Steely Dan – Two Against Nature

Used for the hi-hat on Donald Fagen's Morph the Cat, as stated by mix engineer Elliott Scheiner in this August 2006 Sound on Sound interview.

According to Elliott Scheiner, the following mics were used on the Morph The Cat recording sessions.

• Kick drum: AKG D112.
• Snare: SM57 (only on top).
• Hi-hat: Neumann KM81 or 84.
• Toms: Audio-Technica ATM25.
• Overheads: Neumann U67.
• Room mics: Electrovoice RE20.
• Electric guitar: Shure SM57 right on speaker cone.
• Piano: 2x AKG C12 mics, about 12 inches from the strings.
• Trumpet and trombone: Coles ribbon.
• Tenor sax: Neumann U67.
• Baritone sax: Neumann FET47.

The KM 84 was also used for the hi-hat on Toto XIV, as mentioned by producer CJ Vanston in this March 5, 2015 Mix Online article.

On the kick drum he placed a Sennheiser 421 and a Yamaha subwoofer, and on the snare drum a Shure 57 with another Shure 57 underneath. On the hi-hat he switched between a Neumann KM 84 and Shure SM81.

“For overheads I used a pair of AKG C12As,” Petocz says. “Tom mic’s were 421s and for room mics I had a 47 mono room mic very close to the drums, halfway between the kick and the snare. Then for the more traditional room mic drum sound, I used a pair of U 67 Neumanns and occasionally a C-24 from the back, just sparingly. They all went through the beautiful vintage 8068 Neve console, the best sounding Neve in town. And some compression on the snare when it needed it, but only slightly. Then what I did is go direct out when I could instead of busing it, just for that added purity.”

Used as an overhead mic for Donald Fagen's Morph the Cat, as stated by mix engineer Elliott Scheiner in this August 2006 Sound on Sound interview.

According to Elliott Scheiner, the following mics were used on the Morph The Cat recording sessions.

• Kick drum: AKG D112.
• Snare: SM57 (only on top).
• Hi-hat: Neumann KM81 or 84.
• Toms: Audio-Technica ATM25.
• Overheads: Neumann U67.
• Room mics: Electrovoice RE20.
• Electric guitar: Shure SM57 right on speaker cone.
• Piano: 2x AKG C12 mics, about 12 inches from the strings.
• Trumpet and trombone: Coles ribbon.
• Tenor sax: Neumann U67.
• Baritone sax: Neumann FET47.

A U67 was also used as a room mic on Toto XIV, as mentioned by producer CJ Vanston in this March 5, 2015 Mix Online article.

On the kick drum he placed a Sennheiser 421 and a Yamaha subwoofer, and on the snare drum a Shure 57 with another Shure 57 underneath. On the hi-hat he switched between a Neumann KM 84 and Shure SM81.

“For overheads I used a pair of AKG C12As,” Petocz says. “Tom mic’s were 421s and for room mics I had a 47 mono room mic very close to the drums, halfway between the kick and the snare. Then for the more traditional room mic drum sound, I used a pair of U 67 Neumanns and occasionally a C-24 from the back, just sparingly. They all went through the beautiful vintage 8068 Neve console, the best sounding Neve in town. And some compression on the snare when it needed it, but only slightly. Then what I did is go direct out when I could instead of busing it, just for that added purity.”

Used on the bass drum for Donald Fagen's Morph the Cat, as stated by mix engineer Elliott Scheiner in this August 2006 Sound on Sound interview.

According to Elliott Scheiner, the following mics were used on the Morph The Cat recording sessions.

• Kick drum: AKG D112.
• Snare: SM57 (only on top).
• Hi-hat: Neumann KM81 or 84.
• Toms: Audio-Technica ATM25.
• Overheads: Neumann U67.
• Room mics: Electrovoice RE20.
• Electric guitar: Shure SM57 right on speaker cone.
• Piano: 2x AKG C12 mics, about 12 inches from the strings.
• Trumpet and trombone: Coles ribbon.
• Tenor sax: Neumann U67.
• Baritone sax: Neumann FET47.

This article predates the MKII reissue by nine years.

Used as a room mic for Donald Fagen's Morph the Cat, as stated by mix engineer Elliott Scheiner in this August 2006 Sound on Sound interview.

According to Elliott Scheiner, the following mics were used on the Morph The Cat recording sessions.

• Kick drum: AKG D112.
• Snare: SM57 (only on top).
• Hi-hat: Neumann KM81 or 84.
• Toms: Audio-Technica ATM25.
• Overheads: Neumann U67.
• Room mics: Electrovoice RE20.
• Electric guitar: Shure SM57 right on speaker cone.
• Piano: 2x AKG C12 mics, about 12 inches from the strings.
• Trumpet and trombone: Coles ribbon.
• Tenor sax: Neumann U67.
• Baritone sax: Neumann FET47.

Used on the hi-hats for Donald Fagen's Morph the Cat, as stated by mix engineer Elliott Scheiner in this August 2006 Sound on Sound interview.

According to Elliott Scheiner, the following mics were used on the Morph The Cat recording sessions.

• Kick drum: AKG D112.
• Snare: SM57 (only on top).
• Hi-hat: Neumann KM81 or 84.
• Toms: Audio-Technica ATM25.
• Overheads: Neumann U67.
• Room mics: Electrovoice RE20.
• Electric guitar: Shure SM57 right on speaker cone.
• Piano: 2x AKG C12 mics, about 12 inches from the strings.
• Trumpet and trombone: Coles ribbon.
• Tenor sax: Neumann U67.
• Baritone sax: Neumann FET47.

Used on the toms for Donald Fagen's Morph the Cat, as stated by mix engineer Elliott Scheiner in this August 2006 Sound on Sound interview.

According to Elliott Scheiner, the following mics were used on the Morph The Cat recording sessions.

• Kick drum: AKG D112.
• Snare: SM57 (only on top).
• Hi-hat: Neumann KM81 or 84.
• Toms: Audio-Technica ATM25.
• Overheads: Neumann U67.
• Room mics: Electrovoice RE20.
• Electric guitar: Shure SM57 right on speaker cone.
• Piano: 2x AKG C12 mics, about 12 inches from the strings.
• Trumpet and trombone: Coles ribbon.
• Tenor sax: Neumann U67.
• Baritone sax: Neumann FET47.

Used on the bass drum for Donald Fagen's Morph the Cat, as stated by mix engineer Elliott Scheiner in this August 2006 Sound on Sound interview.

"Donald had done his other overdubs there," comments the engineer, "and was comfortable there. They have a Neve VR and all the analogue equipment that we needed, so it made sense to mix there. The mixes went from Pro Tools through the Neve VR and then to two-track half-inch analogue. Since I hardly use EQ during mixing, any EQ that I do will be applied during the mix. So I did some EQ-ing, and added some reverb, using the EMT 140 plates at Avatar, and also a Lexicon 480 and a TC3000. I only used room mics on the drums. I also used a Fairchild 670 on the bass and kick drum. There was no compression during recording."

Used to record all instruments on Donald Fagen's Morph the Cat, as stated by Fagen and mix engineer Elliott Scheiner in this August 2006 Sound on Sound interview.

Scheiner adds that he 'seldom' uses EQ during the mix, and that Morph The Cat was recorded via Clinton's Neve 8078 directly to analogue 24-track. Straightforward recording to analogue without much processing is now Fagen's favoured approach, says he. "It's the sound I like. It's not necessary to have the latest equipment. Today I think that I could use any studio, and any equipment, and all I need is good players and it will sound good. I like the sound of jazz records recorded in the late 1950s. I love the sound of Rudy van Gelder's records for Prestige. I can't imagine anything sounding better. Van Gelder's jazz recordings definitely influenced the Steely Dan recording and mixing style."

Used for the baritone saxophone on Donald Fagen's Morph the Cat, as stated by mix engineer Elliott Scheiner in this August 2006 Sound on Sound interview.

According to Elliott Scheiner, the following mics were used on the Morph The Cat recording sessions.

• Kick drum: AKG D112.
• Snare: SM57 (only on top).
• Hi-hat: Neumann KM81 or 84.
• Toms: Audio-Technica ATM25.
• Overheads: Neumann U67.
• Room mics: Electrovoice RE20.
• Electric guitar: Shure SM57 right on speaker cone.
• Piano: 2x AKG C12 mics, about 12 inches from the strings.
• Trumpet and trombone: Coles ribbon.
• Tenor sax: Neumann U67.
• Baritone sax: Neumann FET47.

Used to record all instruments on Donald Fagen's Morph the Cat, as stated by Fagen and mix engineer Elliott Scheiner in this August 2006 Sound on Sound interview.

Scheiner adds that he 'seldom' uses EQ during the mix, and that Morph The Cat was recorded via Clinton's Neve 8078 directly to analogue 24-track. Straightforward recording to analogue without much processing is now Fagen's favoured approach, says he. "It's the sound I like. It's not necessary to have the latest equipment. Today I think that I could use any studio, and any equipment, and all I need is good players and it will sound good. I like the sound of jazz records recorded in the late 1950s. I love the sound of Rudy van Gelder's records for Prestige. I can't imagine anything sounding better. Van Gelder's jazz recordings definitely influenced the Steely Dan recording and mixing style."

A modified 1969 ES-335 is discussed in the February 1977 Guitar Player interview "Larry Carlton" by Steven Rosen and in the September 10, 2007 Premier Guitar interview "Chattin' with Mr. 335: Larry Carlton" by James Egolf.

Guitar Player

The Ford group had furnished Larry with a black Les Paul Custom ("I was becoming more turned on to Beck and Clapton," he says.) which replaced the Gibson he had been playing on record dates. He wasn't happy, though, with his sound on the Les Paul, so he switched to a Gibson ES-335 which he still uses. The musician feels the 335 to be a vast improvement over the Fenders he had once relied upon, especially in relation to sustain and body feel; his jazz background led him to be more comfortable with a larger instrument in his hands. Other axes in his collection include a 1952 Telecaster, a '52 gold-top Les Paul, and two Martin acoustics.

Some minor work has been done on the basically stock ES-335 (1969): a stud tailpiece and metal inserts were installed; Schaller tuning heads replaced the worn out originals; the pickups have been changed several times to other standard humbuckers; and a different tone pot with a wider range of effect is now used. Carlton compares the Gibson with the instruments of other players, (including studio guitarist Dean Parks') and finds that his sustain on the high E and B strings is far greater than theirs.

Larry's advice to those interested in 335s: find one that feels comfortable and see if it sounds good acoustically. His guitar, without being plugged in, will sustain on its own.

Recently, Carlton tried out another studio man's 335 after Gibson had installed a 5"x5" brass piece right where the tailpiece fits on. Though the guitar "weighs a ton," Larry reports, the brass plate, along with a special ebony fingerboard, creates a strong sustain.

Premier Guitar

Larry Carlton is one of the most prolific guitar players of our time. Though the term “prolific” gets bandied about quite freely, Larry is truly the definition of the word – each time Larry conquers one avenue, he finds new opportunities to excel. From playing and arranging more than 3000 sessions for acts like Michael Jackson and Steely Dan, to an internationally successful solo career, to commercial work and playing in groups like The Crusaders and Fourplay, Larry has really done it all. Recently, Larry launched a new record label, 335 Records, and an online TV station, Mr. 335 TV. We caught up with Mr. 335 himself to chat about his amazing start in the business, his newfound freedom, and everything in between.

[...]

When did you hook up with the 335?

The romance between Larry Carlton and the ES-335 started in 1969. I was getting calls to do sessions, and I had to jump from studio to studio, but I never knew what style of music I was going to be called upon to play. I love jazz, I can play rock and roll and I can play country music, so I was looking for a guitar that could cover all those bags. I needed a guitar that was – and is – as versatile in sound as I was as a player. After checking out a few things, I decided that the Gibson ES-335 was right for me. I could play my jazz things – I love jazz and I love the f-hole and the semi-hollowbody sound – but when you put on the treble pickup, you can get it to scream on the amplifier. Versatility, versatility, versatility – that’s why I chose this guitar.

[...]

Your solo on Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemagne” is pretty legendary. Are there any secrets to that tone?

I played the same 335 on 90% of my solo sessions, including the solo for “Kid Charlemagne.” I just used a little Tweed Deluxe amplifier. There’s video of that rig on my website. The combination that I used sound-wise for the “Kid Charlemagne” solo was the 335, Tweed Deluxe amplifier, back pickup and with the tone control turned down to about three.