The Mark Linett Thread

[yrplace]

Surely crossfading is very easy to with tape?

Not really. You have to play back the end of the first section with the 2nd cued up and then start it at the exact right time and if you nedd a fade in and/or out do that and get it all exactly right. It can be done, but it is very inexact which is why it was rarely done, maybe between two songs but not betweneach vs and chorus etc.

[Ron]

I remember somebody making a big deal about Brian using the fade out on the "vibrations a happenin' with her" on the original in the middle of the track, and how hard it was to do something like that back then. 

[yrplace]

I remember somebody making a big deal about Brian using the fade out on the "vibrations a happenin' with her" on the original in the middle of the track, and how hard it was to do something like that back then. 

That's not even a crossfade. He was just fading down several rotary faders at the same time. Not easy to do....

[Rocker]

I remember somebody making a big deal about Brian using the fade out on the "vibrations a happenin' with her" on the original in the middle of the track, and how hard it was to do something like that back then. 

That's not even a crossfade. He was just fading down several rotary faders at the same time. Not easy to do....

I thought about how much "technical" work, like what you described here, was done by Brian. I always thought he "just" put the different instruments together and had them play in a special way (besides of arranging, writing and singing this stuff), but I never thought about how difficult it must have been to mix all these things.

[JRauch]

Hi Mark! Do you know if Brian is able to write/read notes? And if he is, how good? I´ve heard dozens of different opinions so far and it kind of buggs me that I still don´t know it.

[yrplace]

Hi Mark! Do you know if Brian is able to write/read notes? And if he is, how good? I´ve heard dozens of different opinions so far and it kind of buggs me that I still don´t know it.

Judging by the way he will pick out  specific notes in an arrangement as we are recording and have the players make changes and the chord charts he prepares for the sessions, I'd say Brian is more than capable in that department.

Mark

[JRauch]

  cool

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Mark, I was wondering if you'd be willing to expand a little bit on your comments you made somewhere about the degradation of the sound that happened when Brian would mix down tape back through the console at Western.  I recall you said something about padding the signal, or something.  I was listening to your stereo remixes of the Today and Summer Days tracks on Hawthorne today and, as I always do when listening to them, marvelled at the incredible clean, crisp, and "recorded yesterday" sound they all have.

Was there simply not an understanding of what was happening when they mixed down?  I mean, don't get me wrong, the muddy, big, mono sound of the original Today LP is wonderful...but as I've mentioned the sound of Smiley Smile and Wild Honey turn some people off and I've heard the people involved with recording those records criticised for "recording muddy", but I've always defended the source material.

Just wondered if you had any additional thoughts, about the mixdown problems, or about how brilliant Chuck and Jimmy and Steve were in getting sounds on tape that still sound fresh today.

[yrplace]

Mark, I was wondering if you'd be willing to expand a little bit on your comments you made somewhere about the degradation of the sound that happened when Brian would mix down tape back through the console at Western.  I recall you said something about padding the signal, or something.  I was listening to your stereo remixes of the Today and Summer Days tracks on Hawthorne today and, as I always do when listening to them, marvelled at the incredible clean, crisp, and "recorded yesterday" sound they all have.

Was there simply not an understanding of what was happening when they mixed down?  I mean, don't get me wrong, the muddy, big, mono sound of the original Today LP is wonderful...but as I've mentioned the sound of Smiley Smile and Wild Honey turn some people off and I've heard the people involved with recording those records criticised for "recording muddy", but I've always defended the source material.

Just wondered if you had any additional thoughts, about the mixdown problems, or about how brilliant Chuck and Jimmy and Steve were in getting sounds on tape that still sound fresh today.

Firstoff while the consoles had line input positions these were just padded down mic inputs and the boards weren't really designed with remixing in mind. Also and maybe as impt. mixing down to 15 ips mono (or stereo) also degraded the signal. When we do new mixes we generally get a generation or two closer to the original recorded tracks.
Lastly the original mix tapes have been played so much over the last 40 years that I believe that degradation has occured.

Back to the 1st part, I have recently been archiving all the Good Vibrations tracking sessions and for fun was doing some of the ruffs back through one of my UA tube consoles. It sounded great, but then I switched to my API which was getting the same four track feed, and in about 2 minutes I had the two sounding exactly the same. No eq on either just the balance, so maybe the diff. is more in the generations than anything else.

Mark

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Very interesting, Mark.  Thanks.

[SMiLEY]

Mark --

I was about to inquire as to your latest BB-related work, and you answered before the question could be posed!! Thanks!

BTW-- I have come to the conclusion that you have the best job in the world.    Someday I hope you can get around to a 3 Blind Mice remix!

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Someday I hope you can get around to a 3 Blind Mice remix!

Haha.  More like a mix, period.

[c-man]

Hey Mark -

When you mixed all the bonus track material for the Capitol twofer series, and later the Box Sets, what format did you mix to (1/4" analog, DAT, or what have you)?

Thanks

[yrplace]

Hey Mark -

When you mixed all the bonus track material for the Capitol twofer series, and later the Box Sets, what format did you mix to (1/4" analog, DAT, or what have you)?

Thanks

It varied over the years. Some were mixed to 1630, some to DAT, and some to analog 1/4". All of the PS boxset including the stereo mix was done to analog as was the 5.1 surround mix.....Mark

[Jason]

Mark, has all of the Beach Boys' tape library been transferred to digital sources?

[yrplace]

Mark, has all of the Beach Boys' tape library been transferred to digital sources?

Not yet. We are starting to make hi-res digital safety copies of the most important multi-track masters.......

[Jason]

I suppose that doesn't include work tapes or such?

[Bicyclerider]

Mark, I asked this on another thread and was directed back to you - I remember when you redid the 2fers a few tracks were remixed because you were unable to find the original mixes done for the 1990 2fers - Old Man River was one, and I Do another (according to Mr. Doe).  What were the others?  I vaguely remember Baker Man.

[yrplace]

Mark, I asked this on another thread and was directed back to you - I remember when you redid the 2fers a few tracks were remixed because you were unable to find the original mixes done for the 1990 2fers - Old Man River was one, and I Do another (according to Mr. Doe).  What were the others?  I vaguely remember Baker Man.

Sorry, but I honestly don't remember. Only a few were remixed and I don't think Baker Man was one of them, but I could be wrong.

Mark

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Mark, would you mind talking a little bit about the 5.1 mix of "Long Promised Road" you did for Endless Harmony?  Any special challenges or surprises, or whatnot.  I think it's my favourite from that set of mixes, it was fun to hear something from that era in a new way.

In particular, I'm curious about the acoustic guitar during the verses that doesn't appear on the original stereo mix.  Was that simply left out of the original mix?  It adds a totally different feel to the track, that personally, I love.

[wind chime]

Mark: The Chit chat on the original mono "Here Today" was left off the stereo mix...why is that? I was so used to it that it became "part" of the charm of the record.

[Andreas]

Mark: The Chit chat on the original mono "Here Today" was left off the stereo mix...why is that? I was so used to it that it became "part" of the charm of the record.

If I am wrong, Mark can correct me, but I read that it was left off at Brian's request.

[yrplace]

Mark, would you mind talking a little bit about the 5.1 mix of "Long Promised Road" you did for Endless Harmony?  Any special challenges or surprises, or whatnot.  I think it's my favourite from that set of mixes, it was fun to hear something from that era in a new way.

In particular, I'm curious about the acoustic guitar during the verses that doesn't appear on the original stereo mix.  Was that simply left out of the original mix?  It adds a totally different feel to the track, that personally, I love.

Thanks. On that mix I wasn't trying to duplicate the original so the acoustic guitar which was left out of the stereo mix was used. For the still unreleased 5.1 mix we duplicated much more closely the original mix.

[yrplace]

Mark: The Chit chat on the original mono "Here Today" was left off the stereo mix...why is that? I was so used to it that it became "part" of the charm of the record.

If I am wrong, Mark can correct me, but I read that it was left off at Brian's request.

You're correct and this is discussed in the liner notes. The talking (like the cough heard in the solo of the stereo mix of Wendy) was a mistake, so Brian wanted it removed when we made the stereo mix. If you have the boxset, however, the talking is on the end of one of the discs as a "ghost" track..... Mark

[c-man]

Mark, would you mind talking a little bit about the 5.1 mix of "Long Promised Road" you did for Endless Harmony?  Any special challenges or surprises, or whatnot.  I think it's my favourite from that set of mixes, it was fun to hear something from that era in a new way.

In particular, I'm curious about the acoustic guitar during the verses that doesn't appear on the original stereo mix.  Was that simply left out of the original mix?  It adds a totally different feel to the track, that personally, I love.

I can hear the acoustic guitar in the verses on the original mix...faintly, but it's there...

C-Man