I know this isn't specifically about Jerry's guitar tone, but it is entirely about the Dead's "tone" as a band. There are some absolutely critical pointers that Healy has taught all of us who have been paying attention. I learned this back in the 80s, but I see shows and hear videos that inform me that a LOT of bands have not received the memo.
This is about the kick drum. Most sound-persons tend to get it wrong generally, but it's absolutely critical to making Grateful Dead music work in a compelling and dance-inspiring way. It comes down to the proper mic technique and proper use of a hi-pass filter at the mixing board. Listen to the amazing mixes of the Dead thru the 80s into the early 90s. Remember or notice just how intensely people dance and how clearly felt the pitch of the bass notes are. Notice how fast, quick, clear, and impactful the tone of the kick drums are.
The key here is that the very deep, sub-bass frequencies of the kicks are removed with proper use of hi-pass filters. Actually everything in the Dead's mix was hi-pass filtered, but at different frequencies. This removal of unwanted rumble, bumpy-ness, boom was critical to the clarity and dynamics and dance-ability at a Dead show. Down at 50Hz, there was very little kick drum energy in the Dead's mix. This was achieved by 3 critical practices:
1 - hi-pass filter often set at 80Hz and sometimes on up to or above 100Hz. To many soundpeople, this is too thin. But the effect of a lean kick is that it has more impact and defines the downbeat better.
2 - mic placement - NEVER EVER put the mic at the front hole of the head, Healy taught that this is the worst place to capture the kick as all the sound pressure, boom, and shell resonance is extreme there. Stick the mic inside the drum, 1/3 or more of the way inside toward the beater head. Aim the mic a bit to the side of the beater strike point.
3 - gating; properly timed gating can help get even more gain and impact from the kick, but it's not as critical as the previous two
What's amazing about going for the Dead's kick drum sound is that virtually no typical sound-people do this properly and they think you're wrong for wanting it that way. What's also amazing is to instantly witness the crowd dance harder and longer than they would otherwise. I've literally had a few experiences where I was in a club and knew the soundperson and had this conversation as a show was happening. They'd let me show them what I'm talking about. So on break or between songs, I'd go move the mic further inside the drum, and even like on a basic Mackie board, I'd turn ON the low-cut or hi-pass filter typically fixed at 80Hz. Then they'd realize the kick was not audible. It actually never was audible, only felt in the belly. So we'd keep turning it up and up in the mix so that the clarity of the beater was a good match with the snare's clarity, and there was enough fullness but not too much. Then the bass guitar notes became pitch-defined and dynamic, the band turned down, the vocals became more clear, mixing became easier and the overall loudness came down, less fatiguing. The undeniable result to the soundpeople in these cases was that the crowd was suddenly dancing harder, using their entire body and not just head bobbing. It's miraculous.
Actually, this practice of tighter, higher-impact kick drums translates to virtually any style of music, but it's pretty much required for people to enjoy dancing to the Dead's music. The Crest/Gamble mixers that the Dead used all had these Healy-designed 24dB/octave sweepable hi-pass filters. They could remove the boomy part of vocals, remove unwanted lower energy in the hi-hat and snare mic's, tamed the low organ/leslie mic, piano, and even guitars.
I encourage everyone to put a LOT of energy into getting their kick's right. Drummers like kick in their monitors, and if the kick is bassy, subby, it washes across the stage and affects everyone. So when the kick is clear and tight on stage and in the house, seriously magical transformations happen. I keep watching videos of Dead bands and notice that more often than not, the kick drum is a big fat muffled boom and there is no audible beater attack or clarity. Listening thru small speakers at home, there is NO downbeat, only backbeat, and then the groove is gone, imbalanced. But listen to any good 80's Dead sbd or aud recording, and even thru a 1" clock radio speaker, you know what the kick drums are doing because they're clear as day. It takes both downbeats and backbeats to define the drum groove.
Spread the word.
Brad
This is about the kick drum. Most sound-persons tend to get it wrong generally, but it's absolutely critical to making Grateful Dead music work in a compelling and dance-inspiring way. It comes down to the proper mic technique and proper use of a hi-pass filter at the mixing board. Listen to the amazing mixes of the Dead thru the 80s into the early 90s. Remember or notice just how intensely people dance and how clearly felt the pitch of the bass notes are. Notice how fast, quick, clear, and impactful the tone of the kick drums are.
The key here is that the very deep, sub-bass frequencies of the kicks are removed with proper use of hi-pass filters. Actually everything in the Dead's mix was hi-pass filtered, but at different frequencies. This removal of unwanted rumble, bumpy-ness, boom was critical to the clarity and dynamics and dance-ability at a Dead show. Down at 50Hz, there was very little kick drum energy in the Dead's mix. This was achieved by 3 critical practices:
1 - hi-pass filter often set at 80Hz and sometimes on up to or above 100Hz. To many soundpeople, this is too thin. But the effect of a lean kick is that it has more impact and defines the downbeat better.
2 - mic placement - NEVER EVER put the mic at the front hole of the head, Healy taught that this is the worst place to capture the kick as all the sound pressure, boom, and shell resonance is extreme there. Stick the mic inside the drum, 1/3 or more of the way inside toward the beater head. Aim the mic a bit to the side of the beater strike point.
3 - gating; properly timed gating can help get even more gain and impact from the kick, but it's not as critical as the previous two
What's amazing about going for the Dead's kick drum sound is that virtually no typical sound-people do this properly and they think you're wrong for wanting it that way. What's also amazing is to instantly witness the crowd dance harder and longer than they would otherwise. I've literally had a few experiences where I was in a club and knew the soundperson and had this conversation as a show was happening. They'd let me show them what I'm talking about. So on break or between songs, I'd go move the mic further inside the drum, and even like on a basic Mackie board, I'd turn ON the low-cut or hi-pass filter typically fixed at 80Hz. Then they'd realize the kick was not audible. It actually never was audible, only felt in the belly. So we'd keep turning it up and up in the mix so that the clarity of the beater was a good match with the snare's clarity, and there was enough fullness but not too much. Then the bass guitar notes became pitch-defined and dynamic, the band turned down, the vocals became more clear, mixing became easier and the overall loudness came down, less fatiguing. The undeniable result to the soundpeople in these cases was that the crowd was suddenly dancing harder, using their entire body and not just head bobbing. It's miraculous.
Actually, this practice of tighter, higher-impact kick drums translates to virtually any style of music, but it's pretty much required for people to enjoy dancing to the Dead's music. The Crest/Gamble mixers that the Dead used all had these Healy-designed 24dB/octave sweepable hi-pass filters. They could remove the boomy part of vocals, remove unwanted lower energy in the hi-hat and snare mic's, tamed the low organ/leslie mic, piano, and even guitars.
I encourage everyone to put a LOT of energy into getting their kick's right. Drummers like kick in their monitors, and if the kick is bassy, subby, it washes across the stage and affects everyone. So when the kick is clear and tight on stage and in the house, seriously magical transformations happen. I keep watching videos of Dead bands and notice that more often than not, the kick drum is a big fat muffled boom and there is no audible beater attack or clarity. Listening thru small speakers at home, there is NO downbeat, only backbeat, and then the groove is gone, imbalanced. But listen to any good 80's Dead sbd or aud recording, and even thru a 1" clock radio speaker, you know what the kick drums are doing because they're clear as day. It takes both downbeats and backbeats to define the drum groove.
Spread the word.
Brad
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... and it's just like any other day that's ever been...