whats up slutz? Happy Holidays to all. A lot of producers get spoken about on here and discussed heavily. Maybe I overlooked it but I never saw a discussion on Erick Sermon. I for one, love the thick thump of the old Redman, EPMD , and Def Squad records. Any of the slutz ever worked with E Double? Gear/techiques? etc.

Roland W30

motif ES8 and i think a d8b? Lots and lots of vinyl

I don't think he used a Motif ES8 on the records the OP is speaking of

Unless they were saying Please listen to my Demo, I'm using a keyboard from the future.heh

lol, yeahi was talking about recently

I worked with him a lot and he is the man. Nicest guy ever and a really amazing pair of ears. He doesn't do anything out of the ordinary gear wise, he just hears real music. Got to watch him work with redman on the last album as he executive produced. Listening to his comments about a mix, a new beat, or anything musical, I got the vibe that he was just beyond being held back by gear. You could toss a rubber chicken at him and he'll make some sick beat out of it. He's also hilarious. Strangely enough Redman is just as musical. He would be the best engineer ever. That whole camp is more amazing then people give them credit. No tricks, just a love for good music and workin hard.

yeah vynil.

Yep, I love his music. Once I started a thread here about "How High" the original version and bumped it sometime but no seemed to dig that track. One of my favorite favorites. Na dth "Fly robin Fly " version is also killing it.

It was bothering to type this post, but i must say that i dig that "How High(Remix)" produced by Eric Sermon as well as you. One of my favorite tracks ever. you feel em the street vibes as you hear that wow sweeping guitars along with "up, up to the skyyyy!'

That track is crazy, the beat, Red and Meth at their high times. You gotta love it

Erick Sermon is one of my favorites.

Roland W-30 and MPC 3000 were his main tools for his best productions. I know he used a lot of modules too. he gets some killer bass sounds.

Double or Nothing is one of my favorite albums ever.

[quote=azwun25;1718186]whats up slutz? Happy Holidays to all. A lot of producers get spoken about on here and discussed heavily. Maybe I overlooked it but I never saw a discussion on Erick Sermon. I for one, love the thick thump of the old Redman, EPMD , and Def Squad records. Any of the slutz ever worked with E Double? Gear/techiques? etc.[/quote


Met Erick when he was producing Malpractice for Redman and got to work with him for a few years as he came in and out of the studio. He has good ears and truly loves what he does. He is very organized & deliberate. Want to point out that all those albums you mentioned were mostly recorded and mixed by Tommy Uzzo. He is one of the best mixers/engineers I have ever had the pleasure to be around amd learn from. Still to this day all of those guys go to Tommy for the mixes(redman,keith,erick) and that is where a lot of that thickness you describe comes from. He is amazing.

ha. mirror image shoutout. Tommy's a cool dude. He taught those guys a lot in regards to doing things the "right" way when in the studio.

lots of producers are known for a distinct sound. serm has this kick, you canhear it on "why not" with slick rick. he also did two sick tracks for the dj envy album, styles p "who what where" and redman's "so vicious". one of the mostslept on producers ever. except self. anyone know self? he did the styles ad noreaga track "come thru" on the violator record. threadjack!

Echoing what others have said:

SP1200
Roland W30
MPC300

Those were the samplers of choice during the "Enigma", "Double Or Nothing", "Insomniac" days.

Redman actually produced a good deal of "Der is a darkside" as I recall, and was using an MPC60 and S950.

As for the gel, I know Erick was a fan of the Neve 8128 @ The Music Palace (LI? or NYC?) during the "Worlds Most Beautiful Thing In the World" LP. He may have cut other stuff there too. Double or Nothing sounds like an SSL mix to me though.

Heres what I want to know though -- what sound modules and/or synths was he rocking around 94-97. He is absolutely one of the kings of basslines. In fact, I think he put Dilla on. If you look at Jay Dee's production style (including bass programming) prior to "The Rhyme (remix)" it's mad different. Then the "Enigma" LP comes out (which has ill synth bass all over it) and Dilla has a whole new vibe and style. I always found that interesting.

the enigma!
wow let me find my copy real quick!!!
heh

Yeah, I'd also like to know what keyboards/modules he used in the Double or Nothing era. those bass sounds were killer.

I just re-discovered that album a few months ago. brings me right back to highschool. what a great album

sermon is too under appreciated.


as a fan, and a beatmaker, this is the stuff i find interesting. the evolution and formulation of sampled styles over time....crazy.

as far as jay getting that bass from sermon, you may be partly right. i don't think his whole bline style was derived so directly tho. because the thing is, enigma was released in '96, as was labcabincalifornia, and fantastic vol.1. you can bet both guys were in the basement working out those styles for AT LEAST 1-2 yrs before the records were released.

while ive realized from tracking down the sampled records, that alot of jay's tones are sample based circa pharcyde/early sv, it's still THERE, do you discredit him for chopping up notes, and not playing a module? rhetorical question lol

also pete rock said the beats on petestrumentals are from 94-98 ......and the lines on there are some of the best ever.....tho pete said after he heard welcome 2 detroit he added a few new tracks.

No doubt.

"Enigma" is one of my favorite Hip-Hop LPs of all time -- period. Keith is crazy underrated on the M.I.

One of my favorite quotes of that joint is,

"I'm tryna' see my people with, mooore then first of the month c.r.e.a.m.".

Definitely remember those days..

I seem to recall Sermon shouting out Rafael Sadeeq being a bassline genius in one of this songs (or songs he featured a verse on). In any event, Labcab didn't have that synth bass vibe at all. Lots of chopped bass and S950/ASR filter bass, but not synth bass. Fantastic on the other hand did showcase the first LP where Dilla came with the style he'd later become most notable for. I sweat Vol 1 was like '98 though wasn't? I'm not sure on that though, you might be right. Maybe thats just when I actually scooped the tape.

And na, I don't discredit Jay for nothing. I was a fan since his work on Mad Skillz first LP.

As for Pete Rock, he's a mastermind of a whole different style.. which is the chopped electric bass notes. Hands down the creator of that style (guys like Kev Brown have done a good job picking up on that style though).

Peace.

so much better than today's stuff.

Yeah, seems like Dre made a ton of money out of popularizing Sermons raw idea's.
Always loved EPMD!
PG

I have to co sign on that. That is an amazing produced album. I also love that gimme more remix he did for AZ back in the days. That's classic Erick Sermon right there..


Too bad he never answers my notes to him on myspace..

..one of the greatest,criminally underated..and been there from dot..

joe sinister remember him

Wonder what kind of gear Sermon was using during his Early EPMD days (87 to 92), I also wonder what kind of gear he used for Redmans first album and "No pressure" his first solo record.

ROLAND W30 Guys -If you get one you`ll hear all the presets Erick used-W30 hihats are all over his tracks. so is the W30 tambourine and preset bass stuff. I been using a w30 for 15 years. As soon as you sample anything into it. Instant RAW HIP HOP.
The W30 gets no respect yet the bulk of ericks careers was forged on that machine. I myself only upgraded to the MV8000 2 years ago.

Def Squad cats had the sound perfect ever since back in the day, that's the truth. If people these days mixed/mastered records to sound like these guys were putting them out over 15 years ago, we'd be in a happier world.

I was just listening to one of my favorite things from E-Double, his Insomnia compilation which I have to listen to at least 3 times a year from beginning to end.

Just yesterday, I was listening to Muddy Waters and because it's been mastered just right, the intro works perfectly (you bring the volume up during the intro and when you hear the last dinosaur roar and when "Iz He 4 Real" drops? That's impact you no longer hear in hip hop these days folks). Tony Dawsey at his finest right there on the mastering and I believe Eric Sermon mixed it.

True, but I'd personally give the man credit for having excellent ears and perception. Not too long ago, I worked on a project and the producer was using a W-30 and the music sounded WACK (flavor and quality).

Yeah but didnt the W-30 come out in 89? Strictly business dropped in late 87/early 88. Im guessing E-dub may of used some sort of sp-1200/s-900 combo.