'Shitty Is Pretty : Anatomy Of A Funk 45'

[Matt C.]

is that really all you have to do to setup a DIY spring reverb? or am i missing something? do those $30 spring tanks (accutronics) come with usable inputs and outputs already built in? it looks like that's the case on their product info page but it's not super specific.

i thought the engineering section of the article was a fun read. even though i have no idea what "heavy funk" sounds like.

[TV Lenny]

Cool article and video.

In the last year and a half I have learned a lot about making funk records specifically for vinyl. I guess more than anything it reinforces the mentality of what making a record (and I use that term for any given media it may be released on) should mean. One of the consequences of working with analog tape for me has been it has made me less lazy. After years of digital, sometimes you take for granted redoing parts over and over instead of making it right the first time...more for my own stuff than for clients but nonetheless.

One of the greatest things about music production to me is what I learn from the most unexpected places or people.

[wren]

is that really all you have to do to setup a DIY spring reverb? or am i missing something?

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. Anyone?

[AlexP]

that really is the only thing you need to do. I pulled the tank out of an old fender fm212, it's got RCA ins and outs. Gives you some classic, wet, springy verb. You just have to do a little eq'ing on the reverb channel and you can get some great sounds. Try it!

[maxadocious]

can anyone repost? linkz R dead

[evets]

I just googled it and found it here -

http://westtownrecording.com/wp-content ... itty11.pdf
http://westtownrecording.com/wp-content ... hitty2.pdf

[losthighway]

I'm with that guy. The more progressive funk gets the lamer it is. But that is a musical opinion not a piece of engineering science.

Some of my favorite records are really primitive soul records. Kind of like old Folkway (Leadbelly, Woody) stuff that Northern Soul and early Stax (Mavis, Eddie Floyd) stuff makes three chords sound like a grand artistic statement. And they make you want to dance.

Nothing I've ever recorded with more state of the art gear sits in the speakers like that, nor does it translate emotion as effectively. Always good to study the classics, even if you can't reproduce them.

[Jay Reynolds]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZQCij721jQ

[Nick Sevilla]

Well as he says himself most of his compression is by hitting the tape as hard as hell. This quote: "NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES "SLAP" OR "POP" THE STRINGS OF A BASS. THIS IS NOT FUNKY AND COOL. IT IS TASTELESS AND EMBARASSINGLY STUPID." leads me to think he is deliberately excluding those such as Bernie Worrell & Paul Jackson.

Yesterday I went to a local business fair, where they had food stands, business stands, etc. along with a stage.

The band playing had a good sound, played well, etc. BUT the Bass player would, every now and then try this "pop" and "slap" on the strings.

In this case, HELL NO DO NOT EVER POP OR SLAP THE STRINGS.

It was embarrasing and horrid sounding.

I agree that there are a few, and I do mean FEW bass player who can pull the style off. And, there are only a few styles of music where these two techniques actually sound good in context.

But, alas, NOT in Country, Western, nor anything resembling these two styles of music. Good God!!!

[Jay Reynolds]

Larry Graham invented slap bass, and I think he's generally pretty good at it. William Collins seems to do a good job. And the guy from Slave. And Lakeside. And Victor Bailey. And George Porter Junior (though he doesn't do it much). And a whole bunch of other guys.

The mere though of Gabe telling Larry Graham that his shit is embarrassing is rich.

[lancebug]

Well as he says himself most of his compression is by hitting the tape as hard as hell. This quote: "NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES "SLAP" OR "POP" THE STRINGS OF A BASS. THIS IS NOT FUNKY AND COOL. IT IS TASTELESS AND EMBARASSINGLY STUPID." leads me to think he is deliberately excluding those such as Bernie Worrell & Paul Jackson.

Pretty sure Gabe Roth/ Bosco Mann is more than literate in the full spectrum of funk and jazz. As others have mentioned, he is describing an approach to achieving a specific flavor of a very specific style. It is sort of like civil war re-enactors that research and debate what type of eye glasses are appropriate to wear on the battlefield in order to preserve authenticity. They're not saying that you shouldn't wear glasses, just not if you are trying to do what they do. Personally, I think the guy has talent and skills for days. It sort of seems contradictory, but in spite of his rigorous technique and emphasis on historical style, I think he still has a less-is-more attitude that really lets the song and the performers be the main attraction rather than the production.

[Snarl 12/8]

As a drummer, my fave line was something along the lines (been a few years since I read it) of "don't ever play the hi-hats with two sticks unless you are in Ghana in the 70's." It's been hard to go doubletime on the hihats ever since I read that.

[@?,*???&?]

Not to high-jack this thread, but I keep seeing it and wish the title read, "Anatomy of Funk 49" by the James Gang...

Anybody know how those discs got recorded?

[MoreSpaceEcho]

even the dudes who were there aren't too sure.

[vvv]

Not to high-jack this thread, but I keep seeing it and wish the title read, "Anatomy of Funk 49" by the James Gang...

Anybody know how those discs got recorded?

Well, they slept all day ...