Elliot Smith Vocal sound

cdbabel · Post by **cdbabel** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 5:37 pm

I've always wondered how Elliot Smith achieved his signature vocal sound.

Any ideas what effects and techniques he used?

dirty · Post by **dirty** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 5:43 pm

the early stuff was cheap dynamic mics, four track cassette and doubled meticulously.

I don't know as much about the process after the first couple.

Oh yeah, signature vocal cords. Those too...

Phiz · Post by **Phiz** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 5:58 pm

Our own Larry Crane recorded some of his stuff. Larry says a little bit about what he used in this recent interview.

cdbabel · Post by **cdbabel** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 6:08 pm

Phiz wrote:Our own Larry Crane recorded some of his stuff. Larry says a little bit about what he used in this recent interview.

Thats crazy, I used to drive by the Jackpot! Studio every day. I had no idea that was where some of my favorite albums were recorded (from the outside, it looks kinda shifty! Oh how appearances deceive.)

JGriffin · Post by **JGriffin** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:59 pm

cdbabel wrote:from the outside, it looks kinda shifty!

that's how you keep people from breaking in and stealing shit.

kayagum · Post by **kayagum** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 5:48 pm

Phiz wrote:Our own Larry Crane recorded some of his stuff. Larry says a little bit about what he used in this recent interview.

Great article! Didn't know the FM (as in Cornog) stood for "Fred"

@?,*???&? · Post by **@?,*???&?** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 8:20 pm

Yes, doubling. And what I'd call a 'loose' double. Not tight. Some singers are better at this than others. I'm sure he did this because he was self-conscious with his instrument. I've seen an awful lot of insecure singers in the studio who immediately go for this without ever understanding how to create 'focus' in a song.

dirty · Post by **dirty** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 4:45 am

I read somewhere that he used to sing very quietly. (not hard to imagine.) Hence the loads and loads of tape hiss on the earliest stuff.

Also, Roman Candle was recorded alomst entirely in a basement.

MoreSpaceEcho · Post by **MoreSpaceEcho** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 9:55 am

Jeff Robinson wrote: Yes, doubling. And what I'd call a 'loose' double. Not tight. Some singers have a better of this.I'm sure he did because he was self-conscious with his instrument.

another helpful post from jeff!

doubled vox, sung super quietly, very close to the mic, not shy with the compression would be my 2 cents.

Winslow Leech · Post by **Winslow Leech** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 10:37 am

some footage here...

http://youtube.com/w/ELLIOTT-SMITH---LU ... tt%20smith

dirty · Post by **dirty** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 2:49 pm

is it possible that cassette tape (and bouncing) provide a compression of their own? Or am I just hearing the doubling?

I'm thinking specifically of Roman Candle...

thearnicasync · Post by **thearnicasync** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 2:54 pm

Yeah, I actually don't hear too much compression on the early stuff. Seeing him live just acoustically kind of confirmed it...lots of years recording, I guess you get better at singing with compression...

cdbabel · Post by **cdbabel** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:46 pm

Jeff Robinson wrote:Yes, doubling. And what I'd call a 'loose' double. Not tight. Some singers are better at this than others. I'm sure he did this because he was self-conscious with his instrument. I've seen an awful lot of insecure singers in the studio who immediately go for this without ever understanding how to create 'focus' in a song.

Do you think that when he doubled the vocals he sang along with himself on a different track, or did he take the original track, double it, and off-set it?

dirty · Post by **dirty** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 1:02 pm

Well, with the ones done on a four-track, I'm sure he sang on a different track.

Electro-Voice 664 · Post by **Electro-Voice 664** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:20 pm

yes track 3
I believe

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Elliot Smith Vocal sound

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