by Jnmarseille13 (May 1st, 2024)
by Jnmarseille13 (May 1st, 2024)
I don’t know why, but everytime I listen to any song from the 70s, I can easily tell it’s a song from that era, and not just by the style and instruments used, but also by the quality of the mix. And I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking that way.
If you’re like me, then maybe you love pretty much everything about the 70s aesthetics : the clothing, the cars, the hairstyles, the indoor decorations and… the music! In my honest opinion, 70s music was probably the peak of the history of the record industry in terms of music quality. The mixing techniques were perfectly applied, and the gear was top quality. And I think this can easily be explained. So let me tell you what I think makes 70s music so special…
This one is pretty obvious… or not. Nowadays, many beatmakers, producers, singers and musicians (including myself) sometimes act as if we were “self-proclaimed audio engineers”. Why? Because many notions we use in our DAWs are also used in audio engineering ; things like : stereo panning, equalization, compression and I could go on and on… Also, studio gear has become so affordable and digitized that we’re able to easily build our home studios, which was not possible decades ago. However, even with all the knowledge one can have about mixing, we all know that an actual professional engineer will always provide much better results.
Well, in the 70s, this question didn’t even exist. Studio gear (mostly analog) was too expensive and too big to fit in a house anyways. And recording on analog tape (and not on a software) itself is a skill that takes time and dedication to learn. So, only audio engineers with degrees and/or experience would handle recording, mixing and mastering sessions. No DIY. So, bands could always expect to get out of there with high quality mixes.
Yes, digital synths and other digital gear existed in the 70s. But most of the gear was analog. Takes were recorded on tape, and the mixing boards were analog. Most synths used were analog. Compressors were analog. And, as you know, the sound you get from analog gear is very different, as you know, and there’s a reason why so many analog-simulation plugins exist…
Stereo panning nowadays is somewhat “easy”, as you can control exactly how you want to place an element in the stereo space. However, in the 70s, stereo was still “new” in a way. Many controllers came with an L-C-R switch, instead of a stereo panning knob like we do nowadays. If you don’t exactly understand what I’m talking about, I recommend you to listen to any song from the 70s with headphones or stereo speakers, and pay attention to how you hear some instruments only on the right ear, or left ear.
Surprisingly, even with this limitation, 70s mixes were extremely well done and balanced. Engineers knew where to place elements and how to play with EQ, and get optimal results. So far, I’ve been to several wedding parties, and I’ve never heard anyone complain about hearing hard panned elements on the speakers when the DJ plays a 70s disco song!
You might have noticed that 70s songs don’t have loud masters. Just normal volume. This is because loudness was not something important to worry about in that era. Audio engineers, when mastering, make sure that a song will be enjoyable to listen to on any kind of device. And back then, people didn’t listen to music through small headphones in the subway train, in the middle of all the noise and loud train engine. People listened to music at home with a hi-fi system. So no need to make everything loud, with the risk of having to deal with clipping (I recommend you to do some research about “the Loudness War”).
I could add so many reasons why I love 70s music, but I think I might easily derive from the main topic, haha! Nevertheless, I think it’s a good idea for everyone who’s interested in mixing to analyze 70s music closely. There’s a lot to learn from that era!
I don’t know why, but everytime I listen to any song from the 70s, I can easily tell it’s a song from that era, and not just by the style and instruments used, but also by the quality of the mix. And I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking that way.
If you’re like me, then maybe you love pretty much everything about the 70s aesthetics : the clothing, the cars, the hairstyles, the indoor decorations and… the music! In my honest opinion, 70s music was probably the peak of the history of the record industry in terms of music quality. The mixing techniques were perfectly applied, and the gear was top quality. And I think this can easily be explained. So let me tell you what I think makes 70s music so special…
This one is pretty obvious… or not. Nowadays, many beatmakers, producers, singers and musicians (including myself) sometimes act as if we were “self-proclaimed audio engineers”. Why? Because many notions we use in our DAWs are also used in audio engineering ; things like : stereo panning, equalization, compression and I could go on and on… Also, studio gear has become so affordable and digitized that we’re able to easily build our home studios, which was not possible decades ago. However, even with all the knowledge one can have about mixing, we all know that an actual professional engineer will always provide much better results.
Well, in the 70s, this question didn’t even exist. Studio gear (mostly analog) was too expensive and too big to fit in a house anyways. And recording on analog tape (and not on a software) itself is a skill that takes time and dedication to learn. So, only audio engineers with degrees and/or experience would handle recording, mixing and mastering sessions. No DIY. So, bands could always expect to get out of there with high quality mixes.
Yes, digital synths and other digital gear existed in the 70s. But most of the gear was analog. Takes were recorded on tape, and the mixing boards were analog. Most synths used were analog. Compressors were analog. And, as you know, the sound you get from analog gear is very different, as you know, and there’s a reason why so many analog-simulation plugins exist…
Stereo panning nowadays is somewhat “easy”, as you can control exactly how you want to place an element in the stereo space. However, in the 70s, stereo was still “new” in a way. Many controllers came with an L-C-R switch, instead of a stereo panning knob like we do nowadays. If you don’t exactly understand what I’m talking about, I recommend you to listen to any song from the 70s with headphones or stereo speakers, and pay attention to how you hear some instruments only on the right ear, or left ear.
Surprisingly, even with this limitation, 70s mixes were extremely well done and balanced. Engineers knew where to place elements and how to play with EQ, and get optimal results. So far, I’ve been to several wedding parties, and I’ve never heard anyone complain about hearing hard panned elements on the speakers when the DJ plays a 70s disco song!
You might have noticed that 70s songs don’t have loud masters. Just normal volume. This is because loudness was not something important to worry about in that era. Audio engineers, when mastering, make sure that a song will be enjoyable to listen to on any kind of device. And back then, people didn’t listen to music through small headphones in the subway train, in the middle of all the noise and loud train engine. People listened to music at home with a hi-fi system. So no need to make everything loud, with the risk of having to deal with clipping (I recommend you to do some research about “the Loudness War”).
I could add so many reasons why I love 70s music, but I think I might easily derive from the main topic, haha! Nevertheless, I think it’s a good idea for everyone who’s interested in mixing to analyze 70s music closely. There’s a lot to learn from that era!