Categories Studio Studio techniqueClose mic'ing

Studio · Studio technique

Close mic'ing

Placing a microphone within inches of a sound source for intimate, detailed capture.

songs

It was used on 42 recordings, across almost the whole of the band's recording life, 1963 to 1969. The first is 'Twist and Shout' and the last 'Because', with the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album leaning on it hardest, seven of its twelve tracks. More of them come from 1967 on than from the first four years, 23 against nine. Geoff Emerick engineered 27 of them, with Ken Scott on twelve. Paul sings lead on 21 of the 42, twelve for John, and the two of them together on six, with George on two and Ringo on one. Three of them share it on 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)' and 'Because'. McCartney has it on 29% of his songs, such as 'Paperback Writer' and 'Eleanor Rigby', and Lennon on 16% of his. On 'Tomorrow Never Knows' it is Emerick's bass-drum mic inside the kick - broke EMI rules. On 'Yesterday': vocal and guitar mic'd together, and some leakage.

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Top studio techniques by writer - Lennon: Double tracked vocal (58), Reduction mix (28), Tape splicing (18); McCartney: Double tracked vocal (44), Reduction mix (30), Close mic'ing (23); Harrison: Double tracked vocal (14), Reduction mix (12), Fade-out (7).

#	Title	Year	Album	Lead Vocal(s)	Notes
1	I Saw Her Standing There	1963	Please Please Me	Paul	-
2	All My Loving	1963	With The Beatles	Paul	-
3	This Boy	1963	Past Masters	John	Trio around single vocal mic
4	If I Fell	1964	A Hard Day's Night	John, Paul	Single shared mic for the two leads
5	Baby's in Black	1964	Beatles For Sale	John, Paul	John and Paul shared a single mic, face-to-face
6	Yesterday	1965	Help!	Paul	Vocal and guitar mic'd together; some leakage
7	Tell Me What You See	1965	Help!	John, Paul	-

8	Nowhere Man	1965	Rubber Soul	John	Bright treble on lead guitars
9	Rain	1966	Past Masters	John	Heavy bass response per Emerick
10	Paperback Writer	1966	Past Masters	Paul	Loudspeaker used as bass mic
11	Love You To	1966	Revolver	George	Ribbon mics on tabla, heavy compression
12	Good Day Sunshine	1966	Revolver	Paul	-
13	And Your Bird Can Sing	1966	Revolver	John	-
14	For No One	1966	Revolver	Paul	-
15	Got to Get You into My Life	1966	Revolver	Paul	Brass mic'd in the bells, through a limiter
16	Tomorrow Never Knows	1966	Revolver	John	Emerick's bass-drum mic inside the kick - broke EMI rules
17	She Said She Said	1966	Revolver	John	Emerick's Revolver-era drum miking
18	Eleanor Rigby	1966	Revolver	Paul	Emerick mic'd strings closely
19	Strawberry Fields Forever	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	John	-
20	With a Little Help from My Friends	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Ringo	-
21	Within You Without You	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	George	Ribbon mics on tabla
22	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Paul	-
23	She's Leaving Home	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Paul, John	-
24	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Paul, John, George	-
25	Lovely Rita	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Paul	-
26	When I'm Sixty-Four	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Paul	-
27	Good Morning Good Morning	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	John	-
28	Hello, Goodbye	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	Paul	Percussion captured unnaturally close

29	Your Mother Should Know	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	Paul	-
30	Magical Mystery Tour	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	Paul	-
31	Lady Madonna	1968	Past Masters	Paul	Piano miked close, then heavily compressed
32	Mother Nature's Son	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	Drums miked at end of long corridor
33	Yer Blues	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	Small-room cramped setup for spillover
34	I Will	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	Close-miked scat-sung bass line
35	Back in the U.S.S.R.	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	-
36	Glass Onion	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	Tea towels damping drums
37	Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	-
38	Why Don't We Do It in the Road?	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	Distorted, intimate vocal sound
39	The End	1969	Abbey Road	Paul	Ringo's drum solo close-miked
40	Because	1969	Abbey Road	John, Paul, George	-
41	Come Together	1969	Abbey Road	John	-

Close mic'ing

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Songs(41 of 42)

I Saw Her Standing There

All My Loving

This Boy

If I Fell

Baby's in Black

Yesterday

Tell Me What You See

Nowhere Man

Rain

Paperback Writer

Love You To

Good Day Sunshine

And Your Bird Can Sing

For No One

Got to Get You into My Life

Tomorrow Never Knows

She Said She Said

Eleanor Rigby

Strawberry Fields Forever

With a Little Help from My Friends

Within You Without You

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

She's Leaving Home

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)

Lovely Rita

When I'm Sixty-Four

Good Morning Good Morning

Hello, Goodbye

Your Mother Should Know

Magical Mystery Tour

Lady Madonna

Mother Nature's Son

Yer Blues

I Will

Back in the U.S.S.R.

Glass Onion

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

Why Don't We Do It in the Road?

The End

Because

Come Together