Wall of Sound

Wall of Sound (English " wall of sound " ) is referred to with its artists in the music production of music producer Phil Spector from 1962 in the Gold Star Studios Hollywood until 1966 produced pop music, which is characterized by a high sound density and intensive use of audio effects and was often associated with a Überorchestrierung.

General

Until 1961 were for most music producers, the studios sterile premises, which approached the task separately to equip every single musical instrument from other instruments with a microphone and feed it to the final mix. In contrast to this was Spector's idea to embed the listener into a sound wall and to give him a compact listening experience. That a microphone and spherical sounds of other instruments caught with, was even desirable. This was in pop music, although not new, but in this concentrated form unknown. Spector has this wall of sound used only in his own record label Philles Records, but not in his numerous foreign productions for other record labels. The term wall of sound is in the music industry closely associated with the Gold Star Studios, specifically concerning with Studio A and the Ampex 350 Spector was one of the first music producer who saw a recording studio as an independent musical instrument.

Components of the Wall of Sound

To explore the characteristics of this production technology, organizational, technical and human components must be distinguished. In summary, they included primarily to a unified and identifiable sound that became known as the Wall of Sound in the history of music.

Organizational components

Phil Spector practiced its production technology only in the Gold Star Studios, who possessed a particularly effective echo chamber. Only 7 m × 10.60 m and 2.10 m high measured Studio A was crowded with studio musicians, which the compact sound amplified and led to a high saturation space. This contributed to a strong compression. The thus-recorded sound patterns were transferred into the concrete echo chamber, recorded their echo and mixed by overdubbing the studio recording time. The auditory impression of those shots gave the music consumers a studio size, which was in fact not exist. For the recordings a 4-lane Ampex 350 was used, which could be 350 coupled to a second Ampex.

Personnel Basics

In the studio Spector relied on a number of people. Important were particularly arranger Jack " Specs " Nitzsche and engineer Larry Levine, instrumental he continued the session musicians of the Wrecking Crew in different personnel composition of a (usually 2-4 guitarists, 2 basses, 2 drummers, etc.). The first take was usually occur until after hours of exercises. These were not about to implement because of the lack of professionalism of the studio musicians required, but the precise sound ideas of the producer Spector. In addition, sat at the studio musicians slowly fatigue one, making them largely lost their individuality. It was highly productive musicians who usually could read music and then got on with one take. Nevertheless there were several takes of like Be My Baby (42 takes), this was not due to the faultiness of the studio musician, but to the sound ideas of the producers. Roy Halee, co-producer of Simon & Garfunkel, praised the quality of the musicians, when talking about bassist Joe Osborn: "You need the tape not to stop because of an error, because there is none. "

Technical Requirements

Ready- recorded takes were doubled or tripled by overdubbing ( "double tracking" ), with a phase shift was achieved by the sound of the echo chamber. The intonation of the music was often characterized by Überorchestrierung or symphonic production. Spector called it "little symphonies for youth " in a Wagnerian approach to rock & roll. In the studio technology in audio effects such as delay, flanging, chorus or reverb were utilized, even strong distortions of the signal of instruments were typical. The repeated dubbing the same score in the way of overdubbing amplified the compact sound. The end result were highly compressed, intended for transistor radios music productions.

The course of the production was largely standardized. Jack Nitzsche made ​​first to the principal scores ( " Lead Sheets" ), Spector then began working with the guitar (usually 3 or even 4). Then the piano, three or four keyboards, at least two bass, then drums and finally the brass and string sections came. Spector was a fan of mono recording, so that three lanes of the two Ampex units were used solely to enhance the mono sounds, only the fourth track was the vocal recording. From this it can be seen that it had target mainly the instrumentation and the sound Spector.

Examples

As Spector's first recording at Gold Star as part of the Wall of Sound can be viewed He's A Rebel by the Crystals on 13 July 1962. As of July 5, 1963, the most characteristic product of the Wall of Sound was recorded, Be My Baby by the Ronettes. With Hal Blaine and Earl Palmer were two drummers present, Carol Kaye and Ray Pohlman played bass, equal to 4 Guitars ( Billy Strange, Tommy Tedesco, Barney Kessel and Bill Pitman ) and 4 keyboards ( Leon Russell, Larry Knechtel, Al De Lory and Don Randi ) led to an unprecedented sound density. Complemented by castanets and maracas, the song is the first in which Spector began a complete violin section. 42 Takes in a four-hour session were needed to satisfy Spector. The hit sold after its publication in August 1963 more than 2 million records alone in 1963.

The Ballads You've Lost That Lovin ' Feelin ' (taken from August to November 1964) and Unchained Melody (2 March 1965) the Righteous Brothers were suitable for the wall of sound; both recordings are among the most important productions of the Wall of Sound. They were successful number-one hits and million-seller. Among the most important interpreters of the Wall of Sound also included Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans and The Crystals. The last shot of the Wall of Sound in Spector found with Ike & Tina Turner River Deep and the title on March 7, 1966 - instead of Mountain High. In a 4 ½ - hour session is distinguished by its vocal intensity of Tina Turner further perfected the surround sound and the density of the song. In addition to the core of the Wrecking Crew Barney Kessel / Glen Campbell ( guitar ), Leon Russell (keyboards), Jim Horn ( saxophone), Carol Kaye (bass) and Hal Blaine / Earl Palmer (drums) were still present 19 other members.

Later recordings

The practice of Spector production technology is now used in rock and progressive metal genre. When psychedelic rock in particular the phasing from the catalog of audio effects was used. Spector produced from May 1, 1979 Larry Levine as a sound engineer in the Gold Star Studios, the Ramones End of the Century LP, with most musicians fled because they thought Spector was crazy. The set for completion of the project unswervingly a studio musician. For purposes of stereo Wall of Sound now offers a broad, filled stereo image with pronounced spatial depth. Thanks to multi-channel technology created by " doubling " (repeated loading a same score) for human ears pleasant phase cancellation in the signal and by skillfully placing the signal in the stereo image a wide and deep soundstage. Examples are Pink Floyd, Genesis or Enya. Is doubled and the chant in hip-hop productions such as providing the chorus strength and volume to the voice.