By Julian (205.188.201.213 - 205.188.201.213) on Saturday, June 01, 2002 - 02:49 pm:

What were some of the types of microphones used on vocals and instruments at Hitsville? How were the drums miced?

By Julian (205.188.201.213 - 205.188.201.213) on Saturday, June 01, 2002 - 02:50 pm:

How were the bass and guitars done?

By Ed Wolfrum (165.121.215.136 - 165.121.215.136) on Saturday, June 01, 2002 - 03:21 pm:

Hello Julian:

When I was there in 65-69 we used Neuman U64, U47, KM86 and Sony C-37A Condenser microphone's and Shure dynamics, usually on the horns. Mike Mclean discovered how good the Shure SM57 was. (I think I may be wrong here and it was the model just before the SM57 becuase that is too recent.)
On drums we used (in those days 3 microphones), as I remember the C-37 on the Bass drum and the U67 set bi-directional between the snare and sock cimbal and moved for balance and then usually a U67 or another C-37 for the tom and floor tom and set between them. That was it. Other may have changed that iteration later. Ken and Bob may want to comment on that as they were there after me and I know by then things may have changed.

Interestingly, most of the Detroit studios used similar setups and Artie Fields says it was Joe Siracuse who started the multi-miking on drums for the Jack Scott sessions in around 1954 or so. Joe has passed on so I can't ask him what he used.

Regarding Gits and Bass, you can hear it right from Mike Mclean on his earlier threads. You can find it on the forum!!!

The Motown Sound had more to to with recording technique, writing and skilled musicians than anything to do with equipment. You could put ANY of the engineering gang together with those musicians and charts today and any of us could do the same thing with today's gear even better!!!

By John Lester (213.122.202.169 - 213.122.202.169) on Thursday, June 06, 2002 - 12:51 pm:

So Julian....even though Berry Gordy said it was the rats and roaches on Motown 25, don't try finding any for your studio!!!

LOL

By M.McLeanTech (209.245.76.206 - 209.245.76.206) on Friday, June 07, 2002 - 06:50 am:

I totally agree. I have been trying to say that attempting to entice Motown into audiophile recording technique was like trying to teach the disipline of "steril technique" (part of the process of preparation of hospital operating rooms) to a common housefly.

The Soul was coming alive at Motown like that monster that invaded the folks on the space ship in the film "Alien." No power on earth could stop what happened. Today, the general public has a viewpoint that is supposed to be enlightened, recording recorded sound.

As far as I am concerned, it is about as enlightened as the viewpoint of those that brought down the towers on 9/11. Of course, I must admit that they have much better sound reproduction how, with CD, then those gum chewing teenagers had, with those ghastly portable phonographs.

Quality is a museum piece, today. Ask Edward R. Murrow's ghost. Assuming that you know who he was.

Mike McLean

By Julian the Great (205.188.199.164 - 205.188.199.164) on Friday, June 07, 2002 - 07:40 am:

I was just curious about the brands of mics and their micing techniques, that's all! You all may have read more into the question than I intended! Ha ha!

By Carl Dixon London (62.31.32.130 - 62.31.32.130) on Friday, June 07, 2002 - 07:47 am:

Mike - you educate me again! Edward R. Murrow, the Quaker gentleman who joined CBS Radio at the age of 27 in the 1930's? I think his style is around today - correct me if I am wrong, the CBS Evening News programme on the television - I suspect that presenter uses the same 'inverted phrases' technique!