Daft Punk & Daft Punk – Random Access Memories

In this 2001 interview with Daft Punk about Discovery, their main synths are listed. The 808 and its cousin the 909 are both mentioned.

Some of the recording of Daft Punk's Random Access Memories took place in Studio C of Conway Recording Studios, which contains a Neve 88R desk, "...which is Mad Labs modified and has 24 remote Neve mic pres, consisting of 12 1081s and 12 Air customs."

Daft Punk record bass guitar via a Neve 1081 and Teletronix LA-2A. The LA-2A was also used to record a couple of vocalists, and during the mixing process it was used for parallel compression on the kick and snare.

For the recording of Daft Punk's Random Access Memories, signals were split and sent both to Pro Tools and tape. "The analogue side of the recording was a Studer A827 running 24-track ATR tape at 15ips, with +3 alignment and Dolby SR, because we didn't want to have hiss."

Steel guitar for Daft Punk was recorded using a Neumann U87 mic, which went through a Neve 1073 as well as the Universal Audio 1176LN.

The 1176 was also used on the kick and snare for parallel compression during the mixing process.

"...we used the UA 2192 [converters] when we did the tests in 2008. They are great, but they're super-colourful, and don't have the same pristine presence as the Lynx Aurora 16s, which we didn't start using until late 2010 - they didn't exist yet in 2008. When we listened to the Auroras in 2010, we realised that they sounded better than anything we'd heard until then."

The API 2500 compressor was used for parallel compression on Daft Punk's drum tracks during the mixing process.

In addition to the Universal Audio Precision De-Esser Plugin, the DBX 902 was used to process guest vocalists for Daft Punk's album, to "make the vocal brighter without it being sibilant."

One tip from mixing engineer Mick Guzauski is to very narrowly cut the vocals around 3-4kHz.

Used to process vocals for Daft Punk's tracks.

"We spent some time auditioning compressors, like several 1176s, LA2As and Neve 33609s, and used what individual piece of gear sounded best to us. Daft Punk actually bought a vintage reconditioned 33609 and it didn't quite sound the same, so they traded the one that they had spent a ton of money on for the 33609 that they had at Conway, because everybody loved that one! This is one of the fun things about analogue gear, every individual piece sounds a little different."

Mick Guzauski talks about using the Apollo working on Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories" by saying, "I got that just before going to Los Angeles to work on the Daft Punk album because I had some projects that still needed recalls. I brought the Apollo with all of my UAD plug-ins, my laptop, and all of my files, so if there was anything I needed to tweak, I was ready."

Daft Punk used the Sennheiser VSM 201 vocoder on their album "Random Access Memories." This vocoder, also used by Herbie Hancock, is featured in the official video for "I Thought It Was You." Daft Punk reportedly created 18 custom copies of this vocoder, each valued at approximately $20,000.

On Digital Love from Daft Punk's 2001 Album Discovery. During the Bridge,You Get a Supertramp Vibe. That Vibe was made by the original Wurlitzer Electric piano Supertramp used. According to Guy-Man, " On ‘Digital Love,’ you get this Supertramp vibe on the bridge,” remarks de Homem-Christo. “We didn’t sample Supertramp, but we had the original Wurlitzer piano they used, so we thought it would be more fun to have the original instrument and mess around with it. We use mainly vintage synthesizers, like older electric pianos like the Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Clavinet. We didn’t use the Clavinet on Discovery, but I usually use it in my studio.” Effects units the duo used include a DP-4 and an Eventide Ultra-Harmonizer.

Per this March 2001 interview with Keyboards Magazine (FR), Daft Punk employed a Fender Rhodes during the recording of Discovery.

In a SoundOnSound article, Daft Punk is noted for using the Roland Jupiter-6 synthesizer during the recording sessions for "Random Access Memories."

Daft Punk's Thomas and Guy-Manuel used the Prophet-5 in early recording sessions for Random Access Memories.

In an article from SoundOnSound, it is noted that Daft Punk frequently uses the Oberheim OB-8 synthesizer, highlighting its importance in their sound production.

Daft Punk use Pro Tools to record ideas and demos, which they then take into the studio to record properly. Pro Tools was used during all stages of recording the tracks for Random Access Memories.

During recording of Daft Punk's Random Access Memories, one of the mics used to record the kick drum was the AKG D 112, used for its "...nice, solid, low bottom and a punchy mid-range."

Kick drums for Daft Punk's Random Access Memories were recorded using the Neumann U47 FET mic, since it has "...more low end and less attack."

The SM57 was used to record the top of the snare drum for Daft Punk's Random Access Memories album, as well as being one of the three mics used to record the guitar cab.

Used to record the bottom of the drum kit's snare.

Sennheiser MD 421 mics were used to record toms for Daft Punk's Random Access Memories album.

The Neumann U67 was used as a room mic to record drums for Daft Punk's Random Access Memories album, although the aim was to achieve "that '70s drum sound," which actually meant suppressing the room sound.

The U67 was also used to record the room sound of the guitar.

Naumann U87 mics were used by Daft Punk and their crew to record the Fender Rhodes, as well as guitar cab.

During their stint at Capitol Studios, Daft Punk recorded an orchestra using three Neumann M 50 mics.

The Royer-121 was one of three mics used to record the guitar cab for Daft Punk.

Daft Punk recorded bass guitar DI, via the Neve 1081.

Neve 1073 mic pres were used for recording electric guitars, acoustic, steel guitar, and vocalists Todd Edwards and Paul Williamson.

During the mixing of Daft Punk's Random Access Memories, one of the only software plugins used was Universal Audio's De-Esser, "because you can be really precise with them."

Daft Punk's mixing engineer talks about what monitors he uses: "The monitors I used when mixing were the Guzauski-Swist 3as, which I developed with Larry Swist. We had also used them for tracking and Daft Punk liked them so much that they bought a pair. It's a three-way system with tweeters and mid-range speakers that are mounted isolated from the woofers, so you can really crank them up without transferring any of the low-frequency vibrations to the other drivers, and this cuts distortion."

"'They are a big part of the technical aspect of the album,' adds Franco. 'It is an amazing design, and they sound amazing. It made listening to the musicians that much better because these monitors really represent what they are doing.'"

In the official video for "Get Lucky," Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk is seen playing an Ampeg Dan Armstrong Lucite Bass, modified with a Fender Precision Bass neck.

In the video for "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo is seen playing a Ludwig Custom Vistalite Acrylic Drum Kit.

The notion that Daft Punk used a Moog Modular for Random Access Memories is mistaken, and probably based on the fact that a modular was used on the album track with Giorgio Moroder - who of course did use a Moog Modular. It is much more likely that the group's very large Modcan A system was used instead

In this interview, Paul Jackson Jr confirms he used a Gibson ES-335 for recording “Lady Of My Life” on Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

Paul Jackson Jr confirms that he used a Gibson Les Paul Standard while recording guitar work for Michael Jackson’s Thriller.