Musician, producer
and recording engineer Jerry Hammack, author of The Beatles Recording Reference Manuals series, has released The Beatles’ Recording Techniques – a new
book that explains how to create and mix music in the spirit of the Fab Four’s
legendary sound – on April 23, 2024.
“Studio professionals,
home studio-based artists and engineers have long sought to get that ‘Abbey
Road’ sound in their recordings, and now they can learn how,” says Hammack. “But
this is not a ‘recipe’ book, so to speak. It details how to make music with
modern tools in the way the Beatles did – and to take those tools and techniques
and apply them to your own creative output.”
The Beatles Recording Techniques includes information on:
- The equipment that gave birth to the iconic EMI (later renamed Abbey Road) Studios sound and their contemporary emulations: including consoles, outboard processing, effects, microphones and more.
- The fundamental signal routing for sessions at EMI using both the REDD and TG consoles and how to recreate them in your DAW with both stock and third-party plugins.
- The recording principles and practices of George Martin, Norman Smith, Geoff Emerick, Ken Scott and Glyn Johns that defined The Beatles' sound, whether working in mono, twin-track, four-track or eight-track.
- Insights into how the team at EMI approached the recording of every type of instrument and amplifier, including the use of effects, tape loops, and pioneering recording methods.
- The fundamentals of creating authentic sonic landscapes that capture the spirit of EMI Recording Studios.
Hammack’s exhaustive
research includes countless book, audio, video, photographic, and other
sources. "The Beatles' Recording Techniques is more
than a history lesson,” he says. “It's a practical guide for the modern
musician and audio professional. The knowledge contained within these pages
will empower people to replicate the distinctive EMI sound while encouraging
innovation in their own music.”
Hammack’s previous books, The Beatles Recording Reference Manuals, have all been Amazon #1 bestsellers in both the US and UK, and volumes 1 and 3 were nominated for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound by The Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC). He has dedicated over 35 years to the musical arts and is uniquely qualified to sort out the story of The Beatles’ recordings. From his home in Toronto, Canada, he explains, “Understanding the nuts and bolts of how these songs were produced and recorded can open up a whole new world of creativity for the home studio community.”
Producer and engineer John Leckie, an
Abbey Road Studios alumnus who has worked with John Lennon, Paul McCartney and
George Harrison among others, calls Hammack’s new book “a total immersion in recreating The Beatles'
sound in your digital workstation in a way that is not only instantly recognisable, authentic
and professional, but also serves as an ideal starting point for your personal
creativity. If you love The Beatles' sound and want to achieve it both
sonically and in terms of production techniques, this book is a must-have. It
fully explains how to use your DAW in emulating correct Abbey Road practices,
with great suggestions for everything from microphones, instrumentation and amplification
to effects that will inspire you to paint your own pictures in sound!”
An essential companion for any music professional – as well as for Beatles fans, scholars and students – the new book can be purchased at beatlesrecordingtechniques.com or on Amazon.
Jerry Hammack is represented by 910 Public Relations, and is
available for interviews, book signings, and speaking engagements. Copies of
his book are available for review upon request. For more information, please
contact: nicole@910pr.com