90’s sound (NIN, DM, ministry, 242, FLA)

environmental concerns

a lot of what i think of as the “SSL-sound” was born out of the necessity of using tape.  over time, by repetition, it became a “sound”… noise gates were originally used to kill analog tape noise. this allowed the mixer to use more tracks and mute the unused sections. it allowed a more machine-like control over sound. tighter timing was emphasized with gates.  precision.  professional.  polished diamond.  perfection.  also, it added artistic envelope shaping to the mix.  this should not be confused with the modern digital workstation function of strip silence.  strip silence is, for all intents and purposes, transparent. it’s a hard cut or a cut with a fast-invisible–crossfade.  a gate is designed more towards envelope shaping since it reacts to peaks.  the envelope shaping with a gate has a particular sound we now associate with a musical style, for good or ill.  it’s a potential artistic layer, a part of the audio toolbox.

the rhythmic sound of gates opening and closing. this is why dance music is mixed on SSL desks.

so now the bass can be split into deep low end and mid grrr, compressed differently, panned differently (so middle doesnt clog up), different attacks, different envelope… again, the idea of constructing sounds in parallel again.

kick drum could be split into smack, oomph, reverb, and key a compressor.  check on key for dynamics processor in SSL manual (they might have used outboard ds201 for this)

SSL 4000 E-series LFAC

• mults = parallel thinking. (vs serial thinking of digital) split sounds across many channels.
• deconstruction. track split onto __ (4) channels, each emphasizing one euphonic element of track then rebalanced, automated and combined.
• time machine. automation records time. this encourages the idea of sounds evolving over time.  past and future.  the past is more distorted or more romantic, softer, less top end, underwater… the future is immediacy, up front, now, too big for the speakers, distorted…
• HP/LP filters on every channel - fit sounds into tighter windows or frequency bands.  split sounds across many channels and use filters to emphasize different bands in each section.  use pans to space them out and create width.
• mixing as sculpture – added the concept of iterations, sounds which appear over multiple listens, layers, studio as instrument, movie soundtrack, ambient elements.
• deconstruction.
  
• gate/expander on every channel – this allows for more extreme sounds since the noise will be gone when the gate is closed. added contrast. from dead quiet to loud and noisy!  the gate also has an envelope on it so it fades to black instead of cutting abruptly… which allows more feel of groove.
  
• compressor on every channel
• EQ on every channel
• mute automation on every channel
  
• add more layers in loud sections
• add more layers as song progresses
• add distressed versions of sounds underneath
• parallel compression.
• fader automation on every channel
  
• vocals: push up words, breaths, etc.
• push up tracks to add tension.
• slowly pull down tracks once they “grab.” weave sounds in and out.
• groups & routing
  
• mixing in sections… different EQ can be used on the same part (with a mult) in different sections.
  
• because of the filters/EQ/gate/compressor and mute/volume automation on every channel
• EQ/filter sections to step forward or sit back.
• SSL buss compressor.  more importantly, the SSL put the buss compressor on a switch that was always within reach.  ppl learned how to mix into a compressor with fader automation. this became another “sound.”
• SSL “quad” compressor. Qs: does this really have 4 inputs?  split drum buss?  need more info
• EQ to Filt Dyn S-C. use filters to influence what the compressor reacts to…
• out of phase EQ trick. split to 2nd channel. flip phase. put crazy EQ boost IN. pull up fader to hear everything EXCEPT the boost disappear… use fader automation to make sound shrink as it disappears.

cheap equivalents:

• Pro Tools
• digi 002R, 8-18 analog outs
• drawmer DS201 stereo gate with filters (HP/LP 6dB/oct) Use “key listen” to engage filters into audio path and shape the “window” the sound fits into.  use 2nd channel for gate and envelope reshaping.  the decay of the envelope is very important.. smooth but fast tails on every percussive sound. ~ $125/ch ($250 total)
• dbx 1066 comp/gate (with jim williams’ hi-fi mods).  sounds terrible on it’s own but might be cool after jim gets it. possible mod platform
• JBL/UREI 7110 compressor (optional output transformers for some IRON sound) 2 detectors (Peak/RMS with wet/dry knob) for parallel compression.  possible mod platform