I am curious to know what your thoughts are on Mark Ronson's sound, in particular his works with Daniel Merriweather and Amy Winehouse.

To me, he is individual in his modern sound (even though we can argue it's very recycled) and unique. It's a minimalistic organic approach. Live drums/vintage kit loops, Strings, brass sections etc. Love the lead vocal recordings.....

Let's talk folks!

His sound on those records are the Daptones - playing and arranging and studio

Check out their catalogue - amazing music.

His new LP album is about to come out.

Are you referring to the Daptones studio in Brooklyn?

Also... Do you guys think they may have used the RCA-DX 77 microphone for the vocals?

the band..Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, who work in DAPTONE studio

Grab this sampler. It is class.


https://store.daptonerecords.com/ind...tem_cat_id=727

check this thread out

https://gearspace.com/board/high-end...h-daptone.html

Did Mark Ronson record Amy Winehouse at the Daptone Studios?

If not, do you know where he may have? Also, what microphone chain may have been used on the following:

1, Amy Winehouse
2. Danie Merriweather

Thanks people! (just trying to get a good summary)

Are you saying that the Daptones are responsible for "his sound", not him specifically? That would be interesting

i've thought that i've red that parts of amy's cd 'back to black' were recorded by the daptones, and parts by Mark Ronson himself in London (don't know wich studio) and that everything then was mixed by the daptones & mark ronson in the daptones studio.

But it's to long ago that i've red that, i even don't remember in wich mag or blog it was...

im not really a fan of his sound but i salute him just for what hes been able to do....dude won a grammy for producer of the year a few years back...thats major

Anyone know what Microphone Mark may have used on that classic Amy vocal sound on her songs?

I am thinking it's a U67 but they did use some RCA 77 as well... just can't tell....ANybody?

..........there's an interesting article from a couple of years ago, the mix engineer shows you his screen shots for eq on the lead vocal and he's done all sorts of whopping cuts, 18db's and stuff with a waves q10, so I'm not sure mic choice or tracking were always optimal.........mix skills were though.


Secrets Of The Mix Engineers: Tom Elmhirst

I know that quite a bit of recording on the Amy album was done at Metropolis in London as a friend and ex-colluegue named Dom Morely engineered much of it (and also won a grammy for his efforts - Dom, ya bastard!). I was working out of Metropolis at the time and remember seeing her around a lot.

Don't think the core band stuff was done there though, but things like strings and possibly brass as well. I think Dom might be on this forum so perhaps could shed more light.. (are u out there CC?)

I know Tom Elmhirst mixed several tracks on the album also at Metropolis, in Studio C on the Neve VR - including Rehab.

Hi slutz

Thanks for the info. I appreciate it.
I am enjoying the reads alot. very informative too. Thx

I am still curious to know what the mic chain was for Amy......mmmm... u know.. Mic/Pre/Comp/Eq etc that both the producers like Mark used....

He says he starts most of his beats using an MPC3000 and then goes into the studio for overdubs. Not sure if that is how he still does it but i know that is what he used when he started. He is from a DJ background so he knows how to get live with it. His music is bangin indeed.

Here you go :
Secrets Of The Mix Engineers: Tom Elmhirst

If you like retro soul sounds, take a look at Raphael Saadiq - this man rocks.

Personally, I dig the hell out of the sound he's been zeroing in on.

I think he "gets" what makes dance music work in a way that's sorely lacking these days.

He's got some mediocre stuff out too, for sure, but to get a grip on what I mean about his signature vibe, check out Ooh Wee and his remix of Robin Thicke's Magic. I consider those to be among the best produced dance tracks I've heard in years.

Sound on Sound interview with HIM from a few years ago.

Always search there. Should be the first place to look for such things.

Mark Ronson

He mentions mics in it but not specifically AW related.

The irony of it mate , I linked an SOS article just above your post that lists some of the kit :
"Urei 1176 blackface compressor, Pultec EQ, Fairchild compressor/limiter, McDSP F2 Filterbank, Waves Q10 Paragraphic EQ, Waves De-esser, Great British Spring reverb, EMT plate reverb."

Metropolis.

Amy thinks he,s over rated,
"Ronson you're dead to me; one album I write and you take half the credit – make a career out of it? Don’t think so BRUV."
Winehouse: 'Ronson is dead to me' | Music | Entertainment | Toronto Sun


I dont see what her problem is. I recall reading that the two of them were walking Central Park NYC and Amy was singing the hook to Rehab. Ronson asked what it was and she said, its just a melody, kinda improv... So he said, lets get back into the studio and work on it.
Seems apparent that he Produced her..

brilliant!

...

Where to start?

Shame, great voice great writing.

"In addition, I was also filtering with a Pultec outboard EQ and on the board as well. The outboard chain on Amy's vocal was Pultec, going into a Urei 1176 blackface compressor, going into a Fairchild compressor. On the Pultec I was probably adding around 12k, just to brighten it up a little bit, adding air. The Urei will have been set with a very fast attack and a super-fast release, doing perhaps 10dB of compression, while the Fairchild will have had a very slow release. I can't quite explain what this does, but in my head the Urei will catch anything that jumps out, while the Fairchild will pick up the slack and keep a more constant hold of the vocal -- ie. smooth things out. "

Interesting that he appears to be an EQ first, compression second, kind of guy. I guess if you're doing a lot of radical EQing, that makes sense.

Hmmm... couldn't find a crack smoking emoticon. Will have to go with this little guy:



... and there are oh, so many videos to choose from, but we'll mix it up with this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSH6L...eature=related

My point exactly .. He produced her. He didn't write her lyrics, he wasn't playing with The Daptones in their studio either. It's one thing to state you're a producer, it's another thing to "Deal and Swindle" the lyricist, writers and musicians out of half of their publishing, royalties and credits.

You don't need the Hubble Telescope to see what's going on. Maybe ask Gabe Roth who at the time was left unpaid by another previous encounter with Mark "your cheques in the mail" Ronson. Last time I checked, a producer was responsible for organising that the talent get's paid, no? That's where my beef is .. Btw, Engineers on the Winehouse album were Gabe Roth and Tom Elmhirst at Metropolis.

Sure, she's a really unfortunate individual, but her predelictions for drugs and alchohol are irrelevant here ..

I'll stop there ...

All I'm gonna say is I really like the best stuff on Winehouse's album and I really don't like the stuff I've heard from Ronson's album. At all. That's not to take away from anything he did do for her, but if I was making choices based on what's on the respective albums, it'd be no contest.

................agree and I don't really think it's a good indicator of his talent. The sound of that album is part Amy Winehouse, great singer and lyricist in my opinion....deeply flawed but i think that's probably part of the magic, The dapkings and of course Tom Elmhirst who mixed it. Some of the Daniel Merriweather stuff is nice to but a lot of that has to do with his vocal talent. Heard his new stuff which might be a better indicator of his creative talent, bit dissapointed really seemd to lack any real spark or origonality.........kind of lets jump on the 80's bandwaggon now we've done the 60's!