Ethan Johns

Ethan Johns mentions in a Sound on Sound interview that he could use a variety of microphones, including the Telefunken ELA M 251, to capture the rich sound of Danny Thompson's renowned double bass, Victoria. This highlights the versatility and quality of the ELA M 251 in studio recording.

Of Danny Thompson's near-legendary double bass, pet name Victoria, which has been used on sessions with everyone from Pentangle to to Kate Bush, Johns says that the instrument produces such a rich sound that he might have used any microphone. "I could have put a 251, a 49, a 50, a 47, a 67, a C12, a 57, a D19, anything on it, and it still would have sounded fucking amazing. No question. It's really easy.

The performances on Spirit In The Room were captured entirely live, involving a small team of Jones, Johns and keyboard player Richard Causon, the singer performing into a gold RCA 77DX ribbon microphone.

The leakage on Heartbreaker is good leakage, 'cause it was a nice room,” he stresses. "It was a [Neumann] 67 on the guitar and a 47 on his voice, and two 67s on the drums and a [AKG] D12 on the bass drum. But most of the drum sound you're hearing — probably about 70 percent — is coming through the guitar and the vocal.

The leakage on Heartbreaker is good leakage, 'cause it was a nice room,” he stresses. "It was a [Neumann] 67 on the guitar and a 47 on his voice, and two 67s on the drums and a [AKG] D12 on the bass drum. But most of the drum sound you're hearing — probably about 70 percent — is coming through the guitar and the vocal.

The leakage on Heartbreaker is good leakage, 'cause it was a nice room,” he stresses. "It was a [Neumann] 67 on the guitar and a 47 on his voice, and two 67s on the drums and a [AKG] D12 on the bass drum. But most of the drum sound you're hearing — probably about 70 percent — is coming through the guitar and the vocal.

I have compressors. I've got some [Universal Audio] 1176s and [Dbx] 160s. I mean, I like compression, I like messing around with it. But I'm using it much less now. Interestingly enough, with this new Laura Marling record [Once I Was An Eagle], as I went on in the mixing, I very quickly started to unplug all the compressors. If you listen to Heartbreaker, there's almost no compression on that at all. There's no bus compression on any of the Kings Of Leon records I've made, none of the Ray LaMontagne stuff, it's all completely open. There'll be minor compression on individual things. If you're recording to digital, you're compensating for the fact that there's no tape compression, so you're trying to soften things. But I tend to record to tape still, as much as possible.

I have compressors. I've got some [Universal Audio] 1176s and [Dbx] 160s. I mean, I like compression, I like messing around with it. But I'm using it much less now. Interestingly enough, with this new Laura Marling record [Once I Was An Eagle], as I went on in the mixing, I very quickly started to unplug all the compressors. If you listen to Heartbreaker, there's almost no compression on that at all. There's no bus compression on any of the Kings Of Leon records I've made, none of the Ray LaMontagne stuff, it's all completely open. There'll be minor compression on individual things. If you're recording to digital, you're compensating for the fact that there's no tape compression, so you're trying to soften things. But I tend to record to tape still, as much as possible.

Though he prefers to work to tape, Johns will always make safety recordings to a digital format, preferring IZ's RADAR over Pro Tools. "It's a bit more natural-sounding to me. Pro Tools is OK, but it can be quite 'sharp'. This is where I'm going to get myself into all kinds of trouble, but Pro Tools should be called Amateur Tools really. Because the truth of the matter is that the only reason why that's become as successful as it has is because it allows people that can't play and can't sing to make records.

Having gone out to various studios to produce sessions, these days Ethan Johns always returns to his Three Crows home studio to mix the results. Working with an API desk and Ampex 24-track, along with his RADAR system and Pro Tools 10, Johns favours outboard over plug-ins, his effects workhorses including the Roland R880, the Eventide DSP4000 and the Lexicon PCM70.

Having gone out to various studios to produce sessions, these days Ethan Johns always returns to his Three Crows home studio to mix the results. Working with an API desk and Ampex 24-track, along with his RADAR system and Pro Tools 10, Johns favours outboard over plug-ins, his effects workhorses including the Roland R880, the Eventide DSP4000 and the Lexicon PCM70.

Having gone out to various studios to produce sessions, these days Ethan Johns always returns to his Three Crows home studio to mix the results. Working with an API desk and Ampex 24-track, along with his RADAR system and Pro Tools 10, Johns favours outboard over plug-ins, his effects workhorses including the Roland R880, the Eventide DSP4000 and the Lexicon PCM70.

But if I've got an 1176 or an LA2A or a Pultec, I'm gonna use that. And I'm telling you now, the plug-ins don't sound anything like them. They do their own thing, and it's great, but in comparison to the real thing, they don't come close.

Of Danny Thompson's near-legendary double bass, pet name Victoria, which has been used on sessions with everyone from Pentangle to to Kate Bush, Johns says that the instrument produces such a rich sound that he might have used any microphone. "I could have put a 251, a 49, a 50, a 47, a 67, a C12, a 57, a D19, anything on it, and it still would have sounded fucking amazing. No question. It's really easy.

Of Danny Thompson's near-legendary double bass, pet name Victoria, which has been used on sessions with everyone from Pentangle to to Kate Bush, Johns says that the instrument produces such a rich sound that he might have used any microphone. "I could have put a 251, a 49, a 50, a 47, a 67, a C12, a 57, a D19, anything on it, and it still would have sounded fucking amazing. No question. It's really easy.

Of Danny Thompson's near-legendary double bass, pet name Victoria, which has been used on sessions with everyone from Pentangle to to Kate Bush, Johns says that the instrument produces such a rich sound that he might have used any microphone. "I could have put a 251, a 49, a 50, a 47, a 67, a C12, a 57, a D19, anything on it, and it still would have sounded fucking amazing. No question. It's really easy.