Phil Spector Wall Of Sound in a DAW
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 27 posts since 28 Feb, 2023
Anyone got any tips on getting Spector's Wall of Soud as replicated here in this Walker Brothers track?
https://youtu.be/Gu-5smUuxMo
https://youtu.be/Gu-5smUuxMo
- KVRist
- 460 posts since 2 Sep, 2012
Some ideas, although I’ve never tried to replicate the sound:
- Run everything through a good room plugin/IR
- liberal amount of plate reverb
- drums mainly coming from room & OH mics
- vocals are more mixed in to the song than on top
- arrangement & instrument tone, even though the sound is full, there isn’t clashing going on
- listen good for mono/stereo placement of sounds, there’s some hard panning happening but with bleed from stuff panned to the opposite sides
- overall frequency, no crazy highs or lows really
I’m sure you can find articles and or videos about how Phil worked and created his sound.
Good luck, post your results!
- Run everything through a good room plugin/IR
- liberal amount of plate reverb
- drums mainly coming from room & OH mics
- vocals are more mixed in to the song than on top
- arrangement & instrument tone, even though the sound is full, there isn’t clashing going on
- listen good for mono/stereo placement of sounds, there’s some hard panning happening but with bleed from stuff panned to the opposite sides
- overall frequency, no crazy highs or lows really
I’m sure you can find articles and or videos about how Phil worked and created his sound.
Good luck, post your results!
- KVRAF
- 4867 posts since 25 Jan, 2014 from The End of The World as We Knowit
1. Orchestrate, using a wide variety of instruments in ensembles to fill the entire spectrum, then boost/cut EQ on tracks to avoid frequency clashes, rather than ducking volume with compression. This makes the "wall" spectrally wide like an orchestra.
2. Thicken, particularly by recording in mono, doubling with similar instruments in each ensemble, and then panning with different fx on each instrument. This makes the wall "solid" with many subtle timbres.
https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... ker-sounds
2. Thicken, particularly by recording in mono, doubling with similar instruments in each ensemble, and then panning with different fx on each instrument. This makes the wall "solid" with many subtle timbres.
https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... ker-sounds
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- KVRAF
- 10730 posts since 20 Nov, 2003 from Lost and Spaced
Layers upon layers. ABBA did the same.
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- addled muppet weed
- 106235 posts since 26 Jan, 2003 from through the looking glass
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- KVRAF
- 4470 posts since 15 Feb, 2020
Yea, pretty terrible person who worked on some great music.
I loved Ronnie
I lost my heart in Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu
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- KVRist
- 229 posts since 13 Dec, 2016
Yeah, thats what I'm hearing. Don't mix modern with trying to have every hit/note/frequency range popping out constantly. There's a real smear of sound where vocals and instruments go in and out. That's a big part of that live sound and players going into a couple of mics. Sometimes the toms obscure the singing.DMG68 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 03, 2023 12:05 pm Some ideas, although I’ve never tried to replicate the sound:
- Run everything through a good room plugin/IR
- liberal amount of plate reverb
- drums mainly coming from room & OH mics
- vocals are more mixed in to the song than on top
- arrangement & instrument tone, even though the sound is full, there isn’t clashing going on
- listen good for mono/stereo placement of sounds, there’s some hard panning happening but with bleed from stuff panned to the opposite sides
- overall frequency, no crazy highs or lows really
Personally I'd use Satin a lot trying to get this type of production feel.
And don't forget these are really good singers and players recorded with expensive mics by engineers who knew the room. They also went on to the next recording/mixing after a couple of hours. It wasn't labored over.
- KVRAF
- 5572 posts since 2 Sep, 2019
I wouldn't replicate this.
Everything is panned either hard left or hard right, with the exception of the vocal.
The only take aways from Specter's "wall of sound" for modern production would be to layer lots of sounds and use lots of reverb.
But unlike this recording, you're going to want to create unique space for each instrument within the stereo field.
Everything is panned either hard left or hard right, with the exception of the vocal.
The only take aways from Specter's "wall of sound" for modern production would be to layer lots of sounds and use lots of reverb.
But unlike this recording, you're going to want to create unique space for each instrument within the stereo field.
THIS MUSIC HAS BEEN MIXED TO BE PLAYED LOUD SO TURN IT UP
- Boss Lovin' DR
- 12773 posts since 15 Mar, 2002 from the grimness of yorkshire
As an example, Bernard Butler is an absolute genius at that type of thing - 60s big pop in the more modern stylee;jamcat wrote: ↑Fri Mar 03, 2023 8:45 pm I wouldn't replicate this.
Everything is panned either hard left or hard right, with the exception of the vocal.
The only take aways from Specter's "wall of sound" for modern production would be to layer lots of sounds and use lots of reverb.
But unlike this recording, you're going to want to create unique space for each instrument within the stereo field.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QgkaIjmodc
Huge layering and reverb, but yet still clear and powerful.
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- KVRAF
- 4470 posts since 15 Feb, 2020
Compress/limit/maximise the f**k out of the mix. No quiet moment. Brick wall it.
But that’s just me.
But that’s just me.
I lost my heart in Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu
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- KVRAF
- 7927 posts since 24 May, 2002 from Tutukaka, New Zealand
I've not come across them before. Thanks, that was good. Could have been the Ronettes or any number of 60s bands, very derivative but in a good way - much better than say Oasis who were obvs derivative but naff IMO. Butler was just the right side of naff'n'cheesey. Oasis were clearly on the wrong side. Carrying on where Amy Whitehouse left off but without a deathwish?donkey tugger wrote: ↑Fri Mar 03, 2023 8:53 pm
As an example, Bernard Butler is an absolute genius at that type of thing - 60s big pop in the more modern stylee;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QgkaIjmodc
Huge layering and reverb, but yet still clear and powerful.
- KVRAF
- 4867 posts since 25 Jan, 2014 from The End of The World as We Knowit
FYI, these are the 1966 recording sessions for River Deep, Mountain High:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhCFAwfb2LI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhCFAwfb2LI
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- addled muppet weed
- 106235 posts since 26 Jan, 2003 from through the looking glass
they were around before winehouse, butler, is the guitarist from suede.kritikon wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 5:29 amI've not come across them before. Thanks, that was good. Could have been the Ronettes or any number of 60s bands, very derivative but in a good way - much better than say Oasis who were obvs derivative but naff IMO. Butler was just the right side of naff'n'cheesey. Oasis were clearly on the wrong side. Carrying on where Amy Whitehouse left off but without a deathwish?donkey tugger wrote: ↑Fri Mar 03, 2023 8:53 pm
As an example, Bernard Butler is an absolute genius at that type of thing - 60s big pop in the more modern stylee;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QgkaIjmodc
Huge layering and reverb, but yet still clear and powerful.
i love this track
https://youtu.be/vltxC9ljJqA