Original Ultravox Guitar Tones

[#16]

I have long been puzzled by this....Dumbass bass player by trade.

BUT.....I am very interested in the guitar tones on the first three Ultravox LPs....ANYONE KNOW?

I am very interested as I am about to start tracking and this is a sound I really like.

I will be more specific IF anyone can shed some light.

Ta!

:wave:

[bieke]

hmmm, I dunno

read this in an interview ...

 

" .... earlier albums we were still using 'reasonably' straightforward bass/drums/guitar recording techniques. Keyboards were recorded both D.I.'d (direct into the desk) and mic'd (loud amps!). Recording FX were pretty much the usual tape & digital FX (though digital FX units were in their relative infancy then); flanging, reverb, delay, chorus, etc. We liked to use backwards reverbs (reverb applied normally but with the tape turned over and running past the heads backwards - when the tape is turned the right way round, the reverb appears 'before' the source sound) and were also fond of backwards guitars & vocals ...

 

... Multi-track recording is an additive process; every layer you put down dictates the shape and attributes of every layer and element to come, therefore it's far easier in the long run to get it 'right' then and there instead of saying, "We'll fix that in the mix." While some people prefer to record everything 'dry' (without any FX or with FX on a separate channel), when we recorded something with reverb or delay we generally tended put that effect to tape, rather than fiddle with the reverb later on. No matter how simple the type of FX is ("Oh, that's an easy one... we can get that again, no problem."), you never do seem to get it exactly the same again and the ripples from that change affect everything else.

 

Billy was running his ARP synth through an Electro-Harmonix 'Electric Mistress' distortion box and (I think) an MXR flanger. He used the studio's piano and 'live' preferred a Yamaha electric piano because, at the time, it was the nearest thing to a real piano (strings & a weighted keyboard). Besides his 'Elka' String Machine which was used a lot on our earlier records, I think we used two Yamaha CS-20 or CS-40 (one of each?) string synths on this first album. We had a CS-80 for awhile, too. It was fantastic but they are very rare today and seriously difficult to maintain. And expensive.

 

Bill also ran his violin through a lot of effects pedals, mainly from Electro-Harmonix. He also had a Roland 'Space-Echo' tape delay unit. The violin was amplified via a 'Barcus-Berry' pick-up attatched to the bridge. Later, he acquired an electric violin which had the capacity to level buildings with a single blast.

 

Midge primarily used his Yamaha SG-2000 guitar through his Vox AC-30 amp and Chris used a Yamaha bass (his Gibson EB-O hadn't been used for ages) through whatever was handy. Of course, Chris also used a Mini-Moog for a lot of the bass parts.

 

Basically, we used what was available (and/or what we could afford) at the time. The only real one-of-a kind stuff we used was the sequencing stuff I designed and had our tech build, this was used to trigger the Mini-Moog from my drum machines which were also heavily altered. Remember - this was all before the luxury of MIDI. The custom equipment features are no longer relevant as any drum machine nowadays has all of the features (and many more!) ..."

 

 

 

 

full story here

[#16]

Originally posted by bieke hmmm, I dunno read this in an interview ... " .... earlier albums we were still using 'reasonably' straightforward bass/drums/guitar recording techniques. Keyboards were recorded both D.I.'d (direct into the desk) and mic'd (loud amps!). Recording FX were pretty much the usual tape & digital FX (though digital FX units were in their relative infancy then); flanging, reverb, delay, chorus, etc. We liked to use backwards reverbs (reverb applied normally but with the tape turned over and running past the heads backwards - when the tape is turned the right way round, the reverb appears 'before' the source sound) and were also fond of backwards guitars & vocals ... ... Multi-track recording is an additive process; every layer you put down dictates the shape and attributes of every layer and element to come, therefore it's far easier in the long run to get it 'right' then and there instead of saying, "We'll fix that in the mix." While some people prefer to record everything 'dry' (without any FX or with FX on a separate channel), when we recorded something with reverb or delay we generally tended put that effect to tape, rather than fiddle with the reverb later on. No matter how simple the type of FX is ("Oh, that's an easy one... we can get that again, no problem."), you never do seem to get it exactly the same again and the ripples from that change affect everything else. Billy was running his ARP synth through an Electro-Harmonix 'Electric Mistress' distortion box and (I think) an MXR flanger. He used the studio's piano and 'live' preferred a Yamaha electric piano because, at the time, it was the nearest thing to a real piano (strings & a weighted keyboard). Besides his 'Elka' String Machine which was used a lot on our earlier records, I think we used two Yamaha CS-20 or CS-40 (one of each?) string synths on this first album. We had a CS-80 for awhile, too. It was fantastic but they are very rare today and seriously difficult to maintain. And expensive. Bill also ran his violin through a lot of effects pedals, mainly from Electro-Harmonix. He also had a Roland 'Space-Echo' tape delay unit. The violin was amplified via a 'Barcus-Berry' pick-up attatched to the bridge. Later, he acquired an electric violin which had the capacity to level buildings with a single blast. Midge primarily used his Yamaha SG-2000 guitar through his Vox AC-30 amp and Chris used a Yamaha bass (his Gibson EB-O hadn't been used for ages) through whatever was handy. Of course, Chris also used a Mini-Moog for a lot of the bass parts. Basically, we used what was available (and/or what we could afford) at the time. The only real one-of-a kind stuff we used was the sequencing stuff I designed and had our tech build, this was used to trigger the Mini-Moog from my drum machines which were also heavily altered. Remember - this was all before the luxury of MIDI. The custom equipment features are no longer relevant as any drum machine nowadays has all of the features (and many more!) ..." full story here

Interesting BUT I am looking for prior to Midge(t) Ure...IE Ultravox! Ha! Ha! Ha! and Systems.

Thanks though....OOOOPS!

Just saw the link....

MANY THANKS!

Still looking for more though.

Anyone?