Iris DeMent

Used for vocals on Infamous Angel, as stated by engineer Richard Adler in this November 17, 2020 Mix Online interview.

Adler also brought along the Neumann U87 mic they used for DeMent’s voice. He says he learned from earlier years in his career, working on staff at Universal Recording in Chicago, how to take care of his microphones, and how no two U87s necessarily sound the same.

“I had a U87 that I’d had rebuilt here in Nashville by Fred Cameron, and it was in really good condition, with the capsule replaced,” Adler says. “On the originals, the diaphragms were made out of material that was seven microns thick. The capsule in my U87, the material was three microns, and it sounded unique. I really liked that on vocals.”

Used for the acoustic guitars on Infamous Angel, as stated by engineer Richard Adler in this November 17, 2020 Mix Online interview.

On acoustic guitars, Adler says, “At that time, I frequently used guitar mics with a tight cardioid pattern, such as the AKG 451, but on this session I think I used Neumann KM84s. I had several of those that were really good guitar mics. I would place them four or five inches up the neck from the sound hole to avoid getting a boomy sound, especially in a live situation.”