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Author Topic: zz top  (Read 3646 times)

Jason Livermore

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zz top
« on: January 17, 2007, 10:37:31 PM »

Howdy,

I'm recording a band this weekend that wants their sound to resemble "Tres Hombres".

Any thoughts on drum choices, tuning, room size?  Also how many mics would have been used on the kit and what types?


Thanks

Jason LIvermore

blastingroomstudios.com


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compasspnt

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Re: zz top
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2007, 10:41:30 PM »

Don't remember the sizes, but it was just a standard kit of the day.

The mic'ing was very simple, a dynamic (57 or 421, I think) on each tom and the snare, 47fet on bass drum, 2 87's for OH as spaced pair (A/B).

The key is to have a somewhat dead room, and a drummer who is still in his playing years.

Most of the tom rolls on that one were double tracked.
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Jason Livermore

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Re: zz top
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2007, 10:42:50 PM »

Thanks Terry!

Much appreciated.


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Jeff Panall

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Re: zz top
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2007, 10:18:01 PM »

What was the inspiration for the double tracking of all the tom parts on the early ZZ Top records?  It is very unusual and distinctive.  
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John Ivan

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Re: zz top
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2007, 11:36:36 PM »

Those Guys were really playin' their butt's off on those early records. Great stuff. Still holds up GREAT today too.

Thats really nice work you did on that stuff Terry. Well done..

Ivan..................................
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compasspnt

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Re: zz top
« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2007, 09:54:17 AM »

Thanks JI.


Jeff, the double tracking was just an idea, an attempt to make the rolls more exciting and jump out of the cymbals and the tracks.
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Bernardo

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Re: zz top
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2007, 04:53:51 AM »

Hey,

thanks for sharing that. The double tracking was done using only the close mics for the toms, or OH and room mics were a  part of that as well?
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compasspnt

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Re: zz top
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2007, 08:50:20 AM »

Don't recall exactly, but I doubt we had differentiation between OH and toms at all.  Just "drum mics."
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Tim Gilles

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Re: zz top
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2007, 02:28:55 PM »

Terry.

I had no idea you were involved in the recording of Tres Hombres.

In my estimation, one of the greatest American rock records of the 70's.

Can't even begin to tell you how much I love and admire this record.

Kudos.

Tim "Rumblefish" Gilles

compasspnt

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Re: zz top
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2007, 04:32:01 PM »

Thank you Tim!  Coming from you, that means a lot.

Those were indeed the days for recording live music.  They couldn't all do it together for long past that one.
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RSettee

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Re: zz top
« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2007, 08:58:11 PM »

Another vote for the excellent sound on Tres Hombres. That one's just deadly, from every standpoint. Of course, the band was great and that was probably their first real "great" one (though Rio Grande Mud was really good, too), but the dry and in your face production sound also helped establish them as the kings of no bullshit boogie rock.

Pity that they remixed/ retracked those albums, but they're starting to come around to the originals. Did they finally do a proper re-release of the original albums with the original sound? I bought the first album on compact disc some years ago (I only had the stuff on vinyl), and was horrified to find out first hand that they tampered with that sound.
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compasspnt

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Re: zz top
« Reply #11 on: January 23, 2007, 09:02:02 PM »

Let's not mention the AWFUL re-do of those albums again.  I'm afraid of what I might say...
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Kendrix

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Re: zz top
« Reply #12 on: January 23, 2007, 10:25:20 PM »

Double tracked tom rolls- WOW.
First I've ever heard of that.
I would never have imagined doing such a thing.
I've gotta go back and give a good listen.
Wheres that turntable???
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Ken Favata

Bill Mueller

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Re: zz top
« Reply #13 on: January 23, 2007, 11:04:23 PM »

ZZTOP was absolutely amazing live, a completely underrated band.

They would play their set and just leave you exhausted. Then the audience would applaud for an encore and they would come back out and bring up the intensity by double. Unbelievable. Then they would go off and come back for a second encore, and again more intensity. By the time they played the third encore, the crew was wiped out but the band was just hitting their stride. I couldn't believe it some nights.

Best Regards,

Bill
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compasspnt

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Re: zz top
« Reply #14 on: January 23, 2007, 11:38:27 PM »

And then one year, that ability sadly went away.
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