How Do You Create a 'Wall Of Sound'?
The development of 'The Spector Button'
During the course of recording for 'Northern' I have been working a slightly different way. I wanted to know if there was a particular sound I could achieve before I got anywhere close to finishing the record.
So far, bass and drums are down and I have made a start on guitar and keyboards. But this is a 'Northern Soul' album, right? It won't sound like I want it to until I have mastered the technique once known as the 'wall of sound.'
It was perfected by an American producer called Phil Spector, known mainly for his work with the Ronettes, The Drifters, The Righteous Brothers and many more. Like all of my heroes he had feet of clay and eventually found himself imprisoned on a murder charge.
But his achievements outweigh his negative personality traits: he created a cavernous, reverb-laden sound that became the sound of Motown. This was not easy to do with the technology he had.
to achieve it, you need to create the sound of an enormous room, but still allow for individual instruments to be picked out with crystal clarity. it's about the way microphones are positioned, and the way the 'ghost' of the sound is captured, recycled and relayed on top of the drier studio track.
So in order to create this effect, I have developed what I call 'The Spector Button.' When running a mix, click on it and it immediately turns a small sound into an enormous one.
What constitutes the button itself? This of course is a closely-guarded secret but it mainly revolves around mocking up microphone placements at a distance and then combining them with ones which are very close to the source of the sound. Then applying this to groups of instruments or even the whole mix, and 'sitting' it so it enhances but does not detract from the overall sound.
Modern artists have also been fascinated by how this sound was achieved - from the Ramones (who actually worked with Spector) and Jesus And Mary Chain in the 80s, to Mark Ronson with Amy Winehouse in the 00s. When you hear it you will know what I mean!
It's a pretty good button...
