THE GREATIST RECORDINGS OF ALL-TIME

6. "AUTOBAHN"-KRAFTWORK



37 YEARS AFTER IT'S RELEASE KRAFTWORK'S "AUTOBAHN" STILL SOUNDS

LIKE SOMETHING BEING BEAMED DOWN TO US FROM SOME FUTURISTIC ALIEN ASTRAL PLANE.AS FAR AS WE KNOW-KRAFTWORK WERE THE FIRST ALL ELECTRONIC ROCK BAND.THAT'S ONE THING BUT CREATING A SONG AS CATCHY AND FUN AS "AUTOBAHN" MAKES THIS RECORDING TOTALLY UNIQUE BY COMBINING THE TWO ELEMENTS.THE SONG WAS INSPIRED BY THE BEACH BOYS
"FUN,FUN,FUN" AND IF THAT WAS THE GOAL THEN KRAFTWORK DEFINATLY ACHIEVED IT.THEY SEEMED TO BE THE FIRST BAND TO TOTALLY MASTER
THE SYNTHETIC SOUNDS THIER ELECTRONIC INSTUMENTS MADE.

THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF RECORDING ACOUSTIC GUITAR

MOST ACOUSTIC GUITAR RECORDINGS ARE DONE WITH A SEPARETE MIC FOR THE

ACOUSTIC GUITAR PLACED ABOUT 5-10 INCHES FROM THE CENTER OF THE GUITAR

BODY.THOUGH SOME BASS TONE IS LEFT IN,THE TREBLE TONES ARE THE MOST

FOCUSED ON AND CRANKED-UP HIGH WITH THE MIDRANGE TURNED DOWN SO FAR

IT'S NEARLY ELIMINATED.I THINK THIS IS A BIG MISTAKE.BIG ACOUSTIC DREADNAUGHT GUITARS LIKE MY 1980 GUILD DON'T PRODUCE A THIN TREBELY SOUND LIKE YOU HEAR ON MOST MODERN RECORDS AND CD'S.THEY PRODUCE A HUGE SOUND !-IN FACT ONE MIGHT CALL IT A RUMBLE-ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE

STRUMMING HARD WITH A FAIRLY THICK LATEX PICK।THAT RUMBLE GOES BACK AT LEAST AS FAR AS THE EVERLY BROTHERS AND I'M SURE ALOT FURTHER BUT SOMETIME IN THE 1970'S PRODUCERS STARTED REMOVING ALLMOST ALL OF THE

MID-RANGE;DEEMING IT AN UNDESIRABLE SOUND.FOR SOME RECORDINGS IT IS
APPROPRIATE TO TONE DOWN THE MID-RANGE ON AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR-IF
THERE ARE ALOT OF TRACKS IT CAN MUDDY UP THE MIX।BUT IF YOUR RECORDING
A SMALL ENSEMBLE OR A GUITAR AND VOCAL ONLY RECORDING THERE'S NO
REASON NOT TO LET THE MIDRANGE FREE SO PEOPLE CAN HEAR IT IN ALL IT'S
GLORY.AT SEVERAL SESSIONS IN NASHVILLE AND AUSTIN I INSTRUCTED THE
ENGINEER TO LEAVE THE MID-RANGE IN ! I KNOW THEY WERE BOTH SURPRISED
AND DELIGHTED AT THE SOUND WE GOT।

PETE HOLLY-COPYRIGHT-2008