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What is that Jeff Lynne sound?
By admin | December 24, 2009
Everything that Jeff Lynne produces has a certain sound, which is always the same. The final Electric Light Orchestra records, The Traveling Wilburys, his solo album, the later Tom Petty albums, the Beatles "reunion" tracks on the Anthology albums, the George Harrison and Paul McCartney solo albums he produced–they all have this same sound. Does anyone know what he does to produce that sound?
I just looked him up on Wikipedia and it said, "Lynne’s recordings also often feature the jangling compressed acoustic guitar sound pioneered by Roger McGuinn." What is compressed acoustic guitar sound?
Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
December 24th, 2009 at 3:42 am
A compressor is an electronic device used to reduce the dynamic range of an audio signal. The settings are variable, but in general it makes the louder parts of the signal softer, at which point you can increase the overall gain, which has the effect of making the softer parts louder.
The effect of compression on an acoustic guitar is a more up-front quality to the sound. The guitar can be featured, even in a dense mix, and does not fade in and out as it is strummed harder or softer. Compression is routinely used on vocals, bass and many other instruments… including the overall mix.
Another big part of Lynne’s sound is the thick vocal harmonies. He has certain types of voicings he likes to use, and the parts are doubled and tripled… not always perfectly in tune. The backing vocals in the chorus of Harrison’s "Got My Mind Set On You" are a good example.
peace
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