That Classic Country Sound

[Slap Back]

Hi,

I've been a lurker here for a few years and enjoy this forum a lot.

I use a cheap Motu 2408 MKII, Samplitude V8, and a Digimax LT Preamp to do home recordings. Mics:414 TLII, KM184's, 421's, SM57's, C1. Instruments: Les Paul, Tremoverb, P Bass Taye Studio Maple Kit /Sabians

I stumbled on this classic country station that took me back to when I was a kid with my dad listening to:

You Picked a Fine Time to Leave Me Lucille
Big John
Stand By My Woman Man
What's Your Mamas Name
Coal Miner's Daughter
The Wichita Lineman
The Gambler
Briown Eyes Blue

.... and so on

They all sound very similar and quite pleasant to my ear.

Is there a certain mixing board, preamp, eq, responsible for thes trademark sound?

Can a cheap home studio like mine get a peice of it?

[Dave Martin]

Originally Posted by Slap Back

Hi,

I've been a lurker here for a few years and enjoy this forum a lot.

I use a cheap Motu 2408 MKII, Samplitude V8, and a Digimax LT Preamp to do home recordings. Mics:414 TLII, KM184's, 421's, SM57's, C1. Instruments: Les Paul, Tremoverb, P Bass Taye Studio Maple Kit /Sabians

I stumbled on this classic country station that took me back to when I was a kid with my dad listening to:

You Picked a Fine Time to Leave Me Lucille
Big John
Stand By My Woman Man
What's Your Mamas Name
Coal Miner's Daughter
The Wichita Lineman
The Gambler
Briown Eyes Blue

.... and so on

They all sound very similar and quite pleasant to my ear.

Is there a certain mixing board, preamp, eq, responsible for thes trademark sound?

Can a cheap home studio like mine get a peice of it?

It's not in the board, the pre, or the EQ - it's the players and in the songs. The songs you mentioned are not only from a span of more than 15 years, but were also recorded in Nashville and LA. Think about what 15 years (any 15 years, really) did to the sound of rock music; country's the same way.

But to your question about whether your home studio can get some of that sound, the anwer is yes - as long as you have songs that are as good as the ones you cited and musicians as good as the guys were who played on those records.

[Mr. PC]

I'm listening to Patsy Cline right now and I think her hits represent the highest level of achievement that can possibly be reached in recorded music.

Every fekking element is top-notch, 10 out of 10. Songs, singer (spellbinding), players, arrangement, room, recording technique.

It makes me sad that I don't think music history will allow all of these ingredients to come together again.


PC

[Kawriver]

Originally Posted by Mr. PC

I'm listening to Patsy Cline right now and I think her hits represent the highest level of achievement that can possibly be reached in recorded music.

Every fekking element is top-notch, 10 out of 10. Songs, singer (spellbinding), players, arrangement, room, recording technique.

It makes me sad that I don't think music history will allow all of these ingredients to come together again.


PC

I totally agree. The only way the subtlety will be brought back into the music is 1. get jazz player to play country sessions again 2. get country songwriters to be more like Paul Overstreet than Big & Rich 3 Capture the moment in one room. Bleed can be cool for adding subtle but noticable effects to albums 4 have another once a generation talent like Patsy standing in.thumbsup

[vernier]

Is there a certain mixing board, preamp, eq, responsible for thes trademark sound?

Yes ...the equipment is largely it, along with the instruments of the era (50's and 60's). Consoles were custom built, mostly from studio in-house techs. Based on old radio consoles, the preamps were tube, (theres still a few around today from that era, RCA, UA, Telefunken, etc). As for eq, most consoles didn't have it. When needed, it was patched in, either a passive, two-knob shelving, like 100 hz and 7 or 8 khz, with a couple switches to change those settings to something like 40 hz, and 3 or 5 khz. And some studios had a Pultec, or even racks of 'em. And they used filters, high and low-pass. This, along with the mics of the day, and analog recorders, gave it a sound. There are great musicians today, and there were great one's then, but the records sound different, don't they.

[Kiwiburger]

It don't mean a thang, if it ain't got that twang ...

[T.RayBullard]

Yes, I love Patsy Cline. Between her, George Jones, and Johnny Cash....they had that sound that noone will ever copy. Shame what "country" music has become.