Wondering what amps and speakers were used for recording albums? Terrapin station for the matter too. Twin and JBLs at lower volumes? I'd be suspect of that? I've not seen much info on that topic.
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By Darkstar860Re: Searching for a JBL K-120 Fri Aug 14, 2026 7:41 pm
Jim
First show: 1973
Last show: 1994
First show: 1973
Last show: 1994
I've seen that video and it's great. I know that album and in the dark were kind of live with over dubs. I'm interested in earlier albums. Say 75 and beyond where Jerry had already incorporated the Mac and jbls. I'm wondering if that's what was used and recorded with. Terrapin was done at sound city which if you haven't seen the documentary on sound city it's worth while. I wonder what Ken Olsen had Jerry record through. Those guys were geniuses.
Hmmm good question! While a good engineer's ear cannot be replaced really, I do know that re-recording (or just processing) with tons of expensive analogue gear cannot be overstated for sure. & that may seem obvious... but I'll tell ya when I went through audio engineering courses, in studio classes I really had my eyes opened to just exactly how killer & amazing & just plain sick good old analogue gear is & why it still holds it's value for a good ass reason! Absurdly awesome mics & their pre's are critical too. & like Jerry said... “Making a record is like building a ship in a bottle. Playing live music is like being in a rowboat in the ocean.” However, building a ship in a bottle isn't exactly "easy". 
Go to Heaven is an interesting beast...recorded, overdubbed and mixed between July of 79' & March of 80'... Garcia started using the Boogie Mark I with Reconstruction in early-mid 79', and then picked up the Boogie Mark IIA that fall when he regrouped the Garcia Band. He still relied on the Twin Heads for all live work with the Grateful Dead(He uses the 1979 Mesa Boogie Mark IIA with The Grateful Dead on 12/26/79 at the Oakland Auditorium)...
Two stories that flow second hand from Gary Lyons...there was some heated discussion surrounding Don't Ease Me In. The original attempt at it was very labor intensive with Garcia obsessing over an outro solo. They scrapped it altogether and went into Club Front months later and cut it live in one take after beating it into shape on the road. While mixing masters down in NYC Garcia was so unhappy with his guitar playing in Althea he opted to re-do his tracks. Delayed the release by 3 months.
Two stories that flow second hand from Gary Lyons...there was some heated discussion surrounding Don't Ease Me In. The original attempt at it was very labor intensive with Garcia obsessing over an outro solo. They scrapped it altogether and went into Club Front months later and cut it live in one take after beating it into shape on the road. While mixing masters down in NYC Garcia was so unhappy with his guitar playing in Althea he opted to re-do his tracks. Delayed the release by 3 months.
"It all rolls into one..."
