphex Aural Exciter ("Type A"?), a considerably more comprehensive unit than the affordable Type B or C.
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6th December 2007
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#22 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Aug 2006 Location: No longer participating here.
Posts: 6,705
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Ross Aphex Type C didn't come out until the late 1980's/early 1990's. For Rumors Fleetwood Mac would have been using the original Aphex Aural Exciter ("Type A"?), a considerably more comprehensive unit than the affordable Type B or C. | Right you are and awful my memory is.  | |
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6th December 2007
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#23 | | Gear nut
Joined: May 2005 Location: One place at a time
Posts: 106
Thread Starter |
Where's the Fleetwood Mac gang?
I figured it would be hard to get answers, but someday, somehow, someone's gonna show up with all the knowledge...
In the meantime, let's start with some easier questions: one of the original engineers mentioned they preferred to work with API eq's while tracking, and parametrics for mixing: what were the parametrics available in the mid 70's?
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6th December 2007
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#24 | | Gearslutz.com admin
Joined: Apr 2002 Location: A Yank in London, UK | Quote:
Originally Posted by peeder Right you are and awful my memory is. | Hey! Don't sweat it, if you can remember the 70's you weren't there, right?  | |
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7th December 2007
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#25 | | Gear nut
Joined: May 2005 Location: One place at a time
Posts: 106
Thread Starter |
"Thunder only happens when it's raining
Players only love you when they're playing"  
Test test one two one two test test
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7th December 2007
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#26 | | Gear Guru
Joined: Feb 2004 | Quote:
Originally Posted by themaidsroom i have always thought
that "fleetwood mac" and "tusk"
sound much better than
"rumours"
be
well
- jack | That might be because they wore out the master 2" tapes and resorted to mixing with the second generation safety's, it's a foggy sound that record. They spent month's re-recording stuff until the oxide started coming off the tape.
What's the definition of "over-produced"?
When your tracks come off the tape onto the heads. I know where the top end went on that record, it's on the q-tips.
Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades
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7th December 2007
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#27 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Sep 2005 Location: Coventry
Posts: 1,481
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BBC2 over here in Blighty did a whole show about the album...I'm sure there is someone on here with a copy might do you the favour of sending you one... Pretty extensive interviews including about tracking and mixing...
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7th December 2007
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#28 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Sep 2006 Location: Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,284
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Williams That might be because they wore out the master 2" tapes and resorted to mixing with the second generation safety's, it's a foggy sound that record. They spent month's re-recording stuff until the oxide started coming off the tape.
What's the definition of "over-produced"?
When your tracks come off the tape onto the heads. I know where the top end went on that record, it's on the q-tips.
Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades | can someone PLEASE make a plug-in that sounds like this! LOL 
when i think of tape and warm i think of the first 8 bars of dreams. the arrangement in that song is so amazing with very little happening but each part having such a great impact.
maybe if i run four instances of voxengo tapebus in the 2bus i can get that sound...
__________________ Adam Miner: Songwriter, producer, mixer, studio owner www.adamminer.com | |
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7th December 2007
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#29 | | Gear addict
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 319
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Local 47 Bryan,
me too, I recall having the article a few months ago. I think it was a 70's mag named 'Recording Engineer'. But as far as I remember it went in depth about the tracking, not really on the mixing. I believe it was an interview with both engineers (RD + KC). | Here it is:
17mb RapidShare: 1-Click Webhosting | |
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7th December 2007
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#30 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Oct 2003 Location: San Antonio Texas
Posts: 1,893
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I have always thought Rumors sounded sort of odd. It is amazing to go and do some back to back listening with this album involved. Me and my studio partner did some listening comparisons with Fleetwood Mac-Rumors, Supertramp-Breakfast in America, Pink Floyd-The Wall and Nazareth-Malice in Wonderland. It was beyond eye opening from an overall EQ and sonics perspective.
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