John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Just watched this - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 4009273125#

Flashback to my Funky Monk days, great days! Still love the album, one of the best in my collection!

The film shows the band recording in untreated rooms....

...discuss!

untreated but chosen for the room sounds... some had tall ceilings, nice plaster, some probably defined along golden ratios which was common for larger rooms in nice buildings. recording in bathrooms (although standing naked in tub with electric instruments is probably not the best idea) is a time honored technique. based on wikipedia it looks like they set up the Houdini mansion with all the goodies needed to record and produce it.

Les Paul bought his home in Mahwah (about 5 miles from here) because of its acoustics - based on going into each room and clapping his hands and having his wife (Mary Ford) sing in them. and proceeded to effectively turn the whole house into a recording studio...

some time long ago, we took a portable multitrack recorder into the woods and dropped a large rock repeatedly on a dense bed of moss which made an unbelievable bass drum sound... sticks on logs, etc to get an entire percussion recording. no bass trapping needed, trees as natural poly-cylinders, etc

my 2¢

The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street was recorded in a similar fashion in a mansion in France.

Unfortunately not all of us have the funds to drag a full 24 track recording studio around with us wherever our whim may take us.

I had not seen the film before, but have listened to the album over and over and always thought, wow.... the sound quality is totally different to other albums.... roar, but nice and totally funky at the same time. Having seen the film, almost 20 year after the album's release, it all makes sense. I knew it was recorded Exile style in LA.... but never knew Kiedis did his vocals in a glass corner!! Or that the 'Red Hot' song was recorded outside!.... he he he

Rubin for ever!

That album sounds awesome, best rhcp recording ever imo.
Cool thing is you always discover new sounds everytime you listen to it in a good sounding room / speakers.
Think that's one definition of a great album, both musically and recording/mixing wise.

Fantastic album. And to think John was only about 21 at the time.