Drummer Adam Topol
“A bunch of amps from producer J.P. Plunier’s collection. The one on the left is a Bell stereo amplifier that has two inputs, so you can create a stereo effect. We used that one quite a lot. The little orange one is an old Gibson. We also used the little combo on the bottom with the tweed design. Standard miking, an SM-7, or a 57, sometimes I put the 251 on the amp farther back.”
“We set up in the room and create a live environment. I put an AKG 451 on his acoustic guitar. He is such a mellow player. Jack would sometimes play acoustic, sometimes electric, all done live in the room.
Engineer Robert Carranza positions a new Telefunken | USA U 47AE large diaphragm tube mic. “Jack has kind of a velvet voice and this is the first time I really got the sound I have been trying to get all along.” On the guitar is an A-T 4050.
From top: Studio Technologies Generation II stereo simulator; Drawmer dual de-esser MX-50; and API 512 and 312 mic pre’s
From top: Summit Audio DCL-200 dual compressor/limiter, Empirical Labs EL-7 Fatso Jr., Ridge Farm Boiler ultracompressor, Tube-Tech Cl 2A, Summit TLA-100A and Teletronix LA2A
G5 with Pro Tools HD3 rig with Apogee Big Ben clocking it.
Neve 8816 stereo submixer with 8804 fader pack. new from Neve.
From top: Maxx AL-2, Tascam DVRA-1000 and TC Electronic TCM-6000
SSL AWS-900 console and Genelec monitors
Jack Johnson with guitar on the steps of his new recording studio, called “Solar Plastic Power Plant”.
From left: Producer J.P. Plunier, Jack Johnson, engineer/mixer Robert Carranza.
“Merlo is playing through a vintage B-15, which has a Beta 52 on it. He played a variety of basses, including this Epiphone Jack Casady bass. He has his own technique of playing with his fingers. He also used a Guild teardrop Vox-style bass. Direct box was a Little Labs Multi Z and an Avalon U5 DI.
“Zach used a lot of keyboards: Celeste, Clavinet, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, Moog, piano. He did most of the piano live. It was blocked off, with the soundboard faced away from the drums, with a little gobo, some 451s and that was our tracking style. Sometimes he played through a little Fender Deluxe amp, miked with a 57.”
