Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (Recording Vocals)
Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (Recording Vocals)
Hello,
I'm really interested in the lead vocal treatment on the album Pacific Ocean Blue. It's very airy and open with lot's of depth. It sounds so perfect to me. Does anyone have any advice on how to capture or invoke this sound on the recording end? I'm looking for feedback both on recording technique and specific gear. I don't sing anything like him, and I appreciate that Dennis' performance is part of the sound, but I think that whatever treatment he's using would work well with my voice. Here are the tracks that I'm drawing from specifically:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPr5ZZdFdFk (Dennis Wilson - Dreamer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiZoSHVQXmk (Dennis Wilson - River Song)
I spoke with Don Zientara at Inner Ear Studios about this and he said he's probably singing into a Neumann mic. I haven't tried any of the neumanns that the beach boys used, but every neumann microphone I've tried has a sonic signature that I love, and my intuition is telling me that I need one. I'm watching youtube demos of U47s, U67s, and U87s, and they all sound great, but none of them are jumping out as a Dennis Wilson microphone. I've read that the Beach Boys recorded with a U47 a lot though.
Any help or insight is greatly appreciated; I really have my heart set on this.
Thank you,
Michael
I'm really interested in the lead vocal treatment on the album Pacific Ocean Blue. It's very airy and open with lot's of depth. It sounds so perfect to me. Does anyone have any advice on how to capture or invoke this sound on the recording end? I'm looking for feedback both on recording technique and specific gear. I don't sing anything like him, and I appreciate that Dennis' performance is part of the sound, but I think that whatever treatment he's using would work well with my voice. Here are the tracks that I'm drawing from specifically:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPr5ZZdFdFk (Dennis Wilson - Dreamer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiZoSHVQXmk (Dennis Wilson - River Song)
I spoke with Don Zientara at Inner Ear Studios about this and he said he's probably singing into a Neumann mic. I haven't tried any of the neumanns that the beach boys used, but every neumann microphone I've tried has a sonic signature that I love, and my intuition is telling me that I need one. I'm watching youtube demos of U47s, U67s, and U87s, and they all sound great, but none of them are jumping out as a Dennis Wilson microphone. I've read that the Beach Boys recorded with a U47 a lot though.
Any help or insight is greatly appreciated; I really have my heart set on this.
Thank you,
Michael
- Nick Sevilla
- on a wing and a prayer
- Posts: 5593
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:34 pm
- Location: Lake Arrowhead California USA
- Contact:
Re: Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (Recording Vocals)
From the yooboob video, the first song:
I think, recording wise:
Neumann / Telefunken U47.
UAD 610 or Neve preamp.
LA2a compressor.
Mix processing, perhaps:
Eventide 910 harmonizer plug in (pretty obvious actually)
Very short delay, and a digital reverb of some kind, medium or short.
I think, recording wise:
Neumann / Telefunken U47.
UAD 610 or Neve preamp.
LA2a compressor.
Mix processing, perhaps:
Eventide 910 harmonizer plug in (pretty obvious actually)
Very short delay, and a digital reverb of some kind, medium or short.
Howling at the neighbors. Hoping they have more mic cables.
- Nick Sevilla
- on a wing and a prayer
- Posts: 5593
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:34 pm
- Location: Lake Arrowhead California USA
- Contact:
Re: Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (Recording Vocals)
More here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_O ... #Personnel
John Hanlon — Engineer; lead guitar on "Dreamer"
Earle Mankey — Guitar; Engineer
Stephen Moffitt — Chief engineer
Find those three guys, if they are still with us, and ask them. I'm sure they'll share whatever they remember.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_O ... #Personnel
John Hanlon — Engineer; lead guitar on "Dreamer"
Earle Mankey — Guitar; Engineer
Stephen Moffitt — Chief engineer
Find those three guys, if they are still with us, and ask them. I'm sure they'll share whatever they remember.
Howling at the neighbors. Hoping they have more mic cables.
Re: Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (Recording Vocals)
Thank you so much for this! It looks like John Hanlon and and Earle Mankey are still alive. I will also check out the gear you suggested.
Re: Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (Recording Vocals)
I think - I should check - Earle Mankey was the guitarist in Concrete Blonde?
EDIT: brother of the guitarist, James.
EDIT: brother of the guitarist, James.
- markjazzbassist
- tinnitus
- Posts: 1050
- Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:33 am
- Location: Cleveland
Re: Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (Recording Vocals)
just wanted to post that i love that record, absolutely underrated (criminally), just some beautiful and lush songs on there.
-
- dead but not forgotten
- Posts: 2037
- Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2004 10:22 am
- Location: Ramah, New Mexico
Re: Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (Recording Vocals)
To me it sounds like a lot of compression on the vocals, slap back delay, and the mids are a little scooped.
The overall mix reminds me a lot of Elton John's "Captain Fantastic" record. Guitars, drums, bass...very similar to my ears.
The overall mix reminds me a lot of Elton John's "Captain Fantastic" record. Guitars, drums, bass...very similar to my ears.
"The mushroom states its own position very clearly. It says, "I require the nervous system of a mammal. Do you have one handy?" Terrence McKenna
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 40 guests