Jeff Wexler Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 The Making of Led Zeppelin's 'Whole Lotta Love' Great article, in depth, about the Led Zeppelin recordings. I had always wondered about the pre-echo in Whole Lotta Love and I think I knew it was an accident, but I thought it was PRINT THROUGH which can, of course, produce a pre-echo. Below you can read an excerpt that explains what it was "At the point where the song breaks and Robert slowly wails, "Way down inside…wo-man…you need…love," Jimmy and I heard this faint voice singing the lyric before Robert did on the master vocal track. Apparently Robert had done two different vocals, recording them on two different tracks. Even when I turned the volume down all the way on the track we didn't want, his powerful voice was bleeding through the console and onto the master. Some people today still think the faint voice was a pre-echo that we added on purpose for effect. It wasn't—it was an accident. Once Jimmy and I realized we had to live with it on the master, I looked at Jimmy, he looked at me and we both reached for the reverb knob at the same time and cracked up laughing. Our instincts were the same—to douse the faint, intruding voice in reverb so it sounded part of the master plan. Mr. Page: I hadn't heard anything like that before and loved it. I was always looking for things like that when I recorded. That's the beauty of old recording equipment. Robert's faraway voice sounded otherworldly, like a spirit anticipating the vocal he was about to deliver. Mr. Kramer: By adding reverb, we made his faint voice more dynamic, and it became part of rock history. I also used the pan pots on Jimmy's guitar solo to fling it from side to side, so it would move from one speaker to another. I loved the sonic imagery and I like to think of my mixes as stereophonic paintings." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerard-NYNY Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 old school analog boards are still the best for getting a 'sound' in my opinion. they sound rock n roll; the sound is in the wiring; a little dirt and grit never hurt anyone in those days. using the right/wrong mics didn't seem to matter much. something interesting could always happen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Anderson Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 Great read, Jeff! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrd456 Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 old school analog boards are still the best for getting a 'sound' in my opinion. they sound rock n roll; the sound is in the wiring; a little dirt and grit never hurt anyone in those days. using the right/wrong mics didn't seem to matter much. something interesting could always happen The mics. did matter a lot.I was a rock'n'roll engineer in the late 60's,early 70's and it wasn't as funky as you make it seem. J.D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 The mics. did matter a lot.I was a rock'n'roll engineer in the late 60's,early 70's and it wasn't as funky as you make it seem. J.D. Yeah, they did. As did the use of staff engineers who knew their rooms really well, like where to put a drum kit or an amp in there for what sort of sound. And the equipment was maintained and aligned, daily if not more often. And there was nothing "prosumer" in any signal chain anywhere--it was all the best there was, expensive and designed for daily pro use. philp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 NYNY: " the sound is in the wiring; " thus the requirement for the ultra-premium, super expensive oxygen free heavy guage monster cable special wiring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old school Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 I could read that kind of history all day. Thanks. CrewC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegrider Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 The "Whole Lotta Love" opening is my ringtone. Everytime it goes off, everybody that hears it smiles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerard-NYNY Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 NYNY: " the sound is in the wiring; " thus the requirement for the ultra-premium, super expensive oxygen free heavy guage monster cable special wiring. lol. i'll order some today. maybe it will enhance the state of the art bleed from the all the even numbered channels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traut Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 I had the wonderful privilege to work with Mr. Page during the making of It Might Get Loud. He is a marvelous gentleman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 The "Whole Lotta Love" opening is my ringtone. Everytime it goes off, everybody that hears it smiles. Unless it's in the middle of a take! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Reilly Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 "Even when I turned the volume down all the way on the track we didn't want, his powerful voice was bleeding through the console and onto the master" Ah...really? Result of "his powerful voice"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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