Does Pearl Jam still record on 2 inch tape?

Dirty Mosquito

Just curious!! I love the analog....even though I know I as well as it is a dying breed if not already dead.

gettingright

this is a great question!...as a former audio engineer (just reread that and it sounded a bit pretentious-not meant to be at all-just that i have experience working with it) there is nothing like a 24 track, 2" analog reel...it would be really awesome if they still used it...however i would be a bit surprised if they did considering the cost difference and overall inconvenience of it versus digital recording

i hope you get an answer

LikeAnOcean

gettingright wrote:

this is a great question!...as a former audio engineer (just reread that and it sounded a bit pretentious-not meant to be at all-just that i have experience working with it) there is nothing like a 16 track, 2" analog reel...it would be really awesome if they still used it...however i would be a bit surprised if they did considering the cost difference and overall inconvenience of it versus digital recording

i hope you get an answer

I've read they did until fairly recently.. I'm not sure about Avocado and Backspacer though.

Dirty Mosquito

gettingright wrote:

this is a great question!...as a former audio engineer (just reread that and it sounded a bit pretentious-not meant to be at all-just that i have experience working with it) there is nothing like a 16 track, 2" analog reel...it would be really awesome if they still used it...however i would be a bit surprised if they did considering the cost difference and overall inconvenience of it versus digital recording

i hope you get an answer[/quo


Thanks friend. I know that they did at least through NoCode and maybe Yield, but I am not sure. You can do a lot with digital, but to me it is lacking that warmth and depth. I would guess they probably record as this: using vintage amps which is obvious, vintage guitars, good mics and probably good tube preamps and analog mixers, then have probably great A/D converters and finish it on some sort of digital format whether it be Protools or what have you, but I am no expert, I could be way off. All I know is the new album is intense but sounds quite warm.

I know that tape let alone 2 inch tape is really expensive these days. I want to say between $100-250 a reel though I could be a little off and it's disappearing by the minute, though as expensive as it is, I am sure big bands can afford it. I heard from a friend that some bands are trying to buy it all up, like The White Stripes or something

gettingright

Dirty Mosquito wrote:

gettingright wrote:

this is a great question!...as a former audio engineer (just reread that and it sounded a bit pretentious-not meant to be at all-just that i have experience working with it) there is nothing like a 16 track, 2" analog reel...it would be really awesome if they still used it...however i would be a bit surprised if they did considering the cost difference and overall inconvenience of it versus digital recording

i hope you get an answer[/quo


Thanks friend. I know that they did at least through NoCode and maybe Yield, but I am not sure. You can do a lot with digital, but to me it is lacking that warmth and depth. I would guess they probably record as this: using vintage amps which is obvious, vintage guitars, good mics and probably good tube preamps and analog mixers, then have probably great A/D converters and finish it on some sort of digital format whether it be Protools or what have you, but I am no expert, I could be way off. All I know is the new album is intense but sounds quite warm.

I know that tape let alone 2 inch tape is really expensive these days. I want to say between $100-250 a reel though I could be a little off and it's disappearing by the minute, though as expensive as it is, I am sure big bands can afford it. I heard from a friend that some bands are trying to buy it all up, like The White Stripes or something

what you have described sounds right...and the reels are only 16 minutes long!

Dirty Mosquito

gettingright wrote:

Dirty Mosquito wrote:

gettingright wrote:

this is a great question!...as a former audio engineer (just reread that and it sounded a bit pretentious-not meant to be at all-just that i have experience working with it) there is nothing like a 16 track, 2" analog reel...it would be really awesome if they still used it...however i would be a bit surprised if they did considering the cost difference and overall inconvenience of it versus digital recording

i hope you get an answer[/quo


Thanks friend. I know that they did at least through NoCode and maybe Yield, but I am not sure. You can do a lot with digital, but to me it is lacking that warmth and depth. I would guess they probably record as this: using vintage amps which is obvious, vintage guitars, good mics and probably good tube preamps and analog mixers, then have probably great A/D converters and finish it on some sort of digital format whether it be Protools or what have you, but I am no expert, I could be way off. All I know is the new album is intense but sounds quite warm.

I know that tape let alone 2 inch tape is really expensive these days. I want to say between $100-250 a reel though I could be a little off and it's disappearing by the minute, though as expensive as it is, I am sure big bands can afford it. I heard from a friend that some bands are trying to buy it all up, like The White Stripes or something

what you have described sounds right...and the reels are only 16 minutes long!

Wow! So that's like 3 songs maybe four if you are lucky, depending on length of course! I have always wanted to learn how to record on a reel to reel! I currently record my songs on a Tascam 424 MK3 which sounds great, I use a tube preamp and compressor for vocals. Just picked up a Sterling Audio ST 59 today, it sounds amazing, but haven't recorded yet. I am just looking for a better way to master. I am currently using just a cheep Pioneer CDR recorder. I'd be curious to see what it would sound like mixed to DAT or an Alesis master recorder or what have you...but anyway I am getting off topic....I sound like I should be in musicians and gearheads at this point.......

But back on topic, PJ I love their sound! Always have, and whatever they are doing these days as far as recording they are still keeping it warm, with that deep sound! I LOVE IT!

mookeywrench

From http://www.ourbrisbane.com/whats-on/gig ... jam-return

Song ideas
Working separately on song ideas, the group met up last December at bassist Jeff Ament’s home in Montana for a song writing and rehearsal session, knocking their new creations into whip smart shape before a two-week recording session in Los Angeles in February. Brendan O’Brien, who first worked with the group for 1993’s Vs. album, and who has since worked with Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC and Mastodon, took the producer’s chair for the first time since 1998’s Yield.

“You couldn’t ask for a better producer for us,” says Gossard, “because we have our own thing, and it’s raw, it’s imperfect, it’s a combination of personalities. Brendan’s so good at blending our imperfections and our lumpiness, the things that make us human, with his professionalism.”

“He became a band member when we were writing our songs,” adds drummer Matt Cameron. “He’d strap on a guitar and get his hands dirty, he’s right in the middle of it with us, working on the music. There’s guys who can handle all the digital techniques now, and Brendan can do that too, but he also knows how to cut tape, how to get a good sound out of a mellotron and a clavinet, he comes from the analogue world, which is where we come from too. He knows how to relate to analogue bands, such as ourselves.”

“And he knows how to record a live rock band,” continues Jeff Ament, “which is how we record, the five of us in the studio together, cutting the songs to tape. There aren’t too many bands that make records that way anymore.”

Dirty Mosquito

mookeywrench wrote:

From http://www.ourbrisbane.com/whats-on/gig ... jam-return

Song ideas
Working separately on song ideas, the group met up last December at bassist Jeff Ament’s home in Montana for a song writing and rehearsal session, knocking their new creations into whip smart shape before a two-week recording session in Los Angeles in February. Brendan O’Brien, who first worked with the group for 1993’s Vs. album, and who has since worked with Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC and Mastodon, took the producer’s chair for the first time since 1998’s Yield.

“You couldn’t ask for a better producer for us,” says Gossard, “because we have our own thing, and it’s raw, it’s imperfect, it’s a combination of personalities. Brendan’s so good at blending our imperfections and our lumpiness, the things that make us human, with his professionalism.”

“He became a band member when we were writing our songs,” adds drummer Matt Cameron. “He’d strap on a guitar and get his hands dirty, he’s right in the middle of it with us, working on the music. There’s guys who can handle all the digital techniques now, and Brendan can do that too, but he also knows how to cut tape, how to get a good sound out of a mellotron and a clavinet, he comes from the analogue world, which is where we come from too. He knows how to relate to analogue bands, such as ourselves.”

“And he knows how to record a live rock band,” continues Jeff Ament, “which is how we record, the five of us in the studio together, cutting the songs to tape. There aren’t too many bands that make records that way anymore.”

Thanks alot! That was a great read! I love this band

drummerboy_73

I believe they record to 2" tape, but then dump into ProTools for mixing. I remember hearing a recent interview with Stone where he said that when they first recorded "The Fixer", the verse riff was originally the chorus, but Ed had "played around with it in ProTools while doing the vocals" and came up with the final arrangement.