Bob Dylan's Studio Equipment

Bob Dylan's sound engineer says, "Digital is fine as long as you record what you want to hear. I use Neve 1073 and Pultec EQP1A EQs, [Universal Audio] LA3 compressors, and dynamic microphones through tube preamps to get the sounds I want before they’re recorded," in this article about recording Bob Dylan.

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Used for Dylan's vocals on Shadows in the Night, as stated by producer Al Schmitt in this May 2015 Sound on Sound interview.

“I used Capitol’s Neumann U47 on Bob’s vocals. It’s the very same microphone that was used on Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Nat King Cole. It’s a great–sounding microphone. Fortunately, because I work a lot at Capitol, I get to use it frequently, and I’ve had it on Paul McCartney and on Diana Krall and others. The mic was maybe nine or 10 inches away from Bob, with a windscreen. Pops and esses were no problem. I used the Neve 1073 mic pres in the old Neve desk at Capitol on all the mics. It has an amazing sound, with lots of punch and warmth. So Bob’s 47 went through that. The only compression I used on the entire album was on Bob’s voice, a tiny bit of an old mono Fairchild. I barely touched it, I used it mainly for the tube sound. It just added some warmth. On the desk I also mixed in some of Capitol’s live chamber number four on his voice.

The mention of a "mono" Fairchild specifies a 660.

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Bob Dylan's 1999 album, Love and Theft, was recorded on a Neve 8068 Mixing Console, according to this article.

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A Studer A827 was used to record Bob Dylan's 1999 album, Love and Theft, according to this article by E-Musician.

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This article says, "Shaw then compensates by adding some additional low end and a little airy EQ around 12kHz, then heavily compressing the signal through an Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor. 'I drive it untill the red lights don’t blink anymore,' he says. 'You can hear all the bleed from the band into the vocal microphone pumping under the compression and it adds a cool thickness to the sound.'"

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Producer Steve Hoffman has stated his use of the LA-2A for Dylan.

My Teletronix LA-2A, ganged for stereo or mono reproduction via the handy toggle switch in the center of the two units. (...) I've used it on countless projects, Nat "King" Cole, Frank Sinatra, Beach Boys, Doors, Eagles, Ringo, McCartney, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Peggy Lee, Jethro Tull, Chuck Berry, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Van Morrison, White Stripes, Tom Petty, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ella Fitzgerald, Yes, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Steely Dan, Steppenwolf, Bad Company, Jim Croce, Elvis Presley, Billie Holiday, Judy Garland, Dave Mason, Paul Simon, America, The Band, Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Cars, ZZ Top, James Taylor, Art Pepper, Steve Miller Band, Queen, Rod Stewart, Duke Ellington, John Lee Hooker, Al Jolson, Roy Orbison, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis, Jr., The Who, Lightnin' Hopkins, Bill Haley & his Comets, Miles Davis, Mamas and Papas, Blue Öyster Cult, The Byrds, Eric Clapton, Bill Evans Trio, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Phil Collins, Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, Jeff Beck, Doobie Bros., Faces, Grand Funk, Heart, Billy Joel, Linda Ronstadt, Ten Years After, Grant Green, Wes Montgomery, Pat Benetar, Elton John, Leon Russell, Metallica. etc.

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This is a community-built gear list for Bob Dylan.

  • Find relevant music gear like Microphones, Guitars, Amplifiers, Effects Pedals, Pianos, Keyboards and Synthesizers, Software Plugins and VSTs, Instruments, and other instruments and add it to Bob Dylan.
  • The best places to look for gear usage are typically on the artist's social media, YouTube, live performance images, and interviews.
  • To receive email updates when Bob Dylan is seen with new gear, follow the artist.

Discography

Album Credits

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